Napoleon Timeline

Italian Campaign (green)

Apr 2, 1796

Napoleon conquered most of Northern Italy for France.

Egyptian Campaign (red)

1798

Napoleon was defeated by the British navy who destroyed the French fleet. He abandoned his troops and went back to France to declare they won.

First Consulate (green)

Nov 9, 1799

Napoleon and his brother launched coup d’état on November 9th, 1799 and they appoint a senate.

Banque de France (green)

Jan 18, 1800

Napoleon created the bank to restore confidence in French banking system. The bank was partly founded with state funds.

Concordat of 1801 (yellow)

1801

Napoleon wanted to heal divisions with the Catholic Church, but he only used this to prop up his regime. The churches lost land.

Consul for Life (green)

1802

Napoleon takes the title of Consul for Life and creates a legislation where his son will succeed him.

Declared self emperor (green)

1804

Napoleon declares himself emperor. He crowned himself, which showed he owed his throne to none.

Napoleonic Code (yellow)

1804

This established religious toleration, abolition of feudalism, and equality of all citizens before the law. However, women lost most of their newly gained freedom and could not exercise the right of citizenship.

Battle of Trafalgar (red)

Oct 21, 1805

The British established naval supremacy after crushing the French. Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve went up against Admiral Horatio Nelson

Abolished the Holy Roman Empire (green)

1806

Francis II abdicated after the French Army defeated them. Napoleon recognized empire as Confederation of the Rhine.

Resistance in Spain (red)

1808

Napoleon introduced reforms that sought to undermine the Spanish Catholic Church. Spaniards remained loyal to the king and they were devoted to the church. When Spain resisted, French responded with brutal repression. However, the Spanish used guerrilla warfare and ambushed the French.

Invasion of Russia (red)

1812

The Grand Amy invaded in 1812 with 600,000 soldiers and 50,000 horses. The Russians retreated eastward, burning crops and villages. The French were then left cold and hungry during winter.

Battle of Nations of Leipzig (red)

Oct 16, 1813

This was a decisive defeat for Napoleon, which resulted in destruction of what was left of French power in Poland and Germany. Even though they had 320,000 allied troops, they still lost.

Abdication (red)

Apr 11, 1814

After falling from power, Napoleon abdicated the throne and Louis XVIII was crowned king. However, Louis XVIII was a terrible king and there as an economic depression.

Continental System (red)

Nov 21, 1814

This closed European ports to British goods and also triggered the War of 1812. This failed to bring Britain to their knees.

Hundred Days (red)

Mar 20, 1815

Napoleon arrived in Paris after escaping exile on Elba. He returned to power and gained military support. After loosing Waterloo, he abdicated a second time.

Waterloo (red)

Jun 18, 1815

Armies met at Waterloo in Belgium. The Duke of Wellington and General Blücher crushed Napoleon and he was forced into exile again on Saint Helena and he never returned.