-
Napoleon is born
Napoleon was born on August 15, 1769 in France. -
Start of the French Revolution
The meeting of the estates-general was held on May 5, 1789. This event marked the start of the French Revolution. The revolution was made up of four phases, known as the National Assembly, Legislative Assembly, Convention, and Directory. -
Period: to
The Reign of Terror
This event took place in France during the revolution. King Louis XVI was beheaded and Robespierre(the head of the comity of public safety) was in charge. Girondists thought the revolution should've ended because the king was gone and they had a constitution, while Jacobins thought the revolution should continue. It ended when Robspierre was guillotined. -
Battle of Toulon
The Battle of Toulon was the first major event led by Napoleon. The battle took place in Toulon, which is a port located on the south coast of France. Napoleon was an important part of this event and was recognized for his actions by the revolutionary government when the port fell on December 19th,1793. -
Period: to
The Egyptian Campaign
France was at war with Great Britain, and Napoleon escaped from a British fleet. Then, he captured the port of Malta. Napolion arrived in Egypt on July 1, 1798, with 35,000 soldiers. Bonaparte lost a significant amount of his soldiers (over 30,000) during the Egyptian Campaign. -
18 Brumaire Coup
The Directory was defeated by Sieyes and Napoleon.They formed the three-person consulate. Also, Ducos and Sieyes were chosen to be consuls with Napoleon. -
First Consul for Life
Napoleon held a plebiscite on August 2, 1802, which was a popular vote by ballot, where he was named First Consul for Life. -
Napoleonic Code
The Napoleonic Code is a new reform that Napoleon created. It was a new code of laws based on Enlightenment principles. Women were given more rights and made into second class citizens. It included other things like religious toleration, the removal of feudalism, and the equality of all citizens before the law. -
Napoleon's Coronation
Napoleon was crowned the emperor of the French Empire on December 2, 1804, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. -
Battle of Trafalgar
Admiral Lord Nelson led the British fleet to defeat the French and Spanish fleet in this battle. The Battle of Trafalgar happened off the coast of Spain in 1805. Until the British defeated the French and Spanish fleet after five hours of fighting on the European mainland, Napoleon led France to have more power. -
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz was between France, Austria, and Russia. Russia and Austria joined forces with Great Britain, in an atempt to defeat Napoleon's army. Napoleon defeated the Russian and Austrian army, which was great for France since they had a slightly smaller troop. Napoleon planned everything out very well, and it paid off in the end. -
Period: to
Continental System
The Continental System was a blockade used to try and prevent the British from being able to reach the trading ports of Europe. Its' purpose was to stop the British from having the right amount of money they needed so they would not be able to fund themselves on mainland Europe. France got hurt by this, rather than Britain. -
Period: to
Invasion of Russia
During this event, the French invaded Russia. It can be refered to as the Patriotic war of 1812, since it began on June, 24, 1812 when Napoleon's Grande Armee crossed the Neman River. Their purpose was to capture and defeat the Russian army. Napoleon's army had started with 680,000 soliders and it finished with only 27,000. The invasion lasted just under 6 months. -
Retreat from Moscow
Napoleon led the Grand Armee to Moscow. They arrived on September 14, 1812 and found the city abandoned and burnt down. Napoleon's army began the retreat from Moscow on October 19, 1812 and lost many members to the cold winter. -
Battle of Leipzig
During the Battle of Leipzig, Napoleon's large army was defeated by the Austrian,Swedish, Russian, and Prussian armies. This battle was also called the Battle of the Nations since it was the largest battle in history and the enemies defeated Napoleon's army in Saxony. -
Exile to Elba
Elba is the island in Italy that Napoleon was exiled to in 1804. In March of 1815, Napoleon escaped from the island, and returned to Paris. Napoleon was still very popular when he returned and he regained his supporters and reclaimed his title as emperor. -
Period: to
Hundred Days
On March 20, 1815, after Napoleon escaped from his exile in Elba, he arrived in Paris and took control of the city. Louis XVIII was forced to flee. Two months later, Bonaparte's army consisted of 280,000 men. England's Duke of Wellington, was made up of 110,000 men, and Prussia's Field Marshal Blucher, had 120,000 men. Napoleon figured it was important to strike before it was too late, since the enemies were close. -
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo took place in Belgium on June 18, 1815. This battle resulted in Napoleon being defeated by the British. The Prussians were led by Wellington. The Napoleonic era of European history came to an end after the Battle of Waterloo. -
Exile to Saint Helena
On October 16, 1815, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Saint Helena. This island was located in the middle of the South Atlantic, so he was living far away from the mainland, which made it very difficult to escape. -
Death of Napoleon
Napoleon died on May 5, 1821 in Saint Helena. His death was thought to be caused by stomach cancer.