-
Napoleon forces British troops out of Toulon
-
Period: to
Napoleon's Early Successes
-
Napoleon defeats Austrian troops in Italy
-
Napoleon is put in charge of protecting France's interior
Napoleon fights off an angry mob of royalists trying to regain power in Paris. Ultimately, he used artillery and shot into the crowd of people causing them to flee. Because of his victory, Napoleon is put in charge of protecting France's interior. -
Napoleon is made commander of French troops invading Italy
In 1976, the Directory made Napoleon commander of French troops invading Italy. Because they were poorly supplied, he and his troops had to get food from the countryside. Without the burden of a supply train, his troops were able to attack quickly. -
Napoleon tries to disrupt English-Indian trade in Egypt
Napoleon wanted to hinder the English-Indian trade in Egypt. To do so, he took a large fleet and army, defeated the Ottoman defenders, and took much of Egypt. Despite this victory, British Admiral Nelson crushed Napoleon's fleet in the Battle of the Nile. To cover up this huge loss, Napoleon goes back to France and largely emphasizes the successes he has had. -
The Directory declines
During this time, the Directory was corrupt and hated by the French. A few Directors asked Napoleon to come back from Egypt and help them to overthrow the government; he readily agreed. He gave a disorganized speech which caused a bit of disruption among the ranks. Order was restored by General Murat and the next day, a constitution for a new, temporary government was passed. -
Coup d'etat: Napoleon becomes a dictator
Napoleon's supporters came armed and demanded that the power be handed over to Napoleon. A group of three consuls was put in place with Napoleon in charge. Although France still had a structure of a republic, Napoleon was a dictator. -
Napoleon's conquest on Europe
To take over Europe, Napoleon started what would be known as the Napoleonic Wars. During this period, France became the dominant power in Europe. Through the wars would eventually end in 1815, Napoleon was able to win the Battle of Trafalgar, the Battle of Austerlitz, and many others. Throughout this timespan, Britain remained France's biggest opponent. -
Period: to
The Napoleonic Wars
-
Napoleon becomes an emperor
After changing from a monarchy to a more republic modeled government, the people vote to change France to an empire; this made Napoleon an emperor. -
The Peninsular War
When Portugal refused to follow the Continental System, Napoleon decided to assert his power. He sent troops to overthrow the king. Soon after he conquered Spain and put his brother in charge of his newfound territory. The Spanish did not take lightly to having a foreign power on the throne, so they revolted. Seeing their chance to weaken France, Britain jumped in and sent troops to aid the revolting peasants. With so many attacks, Napoleon was forced to leave Spain. -
The Russian Campaign
Napoleon had a hunger for more power and more land. The next place he set his interest upon was Russia. He started by placing troops at Russia's western border. By June, Napoleon was in Russia, ready to invade. He wanted his victory over Russia to be quick, but whenever he advanced, Russian troops retreated. Napoleon was in the foreign land longer than he intended and was running out of supplies. In October, Napoleon left Russia. While he was retreating, he and his troops were caught in... -
Napoleon takes over Europe
Even though he had to withdraw from Spain, Napoleon was quick to take control over the rest of Europe through treaties, alliances, and battle victories. The only countries free of him were Great Britain, Sweden, Portugal, and the Ottoman Empire. -
The Russian Campaign continued
...the harsh Russian winter. Of his 600,000 troops, only 94,000 survived the journey home. -
Napoleon exiled
After Napoleon's defeat in Russia, he raised yet another army. His enemies saw this disaster as the perfect time to attack. The five armies met in Germany and brought France a swift defeat. When Napoleon surrendered, his enemies forced him to give up his throne and move his empire to the small island of Elba. -
Napoleon returns to France
After only about a year in Elba, Napoleon was able to sneak his way back into France. Though many citizens weren't happy about his rumored return, many were still loyal to their exiled emperor. He and his small following saw the start of the Hundred Days where Napoleon temporarily returned to his former glory. -
The Battle of Waterloo
Rumors of Napoleon's return spread quickly. His enemies gathered their troops and waited for Napoleon's awaited attack. On June 18, the two armies met near Waterloo. While the French and British forces fought, the Prussian army also showed up to the battle. Though bold and brave, Napoleon's forces were no match for the two armies. This battle marked the end of Napoleon's military career and the Napoleonic Wars -
Period: to
Napoleon's end
After Napoleon had been defeated in Waterloo, he tried to run away to the Americas. He was soon captured and sent away to Saint Helena, much more remote than Elba ever was. After only 6 years, Napoleon died. His cause of death is still a mystery.
