Napoleon | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | "General Vendémiaire ", "The Little Corporal", "Napoleon the Great" |
Born | Ajaccio, Corsica | August 15, 1769
Died | May 5, 1821 51) Longwood, Saint Helena | (aged
Allegiance | France |
Service/ | Trained as an artillerist |
Years of service | 1779–1815 |
Rank | Commander in Chief (Head of State) |
Commands held | Army of Italy Army of the Orient French Army Grande Armée |
Battles/wars | French Revolutionary Wars |
Awards | Grand Master of the Legion of Honour Grand Master of the Order of the Reunion Grand Master of the Order of the Iron Crown |
Relations | House of Bonaparte |
Other work | Sovereign of Elba, writer |
The military career of Napoleon Bonaparte spanned over 20 years. He led French armies in the French Revolutionary Wars and later, as emperor, in the Napoleonic Wars. Despite his rich war-winning record, Napoleon's military career ended in defeat. Napoleon has since been regarded as a military genius and one of the finest commanders in history. His wars and campaigns have been studied at military schools worldwide. He fought more than 80 battles, losing only ten, mostly towards the end when the French army was not as dominant. [1] The French dominion collapsed rapidly after the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon was defeated in 1814 and exiled to the island of Elba, before returning to France. He was finally defeated in 1815 at the Waterloo. He spent his remaining days in British custody on the remote volcanic tropical island of Saint Helena. In his long military career, Bonaparte celebrated 70 victories and suffered 10 defeats. [2]
No | Date | Battle | Conflict | Opponent | Location | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 29 Aug – 19 Dec 1793 | Siege of Toulon | War of the First Coalition | French Republic | Victory | |
2. | 24–28 Apr 1794 | Saorgio | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
3. | 21 Sep 1794 | First Dego | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
4. | 5 Oct 1795 | 13 Vendémiaire | French Revolution | French Republic | Victory | |
5. | 11–12 Apr 1796 | Montenotte | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
6. | 12–13 Apr 1796 | Millesimo | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
7. | 14–15 Apr 1796 | Second Dego | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
8. | 16 Apr 1796 | Ceva | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
9. | 21 Apr 1796 | Mondovi | War of the First Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
10. | 7–9 May 1796 | Fombio | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
11. | 10 May 1796 | Lodi | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
12. | 30 May 1796 | Borghetto | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
13. | 4 Jul 1796 – 2 Feb 1797 | Siege of Mantua | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
14. | 3–4 Aug 1796 | Lonato | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
15. | 5 Aug 1796 | Castiglione | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
16. | 4 Sep 1796 | Rovereto | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
17. | 8 Sep 1796 | Bassano | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
18. | 14–15 Sep 1796 | San Giorgio [3] | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
19. | 6 Nov 1796 | Second Bassano | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Defeat | |
20. | 12 Nov 1796 | Caldiero | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Defeat | |
21. | 15–17 Nov 1796 | Arcole | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
22. | 14–15 Jan 1797 | Rivoli | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
23. | 16 Jan 1797 | La Favorite | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
24. | 16 Mar 1797 | Valvasone | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
25. | 21–23 Mar 1797 | Tarvis | War of the First Coalition | Habsburg Italy | Victory | |
26. | 10–12 Jun 1798 | Malta | Mediterranean Campaign | Malta | Victory | |
27. | 2 Jul 1798 | Prise d'Alexandrie | Mediterranean Campaign | Mameluk Egypt | Victory | |
28. | 13 Jul 1798 | Shubra Khit | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | Mameluk Egypt | Victory | |
29. | 21 Jul 1798 | Pyramids | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | Mameluk Egypt | Victory | |
30. | 21–22 Oct 1798 | Revolt of Cairo | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | French Egypt | Victory | |
31. | 11–19 Feb 1799 | Siege of El Arish | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | Mameluk Egypt | Victory | |
32. | 3–7 Mar 1799 | Siege of Jaffa | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | Ottoman Empire | Victory | |
33. | 20 Mar – 21 May 1799 | Siege of Acre | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | Ottoman Empire | Defeat | |
34. | 16 Apr 1799 | Mount Tabor | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | Ottoman Empire | Victory | |
