Napoleon Bonaparte

The Early Life of Napoleon Bonaparte Born the year 1769 on the French island of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte was born into the Second Estate of French society. Interesting fact: A year before Napoleon’s birth, the island of Corsica was owned by the Genoa State which is part of Italy. Therefore, his father and mother were both Italian citizens. When the French gained possession of Corsica, Napoleon would be born French, but would be Italian in blood.

Napoleon’s Schooling At the age of ten, Napoleon entered French military school for aristocrats in 1779. During his schooling, he attended two different military schools in France.

While at school, he was made fun of by the other students because of his lower social standing and his inability to speak French well. In addition, due to his small size, he earned the nickname “Little Corporal”, which would stay attached throughout his military career.

Military Successes In 1785, Napoleon was a second lieutenant in the French Army. During the French Revolution, Napoleon started to make a name for himself helping defeat the British at Toulon, regaining that region of territory for France.

Napoleon was also called to stop an uprising during the late stages of the French Revolution. As a reward for his contribution to the revolution, he was appointed commander of the Army of the Interior.

By 1796, Napoleon started his new command of the Army of Alps, which was a campaign in Italy against the Austrians. Soon after his appointment the French started winning battles. In fact, Napoleon was able to advance into Vienna, Austria, forcing the Austrians to sign a treaty which gave France control of Italy.

A New Start for France? After his victory against the Austrians, Napoleon came home a hero to the people of France. Upon his return, Napoleon staged a ‘coup d’etat’ of the French Directory in 1799 paved the way for the despotism rule over France. This started a reaction leading him to becoming, arguably, one of the greatest military leaders in history reshaping the map of Europe but also established many policies and legal forms throughout France. Overthrow of government – Absolute Rule as an Emperor of France

Any questions for the exam tomorrow?

Last Review In a couple of sentences, complete the following: Explain the significance of each of the following events: Tennis Court Oath Fall of the Bastille National Assembly Flight of the Royal Family Reign of Terror