Napoleon Facts: Rise, Reign, and Final Exile

Napoleon Bonaparte turned battlefield wins into political power, then lost an empire that had stretched across much of Europe. These napoleon facts trace his rise from Corsica-born officer to emperor, and then to exile on Saint Helena.

How did Napoleon rise so fast?

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on 15 August 1769 and moved to mainland France in 1779. He was commissioned as an officer in the French Royal Army in 1785, then rose to prominence as a general during the French Revolution.

His rapid rise began with the siege of Toulon in 1793, where he won recognition, and it accelerated again after he defeated royalist insurgents in Paris on 13 Vendémiaire in 1795. By November 1799, he had engineered the Coup of Eighteen Brumaire and become First Consul of the Republic.

What made Napoleon Emperor of the French?

Napoleon became Emperor of the French on 18 May 1804, and in December 1804 he crowned himself Emperor of the French. He later became known by his regnal name, Napoleon I.

His military power reached a peak at the Battle of Austerlitz, which shattered his opponents and led to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. That victory helped define the scale of his rule and the reach of his armies across Europe.

Why did the wars expand across Europe?

In 1808 Napoleon installed his brother Joseph as King of Spain, and that decision provoked the Peninsular War. In the summer of 1812, he launched an invasion of Russia.

The invasion ended in disaster when his army retreated catastrophically that winter. The scale of that failure marked a sharp turn in the wars against him.

How did Napoleon lose power?

In 1814, the coalition invaded France, captured Paris, and forced Napoleon to abdicate in April. He was exiled to Elba, but escaped with around a thousand men and marched on Paris, reclaiming control of the country.

That return was brief. He was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, then exiled to Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.

If you followed Napoleon’s rise and fall, you’re ready for the quiz.