35. | 25 Jul 1799 | Abukir | French Campaign in Egypt and Syria | French Egypt | Victory | |
36. | 31 May 1800 | Turbigo | War of the Second Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
37. | 14 May – 1 Jun 1800 | Siege of Fort Bard | War of the Second Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
38. | 14 Jun 1800 | Marengo | War of the Second Coalition | Kingdom of Sardinia | Victory | |
39. | 15–20 Oct 1805 | Ulm | War of the Third Coalition | Electorate of Bavaria | Victory | |
40. | 2 Dec 1805 | Austerlitz | War of the Third Coalition | Archduchy of Austria | Victory | |
41. | 14 Oct 1806 | Jena | War of the Fourth Coalition | Kingdom of Prussia | Victory | |
42. | 23 Dec 1806 | Czarnowo | War of the Fourth Coalition | Kingdom of Prussia | Victory | |
43. | 7–8 Feb 1807 | Eylau | War of the Fourth Coalition | Kingdom of Prussia | Victory | |
44. | 14 Jun 1807 | Friedland | War of the Fourth Coalition | Kingdom of Prussia | Victory | |
45. | 30 Nov 1808 | Somosierra | Peninsular War | Spain | Victory | |
46. | 1–4 Dec 1808 | Siege of Madrid [4] | Peninsular War | Spain | Victory | |
47. | 20 Apr 1809 | Teugen-Hausen | War of the Fifth Coalition | Kingdom of Bavaria | Victory | |
48. | 20 Apr 1809 | Abensberg | War of the Fifth Coalition | Kingdom of Bavaria | Victory | |
49. | 21 Apr 1809 | Landshut | War of the Fifth Coalition | Kingdom of Bavaria | Victory | |
50. | 21–22 Apr 1809 | Eckmühl | War of the Fifth Coalition | Kingdom of Bavaria | Victory | |
51. | 23 Apr 1809 | Ratisbon | War of the Fifth Coalition | Principality of Regensburg | Victory | |
52. | 21–22 May 1809 | Aspern-Essling | War of the Fifth Coalition | Austrian Empire | Defeat | |
53. | 5–6 Jul 1809 | Wagram | War of the Fifth Coalition | Austrian Empire | Victory | |
54. | 26–27 Jul 1812 | Vitebsk | French Invasion of Russia | Russian Empire | Victory | |
55. | 16–18 Aug 1812 | Smolensk | French Invasion of Russia | Russian Empire | Victory | |
56. | 5 Sep 1812 | Shevardino | French Invasion of Russia | Russian Empire | Victory | |
57. | 7 Sep 1812 | Borodino | French Invasion of Russia | Russian Empire | Victory | |
58. | 15–18 Nov 1812 | Krasnoi | French Invasion of Russia | Russian Empire | Defeat | |
59. | 26–29 Nov 1812 | Berezina | French Invasion of Russia | Russian Empire | Withdrawal | |
60. | 2 May 1813 | Lützen | War of the Sixth Coalition | Kingdom of Saxony | Victory | |
61. | 20–21 May 1813 | Bautzen | War of the Sixth Coalition | Kingdom of Saxony | Victory | |
62. | 22 May 1813 | Reichenbach | War of the Sixth Coalition | Kingdom of Saxony | Victory | |
63. | 26–27 Aug 1813 | Dresden | War of the Sixth Coalition | Kingdom of Saxony | Victory | |
64. | 16–19 Oct 1813 | Leipzig | War of the Sixth Coalition | Kingdom of Saxony | Defeat | |
65. | 30–31 Oct 1813 | Hanau | War of the Sixth Coalition | Duchy of Frankfurt | Victory | |
66. | 29 Jan 1814 | Brienne | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
67. | 1 Feb 1814 | La Rothière | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Defeat | |
68. | 10 Feb 1814 | Champaubert | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
69. | 11 Feb 1814 | Montmirail | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
70. | 12 Feb 1814 | Chateau-Thierry | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
71. | 14 Feb 1814 | Vauchamps | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
72. | 17 Feb 1814 | Mormant | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
73. | 18 Feb 1814 | Montereau | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
74. | 5 Mar 1814 | Berry-au-Bac (1814) [5] | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
75. | 7 Mar 1814 | Craonne | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
76. | 9–10 Mar 1814 | Laon | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Defeat | |
77. | 12–13 Mar 1814 | Reims | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
78. | 20–21 Mar 1814 | Arcis-sur-Aube | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Defeat | |
79. | 26 Mar 1814 | Saint-Dizier | War of the Sixth Coalition | French Empire | Victory | |
80. | 16 Jun 1815 | Ligny | Hundred Days | United Kingdom of the Netherlands | Victory | |
81. | 18 Jun 1815 | Waterloo | Hundred Days | United Kingdom of the Netherlands | Defeat |
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of conflicts fought between the First French Empire under Napoleon (1804–1815) and a fluctuating array of European coalitions. The wars originated in political forces arising from the French Revolution (1789–1799) and from the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802), and produced a period of French domination over Continental Europe. The wars are categorised as seven conflicts, five named after the coalitions that fought Napoleon, plus two named for their respective theatres; the War of the Third Coalition, War of the Fourth Coalition, War of the Fifth Coalition, War of the Sixth Coalition, War of the Seventh Coalition, the Peninsular War, and the French invasion of Russia.
Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French emperor and military commander who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. He was the leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then of the French Empire as Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and briefly again in 1815. His political and cultural legacy endures as a celebrated and controversial leader. He is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and his wars and campaigns are still studied at military schools worldwide. However, historians still debate the degree to which he was responsible for the Napoleonic Wars, in which between three and six million people died. Napoleon brought modernizing reforms to France and Western Europe and stimulating the development of nation states. He also sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803, doubling the latter's size. However, his mixed record on civil rights and exploitation of conquered territories adversely affect his reputation.
The Battle of Rivoli was a key military engagement during the War of the First Coalition in the vicinity of the village of Rivoli, then part of the Republic of Venice. The outnumbered French Army of Italy commanded by General Napoleon Bonaparte decisively defeated the attacking Austrian army commanded by General of the Artillery Jozsef Alvinczi, who was attempting to march south in a fourth and final attempt to relieve the siege of Mantua. Rivoli further demonstrated Napoleon's capability and deftness as a military commander and led to the Austrian surrender of Mantua in February and French consolidation of northern Italy, ultimately resulting in France's victory over Austria in the war later that year.
The Hundred Days, also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815. This period saw the War of the Seventh Coalition, and includes the Waterloo Campaign and the Neapolitan War as well as several other minor campaigns. The phrase les Cent Jours was first used by the prefect of Paris, Gaspard, comte de Chabrol, in his speech welcoming the king back to Paris on 8 July.
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted France against Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and several other countries. The wars are divided into two periods: the War of the First Coalition (1792–1797) and the War of the Second Coalition (1798–1802). Initially confined to Europe, the fighting gradually assumed a global dimension. After a decade of constant warfare and aggressive diplomacy, France had conquered territories in the Italian Peninsula, the Low Countries and the Rhineland. French success in these conflicts ensured the spread of revolutionary principles over much of Europe.
The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory. The Napoleonic era begins roughly with Napoleon Bonaparte's coup d'état, overthrowing the Directory, establishing the French Consulate, and ends during the Hundred Days and his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. The Congress of Vienna soon set out to restore Europe to pre-French Revolution days. Napoleon brought political stability to a land torn by revolution and war. He made peace with the Roman Catholic Church and reversed the most radical religious policies of the Convention. In 1804 Napoleon promulgated the Civil Code, a revised body of civil law, which also helped stabilize French society. The Civil Code affirmed the political and legal equality of all adult men and established a merit-based society in which individuals advanced in education and employment because of talent rather than birth or social standing. The Civil Code confirmed many of the moderate revolutionary policies of the National Assembly but retracted measures passed by the more radical Convention. The code restored patriarchal authority in the family, for example, by making women and children subservient to male heads of households.
In the War of the Sixth Coalition, sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, Great Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Sardinia, and a number of German States defeated France and drove Napoleon into exile on Elba. After the disastrous French invasion of Russia of 1812 in which they had been forced to support France, Prussia and Austria joined Russia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Portugal, and the rebels in Spain who were already at war with France.
The War of the Second Coalition was the second war targeting revolutionary France by many European monarchies, led by Britain, Austria, and Russia and including the Ottoman Empire, Portugal, Naples and various German monarchies. Prussia did not join the coalition, while Spain supported France.
The Battle of Ulm on 16–19 October 1805 was a series of skirmishes, at the end of the Ulm Campaign, which allowed Napoleon I to trap an entire Austrian army under the command of Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich with minimal losses and to force its surrender near Ulm in the Electorate of Bavaria.
General Dominique-Joseph René Vandamme, Count of Unseburg was a French military officer, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was a dedicated career soldier with a reputation as an excellent division and corps commander. However, he had a nasty disposition that alienated his colleagues, and would publicly criticize Napoleon, who never appointed him marshal.
The Battle of La Suffel was a French victory over Austrian forces of the Seventh Coalition and the last French pitched battle victory in the Napoleonic Wars. It was fought on 28 June 1815 at Souffelweyersheim and Hoenheim, near Strasbourg.
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For his life and a basic reading list see Napoleon I of France
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