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He had seven brothers and sisters, and his father was a lawyer whose family stemmed from the Florentine nobility. His original nationality was Corsican-Italian. In 1779, Napoleon went to school at Brienne in France. There he took a great interest in history, especially in the lives of great ancient generals. Napoleon was often badly treated at Brienne because he was not as wealthy as his fellow classmates and came from a conquered nation. He also did not speak French well being from Corsica he spoke Italian, he was just beginning to learn the French language. He studied very hard so that he could do better then those who snubbed him. I found all aspects that examined the roots of his personality in the book very interesting. The works show how Napoleon was shaped into a fearless man. I believe Napoleon was naturally inclined to be the type of person that always has to win, but the training he received at military school, along with the somewhat harsh environment further emphasized and equipped him for the future as a great military leader. Napoleon attended the Ecole Military School in Paris in 1784 after receiving a scholarship. The school was a cold, somewhat brutal learning environment. Students were never allowed to go home during the six year program. This would shape anyone into a person that could command and demand from society, but rarely fit completely in to it. This is he received his military training. He studied to be an artillery officer. Napoleon finished his training and joined the French army when he was 16 years old. He was appointed to an artillery regiment, and commissioned as a lieutenant. He was not well liked by his fellow officers because he was short, spoke with an Italian accent, and had little money and a hungry aggressive attitude. Napoleon spent little time with his regiment. He was more concerned with trying to free his homeland of Corsica, which had been taken with force by France. After being commissioned his father died, and he was forced to provide for his family. Napoleon spent the next seven years reading the works of the philosophers, and educating himself in military matters by studying the campaigns of the great military leaders of the past. The French Revolution and the European war that followed broadened his sights and presented him with new opportunities. Napoleon was a supporter of the French Revolution. He went back and forth between Paris and Ajaccio, working for the Republic. Napoleon rose quickly through the ranks and became a captain in 1792. In 1793, Corsica revolted against the Republic, and Napoleon's family had to Flee to France. The Republic was in danger. France was at war with Austria, Prussia, England, Holland, and Spain. There was a revolt in western France, and there was a great need for good officers. At the age of 25, only one year after becoming captain, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. He was given command of the artillery at Toulon, and in December of that same year, the French forced the English out of Toulon. In August of 1794, Napoleon was arrested because he had been a supporter of Maximilien Rosbespierre. He was accused of treason. Although he was released, his career seemed to be over. In October of 1795, the government was threatened with a revolt in Paris. Paul Barras, commander of the home forces, appointed Napoleon to defend the capital. Napoleon massed men and artillery in Paris The attack consisted of 30,000 national guards was repelled by his men. 200 men were killed on each side, but he had saved France from civil war. Napoleon saved the national convention from the Parisian mob and one year later at the age of 26 was rewarded with the position of commander in chief of the interior French army in Italy. When Napoleon accepted the position as the commander of the French Army he received a cold reception by his generals. No general was to be easily cowed by a man of only twenty six. Something about Bonaparte scared them. Once Napoleon took over it did not take long for him to turn the group of ill-disciplined soldiers into an effective fighting force. His boldness and determination, as he would later prove could turn his troops into super human soldiers. If he said it could be done, they believed him, and would give their lives on his words. In a series of stunning victories, Napoleon defeated four Austrian generals in succession, each army he fought was larger than the one he faced in succeeding battles. This forced Austria and its allies to make peace with France. Napoleon was dressed well and he took part in the life of Paris, and often visited the grand house of Barras. It was there that he met Josephine de Beauharnais, the widow of a French nobleman. Women were never Napoleon's strong suit. He has many affairs which were common in his day. It seems that no woman could ever live up to what his mother was to Napoleon. Napoleon was too aggressive a man to give himself wholly to a woman. Maybe this was good for the military, but a military is made up of men. Not being able to sustain a positive relationship with his wife or mistresses hurt Napoleon the man. On March 9, 1796, Napoleon married Josephine and two days later left to command the army that was fighting the Austrians in Italy. On April 10, he started a new campaign, and with a series of clever moves, he split the opposing Austrian army into three separate groups. Napoleon then defeated each one. Three weeks later he crossed the Po River. Napoleon led an attack and attempted to storm the bridge over the Adda River. Napoleon formed three republics in northern Italy, and made peace with Naples without even telling the government in Pairs. In July, the Austrians sent three powerful waves of men through the Alps. In only six days, Napoleon and his men attacked each wave of soldiers, and defeated each one separately. When the third was defeated in a two days' battle