His army was badly damaged and never fully recovered. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 became Napoleon's first big defeat. He also made other European countries into French client states by letting his friends and family members rule them. He increased his power by making many alliances. After a number of victories, France became very important in continental Europe. Every European great power joined in these wars. In the first ten years of the nineteenth century, the French Empire under Napoleon waged the Napoleonic Wars.
Five years later, he was made Emperor of France. In 1799, he overthrew the government and took control of France for himself (a coup d'état).
He became an important army leader during the First French Republic, helping to stop the countries that wanted to end the French Revolution. He moved to mainland France and trained to become an army officer. He learned the Corsican language first before learning French. He had power over most of Europe at the height of his power, and his actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.īonaparte was born in Corsica into a noble family in 15th of August, 1769. He became Emperor of the French and King of Italy as Napoleon I. Napoleon Bonaparte ( French: Napoléon Bonaparte) was a French politician and army leader who ruled France from 1799 to 1814 and for a short period (the ' Hundred Days') in 1815.
