Brief biography Napoleon Bonaparte for children and adults, presented in this article, will certainly interest you. This name has long become a household name, not only because of his talent and intelligence, but also because of his incredible ambitions, as well as the dizzying career that he managed to make.
The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte is marked by the rapid rise of his military career. Having entered service at the age of 16, he became a general at the age of 24. And Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor at the age of 34. Interesting facts from the biography of the French commander are numerous. Among his skills and characteristics there were some very extraordinary ones. They say that he read at an incredible speed - about 2 thousand words per minute. In addition, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte could sleep for a long time, 2-3 hours a day. Interesting facts from the biography of this man, we hope, have aroused your interest in his personality.
Events in Corsica leading up to the birth of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, was born on August 15, 1769. He was born on the island of Corsica, in the city of Ajaccio. The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte would probably have turned out differently if the political situation of that time had been different. His native island had long been in the possession of the Genoese Republic, but Corsica overthrew Genoese rule in 1755. After this, for several years it was an independent state, ruled by Pasquale Paole, a local landowner. Carlo Buonaparte (his portrait is presented below), Napoleon's father, served as his secretary.
In 1768 she sold the rights to Corsica to France. A year later, after the local rebels were defeated by French troops, Pasquale Paole moved to England. Napoleon himself was not a direct participant in these events or even a witness to them, since he was born only 3 months later. However, Paole's personality played a large role in shaping his character. For many 20 years, this man became the idol of such a French commander as Napoleon Bonaparte. The biography for children and adults of Bonaparte, presented in this article, continues with a story about his origin.
Origin of Napoleon
Letizia Ramalino and Carlo Buonaparte, the parents of the future emperor, were minor nobles. There were 13 children in the family, of whom Napoleon was the second oldest. True, five of his sisters and brothers died in childhood.
The father of the family was one of the ardent supporters of Corsica's independence. He participated in the drafting of the Corsican Constitution. But in order for his children to receive an education, he began to show loyalty to the French. After some time, Carlo Buonaparte even became a representative of the nobility of Corsica in the French Parliament.
Study in Ajaccio
It is known that Napoleon, as well as his sisters and brothers, received their primary education at the city school of Ajaccio. After this, the future emperor began to study mathematics and writing from the local abbot. Carlo Buonaparte, as a result of interaction with the French, managed to obtain royal scholarships for Napoleon and Joseph, his older brother. Joseph was to pursue a career as a priest, and Napoleon was to become a military man.
Cadet school
The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte continues in Autun. It was here that the brothers went to study in 1778 French. A year later, Napoleon entered the cadet school located in Brienne. He was an excellent student and showed special talent in mathematics. In addition, Napoleon loved to read books on various topics - philosophy, history, geography. The favorite historical characters of the future emperor were Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. However, at this time Napoleon did not have many friends. Both his Corsican origin and accent (Napoleon never managed to get rid of it), as well as his penchant for loneliness and complex character, played a role in this.
Father's death
He later continued his studies at the Royal Cadet School. Napoleon graduated early in 1785. Then his father died, and he had to take his place as head of the family. The older brother was not suitable for this role, since he did not have leadership abilities like Napoleon.
Military career
Napoleon Bonaparte began his military career in Valence. The biography, a brief summary of which is the topic of this article, continues in this city, located in the center of the Rhone Lowland. Here Napoleon served as a lieutenant. After some time he was transferred to Oxonne. The future emperor read a lot at this time, and also tried himself in the literary field.
The military biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, one might say, gained great momentum in the decade that followed his graduation from cadet school. In just 10 years, the future emperor managed to go through the entire hierarchy of ranks in the French army of that time. In 1788, the future emperor tried to enlist in the Russian army, but he was refused.
Napoleon met French revolution in Corsica, where he was on vacation. He accepted and supported her. Moreover, Napoleon was noted as an excellent commander during his time as a brigadier general and later commander of the Italian Army.
Marriage to Josephine
Important event in personal life Napoleon took place in 1796. It was then that he married the widow of the Count, Josephine Beauharnais.
