Bonaparte is born. Napoleon Bonaparte - biography, photo, personal life of the commander

  • 10.06.2022

His name gave the name to an entire era. An outstanding commander, a diplomat with extraordinary intellectual abilities, incredibly active, with a phenomenal memory. This is exactly how Napoleon Bonaparte remained for posterity. A brief biography will help you learn about the main stages in the life of a great historical figure.

Childhood and youth of a genius

Napoleon's birthplace - Ajaccio, Fr. Corsica. When the Corsicans freed themselves from Genoese domination, the island began to exist independently, as a separate state. He was led by one of the local landowners, the boy's father was his right hand. 1769 became an important year for Corsica - the French troops broke the rebels. France bought the rights to Corsica. Many natives fled to England, but Napoleon's parents remained. On August 15, the second son was born in the Buonaparte family: there will be 13 children in total, of which only 8 will survive (4 boys and 3 girls).

Mother, Letizia Ramolino, was from a noble and wealthy family. Carlo Buonaparte, father, a court assessor, tried to get more money by entering into litigation with neighbors. From the memoirs of relatives it is known that Napoleon suffered from bouts of coughing as a child. He loved to read, but spoke only Italian. I started learning French only at the age of 10. Carlo was elected deputy to Paris, where he went in 1778, taking his sons with him. There Napoleon began his studies:

  • The future politician graduated from a cadet school, where he showed success in studying history, geography, and mathematics. He still loved books, especially those about great warriors.
  • In October 1784 he entered the Paris Military School, where he mastered horseback riding and tactics.

During his studies, which lasted 8 years, he could not make friends, which did not prevent him from making plans for a career as an artilleryman. He started it in 1875 after the death of his father, who left large debts. The future emperor Napoleon 1 entered adulthood, becoming the head of the family.

The beginning of the way

Career began with the rank of second lieutenant of artillery. Bonaparte adhered to radical political views and joined the Jacobin Club (1792). During his stay in his homeland, there was a rebellion - the French were defeated, which forced the young man to flee. He became a battery commander in Nice. The ascent proceeded rapidly:

  • He distinguished himself in the battle for Toulon, after which he received the rank of brigadier general.
  • He became the chief of artillery of the Alpine army.
  • Assistant member of the Directory (government), suppressed the rebellion of 1795
  • Commander of the Italian army from February 1796. Brilliantly led the first Italian campaign (1796−1797).

Napoleon became popular in France. In January 1798 he was made commander of an army to march on the British. But instead of attacking Britain, he proposed a campaign against Egypt, considering it more timely. Having captured Malta, he moved to Alexandria, which he conquered in one day. Captured Cairo. But on August 1, the brilliant campaign was interrupted by the attack of the English fleet, which defeated the French.

Napoleon was cut off in Egypt. He returned to Paris only a year later (in October), in the halo of glory of the conqueror of the East.

Participation in the coup

Meanwhile, a crisis was brewing in the country. Europe plotted against the republic. Napoleon turned out to be that popular and courageous person on whom the conspirators decided to rely. They managed to win over almost all the generals to their side.

The power was overthrown by an internal military coup. Bonaparte was appointed temporary consul, together with Ducos and Sieyes. They developed a new constitution, which contained reforms that concentrated all power in the hands of the first consul - Napoleon. After the vote, the constitution was adopted. Modern historians claim that most of the votes were rigged. At the beginning of 1800, Napoleon moved to the Tuileries, the palace of the French kings.

Many innovations followed, most of which are still in effect today. The Consul redesigned the state system, thanks to which issues on the ground that the Directory could not handle before began to be effectively resolved.

Ascension to the throne

A significant date in world history is May 18, 1804. On this day, the Senate adopted a new constitution. The proclamation of Napoleon as Emperor of France formally took place. But he insisted that the coronation also take place. Bonaparte desired the presence of the Pope. He demanded that the emperor and Josephine (civil wife since 1796) get married according to church canons.

The ceremony was conducted by Cardinal Fesch in the presence of witnesses. Then, in Notre Dame Cathedral, a magnificent celebration took place, where Napoleon put the crown on his head and proclaimed himself emperor.

