Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 in the family of a poor nobleman. At the age of 10, his parents sent him to a military school in the south of France. A few years later he reached the rank of captain and helped his army in the fight against the British. The tactics by which the French defeated the English soldiers was the beginning of the military career of the future commander. After that, Napoleon is appointed general and works on a plan to take over European countries. In addition to successful operations abroad, Bonaparte easily suppressed uprisings in his homeland, as a result of which the French people had no doubt that this man could become a great commander.
At the end of the 18th century, Napoleon distinguished himself in Italy, where he established himself as an experienced military tactician. By that time he was only 27 years old, but he was already known all over the world. Thanks to this, the young commander was sent to Eastern countries to suppress the rebellion, where he also demonstrated his skills. When the French army defeated Egypt, Napoleon directs all his forces to the battle with A.V. Suvorov. In the midst of a war with the Russian army, a successful commander is proclaimed the great emperor of France. Bonaparte begins to carry out many reforms to strengthen his power. The innovations made by Napoleon did not disappear after hundreds of years. Until now, many countries live according to the system that the French emperor introduced.
Despite the successes and successful conquests, Napoleon Bonaparte could not prevent a crisis in his country. The economy began to fall, the people began to resent, because all the actions were aimed only at foreign policy.
In 1811, an important event took place in the life of the whole country. Napoleon has an heir from his second marriage to Marie-Louise, who is the princess of the Austrian state. Due to the discontent of the French people, the alliance formed with the new wife weakened the authority of the commander.
One of the memorable in the history of France is 1812, when Napoleon declares war on Russia. The battles lasted for a whole year, as a result of which, after numerous battles, Napoleon's army fell. The warriors were not ready for such a Russian defense and lost several battles. The weather conditions were not suitable for the French. Having lost a huge number of soldiers, the emperor is surrounded by several regiments, which were not enough to continue the war. The decision is made to retreat and return. Upon his return, Napoleon abdicates the throne, and on December 25 of the same year, the end of the war with Russia is announced, where the Russian troops won the victory, defeating Bonaparte's army. After that great commander tried to make several attempts to take revenge, but it was impossible. The people revolted, wanting Napoleon to be sent into exile.
On the island of Saint Helena, where the emperor was exiled, he spent last years own life. As punishment for the defeat, which ruined the lives of thousands of troops, Bonaparte was forbidden to see his wife and heir.
According to some sources, the commander died of cancer, but according to another version, he was poisoned with arsenic. Historians say that this cannot be, since for 10 years Napoleon developed immunity to this type of poison, so it is unlikely that he could die for this reason. It is worth saying that the emperor felt worse every day, and death was inevitable.
Known throughout the world, having conquered almost all of Europe, the brilliant commander, military tactician and strategist died in 1821, changing the history of the whole world in many ways.
Biography of Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the greatest generals known to history, the emperor of the French. He was born in 1769 on the small island of Corsica in the city of Ajaccio. He grew up in a poor family, his father was a lawyer. At home, he studied literacy and history, after which in 1779 he entered the private, military school of Brienne. After several years of study at this school, he was sent to Paris, and then he became a second lieutenant in an artillery regiment.
Young Bonaparte was a very modest and quiet boy, he was fond of reading and writing essays on a military theme. In 1788 he drew up a plan for the fortification and defense of St. Florent, Lamortila and Ajaccio. He took literature seriously and hoped that someday this business would bring him big money. Napoleon was covered by the study of the history of various states, their philosophy, the amount of income and much more. He himself wrote the history of Corsica, in his diary he wrote many essays that are still in manuscript. In these notes, hatred of France was observed, he considered her the enslaver of Corsica, Napoleon was devoted to his homeland, and there were many political topics in his writings.
In 1786, Bonaparte was promoted to lieutenant, and then to staff captain. For years Napoleon led numerous offensives, he proved to be an excellent strategist. Like all great leaders, Napoleon carefully chose his gifted employees, he controlled government spending. France gradually began to turn into a monarchy. Napoleon was crowned in Milan in 1805.
The Emperor used in large numbers coffee and slept little, it affected his psyche. He was mentally unbalanced, after a few years he developed signs of stone disease, which progressed every year. Despite this, he coped admirably with a large army and also led offensives.
On May 5, 1821 in England, Napoleon died of stomach cancer. The British reacted to his death not very respectfully. In 1840, the ashes of the emperor were solemnly transferred to France.