The beginning of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleon Bonaparte, full biography which is presented in an impressive volume of books, was recognized as the best French commander after inflicting a crushing defeat on the enemy in Sardinia and Austria. It was then that he rose to a new level, starting the “Napoleonic Wars”. They lasted almost 20 years, and it was thanks to them that the biography of such a commander as Napoleon Bonaparte became known throughout the world. Summary The further path to world fame he traveled is as follows.
The French Directory was unable to maintain the achievements that the revolution brought. This became obvious in 1799. Napoleon and his army were in Egypt at that time. After his return, he dispersed the Directory thanks to the support of the people. On November 19, 1799, Bonaparte proclaimed the consular regime, and 5 years later, in 1804, he declared himself emperor.
Napoleon's domestic policy
Napoleon Bonaparte, whose biography by this time was already marked by many achievements, decided to focus on strengthening his own power, which was supposed to serve as a guarantee of the civil rights of the French population. In 1804, the Napoleonic Code, a code of civil rights, was adopted for this purpose. In addition, tax reform was implemented, and the French Bank, owned by the state, was created. The French education system was created precisely under Napoleon. Catholicism was recognized as the religion of the majority of the population, but freedom of religion was not abolished.
Economic blockade of England
England was the main opponent of French industry and capital in the European market. This country financed military actions against it on the continent. England attracted major European powers such as Austria and Russia to its side. Thanks to a series of French military operations carried out against Russia, Austria and Prussia, Napoleon was able to annex to his country lands that previously belonged to Holland, Belgium, Italy and Northern Germany. The defeated countries had no choice but to make peace with France. Napoleon declared an economic blockade of England. He banned trade relations with this country. However, this measure also hit the French economy. France was unable to replace British products on the European market. Napoleon Bonaparte was unable to foresee this. A short biography in abbreviation should not dwell on this in detail, so we will continue our story.
Decline in authority, birth of an heir
The economic crisis and protracted wars led to a decline in the authority of Napoleon Bonaparte among the French, who had previously supported him. In addition, it turned out that no one was threatening France, and Bonaparte’s ambitions were driven only by concern for the state of his dynasty. In order to leave an heir, he divorced Josephine because she could not give him a child. In 1810, Napoleon married Marie Louise, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. In 1811, the long-awaited heir was born. However, the public did not approve of marriage with a woman from the Austrian royal family.
War with Russia and exile to the Elbe
In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to start a war with Russia, whose short biography, largely due to this, is of interest to many of our compatriots. Like other states, Russia at one time supported the blockade of England, but did not strive to comply with it. This step became fatal for Napoleon. Having suffered defeat, he abdicated the throne. The former French emperor was sent to the island of Elba, located in the Mediterranean Sea.
Napoleon's revenge and final defeat
After Bonaparte's abdication, representatives of the Bourbon dynasty returned to France, as well as their heirs, who sought to regain their position and fortune. This caused discontent among the population. Napoleon fled from Elba on February 25, 1815. He returned to France in triumph. One article can only present a very brief biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Therefore, let's just say that he resumed the war, but France could no longer bear this burden. Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo, after 100 days of revenge. This time he was sent into exile on the island of St. Helena, which was much further away than before, so it was more difficult to escape from it. Here the former emperor spent the last 6 years of his life. He never saw his wife and son again.
Death of the Former Emperor
Bonaparte's health began to rapidly deteriorate. He died on May 5, 1821, presumably from cancer. According to another version, Napoleon was poisoned. A very popular belief is that the former emperor was given arsenic. But was it poisoned? The fact is that Napoleon was afraid of this and voluntarily took small doses of arsenic, thus trying to develop immunity to it. Of course, such a procedure would certainly end tragically. Be that as it may, even today it is impossible to say with complete certainty why Napoleon Bonaparte died. His short biography, presented in this article, ends here.