Foreign policy was simple- to ensure the leadership of France in politics and in the market. To do this, we had to compete with England and other countries. Napoleon began a series of wars, thanks to success in this field, he managed to expand the territory of the state and subjugate most European countries.

In the spring of 1805, Italy recognized the newly-minted monarch as its king. Bonaparte was also protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, mediator of the Swiss Confederation. His brothers also became kings:

  • Joseph received Naples.
  • Louis began to rule Holland.
  • Jerome got Westphalia.

The size of Napoleon's possessions was comparable to the Holy Roman Empire of Charles V.

Napoleon's policy initially enjoyed the approval of the common people. The economy revived, which led to an increase in salaries. There were constant recruitments for the army, where they also paid well. Wars evoked a feeling of pride in the fatherland. But gradually people began to get tired of them, the economic crisis was not long in coming. The bourgeoisie no longer wanted to sponsor conflicts with other countries. Contradictions with Russia were growing, the patriots of Germany and Italy did not want to put up with the despotism of the conqueror. It was the beginning of the end.

Fall of the empire. Exile

In 1812, Napoleon decided to declare war on Russia and invaded its territory. At first, the numerical superiority helped, but the Russians were more cunning - they lured the enemy deep into the country, where the army suffered from disease, dirt, heat and hunger. Although the French entered Moscow, it was on fire...

Napoleon spent an unreasonably long time in Russia, waiting for the conclusion of peace with Alexander. The retreat was accompanied by Russian soldiers, who walked in a parallel course, and the partisans attacked. The French robbed the locals, to which they responded cruelly - the captured marauders were buried alive in the ground. On December 5, the emperor fled to Paris, writing off the defeat of his army on the cold Russian winters. An end was put to the legend of the invulnerability of the great commander. A series of defeats began, which caused the weakening of the power of the emperor.

The War of the Sixth Coalition ended unsuccessfully- First Prussia was lost, then Saxony and all of Germany. In France itself, an opposition arose that had long been waiting for an opportunity. In 1813 the deputies dissolved the Legislative Corps. In 1814 the war came to the territory of the country. The fall of the Empire was a foregone conclusion. April 6 Napoleon is forced to abdicate.

Although the title of emperor was retained, Bonaparte was hard pressed by the loss of power, his impending exile.

Approximate fled, only General Caulaincourt, a doctor and a few servants remained nearby. On the night of April 12, he decided to drink poison. But from long-term storage, the poison has lost its strength. A few days later, Bonaparte went to about. Elba, who received the property.

One hundred days, captivity and death

Dreams of returning to the throne did not leave the emperor and he fled from Elba. March 1, 1815 moved to Paris. The people joyfully greeted Bonaparte, surrendering the cities without a fight. Having gathered a small army, Napoleon was approaching the capital. He also entered Paris without firing a shot. The board lasted 100 days, but eventually ended with another abdication. Although the people were for Bonaparte, not wanting the return of the Bourbons, the bourgeoisie refused to support him.

On the way to America, the emperor met with the English squadron, which he surrendered to avoid bloodshed. In July 1815 he was exiled to St. Helena. This link is the last one.

How Napoleon died is now known for sure. The version of poisoning was rejected after research conducted in the 2000s. The doctor's cause of death is called stomach cancer. An autopsy revealed two ulcers.

Now the tomb of Napoleon is in the Parisian Les Invalides. His remains were transferred there in 1840, as he requested in his will. The red stone sarcophagus is surrounded by bronze bas-reliefs and statues.

Personal life

Known for his introverted nature, Napoleon nevertheless started a love relationship. He was even engaged to a certain Eugene Desiree Clara (she was the sister of his brother's wife). But the girl broke off the engagement for the sake of a party with the general, considering this marriage more promising for herself.