Interesting Facts and dates from life
All this was, from a political point of view, the opposite of the ideals of 1789, but everyone was happy. Again, the people were ruled and well governed: if the new ruler at the beginning and in everything emphasized the idea that he was an exception to ordinary conditions and laws that restrict a person, then there is a huge and obvious difference with the Jacobins, where each separately, in the name of freedom, or whatever they call their mask, justified robbery and murder. He was a man who understood what became the need of the people in these ten years. People willingly submit to a clear mind, activity, not yet overshadowed by despotism, and an energetic will, not yet clouded by boundless pride. Finances were quickly put in order, police work was established, the most urgent need - roads - was cleared of numerous robber gangs formed during the constant struggle of parties, the change of weak and bloody governments, incredible poverty and the plunder of all property. restored public safety and tranquility, long unseen in the country.
Bonaparte established the government of the country, proper organization activities of prefects in departments, assistant prefects in districts; called to action all decent and enlightened people; forgiveness was given to anyone who wanted to submit to the new order of things. It was not the rule of any one party, but rather a monarchical rule, in its best sense - a firm autocratic will, supported by reasonable advice, gives movement and direction to affairs, but not in the way it is done in a republic, that mediocrity is prescribed by law by virtue of their equality. The list of emigrants was drawn up, many amendments were made in favor of honest people, like Carnot, for example, but scoundrels like Barere also got there. To scientists, especially to those who applied their work to the mathematical sciences, the first consul showed his special favor, which brought a good income. He himself was an extremely independent mind, a quick thinker, a tireless worker, with nerves of steel.
Very indifferent to religious duties, he perfectly understood the significance of religion in the life of the people, for the upper and lower strata of society. Freedom of religion became a reality, and replacing religion aids, as, for example, holidays and temples to Victory, Virtue, Gratitude, Agriculture, veneration of the Supreme Being - everything that Larevelier-Lepo struggled with, was destroyed by itself. Monarchist aspirations manifested themselves more and more. The wife of the first consul, the widow of General Beauharnais, a good-natured, frivolous hetaira, with shaky views of recent years, allowed herself to be called madam, and the treatment with the words "citizen", "citizen", as well as the appeal "you" imperceptibly disappeared by themselves. A court was formed and the art and knowledge of court life acquired a price. The Jacobins were not held in high esteem, but the royalists, on their part, were extremely mistaken in taking this monarchical direction as a sign in favor of the kingdom. The Consul made his point clear. When Louis XVIII, the landless king, addressed him about this, he replied: "The Bourbons will return only after crossing over 500,000 corpses." The former royalist region of the "Vendee" could not put up the above-mentioned number of people, especially since it would take far more than 500 thousand people killed. The last uprising in the autumn of 1799 ended in 1800.
Foreign policy. Rapprochement attempts
Another precious gift that the consul was obliged to give to the country is peace, and if he was not immediately granted, then he alone is not to blame. He notified King George III of England of his election, and in a private letter expressed his desire for the establishment of friendly relations between the two most learned nations. The answer, signed by Secretary of State Granville, was very rude. It spoke of the rule of the Bourbons, so long in France and giving her so much power; in addition, prominent people like Pitt, Canning, spoke out sharply against new government or a new revolutionary government and talked about protecting France from legal provisions dangerous to her. A similar message was sent by the first consul to Emperor Francis II. "Alien from feelings of empty pride, I first of all wish to stop the bloodshed." Tugut's answer was polite, but did not go beyond general expressions of great hopes. Both states continued the war, although Russia had in fact already left the coalition.
Military action 1800
Melas stood in Italy with an army of 140,000 men, and when the war began, in April, the French had only a small force to guard. The English squadron blocked the harbor; this small detachment tried to do what was beyond its strength: not appreciating the change state government in France, thought bold plan invasion of southern France and support of the uprising against the revolutionary direction. There were relatively few troops in Germany, and the winner of recent years, Archduke Karl, retired from business due to poor health; he was offended and upset by the obstacles that were placed in the way of his undertakings. Bonaparte transferred the main command over the troops to Moreau, who knew all the German military positions perfectly, and, crossing the Rhine near Kehl, defeated the Austrians in a number of battles - Engen, Stockach, Möskirch, Pfulendorf, Biberach, Memmingen and pushed them back to Ulm; at this very time, Bonaparte, who fought in Italy, dealt the first decisive blow there.
Europe, January 1799
Italy. Battle of Marengo
Bonaparte pretended that his army was gathering near Dijon, but meanwhile gathered 40,000 people on the southeastern border and, after reviewing the troops in Lausanne, led them to Italy through the Great St. Bernard Pass. At all times, the French liked to compare this crossing with the crossing of Hannibal in antiquity, but here again the practical dexterity of the French soldier and the foresight of their leader spoke out. The orders were the most reasonable: a variety of artillery supplies were carried on horsebacks, guns were placed in empty dugout trees and in difficult places dragged in by hand; the fort, which closes the narrow Dora Baltea valley, was bypassed, the cannons were driven at night along the village street, strewn with mattresses and dung.