It should be added that he was buried first on the island of St. Helena, but in 1840 his remains were reburied in Paris, in the Invalides. The monument at the grave of the former emperor is made of Karelian porphyry, which was given to the French government by Nicholas I, the Russian emperor.
His name gave the name to an entire era. An outstanding commander, diplomat, with extraordinary intellectual abilities, incredibly active, with a phenomenal memory. This is exactly how Napoleon Bonaparte remained for posterity. A short biography will help you learn about the main stages of the life of a great historical figure.
Childhood and youth of a genius
Napoleon's birthplace is Ajaccio, o. Corsica. When the Corsicans freed themselves from Genoese rule, the island began to exist independently as a separate state. It was led by one of the local landowners, the boy's father was his right hand. 1769 was an important year for Corsica - French troops defeated the rebels. France bought the rights to Corsica. Many of the natives fled to England, but Napoleon's parents remained. On August 15, a second son was born into the Buonaparte family: there will be 13 children in total, of which only 8 will survive (4 boys and 3 girls).
Mother, Letizia Ramolino, was from a noble and wealthy family. Carlo Buonaparte, father, assessor, tried to get more money by entering into litigation with neighbors. From the memories of relatives it is known that Napoleon suffered from coughing attacks as a child. He loved to read, but spoke only Italian. I started learning French only at the age of 10. Carlo was elected deputy to Paris, where he went in 1778, taking his sons with him. Napoleon began his studies there:
- The future politician graduated from cadet school, where he showed success in studying history, geography, and mathematics. I still loved books, especially about great warriors.
- In October 1784 he entered the Paris Military School, where he mastered horse riding and tactics.
During his studies, which lasted 8 years, he was unable to make friends, which did not stop him from making plans for a career as an artilleryman. He started it in 1875 after the death of his father, who left him with large debts. The future Emperor Napoleon 1 entered adulthood, becoming the head of the family.
The beginning of the journey
His career began with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery. Bonaparte adhered to radical political views and joined the Jacobin Club (1792). During his stay in his homeland, there was a rebellion - the French were defeated, this forced the young man to flee. He became commander of the battery in Nice. The ascent was rapid:
- He distinguished himself in the battle for Toulon, after which he received the rank of brigadier general.
- Became chief of artillery of the Alpine Army.
- Assistant to a member of the Directory (government), suppressed the rebellion of 1795.
- Commander of the Italian army from February 1796. Brilliantly led the first Italian campaign (1796−1797).
Napoleon became popular in France. In January 1798, he was made commander of the army for the campaign against the British. But instead of attacking Britain, he proposed a campaign against Egypt, considering it more timely. Having captured Malta, he moved to Alexandria, which he conquered in one day. Captured Cairo. But on August 1, the brilliant campaign was interrupted by an attack by the English fleet, which defeated the French.
Napoleon was cut off in Egypt. He returned to Paris only a year later (in October), in the aura of glory as the conqueror of the East.
Participation in the coup
Meanwhile, a crisis was brewing in the country. Europe plotted against the republic. Napoleon turned out to be the popular and brave man on whom the conspirators decided to rely. They managed to win over almost all the generals to their side.
The government was overthrown through an internal military coup. Bonaparte was appointed temporary consul together with Ducos and Sieyès. They developed a new constitution, which contained reforms that concentrated all power in the hands of the first consul, Napoleon. After the vote, the constitution was adopted. Modern historians claim that most of the votes were rigged. At the beginning of 1800, Napoleon moved to the Tuileries, the palace of the French kings.
Many innovations followed, most of which are still in effect today. The Consul redesigned the state structure, thanks to which issues began to be effectively resolved locally that the Directory could not previously handle.
Ascension to the throne
A significant date in world history is May 18, 1804. On this day, the Senate adopted a new constitution. Napoleon's proclamation as Emperor of France formally took place. But he insisted that the coronation also take place. Bonaparte wished for the presence of the Pope. He demanded that the emperor and Josephine (civil wife since 1796) be married according to church canons.