at Rivoli on January 14 and 15th, 1797, he invaded Austria. In October of 1797, he signed a treaty of Campo-Formio. With this treaty, France was given Belgium and lands along the Rhine River. In December 1797, Napoleon returned to Paris as a conquering hero. When he returned he received a huge welcome. At this time, he began thinking of pursuing more power that is political and military power. He wanted to become the next Alexander the Great. The Director wanted to get rid of Napoleon as soon as possible. He felt that Napoleon was getting too popular and too powerful in Paris. The Director decided that Napoleons plan of an attack on Egypt would threaten England's hold on India, a major source of British wealth. The Director gladly let him go. In May 1798, Napoleon sailed to Egypt, and won the Battle of the Pyramids. There Napoleon slaughtered the well trained soldiers from Cairo. The battle actually took place in a watermelon field, but Napoleon decided to call it the battle of the pyramids, to add a spin to the story, and just because it sounded better to himself. On July 23, he entered the city of Cairo. However, the British controlled the sea, and on August 1 Horatio Nelson, an English admiral, lead an attack that destroyed the French Navy in Aboukir Bay. Napoleon could no longer keep in touch with France. The British had successfully cut off supplies from Napoleon's men in Egypt. Napoleon then advanced in to Syria, but was stopped by the British defense of Acre. Napoleon suffered his first major defeat. The unstoppable man had been stopped. Napoleon hated a siege, he preferred a fight on an open "European" style battlefield where his masterful military mind could think. The battle he lost at ,was simply, a fort, which still stands today. Though he went to Paris he later and said he had won the battle, he even had coins produced showing his victory. With no way of getting supplies from France, Napoleon's men started dying from disease and heat. With his dreams of the Asiatic Empire ended, he retreated to Egypt. On his way back to Egypt he came across the first French papers, he had seen in ten months. He learned that Italy had been lost to the Austrians, and the Directory was unpopular. Seeing no future and certain defeat, Napoleon did not hesitate to abandon his army and return to Pairs. He left his army in the hands of General Jean Kleber, which he did not have the nerve to even tell him himself that he was leaving in person. Napoleon sailed home along with three other ships, and on October 16, 1799, he arrived in Paris. Napoleon then participated in the coup d'etat that ultimately led to his virtual dictatorship of France. Barely thirty years old, he became First Consul of France. As the First Consul, Napoleon directly controlled the entire executive authority of the government. Napoleon had overwhelming influence over the legislature. He appointed members of the bureaucracy, controlled the army, and conducted foreign affairs. In May 1800, Napoleon invaded Italy. He crossed the path known as "Great Saint Bernard", and occupied Milan. The Austrians had guarded every Pass in to Italy but this one. It was said to be impossible far an arm to cross this pass, but Napoleon proved the Austrians arrogant, and wrong. On June 14, the Austrians attacked him in the plains of Marengo where he only had a portion of his army. At four in the afternoon, the French had seemed to be beaten, but Napoleon remained calm. His reinforcements came, and he led a final charge to win the Battle of Marengo. Napoleon had them reorganized almost everything- roads, factories, and harbors- that had been destroyed by the Revolution. He now controlled every part of the French life. He invited the Nobles back that had fled abroad he granted amnesty to all of the émigrés. Napoleon's greatest accomplishments are little known to the outside world. He restructured the government. He made sweeping changes in all aspects of government. He tried to rid France of corrupt government. Excluding himself, of course. But he did limit terms on which people could hold office. He also granted rights to citizens all over France that were formerly mistreated by the French people and the government. Many of the laws that were passed in Napoleons day still exist today in the form of a foundation for the current government. Such as his banking system for example. It was amazing that a man from so little could do so much for the country that had originally conquered his country. Well the time came when he conquered them. wrote laws that are still in use today. He reorganized the treasury department, forming the Bank of France, and regulating taxation. He setup an education system with secondary and technical schools. Napoleon gave out awards to those that had significant achievements for France. It was his Legion of Honor, which is still exists today. A Council of State was set up to give him advice, and help him write laws. France became one of the first efficiently organized modern states. In 1801, Napoleon made an agreement with the pope that made Catholicism the state religion, but all religions were to be tolerated. In 1802, Napoleon was elected First Council for life. This was done by using a voting system where everyone saw exactly how you voted. You had to sign your name in the "YES" or "NO" columns. Rarely did anyone choose to oppose Napoleon. Two years later, Napoleon not content with being First Council crowned him self-Emperor of France. At this time France was no longer a republic. Napoleon invited the Pope Pius VII to crown him Emperor, but when it came time to be crowned Napoleon took the crown from the Pope and placed it upon is own head. In 1812, war broke out with England again. Napoleon organized a huge army at Boulogne for the invasion of England. When Russia and Austria joined England Napoleon decided not to invade England. Instead, he marched his army in to Germany. They surrounded the