The Austrians bought into the deception. Bonaparte went to Milan, leaving besieged Genoa to die from a terrible famine that broke out in the city. On June 2, Bonaparte entered Milan and restored the Cisalpine Republic. Melas, an elderly but brave general, turned back, wishing to paralyze the enemy, who threatened the huge influence of Austria in Italy; at Marengo, between Tortona and Alexandria, on June 14 he hit the French. The first action of the battle, which began at nine o'clock in the morning, ended at two o'clock in the afternoon with a retreat French army. Bonaparte, who had just appeared on the battlefield, tried in vain to turn military fortunes in his direction: by five o'clock victory seemed decisively on the side of the Austrians. The French retreated; suddenly, General Desaix appeared on the battlefield, having just returned from Egypt with five thousand fresh soldiers. Quite unexpectedly for the Austrians, the battle resumed at a time when their commander-in-chief, already exhausted, withdrew. Desaix was killed; his words: "Keep my death a secret" - nothing more than a beautiful fiction. On the other hand, the Austrians suffered a rare misfortune: their chief of staff, General Zach, was taken prisoner with his entire staff. Happiness has completely turned away from them; that day, with all the consequences, the retreat, turning into a rout, cost the Austrians almost a third of their entire military strength. On June 4, Massena capitulated in Genoa. The Austrians sent a truce with a proposal to the consul to clear Genoa and Piedmont, and indeed, a truce was declared here in order to start peace negotiations. For Bonaparte, a sharp lull was very helpful, he immediately left for Paris; the imperial troops left for Po and Mincio.
August 15 - Napoleon Bonaparte (Buonaparte) is born. Father - Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), mother - Maria Letizia Buonaparte (née Ramolino, 1749/1750-1836).
May - Napoleon enters the military school in Brienne.
October - Napoleon enters the Paris Military School.
September - the end of the Paris military school.
November - the beginning of military service in the regiment "La Fère" in the city of Balance.
Extended holiday spent in Corsica, serving in the garrison at Oxonne.
Napoleon participates in the suppression of the uprising in Serra, becomes a witness to the uprising in Oxonne, leaves for Corsica.
Napoleon participates in political life in Corsica.
Napoleon is involved in political life in France.
Return to Corsica.
February - Napoleon participates in an unsuccessful expedition to the island of Maddalena (Sardinia).
June - Napoleon and his family leave Corsica, having been defeated in the fight against Paoli.
September-December: actively involved in the siege and capture of Toulon; Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general.
Napoleon participates in the operations of the Italian army.
August - Napoleon was taken into custody as a supporter of M. Robespierre and soon released.
Napoleon was assigned to the Western Army, but did not arrive at his duty station.
October 5 - becomes an active participant in the suppression of the anti-government rebellion in Paris.
Napoleon Bonaparte - Napoleon's reign in France
March - Napoleon is appointed commander-in-chief of the Italian army; marriage to Josephine Beauharnais.
Italian campaign: Battles of Montenotte (April 12), Millesimo (April 13), Dego (April 14-15), Mondovi (April 21), Lodi (May 10), Castiglione (August 5), Roveredo (September 4), Bassano (September 8), Saint-Georges (September 15), Arcole (November 15-17).
April - negotiations in Leoben, signing of a preliminary peace agreement between France and Austria.
October - peace treaty between France and Austria at Campo Formio.
December - Napoleon Bonaparte is elected a member of the Institute of France.
April - Napoleon is appointed commander-in-chief of the Eastern Army.
June - occupation of Malta.
October - popular uprising in Cairo.
Campaign in Syria: February-March - the capture of the fortresses of El-Arish, Jaffa; March-May - the siege of the fortress of Saint-Jean-d'Acre; Battle of Mount Tabor (April 16); May-June - the lifting of the siege of the fortress of Saint-Jean-d'Acre and the return of the Eastern Army from Syria to Egypt.
December - adoption of the new constitution of the French Republic; Napoleon Bonaparte - First Consul for 10 years.
January-February - establishment of the Bank of France.
March - peace treaty with Great Britain in Amiens.
May - Britain declares war on France.
March - the arrest and execution of the Duke of Enghien; approval of the Civil Code.
May 10 - adoption of a law on the creation of the University - an educational and educational institution of the empire.
July - creation of the Confederation of the Rhine; Napoleon - Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine.
November - the proclamation of the continental blockade of Great Britain by Napoleon.
The beginning of the campaign against Russia.
April-June - intervention in the internal affairs of Spain, the proclamation of Joseph Bonaparte as king of Spain.
April - the beginning of the campaign against Austria, the battles of Abensberg, Landshut, Eckmuhl, Ratisbon.
December - Napoleon's divorce from Josephine.
April - the wedding of Napoleon and Marie-Louise.
Campaign in Russia: crossing the Neman (June 24), Battle of Borodino (September 7), entering Moscow (September 14), beginning of the retreat from Moscow (October 19), crossing the Berezina (end of November).