The ceremony was performed by Cardinal Fesch in the presence of witnesses. Then a magnificent celebration took place in Notre Dame Cathedral, where Napoleon placed a crown on his head and proclaimed himself emperor.
Foreign policy was simple- to ensure France's primacy in politics and in the market. To do this we had to compete with England and other countries. Napoleon began a series of wars, and thanks to his successes in this field, he managed to expand the territory of the state and subjugate most European countries.
In the spring of 1805, Italy recognized the newly-minted monarch as its king. Bonaparte was also Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, mediator of the Swiss Confederation. His brothers also became kings:
- Joseph received Naples.
- Louis began to rule Holland.
- Jerome got Westphalia.
The size of Napoleon's possessions was comparable to the Holy Roman Empire of Charles V.
Napoleon's policies initially enjoyed the approval of the common people. The economy picked up, which led to an increase in wages. There were constant recruitments into the army, where they also paid well. Wars evoked a sense of pride in the fatherland. But gradually people began to get tired of them; the economic crisis was not long in coming. The bourgeoisie no longer wanted to sponsor conflicts with other countries. Contradictions with Russia grew; the patriots of Germany and Italy did not want to put up with the despotism of the conqueror. This was the beginning of the end.
Fall of the Empire. Exile
In 1812, Napoleon decided to declare war on Russia and invaded its territory. Numerical superiority helped at first, but the Russians were more cunning - they lured the enemy deep into the country, where the army suffered from disease, dirt, heat and hunger. Although the French entered Moscow, it was burning...
Napoleon stayed in Russia for an unreasonably long time, waiting for the conclusion of peace with Alexander. The retreat was accompanied by Russian soldiers, who walked on a parallel course and were attacked by partisans. The French robbed the locals, to which they responded cruelly - the captured marauders were buried alive in the ground. On December 5, the emperor fled to Paris, attributing the defeat of his army to the cold Russian winters. The legend about the invulnerability of the great commander was put to an end. A series of defeats began, which caused the weakening of the emperor's power.
The War of the Sixth Coalition ended unsuccessfully- First Prussia was lost, then Saxony and all of Germany. In France itself, opposition arose, which had long been waiting for an opportunity. In 1813, deputies dissolved the Legislative Corps. In 1814, war came to the country. The fall of the Empire was a foregone conclusion. On April 6, Napoleon is forced to abdicate.
Although the title of emperor was retained, Bonaparte was very upset by the loss of power and his upcoming exile.
Those close to him fled, only General Caulaincourt, a doctor and a few servants remained nearby. On the night of April 12, he decided to drink poison. But from long-term storage the poison has lost its potency. A few days later Bonaparte went to Fr. Elba, who received ownership.
One hundred days, captivity and death
Dreams of returning to the throne did not leave the emperor and he fled from Elba. March 1, 1815 moved to Paris. The people joyfully greeted Bonaparte, surrendering cities without a fight. Having gathered a small army, Napoleon approached the capital. He also entered Paris without firing a single shot. The reign lasted 100 days, but eventually ended with another abdication. Although the people were for Bonaparte, not wanting the return of the Bourbons, the bourgeoisie refused to support him.
On the way to America, the emperor met with an English squadron, to which he surrendered in order to avoid bloodshed. In July 1815 he was exiled to St. Helena. This link was the last one.
How Napoleon died is now known exactly. The poisoning theory was rejected after research conducted in the 2000s. The doctor names the cause of death as stomach cancer. An autopsy revealed two ulcers.
Now Napoleon's grave is located in the Parisian Invalides. His remains were moved there in 1840, as he requested in his will. The red stone sarcophagus is surrounded by bronze bas-reliefs and statues.
Personal life
Known for his reserved character, Napoleon still turned on love relationship. He was even engaged to a certain Eugene Desiree Clara (this was the sister of his brother’s wife). But the girl broke off the engagement for the sake of a party with the general, considering this marriage more promising for herself.