At one of the social events, Bonaparte met with Josephine- the Creole, who came from the Caribbean island, was already a widow. Napoleon, who grew up in a large family, dreamed of the most banal family happiness: a kind, sweet wife and a bunch of kids. Josephine was six years older, but the future emperor fell in love and proposed, which was accepted. A romantic story is known that during his long departure for the war, he wrote letters to his wife every day.

It was clear to everyone around that the frivolous Josephine did not have any feelings for her husband at all - she fluttered at social events.

The wife cheated on a brilliant warrior, which was even reported in the newspapers. Gradually, Bonaparte's eyes opened and he announced a divorce. But feelings suddenly began to appear in Josephine, she begged for forgiveness, which was received. Only the former passion in the heart of her husband never arose.

The romance with Maria Valevskaya is well known to historians, which they regard in different ways - someone as a fleeting affair, someone as a really serious romantic feeling. Maria was very beautiful and resisted courtship for a long time. But I gave in. She even gave birth to her beloved son. The meetings of the emperor with Mary were infrequent, but continued until the very exile to Elba. She waited a long time for a letter from her lover, but she was not called. Then Maria married Napoleon's cousin, Count F. Ornano. In December 1817, the woman died, having lived only 32 years.

Since Josephine could not have children, and Napoleon wanted a legitimate heir, he decided to divorce. The second wife of the emperor Marie-Louise was from the Habsburg family. Brought up in strictness, she led an almost monastic life. Despite the efforts of her husband, the wife hated the Corsican. But she gave birth to a child - Napoleon II became the heir, bore the title of King of Rome.

Star in the European sky

Bonaparte is a bright personality, about which there are still disputes. Someone considers him the embodiment of evil, someone is a reformer who was ahead of his time. Although it may seem that almost everything about this person has already been told, there are still little-known interesting facts:

  • Napoleon Bonaparte tried to enlist in the Russian Imperial Army. This was at the beginning of his career, when almost all of his salary had to be sent to his mother. For the war with the Ottoman Empire, Russia recruited volunteers. Although the service was well paid, foreigners were accepted only with a reduction in rank. Who knows how world history would have turned out?
  • At the beginning of his military service, he spent about four years on vacation - he tried to settle the upset affairs of the family.
  • He took with him about 200 scientists (geographers, chemists, botanists and others) to Egypt, imitating the example of Alexander the Great
  • The emperor's official court painter, Jean-Louis David, painted several works depicting Napoleon. For example, a portrait (1813), where Bonaparte stands in his office, dressed in the uniform of the National Guard. The painting was considered lost, but in 2013 it turned out that the canvas, previously considered a copy, was actually the original.

The French statesman and commander, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. He came from a family of an obscure Corsican nobleman.

In 1784 he graduated from the Brienne military school, in 1785 - the Paris military school. He began professional military service in 1785 with the rank of second lieutenant of artillery in the royal army.

From the first days of the French Revolution of 1789-1799, Bonaparte joined the political struggle on the island of Corsica, joined the most radical wing of the Republicans. In 1792 he joined the Jacobin Club in Valence.

In 1793, the supporters of France in Corsica, where Bonaparte was at that time, were defeated. The conflict with the Corsican separatists forced him to flee the island to France. Bonaparte became commander of an artillery battery in Nice. He distinguished himself in the battle against the British at Toulon, was promoted to brigadier general and appointed chief of artillery of the Army of the Alps. After the counter-revolutionary coup in June 1794, Bonaparte was removed from office and arrested for ties with the Jacobins, but was soon released. He was listed in the reserve of the Ministry of War, in September 1795, after refusing the proposed position of commander of an infantry brigade, he was dismissed from the army.

In October 1795, a member of the Directory (the French government in 1795-1799), Paul Barras, who led the fight against the monarchist conspiracy, took Napoleon as an assistant. Bonaparte proved himself in the suppression of the royalist rebellion in October 1795, for which he was appointed commander of the troops of the Paris garrison. In February 1796 he was appointed commander of the Italian army, at the head of which he carried out the victorious Italian campaign (1796-1797).

In 1798-1801, he led the Egyptian expedition, which, despite the capture of Alexandria and Cairo and the defeat of the Mamelukes in the battle of the pyramids, was defeated.