Campaign in Germany: battles of Lützen (May 2), Bautzen (May 20-21), Dresden (August 26-27), Leipzig (October 16-19).
Campaign in France: Battles of Brienne (January 29), La Rothiere (February 1), Champaubert (February 10), Montmirail (February 11), Château-Thierie (February 12), Vauchan (February 14), Montreaux (February 18) ), Craone (March 7), Laone (March 9), Reims (March 13), Arcy-sur-Aube (March 20-21).
July 15 - Napoleon boards the British ship Bellerophon and seeks political asylum in Britain.
-Short biography of Napoleon
Napoleon I Bonaparte - French emperor; an outstanding commander and statesman; a brilliant strategist who laid the foundations of the modern French state. Born August 15, 1769 in the capital of Corsica. He began his military career early. At the age of 16, he was already a junior lieutenant, and at the age of 24 he was appointed commander of a battalion, then artillery.
12.France during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte: domestic and foreign policy.
Napoleon's family did not live well. By origin they were petty aristocrats. In addition to him, his parents raised seven more children. In 1784 he became a student of the Military Academy in Paris.
He met the revolution with great enthusiasm. In 1792, he joined the Jacobin club, and for a brilliant campaign against Toulon he received the rank of general. This event was a turning point in his biography. With him began his brilliant military career. Soon he managed to demonstrate his military talent during the Italian campaign in 1796-1797. AT next years he paid a military visit to Egypt and Syria, and when he returned to Paris, he found a political crisis. This, however, did not upset him, since, taking advantage of the situation, he seized power and declared a consular regime.
At first he received the title of Consul for life, and in 1804 the title of Emperor. In his domestic policy, he relied on the strengthening of personal power and the preservation of the territories and powers conquered during the revolution. He carried out a number of significant reforms, including in the administrative and legal sphere. In parallel, the emperor fought with England and Austria. Moreover, with the help of clever tactics in short term he annexed almost all countries to France Western Europe. At first, his reign was presented to the French as a saving act, but the country, tired of bloody wars, faced a serious economic crisis as a result.
The collapse of Napoleon's empire began in 1812, when the Russian army defeated the French troops. Two years later, he was forced to abdicate, since Russia, Austria, Prussia and Sweden, united in one union, defeated all the troops of the dictator-reformer and forced them to retreat. The politician was sent to a small island in the Mediterranean, from where he was able to escape in March 1815. Returning to France, he resumed the war with neighboring countries. During this period, the famous Battle of Waterloo took place, during which Napoleon's troops suffered a final and irrevocable defeat. In history, however, he remained as an odious personality.
He spent the last six years of his life on Fr. St. Helena in Atlantic Ocean, where he was in English captivity and struggled with a serious illness. The great commander died on May 5, 1821 at the age of 51. There was a version that he was poisoned with arsenic, and according to another version, he was sick with oncology. An entire era was named after him. In France, monuments, squares, museums and other interesting sights were opened in honor of the commander.
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Results of the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. Briefly
Answers:
Having become a full-fledged dictator, Napoleon radically changed state structure countries. Domestic politics Napoleon was to strengthen his personal power as a guarantee of the preservation of the results of the revolution: civil rights, property rights to the land of the peasants, as well as those who bought national property during the revolution, that is, the confiscated lands of emigrants and churches.
Napoleon I Bonaparte - Biography
All these conquests were to be ensured by the Civil Code (1804), which went down in history as the Napoleonic Code. Napoleon carried out an administrative reform by establishing the institution of prefects of departments and subprefects of districts accountable to the government (1800). Mayors were appointed to towns and villages.
Napoleon I Bonaparte, an outstanding French statesman, brilliant commander, emperor, was a native of Corsica. There he was born in 1769, on August 15, in the city of Ajaccio. Their noble family did not live well, raising eight children. When Napoleon was 10 years old, he was sent to the French Autun College, but already in the same year he ended up at the Brienne military school. In 1784 he became a student of the Paris Military Academy. Having received the rank of lieutenant at the end of it, from 1785 he began to serve in the artillery troops.
The French Revolution was greeted by Napoleon Bonaparte with great enthusiasm, in 1792 he became a member of the Jacobin Club. For the capture of Toulon, occupied by the British, Bonaparte, who was appointed chief of artillery and carried out a brilliant operation, was awarded the rank of brigadier general in 1793. This event became a turning point in his biography, turning into a starting point for a brilliant military career. In 1795, Napoleon distinguished himself during the dispersal of the royalist rebellion in Paris, after which he was appointed commander of the Italian army. Undertaken under his leadership in 1796-1997. the Italian campaign demonstrated military talents in all their glory and glorified them throughout the continent.