At one of the social events Bonaparte met Josephine- a Creole woman who came from a Caribbean island was already a widow. Napoleon, who grew up in a large family, dreamed of the most banal family happiness: a kind, sweet wife and a bunch of kids. Josephine was six years older, but the future emperor fell in love and proposed, which was accepted. There is a well-known romantic story that during his long departure for the war, he wrote letters to his wife every day.
It was clear to everyone around that the frivolous Josephine did not have any feelings for her husband at all - she flitted around at social events.
The wife cheated on the brilliant warrior, which even newspapers wrote about. Gradually, Bonaparte's eyes opened and he announced a divorce. But feelings suddenly began to appear in Josephine, she begged for forgiveness, which was received. Only the old passion never arose in the husband’s heart.
The affair with Maria Walevskaya is well known to historians, which they regard in different ways - some as a fleeting affair, others as a truly serious romantic feeling. Maria was very beautiful and resisted advances for a long time. But she gave in. She even gave birth to her beloved son. The emperor's meetings with Maria were infrequent, but continued until his exile to Elba. She waited a long time for a letter from her lover, but she was not called. Then Maria married Napoleon's cousin, Count F. Ornano. In December 1817, the woman died, having lived only 32 years.
Since Josephine could not have children, and Napoleon wanted a legal heir, he decided to divorce. The emperor's second wife, Marie-Louise, was from the Habsburg family. Brought up in strictness, she led an almost monastic lifestyle. Despite her husband's efforts, the wife hated the Corsican. But she gave birth to a child - Napoleon II became the heir and bore the title of King of Rome.
Star on the European sky
Bonaparte is a bright personality, about whom there is still controversy. Some consider him the embodiment of evil, others a reformer ahead of his time. Although it may seem that almost everything about this man has already been told, there are still some little-known interesting facts left:
- Napoleon Bonaparte tried to enlist in the Russian Imperial Army. This was at the beginning of his career, when almost all of his salary had to be sent to his mother. For the war with the Ottoman Empire, Russia recruited volunteers. Although the service was well paid, foreigners were accepted only with a reduction in rank. Who knows how world history would have turned out?
- At the beginning of his military service, he spent about four years on leave - trying to settle the upset affairs of the family.
- He took with him about 200 scientists (geographers, chemists, botanists and others) to Egypt, imitating the example of Alexander the Great
- The Emperor's official court artist, Jean-Louis David, painted several works depicting Napoleon. For example, a portrait (1813), where Bonaparte stands in his study, dressed in the uniform of the National Guard. The painting was considered lost, but in 2013 it turned out that the painting, previously considered a copy, is in fact the original.
In 1755, Corsica overthrew Genoese rule and from that time on virtually existed as an independent state under the leadership of the local landowner Pasquale Paoli, whose close assistant was Napoleon's father. In 1768, the Republic of Genoa temporarily transferred its rights to Corsica to the French King Louis XV. In May 1769, at the Battle of Ponte Nuovo, French troops defeated the Corsican rebels, and Paoli emigrated to England. Napoleon was born 3 months after these events. Paoli remained his idol until the 1790s.
Napoleon was the second of 13 children of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino, five of whom died at an early age. In addition to Napoleon himself, 4 of his brothers and 3 sisters survived to adulthood:
- Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), King of Spain.
- Lucien Bonaparte (1775-1840), Prince of Canino and Musignano.
- Elisa Bonaparte (1777-1820), Grand Duchess of Tuscany.
- Louis Bonaparte (1778-1846), King of Holland.
- Pauline Bonaparte (1780-1825), Duchess of Guastalla.
- Caroline Bonaparte (1782-1839), Grand Duchess of Cleves.
- Jerome Bonaparte (1784-1860), King of Westphalia.
The family belonged to the minor aristocrats and lived on the island since the beginning of the 16th century. Although in the past Carlo Buonaparte had been one of the drafters of the Constitution of Corsica, he submitted to the French sovereignty in order to be able to educate his children in France.