In October 1799, Bonaparte arrived in Paris, where an acute political crisis reigned. Relying on the influential circles of the bourgeoisie, on November 9-10, 1799, he carried out a coup d'état. The government of the Directory was deposed, and the French Republic was headed by three consuls, the first of which was Napoleon.

The concordat (treaty) concluded with the Pope in 1801 provided Napoleon with the support of the Catholic Church.

In August 1802, he secured his appointment as consul for life.

In June 1804, Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor Napoleon I.

On December 2, 1804, during a magnificent ceremony held in Notre Dame Cathedral with the participation of the Pope, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French.

In March 1805, he was crowned in Milan, after Italy recognized him as their king.

The foreign policy of Napoleon I was aimed at achieving political and economic hegemony in Europe. With his coming to power, France entered a period of almost continuous wars. Thanks to military successes, Napoleon significantly expanded the territory of the empire, made most of the states of Western and Central Europe dependent on France.

Napoleon was not only the emperor of France, which stretched to the left bank of the Rhine, but also the king of Italy, 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. The entry of troops of the anti-French coalition into Paris in March 1814 forced Napoleon I 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, taking advantage of the dissatisfaction of the people with the policy of the Bourbons who replaced him in France and the disagreements that arose at the Congress of Vienna between the victorious powers, tried to regain the throne. In March 1815, at the head of a small detachment, he unexpectedly landed in the south of France and three weeks later entered Paris without firing a shot. The second reign of Napoleon I, which went down in history under the name "Hundred Days", did not last long. The emperor did not justify the hopes placed in him by the French people. All this, as well as the defeat of Napoleon I at the Battle of Waterloo, led him to a second abdication and exile 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.

Bonaparte (1769-1821)

French emperor, commander. Born a small landed nobleman. In 1785, with the rank of lieutenant, he graduated from the Paris Military School and served in a regiment in southern France.

He was promoted to captain and sent to the troops besieging Toulon, captured by the British. Thanks to the plan developed by Napoleon, the British had to urgently leave the city.

Toulon fell, and Napoleon himself, who was only 24 years old, was immediately promoted to brigadier general. In 1795, he resolutely suppressed the monarchist rebellion in Paris, after which he was appointed commander-in-chief of the army in Italy, where he showed his skill by defeating the Austrian and Italian troops. In 1798, he went on a military expedition to Egypt and Syria, but left his troops without permission to confront the army of A.V. Suvorov in Italy.

In 1799, on his way to Italy, he made a military coup in Paris, becoming one of the three consuls of France. In 1804 he became emperor of France. He won a series of brilliant victories over the troops of European coalitions - at Marengo (1804), at Austerlitz, Jena and Auersted (1806), Wagram (1809), which led him to rule over most of the countries of Europe. Striving for world domination, Napoleon attacked Russia in 1812 and, as a result of his heroic
resistance of the Russian army and the people was defeated. The Napoleonic empire was defeated, and in 1814 Paris was taken by the Allied troops.

Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to the island of Elba, retaining the title of emperor. A year later, he landed on the coast of France and moved to Paris, where the government of King Louis XVIII was located.

The Emperor's new reign lasted only a hundred days and ended with his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.

He had to abdicate again. Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena, where he died six years later.

The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte is the life path of an outstanding personality with a phenomenal memory, undoubted intelligence, extraordinary abilities and extraordinary performance.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica in the city of Ajaccio. This event in the family of Carlo and Litizia di Buonoparte happened on August 15, 1769. Buonoparte belonged to a poor noble family. In total, the parents of the future conqueror of Europe had eight children.

His father was a lawyer, and his mother devoted her life to the birth and upbringing of children. It is interesting to note that the surname of a famous Corsican family, later the ruling dynasty of France, was pronounced Buonaparte in Italian, and Bonaparte in French.

Educated at home, at the age of six Napoleon went to study at a private school, and at the age of ten he was transferred to Autun College. After some time, a capable young man moved to the small French city of Brienne and continued his studies there at a military school.