The very first victories Napoleon considered sufficient reason to declare himself as an independent person. Therefore, the Directory willingly sent him on a military expedition to distant lands - Syria and Egypt (1798-1999). It ended in defeat, but it was not regarded as a personal failure of Napoleon, because. he left the army arbitrarily in order to fight in Italy with the army of Suvorov.
When Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris in October 1799, the Directory regime was at the peak of its crisis. It was not difficult for the general, who enjoyed great popularity, who had a loyal army, to carry out a coup d'état and proclaim the regime of the consulate. In 1802, Napoleon achieved that he was appointed consul for life, and in 1804, he was proclaimed emperor.
The internal policy pursued by him was aimed at the comprehensive strengthening of personal power, which he called the guarantor of the preservation of revolutionary gains. He undertook a number of important reforms in the legal and administrative spheres. Many Napoleonic innovations formed the basis for the functioning of modern states and are valid to this day.
When Napoleon came to power, his country was at war with England and Austria. Heading into a new Italian campaign, his army victoriously eliminated the threat to the borders of France. Moreover, as a result of hostilities, almost all the countries of Western Europe were subordinated to it. In those territories that were not directly part of France, Napoleon created kingdoms subject to him, where the rulers were members of the imperial family. Austria, Prussia and Russia were forced to conclude an alliance with her.
The first years of being in power, Napoleon was perceived by the population as the savior of the motherland, a man born of the revolution; his entourage largely consisted of representatives of the lower social strata. The victories evoked a sense of pride in the country, a national upsurge. However, the war, which lasted about 20 years, pretty tired the population, moreover, in 1810 the economic crisis began again.
The bourgeoisie was dissatisfied with the need to spend money on wars, especially since external threats were long gone. It did not escape her attention that an important factor foreign policy was the desire of Napoleon to expand the scope of his power, to protect the interests of the dynasty. The emperor even divorced Josephine, his first wife (there were no children in their marriage), and in 1810 connected his fate with Marie-Louise, the daughter of the Austrian emperor, which caused discontent among many fellow citizens, although an heir was born from this union.
The collapse of the empire began in 1812 after the Russian troops defeated the Napoleonic army. Then the anti-French coalition, which, in addition to Russia, included Prussia, Sweden, Austria, defeated the imperial army in 1814 and, having entered Paris, forced Napoleon I to abdicate. Retaining the title of emperor, he ended up as an exile on a small island. Elba in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, French society and the army experienced dissatisfaction and fears due to the fact that the Bourbons and emigrated nobles returned to the country, hoping for the return of former privileges and property. Having escaped from Elba, on March 1, 1815, Bonaparte moved to Paris, where he was met with enthusiastic cries of the townspeople, and resumed hostilities. This period of his biography remained in history under the name "One Hundred Days". The Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815 led to the final and irrevocable defeat of Napoleon's troops.
The deposed emperor was sent to the Atlantic Ocean to the island of St. Helena, where he was a prisoner of the British. There he spent the last 6 years of his life, filled with humiliation and suffering from cancer. It was from this disease, it was believed, that the 51-year-old Napoleon died on May 5, 1821. However, later French researchers came to the conclusion that arsenic poisoning was the true cause of his death.
Napoleon I Bonaparte went down in history as an outstanding, ambiguous personality, possessing brilliant military leadership, diplomatic, intellectual abilities, amazing performance and phenomenal memory. The results of the revolution consolidated by this major statesman turned out to be beyond the power to destroy the restored Bourbon monarchy. An entire era was named after him; his fate was a real shock to contemporaries, including people of art; military operations carried out under his leadership became the pages of military textbooks. The civic norms of democracy in Western countries are still largely based on Napoleonic law.
Napoleon Bonaparte - French statesman and commander, consul for life, and then emperor of France. August 15 marks the 340th anniversary of his birth.
Napoleon Bonaparte (Buonaparte) was born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica, in the family of a poor Corsican nobleman. He was the second son in the family (there were five sons and three daughters in the family). In 1784 Napoleon graduated from Brienne military school and moved to the Paris Military School (1784-1785).
He began his service in October 1785 with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery. During his service, Napoleon studied books on military affairs and the works of prominent educators.
In 1792 he joined the Jacobin Club. During the next ten years he made a career in Corsica. As a result of the conflict with the Corsican separatists led by Pasquale Paoli in 1793, Bonaparte was forced to flee Corsica.
In 1793 he distinguished himself in the battle against the English at Toulon and was promoted to brigadier general. In 1795, he commanded the Parisian garrison during the suppression of the monarchist rebellion on 13 Vendemière (October 5).