Initially, the children studied at the city school of Ajaccio, later Napoleon and some of his brothers and sisters studied writing and mathematics with the abbot. Napoleon achieved particular success in mathematics and ballistics.
Thanks to cooperation with the French, Carlo Buonaparte managed to achieve royal scholarships for his two eldest sons, Joseph and Napoleon (in total there were 5 sons and 3 daughters in the family). While Joseph was preparing to become a priest, Napoleon was destined for a military career. In December 1778, both boys left the island and were taken to college at Autun, mainly for the purpose of learning French, although Napoleon spoke with a strong accent all his life. The following year, Napoleon entered the cadet school at Brienne-le-Château. Napoleon had no friends in college, since he came from a not very wealthy family, and besides, he was a Corsican, with a pronounced patriotism for his native island and hostility towards the French as the enslavers of Corsica. Moreover, he often had fights at school. Napoleon was often a winner, but just as often a loser. His fights were desperate. It was in Brienne that the name Napoleon Buonaparte began to be pronounced in the French manner - “Napoleon Bonaparte”.
Napoleon achieved particular success in mathematics; the humanities, on the contrary, were difficult for him. For example, he was so weak in Latin that his teachers did not even allow him to take the exams. In addition, he made quite a lot of mistakes when writing, but his style became much better thanks to his love of reading. Napoleon was most interested in characters such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. Already from that early time, Napoleon worked extremely hard and read books in various fields of knowledge: travel, geography, history, strategy, tactics, artillery, philosophy.
Thanks to his victory (which Napoleon was very surprised by) in the Queen's Necklace competition, he was accepted into the Paris Military School. There he studied hydrostatics, differential calculus, calculus of integrals, and public law. As before, he shocked teachers with his admiration for Paoli, Corsica, and hostility towards France. He fought a lot and at that time was very lonely; Napoleon had practically no friends. He studied excellently during this period, read a lot, making extensive notes. True, he was never able to master the German language. Later, he expressed an extremely negative attitude towards this language and wondered how it was possible to learn even one of its words. Similar hatred of language
In the history of France there were many coups and revolutions, monarchies were replaced by republics, and vice versa. One of significant figures in the history of this country and all of Europe there was Bonaparte.
Few people know that after his defeat he abdicated the throne in favor of his young son. The Bonapartists gave him the name Napoleon II. What happened to the rightful heir, how many other Napoleons were there in the history of France?
Sons of Napoleon
The French emperor had three sons, two of them illegitimate. The fate of each of the offspring developed differently.
The ruler had his first son from a relationship with Eleanor de la Pleine. At that time, Napoleon was married to Josephine Beauharnais, but the couple had no children during ten years of marriage. The boy was born on December 13, 1806 at two o'clock in the morning. The Emperor received the good news while in Poland. His first thought was to adopt a child, but she soon disappeared. Napoleon wanted a legitimate heir.
The boy was given the name Charles. Mother and son received annual money for their maintenance. The father loved and spoiled the boy. After his death, he left him a significant amount. However, Charles squandered it very quickly, because he loved to spend money, play cards, and participate in duels. He was dismissed from military service for non-compliance with the regulations, and tried to study to become a clergyman. As a result, the young man found a way to exist - he won an annual allowance from his mother, and later received a pension from his cousin, who became the emperor. After the overthrow of Napoleon III, Count Leon went bankrupt, and was later buried as a beggar tramp.
The birth of Charles prompted the emperor to think about breaking up with his official wife, who was unable to give birth to an heir. He meets Maria Valevskaya, who gives birth to her son Alexander on May 4, 1810. When the mistress returned with her son in her arms to Paris, the emperor had already found a replacement for her. He allocated a significant amount for the maintenance of his son. Maria Valevskaya died very early, and Alexander had to take care of his life himself. In 1830 he took part in the Polish Uprising. After its defeat, the young man moved to Paris, where he became a captain in the French army. After retiring, he was engaged in journalism, drama, carried out diplomatic assignments, was Minister of Foreign Affairs under Napoleon III, and participated in the Paris Congress of 1856. He died in 1868, leaving behind seven children.