Austrian army at Ulm, and forced them to surrender. Two days later Admiral Nelson, the same man to defeat the French navy in Egypt, again destroyed the French navy at the battle of Trafalgar. This forever ended Napoleon's hopes of invading England. Napoleon's armies kept fighting, capturing Vienna, the Austrian capital. On December 2 1805, Napoleon met the Austro-Russian army at Austerlitz. This was one of his best-planed battles. When the morning light came, he saw that the enemy had lined up in the exact order he had said they would. The victory was decisive; Napoleon made himself king of Italy, his brother Joseph, king of Naples, and another brother Louis king of Holland. In October of 1806 Napoleon was facing war again. He defeated the Prussians in the battle of Jena, and captured, Berlin. The Prussian king fled to Russia and Napoleon advanced through Poland. While away he was in constant communications with Paris. He received word every day of its internal affairs although he was 1500 miles away. On February 8, 1797, Napoleon fought an even battle with the Russians at Eylan, Germany, and on June 14, he destroyed the Russian army at Friedland, Germany. After this battle Napoleon and Alexander I, the Czar of Russia meet at Tilsit. Together they divided Europe, all except for Austria and Prussia. The Bonaparte family now ruled the whole of Western Europe. The Bonaparte has made many improvements to the laws of the countries the governed. He drafted many men from all over Europe. Most of these men did not want to serve in his armies, but the had no choice. With all this power, Napoleon's most hated enemy England, was still untouchable. By the Berlin Decree of November 1806, Napoleon had closed all the ports of the continent against English trade. This became known as the Continental System. Napoleon figured that if he could not beat England in a battle, he would just cut off their supplies and forces them to make a treaty with France. This strategy did not go as planed. In Spain, Napoleon forced King Charles IV to abdicate and set up his brother Joseph as king. The Spanish people rebelled, and an English army landed in Portugal. Napoleon himself took command, but early in 1809 the Austrians again declared war. Napoleon rushed back to France and in May he went to Vienna and on July 5-6 fought at the Battle of Wagram. It was a hard fight, but he won it and peace was again made. Napoleon had wanted a son. Not having produced one, Napoleon divorced Josephine. On March 11, 1810, Napoleon married Marie Louise was daughter of the emperor of Austria. The constitutional system was hurting Russia and Sweden. Finally, Russia started trading with England again. Napoleon gathered an Army of about 500,000 men. In June 1812, Napoleon endeavored on a new campaign. This was one of the worst mistakes he ever made. Napoleon was making the same mistakes he made in Egypt, not satisfied with what he had, he over stepped his limits and tried for the stars. Russia was as stars are, too far to reach,. He was short on supply and ammo, his men suffered horribly, even worse than in Egypt. He lost 250,000 men, essentially wiping out a whole generation of France. Napoleon and his 500,000 men marched into Russia. Napoleon believed that after a few quick victorious battles, he would be able to convince Alexander to return to the Continental System. He decided that if he could take Moscow, the Russian government would crumble and ask for peace. Napoleon would soon learn how wrong he was. At the beginning of Napoleon's campaign, he was fabulously victorious, but when he reached Moscow, he found the city in ruins. Instead of giving in to Napoleon, Alexander had burned Moscow to the ground. Alexander knew that the winter was coming, and with no refuge, Napoleon and his troops would be in grave danger. Alexander was right, Napoleon lost many men to frost bite and other such related winter ailments. This single strategy killed almost half a million men. Again, just as in Egypt Napoleon had to pack up and just go home, defeated, but this time he could not hide his defeat as he did in Egypt. This became known as the "Great Retreat". The campaigns of 1813 were hopeless from the start. Prussia and Austria joined Russia. Napoleon started by winning the Battle of Leipzig in May, but could not follow it up. He was no longer being the super power, some of his German allies joined the Russians, and Napoleon lost the Battle of Leipzig. Soon the Austrians, Prussians, and Bavarians were in northern France. The English in Spain were marching over the Pyrenees. France tired of fighting, out of money, and out of men could no longer support Napoleon. For all the time it took Napoleon to conquer Europe, it was almost over night that he lost it all. On April 11, 1814 Napoleon was abdicated. With the overthrow of Napoleon, the Countries of Europe came to Vienna to remake the map. Most of the old kings were given back their lands and France was reduced. They also decided to exile Napoleon to the island of Elba. Even there he was a king. He organized an army and made roads. However, all the while still had his eyes on France. On June 18, 1815 Napoleon with his new army once again attacked the English, led by the Duke of Wellington, at Waterloo. This battle was short lived and Napoleon was quickly defeated, and he was again abdicated. Defeated and embarrassed again he was sent to live on the Island of St. Helena, where he died in May 1821. It would take almost 20 years before his body was returned to France to be buried as he had wished. He was buried in Les Invalids in France. The man passed on, but left many lasting accomplishments as well as left the world in awe. Bibliography: Napoleon and His Times---1989---by Frank A.Kafker and James M. Laux---printed by--Bobert E. Krieger Publishing Company,INC Kreieger Drive--Malabar, Florida 32950----339 pages Word Count: 3139
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