World Leaders: Napoleon Bonaparte By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.05.16 Word Count 710 Portrait of Napoleon in his forties, wearing his dark blue faced white military dress uniform. Jacques-Louis David, Wikimedia Commons Synopsis: Napoleon Bonaparte was a military general and the first emperor of France. He was born on August 15, 1769. One of the most celebrated leaders in the history of the West, he revolutionized the military system, training and tactics; sponsored the Napoleonic Code; and reorganized education. He died on May 5, 1821, on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. Napoleon Bonaparte is considered one of the world's greatest military leaders. He was born on August 15, 1769, in Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to France. He was the fourth child of Carlo Buonaparte, a lawyer, and his wife, Letizia Ramolino. After attending France's College d'Autun, Napoleon ended up at the military academy in Paris. He graduated early and returned to Corsica in 1786. When a civil war broke out in 1793, Napoleon relocated to France and took the French form of his name, Bonaparte. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1 Army Commander For Napoleon, the return to France meant a return to service with the French military. The young leader quickly showed his support for the Jacobins, a revolutionary political movement. The chaos of the French Revolution had created opportunities for determined military leaders like Napoleon. After falling out of favor with the Jacobins, he came into the good graces of the ruling government. For his efforts defeating antigovernment forces, Napoleon was soon made an army commander. In 1796, Napoleon became the leader of the Italian Army. Under his direction, the army won numerous important victories against the Austrians. It greatly expanded the French Empire and helped make Napoleon the military's brightest star. Napoleon's fame was enhanced by his marriage to Joséphine de Beauharnais. She was the widow of General Alexandre de Beauharnais, who was killed during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror. The 2 were married on March 9, 1796. Political unrest continued inside of France. In June of 1799, a fight resulted in the Jacobins taking control of the government. Later that year, Napoleon made plans for a second fight that would place himself and several others atop a new government, called the Consulate. Popular Reforms Napoleon's great political skills soon led to a new constitution. They turned France into nothing less than a dictatorship. Under the new laws, Napoleon was allowed to appoint generals, civil servants and even lawmakers. With this power, Napoleon began reforming the country, focusing on its business trade, legal system and education. He even reformed the church, making Roman Catholicism the state religion. He instituted the Napoleonic Code, which allowed freedom of religion and said that government jobs must be given to the most qualified. Internationally, he negotiated a European peace. Napoleon's reforms proved popular and in 1804 he was proclaimed emperor of France. From Peace To War Napoleon's negotiated peace with Europe lasted just three years. In 1803 France returned to war with Britain, and then with Russia and Austria. Napoleon's victories allowed him to greatly expand the French Empire. His success, however, soon gave way to a string of losses that drained the country's money and supplies for the military. In 1812 France was devastated when its attack on Russia turned out to be a huge failure. Dozens of soldiers in Napoleon's Grand Army were killed or badly wounded. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2 Lacking the money and supplies to fight back against his enemies, Napoleon surrendered to Allied forces on March 30, 1814. He was forced to leave France and went to live on the island of Elba. Battle Of Waterloo Napoleon's absence did not last long. In March 1815 he escaped the island and quickly made his way to Paris, where he triumphantly returned to power. Napoleon immediately led his country back into battle. He led troops into Belgium and defeated the Prussians on June 16, 1815. But then, two days later, he was defeated in a raging battle against the British at Waterloo, once again suffering a humiliating loss. Remote Island On June 22, 1815, he gave up his powers. Fearing a repeat of his earlier return from exile, the British government sent him to the remote island of St. Helena in the southern Atlantic. Napoleon's health began to weaken, and by 1817 he showed the early signs of a stomach ulcer or possibly cancer. He died on May 5, 1821. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3.