Napoleon

Introduction 

Napoleon was born in 1769 in an island called Corsica, near the mainland of France. He joined a military school in France, when he was nine. Later at the age of sixteen he joined the French army and took part in the French Revolution on the side of the common men of France, marking his rise to fame in the army and later in whole of France.

During this time, whole of Europe was against French, because they believed that the revolution in France would encourage the people in their countries to revolt. In order to prevent this, the kings of Germany, Britain and Austria made an alliance and attacked France. In 1793, Napoleon successfully defeated the joint armies of Britain and Spain. This victory made him the French army general. Later he also defeated Austrians.

Battle of Nile

Napoleon was a man of innovation. When his country was threatened by the British regularly, he decided to take a different route. He thought upon giving Britain financial jolts. He knew that the British navy was invincible, the best in Europe. So he thought upon an excellent idea. He decided to raid the trading ships of Britain going to India, which used Egypt as transit point. At that time India was a colony of the British and the British ships carried goods to India by first crossing the Mediterranean, then by land for a short distance across Egypt and again by ships across the Red sea which led into the Arabian Sea.

Napoleon realized that if he attacked Egypt which lay on the British trade route, their goods would not be able to pass along that route, causing huge financial loss to Britain. Napoleon attacked Egypt, but it proved disastrous. While he was fighting on land, the British navy led by Admiral Nelson burnt down Napoleon’s ships anchored at the mouth of River Nile. Napoleon was trapped in Egypt as he had no ships to take him back to France. He had to escape secretly to Paris.

Napoleon as Emperor of France

Sometimes Napoleon did things just the way he liked, but the people in France did not mind this, because he had made France a very strong country in Europe and brought back its lost glory. After many years of anarchy, chaos, warfare and trouble, there was peace in France at last, all because of Napoleon.

Napoleon formed a new government and called it Consul. He became its first ever leader and by 1804 crowned himself as the emperor of France. After becoming Consul, he divided France into many districts, each managed by an official called a Prefect. He wrote a new set of laws called the Code Napoleon that is followed in France even today. Napoleon started a national bank for the people. He also instituted an award called the Legion of Honour, considered to be the highest honor in France and even today it is given to people who bring honor to France.

Downfall of Napoleon

Napoleon was a very ambitious man. He soon wanted to rule the whole of Europe. He fought against many kings and defeated them. He forced them to sign treaty and annexed their lands. He then appointed members of his family as rulers of these conquered lands. He made his brother the ruler of Spain, but in 1812 he was driven out from Spain. His biggest mistake was his decision to attack Russia, which ultimately led to his downfall.

The Russians did not fight the French army. They tricked Napoleon. They burned down their villages and went further deep into their country, followed by the French army. It was like the game of hide and seek. When Napoleon reached Moscow, he was greeted by empty ghost city. Soon they had no food left and had to return back. Then, came the terrible Russian winter that sealed their fate. There was heavy snowfall everywhere and with that a biting cold. Since the Russians had burnt everything down, there was no food. Thousands of French army-men died due to cold and hunger. Napoleon however managed to survive and reached Paris.

The series of battle Napoleon fought against the European kingdoms are known as Napoleonic Wars. The European rulers were fed up with his attacks and then in 1813 they joined together and crushed Napoleon. Napoleon was sent off to an island called Elba. A year later he escaped and returned Paris, where he was welcomed and was declared emperor of France once again. As soon as the news of the return of Napoleon reached other European kingdoms, once again these kingdoms united to fight Napoleon. Napoleon was finally crushed in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 by the combined army under the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon was banished and sent to exile to an island called St. Helena, where he died in 1821 in solitary confinement.