Napoleon II, whose biography will be discussed below, was the third son of the emperor. He became the only legitimate child. Who was his mother?
Heir's mother
After his divorce from Josephine, the ruler of France began searching for a wife who would give him a legitimate heir. At a special council it was decided that Napoleon should enter into a marriage alliance with a great power. This would allow him to guarantee his rights in the international arena.
Most ministers saw the best candidate in the sister of Russian Emperor Alexander the First, Anna Pavlovna. There were also those who were inclined towards an alliance with Austria through marriage with Marie-Louise, the daughter of Emperor Franz I.
Alexander the First did not want such a relationship, so he came up with new excuses. Napoleon was tired of waiting, he turned his gaze towards the Austrian party. The agreement was signed in 1810, at the same time a marriage by proxy was concluded in Vienna. Only after this the couple met. They had not seen each other before this.
The emperor fell in love with the young woman as soon as he saw her. A year later (04/20/1811) she gave him an heir, who was named Napoleon-Francois-Joseph. What fate awaited the heir named Napoleon II?
King of Rome
At birth, the boy was proclaimed King of Rome. However, this title was formal. In 1814, the emperor abdicated the throne. He did this in favor of his legal heir, and Napoleon II was declared French Emperor. Only the Bonapartists considered him a ruler, who called the boy this: Napoleon II Eaglet.
The history of this nickname is connected with the repressive regime that was introduced after Napoleon's abdication. It turned out to be unsafe to mention the name of the former emperor, so his followers called him Eagle. The bird was the heraldic symbol of the ruler. It was dangerous to mention his son, who left France, so he was called Eaglet. It is unknown who came up with the nickname, but Edmond Rostand made it famous. In 1900, he wrote the drama “The Little Eaglet” about the life of Napoleon II. In it, a young man is forced to live in a golden German cage.
The three-year-old heir was not crowned because the government in France had changed. In addition, the Russian emperor opposed the coronation. Together with Talleyrand, he insisted that the Bourbons be returned to power.
Marie-Louise took her son and returned to her family in Vienna. There she received the Duchy of Parma and met her future husband, who was initially assigned to keep an eye on her.
From Napoleon to Franz
Napoleon II remained the main hope of the Bonapartists. That is why he was guarded much more carefully than the most dangerous criminal. Everyone understood that the boy's origin could lead to a serious Bonapartist movement not only in France, but throughout the world.
The son of the deposed emperor lived near Vienna (Schönbrunn Castle). He was forced to speak only in German, and addressed him by his middle name - Franz. In 1818 he was given the title of Duke of Reichstadt.
The Duke was involved in military service from the age of twelve. Despite all the prohibitions, and perhaps despite them, Franz remembered his origin. He was an ardent admirer of his great father.
Early death
By 1830, Napoleon II, who was about the same height as his father, had risen to the rank of major. It is unknown whether he could have lived up to the hopes of the Bonapartists. His life was short-lived. He died in 1832 from tuberculosis.
Napoleon-Francois was buried in Vienna, next to the other Habsburgs.
Posthumous fate
A hundred years later, Napoleon II (the photo has not survived to this day) was disturbed. In 1940, Adolf Hitler ordered his remains to be transferred to the Cathedral of the Invalides. It was placed next to his father's tomb.
Heir to Napoleon II
The last monarch of France was Napoleon III Bonaparte. He was the nephew of the illustrious Emperor and the cousin of the Duke of Reichstadt. At birth, the future monarch was named Charles Louis Napoleon. Father was Louis Bonaparte. Mother - Hortense de Beauharnais. The marriage between them was forced, so the couple lived in constant separation.
The boy grew up at his uncle's court. Since childhood, he literally worshiped him and was devoted to “Napoleonic” ideas. He strove for power and walked towards his goal, clearing the road ahead of him.