From 1796 to 1797 he was the commander-in-chief of the French troops in Italy. The Italian campaign became one of the pinnacles of Napoleon's military career. The campaign turned into a series of brilliant victories, including victories at Lodi, Castiglion, Arcole, Rivoli. Napoleon forced the kingdom of Sardinia and Piedmont, the Papal States, Parma, Modena and Naples to a truce. On May 15, 1797, Napoleon entered Milan as the winner of the Austrians and as the liberator of the Italians.
Napoleon showed talent not only as a commander, but also as a politician. In February 1797, he signed with Pope Pius VI a very favorable peace treaty for France.
In 1798-1799, Napoleon led an expedition to Egypt and Syria. He took Alexandria, reached Cairo and defeated the Mameluke corps. Egypt was turned into a French protectorate.
On November 9-10, 1799 (18-19 Brumaire of the 8th year), Napoleon carried out a coup, as a result of which the power of the directory was replaced by the power of the consuls. He was elected first consul for a 10-year term (he was such in 1799-1804), in fact, concentrating in his hands all the power over time.
From 1802, Napoleon became consul for life with the right to appoint his successor.
Rights were restored in 1801 catholic church, lost by her during the revolution: the concordat concluded with the pope provided Napoleon with the support of the Catholic Church.
In February 1804, an Anglo-Royalist conspiracy against Napoleon was uncovered. Napoleon capitalized on the plot and consolidated his power. He was proclaimed Emperor of France, and Pope Pius VII arrived in Paris for his magnificent coronation, which took place on December 1-2, 1804.
Under Emperor Napoleon, civil, commercial and criminal codes were developed. The civil code—Napoleon's code—provided for his personal authority. A strict centralization of the administrative apparatus was introduced. To store gold reserves and paper money in 1800 the state French Bank was established. The tax collection system was also centralized, a system of secondary schools - lyceums, higher educational establishments- Normal and Polytechnic School. An extensive police system has been created, including a secret service. Of the 173 Parisian newspapers, 160 were closed and the rest placed under government control.
In 1805, Napoleon I was recognized as King of Italy. In 1805, he won victories at Ulm and Austerlitz (the battle of the three emperors) over the armies of the coalition, which consisted of Austria, Russia, England, and others. In 1806, he founded the Confederation of the Rhine. In 1807, he defeated the Russian troops near Friedland and forced Russia to the Treaty of Tilsit, which made Napoleon the ruler of Germany.
Thanks to victorious wars, Napoleon significantly expanded the territory of the empire, made most of the states of Western and Central Europe. Napoleon was not only the emperor of France, which stretched to the left bank of the Rhine, and the king of Italy, but also the mediator of the Swiss Confederation and the protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. His brothers became kings: Joseph in Naples, Louis in Holland, Jerome in Westphalia. This empire was comparable in its territory to the empire of Charlemagne or the Holy Roman Empire of Charles V.
In 1812, Napoleon undertook a campaign against Russia, which ended in his complete defeat and became the beginning of the collapse of the empire. In March 1814, the allied troops entered Paris, which forced Napoleon to abdicate (April 6, 1814). The victorious allies retained the title of emperor to Napoleon and gave him the possession of the island of Elba in the Mediterranean.
In 1815, Napoleon returned to France, where he reigned for "a hundred days" (March 20 - June 22, 1815). After the defeat at Waterloo, on June 22, 1815, Napoleon abdicated the throne for the second time and was exiled to St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, where he died on May 5, 1821. In 1840, the ashes of Napoleon were transported to Paris, to the Les Invalides.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
Napoleon Bonaparte was a brilliant commander, diplomat, possessed an excellent intellect, a phenomenal memory and an amazing capacity for work. An entire era is named after him, and his deeds were a shock to most of his contemporaries. His military strategies are in textbooks, and the norms of democracy in Western countries are based on Napoleonic law.
Napoleon Bonaparte on horseback
The role of this outstanding personality in the history of France is ambiguous. In Spain and Russia, he was called the Antichrist, and some researchers consider Napoleon a somewhat embellished hero.
Childhood and youth
A brilliant commander, statesman, Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte was a native of Corsica. Born August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio in a poor noble family. The parents of the future emperor had eight children. Father Carlo di Buonaparte led the practice of law, mother Letizia, nee Ramolino, raised children. By nationality they were Corsicans. Bonaparte is the Tuscan version of the surname of the famous Corsican.
He was taught literacy and sacred history at home, at the age of six he was sent to a private school, at the age of ten - to Autun College, where the boy did not stay long. After college, he continues his studies at the military school Brienne. In 1784 he entered the Paris military academy. Upon graduation, he received the rank of lieutenant and from 1785 served in the artillery.
In his early youth, Napoleon lived in solitude, was fond of literature and military affairs. In 1788, while in Corsica, he participated in the development of defensive fortifications, worked on a report on the organization of the militia, etc. He considered literary works paramount, hoping to become famous in this field.