In 1784 he passed the exams at the Paris Military Academy, after which he received the rank of lieutenant and went to serve in the artillery. In addition to his passion for military affairs, Napoleon read and wrote a lot of fiction. The writings of the future emperor are almost all kept in manuscripts. Not much is known about their contents.

Revolution

The Great French Revolution, which resulted in the destruction of the absolute monarchy and the proclamation of the First French Republic, Napoleon met enthusiastically.

In 1792, he joined the most influential political movement in France at that time, the Jacobin Club. Subsequently, the club was reborn as a government body, and many of its members became prominent politicians. Napoleon was no exception.

Starting in 1793, his military career rapidly went uphill: he received the rank of brigadier general, took an active part in suppressing the uprisings of supporters of the monarchy, became the commander-in-chief of the army, and after the success of the Italian company, he became a recognized commander. A brief biography of Napoleon Bonaparte is replete with both brilliant and tragic moments.

Emperor

On November 9, 1799, a coup d'etat took place in France, the result of which was the fall of the Directory and the creation of a new government headed by the consul, and then the emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. This was a turning point in his biography. His reign was marked by the adoption of a number of successful reforms in the administrative and legal sphere, victorious military campaigns, as a result of which he subjugated almost all of Europe.

crash

For children in the 4th grade, it is important to know that 1812 was the beginning of the inevitable death of Napoleon's empire. This was the year when the Napoleonic army set foot on the territory of Russia and at first led successful conquest campaigns. The Battle of Borodino changed the entire course of the war. The French gradually retreated. An anti-French coalition was created against Napoleon, which included Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden.

In 1814 she entered Paris and the Napoleonic empire was destroyed. The emperor himself was exiled to the island of Elba. But exactly a year later he made a new attempt to seize power. But luck has long turned away from him: a hundred days later he was defeated in the famous battle of Waterloo. Six years later he died on the island of St. Helena.

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Napoleon Bonaparte- otherwise he was also called Buonaparte - a Frenchman by nationality and a military man by vocation. Political affairs were not alien to him, therefore, when taking military decisions, Bonaparte was practically not mistaken, thanks to his comprehensive knowledge.

Napoleon was born in 1769. Since childhood, he was considered a strong-willed and strong-willed person, as well as very developed and capable. His military career began quite early: at the age of 27, he was appointed to the post of commander in chief of the Italian army.

Career and affairs

All issues with Italy were successfully settled, and the young man counted on continuing his career: the next was to be a trip to Austria, but the authorities refused him. Selfishness and a thirst for new victories overshadowed his eyes, and at that time he ran into conflicts with the government of his native state several times, and they even wanted to punish him. However, the successes with Austria so eclipsed everyone's eyes that all incidents were forgiven to the commander in chief, and he received his first portion of glory.

Before Bonaparte became emperor, he made a coup in the country and became consul at the age of 30. Being in this position, he also served the people a lot: he established merchant shipping, social relations between France and the allied countries, with which he successfully established economic relations. France got stronger, people began to look to the future with confidence.

After becoming emperor in a couple of years, Napoleon began to expand the land, including by military means. He subjugated many countries of Europe to France and formed a powerful state, in which, however, not all countries felt comfortable.

In 1798 he went to conquer Egypt. There he planned to establish colonies and take advantage of the fertility of the local lands to grow crops for his people.

Then he turned to the rulers of England, Austria and Russia with a proposal of peace - of course, on the condition that France retain all the conquered lands. Napoleon knew how to calculate strategic moves well. However, he was not only an excellent strategist, but also a very competent diplomat. Only this time his oratory skills did not save him. Only with Austria was it possible to sign a peace agreement.

Remaining days of Napoleon

After all the unclean deeds, he was exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he spent the rest of his days. This island belonged to Great Britain, and no one would have known about it if the fate of a smart, bright, extraordinary, but at the same time cruel man, dreaming of world domination, had not brought here. Even in prison, he did not lose heart: his strength was not broken. He died in 1821 from an unknown disease: perhaps a man like him simply could not be in captivity, but it was better for the whole world.

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