After the overthrow of Bonaparte, the boy, his brother and mother moved to Switzerland, where Hortense acquired Arenenberg Castle. Louis did not receive a systematic school education due to constant moving. In Switzerland he entered military service.
After the death of Napoleon II, Charles Louis became the one who represented Napoleonic ideas and claims. Four years later he tried to seize power in France. His act went down in history as the Strasbourg conspiracy. The attempt was unsuccessful, Bonaparte was exiled to America. He stayed there for a year, after which he settled in Switzerland and then in England.
The second attempt to become the head of France was made in 1840. It also turned out to be unsuccessful. As a result, Charles Louis was arrested with other conspirators and put on trial by the peers. His punishment was life imprisonment with the preservation of all rights. Surprisingly, such a punishment did not exist in French law. The unsuccessful conspirator spent six years in the Gam fortress. At this time, he wrote articles, published books, and communicated with friends. In 1846, Bonaparte fled from the fortress to England. On the island he met Harriet Gowar, who was an actress, owner of a fortune and many useful acquaintances. She helped her lover in many ways.
Reign of Napoleon III
In 1848, a revolution occurred in France. Louis hurried to Paris. He took a wait-and-see approach until the opportunity arose to nominate his candidacy for the presidency. According to the election results, he received 75% of the vote. At the age of forty he became President of the Republic.
He was not satisfied with being president, so in 1851 he dissolved the Assembly and established an empire in the state.
A year later he was proclaimed emperor under the name Napoleon III. According to the Bonapartist tradition, it was taken into account that for fourteen days the head of state was Napoleon II (son of Emperor Bonaparte).
The monarch was in power until 1870. The Franco-Prussian War put an end to his reign. During these years he suffered greatly from gallstones and took opiates. Because of this, he was lethargic and did not think well.
Napoleon the Third surrendered to William the First. A day later, the September Revolution took place in Paris. The empire ceased to exist. The deposed ruler moved to England, where he died in 1873.
Baron Munchausen prototype
Many art historians suggest that for the illustrative image of the famous Baron Munchausen, artist Gustave Dore took the appearance of Napoleon III as a prototype. The similarity is manifested in the oval of the head, the shape of the nose, mustache and goatee. Munchausen's coat of arms were three ducks, which can be considered an allusion to the Bonaparte coat of arms (three little bees).
Dynastic connection
There are a total of five Napoleons in history. They were all relatives.
It is customary to begin the genealogy of the Bonapartes with Carlo Buonaparte. He had five sons: Joseph, Napoleon, Lucien, Louis, Jerome. Napoleon II is the son of Napoleon the First, Napoleon the Third is the son of Louis, Napoleon the Fourth is the grandson of Louis, Napoleon the Fifth is the grandson of Jerome. In fact, only two from the list ruled; the rest were considered rulers only by the Bonapartists.
Napoleon Bonaparte - French statesman and commander, consul for life, and then Emperor of France. August 15 marks the 340th anniversary of his birth.
Napoleon Bonaparte (Buonaparte) was born on August 15, 1769 in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica, into the family of a poor Corsican nobleman. He was the second son in the family (there were five sons and three daughters in total). In 1784, Napoleon graduated from the Brienne Military School and moved to the Paris Military School (1784-1785).
He began service in October 1785 with the rank of sub-lieutenant of the artillery. During his service, Napoleon studied books on military affairs and the works of outstanding educators.
In 1792 he joined the Jacobin Club. Over the next ten years he made a career in Corsica. As a result of the conflict with Corsican separatists led by Pasquale Paoli in 1793, Bonaparte was forced to flee Corsica.
In 1793, he distinguished himself in the battle against the British at Toulon and was promoted to brigadier general. In 1795, he commanded the Paris garrison during the suppression of the monarchist rebellion on the 13th of Vendémière (October 5).
From 1796 to 1797 he was commander-in-chief of the French troops in Italy. The Italian campaign became one of the peaks of Napoleon's military career. The campaign turned into a series of brilliant victories, including victories at Lodi, Castiglione, Arcola, and Rivoli. