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Napoleon's Victory over Loyalists
Napoleon's suppression and victory over of a mob of loyalists trying to regain power in Paris created a good reputation for him in the Directory of France, rewarding him the position of defending the French interior at only 26 years old. This key event was the launchpad for his rise to military power and subsequent political influence. -
Napoleon's Invasion of Italy
In 1796, the Directory placed Napoleon in charge of an invasion of Italy. His troops were poorly supplied, but Napoleon cleverly used this weakness to his advantage by being able to strike his opponents quickly without being slowed down by a supply train. By defeated Austrians and Italians in Italy, Napoleon not only protected the French border but also won territory for France. This was one of the first significant demonstrations of Napoleon's military expertise. -
Napoleon in Egypt
After victories in Italy, Napoleon turned his attention to Egypt in order to disrupt valuable trade between Great Britain and India. Although his forces quickly defeated Egypt's Ottoman defenders and won control of much of Egypt, they were crushed by British Admiral Horatio Nelson's naval forces. However, Napoleon covered up his disastrous defeat by placing his army under the command of another officer, and when he returned to France, he was renowned as a national hero. -
Coup D'état
After becoming a national hero, Napoleon began his pursuit of political power. By the late 1790s, the Directory had grown weak and ineffective, and so a group of conspirators began a plot to seize power for Napoleon. In November of 1799, the coup d'état was staged, in which armed supporters of Napoleon surrounded the Directory legislature and forced them to hand government power over to Napoleon. This placed Napoleon in control of France, and eventually, much of Europe. -
Emperor Napoleon Crowns Himself
After voters supported the move to declare France an empire via the plebiscite, Napoleon was officially crowned emperor in 1804. However, something interesting occurred during the crowning that would set the tone for the rest of Napoleon's reign: before Pope Pius VIII was able to place the crown on Napoleon's head, Napoleon grabbed the crown and placed it on his head himself. This sent a strong message out to the world - no one had the authority to give Napoleon his power; only himself. -
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The Napoleonic Wars
A period of nearly continuous warfare as a result of Napoleon's (and France's) desire to gain control of all of Europe. It ended when Napoleon was finally exiled for good, to Saint Helena. -
The Continental System: Weakness of the "Nation of Shopkeepers"
After suffering some naval defeats from Great Britain, Napoleon found a weakness in Britain's defenses: their economy relied heavily on overseas trade. If Napoleon disrupted the trade, he could weaken Britain's ability to fund his enemies. As a result, he created the Continental System, a blockade that prohibited French or allied ships from trading with the British. This blockade resulted in many other conflicts in the war. Date and some info:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Continental-System -
The Peninsular War and Spanish Revolt
Portugal was neutral during the Napoleonic Wars, but it refused to comply with the Continental System because it depended heavily on trade with Britain. As a result, Napoleon drove the king out of Portugal and also conquered Spain. However, the Spaniards revolted against the foreign king in 1808. Although Napoleon was able to win several victories, he was not able to continue fighting against the combined military forces of Britain and Spain, and he eventually had to pull his troops out of Spain -
The Russian Campaign: Napoleon's Greatest Mistake
Napoleon decided to invade Russia - a grave mistake committed time and time again by pre- and proceeding military commanders. The operation was doomed from the start: many soldiers were new and felt no loyalty to Napoleon, much of the supplies was lost or spoiled along tough roads, and the summer heat made everyone miserable. However, it was not Russian forces that defeated them but rather the brutal Russian winter that decimated the French with a ferocity unseen from any previous army. -
Napoleon Defeated at Leipzig
Napoleon's Russian disaster gave his enemies hope, and Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain allied themselves against France. In October of 1813, the allies battled Napoleon's new troops near the German city of Leipzig, but Napoleon's inexperienced new army didn't stand a chance against the enemies. -
Napoleon Exiled
After Napoleon's defeat near Leipzig, his enemies entered Paris in March of 1814. Napoleon surrendered, and one of the terms was that he had to give up his throne. Although he retained the title of emperor, he was exiled to Elba, a small island off the coast of Italy, on April 12, 1814.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/napoleon-exiled-to-elba#:~:text=On%20April%2011%2C%201814%2C%20Napoleon,%2C%20on%20August%2015%2C%201769. -
Napoleon's Return
On March 30, 1815, Napoleon returned to Paris. Reactions were mixed: the new King Louis XVIII panicked and fled to Belgium, some French people who despised Napoleon for dragging France were not thrilled, but many more were excited by Napoleon's return - so much so that the troops sent to arrest Napoleon ended up pledging loyalty to him instead. -
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The Hundred Days
After spending nearly a year in exile, Napoleon and his supporters escaped Elba and returned to France, marking the beginning of a period known as the Hundred Days in which Napoleon's glory was temporarily relived. -
The Battle of Waterloo
Napoleon's enemies prepared to face off against him at the news of the emperor's return, and on June 18, 1815, British troops led by the Duke of Wellington and supplemented by Belgian, Dutch, and German forces clashed with Napoleon's forces at Waterloo. The fighting was ferocious all day, but when Prussian troops came to aid the British, Napoleon's troops were no match for the combined military strength. This marked the end of Napoleon's military career and the end of the Napoleonic wars. -
Napoleon's Final Exile
On October 15, 1815, Napoleon was exiled to an island called Saint Helena, from which he never escaped. -
The Death of Napoleon
Napoleon died after only six years after he had been exiled to Saint Helena, at the age of 51.
Interesting fact: although his cause of death is unknown, it is speculated that he died from stomach cancer due to the way that he posed with his hand in his vest for portraits. (https://www.history.com/topics/france/napoleon)