He reads with interest books on history, geography, on the size of state revenues in European countries, works on the philosophy of legislation, and is fond of the ideas of Abbé Reynal. He writes the history of Corsica, the novels "A Conversation about Love", "The Disguised Prophet", "Earl of Essex" and keeps a diary.
The writings of the young Bonaparte, with the exception of one, remained in manuscript. In these works, the author expresses negative emotions in relation to France, considering her the enslaver of Corsica, and love for the motherland. The records of the young Napoleon are politically tinged and imbued with a revolutionary spirit.
French Revolution Napoleon Bonaparte met with enthusiasm, in 1792 he joined the Jacobin Club. After the victory over the British for the capture of Toulon in 1793, he was awarded the rank of brigadier general. This becomes a turning point in his biography, after which a brilliant military career begins.
In 1795, Napoleon distinguished himself in dispersing the royalist rebellion, after which he was appointed commander of the army. The Italian campaign undertaken in 1796-1797 under his command demonstrated the talent of the commander and glorified him throughout the continent. In 1798-1799, the Directory sent him on a distant military expedition to Syria and Egypt.
The expedition ended in defeat, but it was not considered a failure. He arbitrarily leaves the army to fight the Russians under the command of . In 1799, General Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris. The Directory regime at this time was already at the peak of the crisis.
Domestic politics
After the coup and the proclamation of the consulate in 1802, he became consul, and in 1804 - emperor. In the same year, with the participation of Napoleon, a new Civil Code was published, based on Roman law.
The internal policy pursued by the emperor is aimed at strengthening his own power, which, in his opinion, guaranteed the preservation of the gains of the revolution. Carries out reforms in the field of law and administration. He undertook a number of reforms in the legal and administrative spheres. Some of these innovations still form the basis of the functioning of states. Napoleon ended anarchy. A law was passed to ensure the right to property. French citizens were recognized as equal in rights and opportunities.
Mayors were appointed to towns and villages, and the French Bank was created. A revival of the economy began, which could not but rejoice even the poorest sections of the population. Recruitment into the army allowed the poor to earn money. Lyceums opened all over the country. At the same time, the police network expanded, a secret department began to work, and the press was subjected to strict censorship. Gradually there was a return to the monarchical system of government.
Biography of Napoleon BonaparteAn important event for the French government was an agreement concluded with the Pope, thanks to which the legitimacy of Bonaparte's power was recognized in exchange for the proclamation of Catholicism as the main religion of the majority of citizens. Society in relation to the emperor was divided into two camps. Some citizens said that Napoleon had betrayed the revolution, but Bonaparte himself believed that he was the successor of its ideas.
Foreign policy
The beginning of Napoleon's reign came at a time when France was conducting hostilities with Austria and England. A new victorious Italian campaign eliminated the threat at the French borders. The result of hostilities was the subjugation of almost all European countries. In the territories that were not part of France, kingdoms subordinate to the emperor were created, the rulers of which were members of his family. Russia, Prussia and Austria form an alliance.
At first, Napoleon was perceived as the savior of the motherland. The people were proud of his achievements, there was a national upsurge in the country. But the 20-year war has exhausted everyone. The Continental blockade proclaimed by Bonaparte, which led to the decline of the economy of England, its light industry, forced the British to stop trade relations with European states. The crisis hit the port cities of France, the supply of colonial goods, to which Europe had already become accustomed, was stopped. Even the French court suffered from a lack of coffee, sugar, tea.
The situation was aggravated by the economic crisis of 1810. The bourgeoisie did not want to spend money on wars, since the threat of attack by other countries remained in the distant past. She understood that the goal of the emperor's foreign policy was to expand her own power and protect the interests of the dynasty.
The collapse of the empire began in 1812, when Russian troops defeated the Napoleonic army. The creation of an anti-French coalition, which included Russia, Austria, Prussia and Sweden, in 1814 was the collapse of the empire. This year she defeated the French and entered Paris.
Napoleon had to abdicate, but he retained the status of emperor. He was exiled to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean. However, the exiled emperor did not stay there for long.
The French citizens and military were dissatisfied with the situation, they feared the return of the Bourbons and the nobility. Bonaparte escapes and on March 1, 1815 moves to Paris, where he is greeted with enthusiastic exclamations by the townspeople. Hostilities resume. This period has gone down in history as the Hundred Days. The final defeat of the Napoleonic army occurred on June 18, 1815 after the Battle of Waterloo.
The deposed emperor was captured by the British and again sent into exile. This time he ended up in the Atlantic Ocean on the island of St. Helena, where he lived for another 6 years. But not all the British treated Napoleon negatively. In 1815, impressed by the fate of the deposed emperor, he created the "Napoleonic Cycle" of five verses, after which the poet was reproached for being unpatriotic. Among the British there was another admirer of Napoleon - Princess Charlotte, daughter of the future George IV, on whose support the emperor at one time counted, but she died in 1817 during childbirth.
Personal life
Napoleon Bonaparte from a young age was distinguished by amorousness. Contrary to popular belief, Napoleon's height was above the average according to the standards that existed in those years - 168 cm, which could not but attract the attention of the opposite sex. Courageous features, posture, which are visible in the reproductions presented in the form of a photo, aroused the interest of the ladies around him.
The first lover to whom the young man proposed was 16-year-old Desiree-Eugenia-Clara. But at that time, his career in Paris began to develop rapidly, and Napoleon could not resist the charm of Parisians. In the capital of France, Bonaparte preferred to have affairs with older women.
An important event in the personal life of Napoleon, which took place in 1796, was his marriage to Josephine de Beauharnais. Beloved Bonaparte turned out to be 6 years older than him. She was born to a planter's family on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean. From the age of 16 she was married to Viscount Alexander de Beauharnais, and had two children. Six years after the marriage, she divorced her husband and at one time lived in Paris, then in her father's house. After the revolution of 1789, she again went to France. Supported her in Paris ex-husband, who at that time held a high political post. But in 1794, the viscount was executed, and Josephine herself spent some time in prison.
A year later, having miraculously gained freedom, Josephine met Bonaparte, who was not yet so famous. According to some reports, at the time of their acquaintance, she was in a love affair with the then ruler of France, Barras, but this did not prevent him from becoming a witness at the wedding of Bonaparte and Josephine. In addition, Barras granted the groom the position of commander of the Italian army of the republic.
The researchers argue that the lovers had a lot in common. Both were born away from France on small islands, knew hardships, were in prison, both were dreamers. After the wedding, Napoleon went to the positions of the Italian army, and Josephine remained in Paris. After the Italian campaign, Bonaparte was sent to Egypt. Josephine still did not follow her husband, but enjoyed the social life in the capital of France.
Tormented by jealousy, Napoleon began to get himself favorites. According to researchers, Napoleon had between 20 and 50 lovers. A series of novels followed, which led to the appearance of illegitimate heirs. It is known about two - Alexander Colonna-Walevsky and Charles Leon. The Colonna-Walevsky family has survived to this day. Alexander's mother was the daughter of a Polish aristocrat, Maria Walewska.
Josephine could not have children, so in 1810 Napoleon divorced her. Initially, Bonaparte planned to intermarry with the Romanov imperial family. He asked Anna Pavlovna's hand in marriage from her brother. But Russian emperor did not want to be related to the ruler of non-royal blood. In many ways, these disagreements influenced the cooling of relations between France and Russia. Napoleon marries the daughter of the Emperor of Austria, Marie-Louise, who in 1811 bore him an heir. This marriage was not approved by the French public.
Ironically, it is Josephine's grandson, and not Napoleon's, who later becomes the French emperor. Her descendants reign in Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Luxembourg. There were no descendants of Napoleon, since his son had no children, and he himself died young.
After being expelled to the island of Elba, Bonaparte expected to see his lawful wife next to him, but Marie Louise went to her father's possessions. Maria Valevskaya came to Bonaparte with her son. Returning to France, Napoleon dreamed of seeing only Marie-Louise, but the emperor never received an answer to all the letters sent to Austria.
Death
After the defeat at Waterloo, Bonaparte spent time on the island of St. Helena. Last years his life was filled with suffering from incurable disease. On May 5, 1821, Napoleon I Bonaparte died at the age of 52.
According to one version, the cause of death was oncology, according to another, arsenic poisoning. Researchers who adhere to the version of stomach cancer appeal to the results of the autopsy, as well as to the heredity of Bonaparte, whose father died of stomach cancer. Other historians mention that before his death, Napoleon was getting fat. And this became an indirect sign of arsenic poisoning, since oncology patients lose weight. In addition, traces of high concentrations of arsenic were later found in the emperor's hair.
According to Napoleon's will, his remains were transported to France in 1840, where they were reburied in the Les Invalides in Paris on the territory of the cathedral. Around the tomb former emperor French exhibited sculptures made by Jean-Jacques Pradier.
Memory
The memory of the exploits of Napoleon Bonaparte is captured in art. Among them are opuses, Hector Berlioz, literary works,. In cinema, his image is captured in films different era starting with silent movies. A genus of trees growing on the African continent is named after the commander, as well as a culinary masterpiece - a layer cake with cream. Napoleon's letters were published in France under Napoleon III and were sorted into quotations.
Quotes
History is just a version of what happened as we interpret it.
Immeasurable are the depths of baseness to which man can fall.
There are two levers that can move people - fear and self-interest.
Revolution is a conviction backed by bayonets.
More likely to meet a good ruler who came to power by inheritance than by election.
