Napoleon Bonaparte

Life overview

Born in Corsica, Napoleon became a French officer, seized political power and crowned himself emperor. These five stages connect his origins, the coup, imperial government, defeat and exile. They are selected turning points, not a map of every campaign.

Places and turning points

Dashed lines show the order of selected places, not an exact travel route.

1. 1

   15 August 1769

   Corsican beginnings

   Ajaccio, Corsica City-level representative point

   Napoleon was born in Ajaccio shortly after Corsica came under French control. His family belonged to the island’s minor nobility. Recognition of that status helped him obtain a military education in mainland France, linking a Corsican childhood to a career within the French state.

   City-level representative point; it does not locate a particular room, institution or travel route.

   Representative coordinates · 41.919°, 8.738°

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2. 2

   9–10 November 1799

   The coup at Saint-Cloud

   Saint-Cloud, near Paris City-level representative point

   The coup began on 18 Brumaire in Paris and reached its decisive confrontation at Saint-Cloud the next day. Soldiers expelled deputies from the assembly. The Directory fell and the Consulate replaced it, enabling Bonaparte to concentrate executive power as First Consul.

   City-level representative point; it does not locate a particular room, institution or travel route.

   Representative coordinates · 48.847°, 2.219°

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   Related history

   1. World history · 1789 CE

      The French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights

      The revolution challenged the old regime; the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen advanced ideas of liberty, legal equality, and sovereignty while leaving disputes over the boundaries of rights.

      Historical context · The coup ended the Directory established during the Revolution; this link provides the preceding revolutionary context.

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3. 3

   1804

   A code and an imperial crown

   Paris City-level representative point

   The Civil Code was promulgated in March, and Napoleon’s coronation took place at Notre-Dame in December. Codification consolidated property rights and legal uniformity, while the imperial settlement concentrated authority in a hereditary ruler. Civil institutions and personal rule developed together rather than in separate eras.

   City-level representative point; it does not locate a particular room, institution or travel route.

   Representative coordinates · 48.8566°, 2.3522°

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4. 4

   18 June 1815

   Defeat at Waterloo

   Waterloo, present-day Belgium City-level representative point

   After returning from Elba, Napoleon attempted to rebuild his rule during the Hundred Days. At Waterloo his army was defeated by the forces led by Wellington and Blücher. A second abdication followed. This point marks the campaign’s decisive defeat, not the precise position of his battlefield headquarters.

   City-level representative point; it does not locate a particular room, institution or travel route.

   Representative coordinates · 50.714°, 4.399°

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5. 5

   1815–1821

   Exile on Saint Helena

   Longwood, Saint Helena Representative area

   British custody took Napoleon to the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena. He spent his last years at Longwood, where he died on 5 May 1821. Exile removed him from European political power, while recollections and later publications helped shape competing accounts of his rule.

   Representative point for the Longwood settlement area; not the surveyed position of a room or a reconstructed sea route.

   Representative coordinates · -15.946°, -5.676°

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Legacy and context

His government consolidated legal and administrative reforms while restricting political opposition. Conquest spread both institutions and suffering. His colonial policy also maintained or restored slavery in several colonies; legal reform did not mean equal freedom for everyone.

Bibliography

• Fondation Napoléon: Timeline—Consulate and First French Empire
• Fondation Napoléon: Domaine national de Saint-Cloud
• Fondation Napoléon: Why did Napoleon bring back slavery?

References support specific dates and context. Bibliographies are displayed as text.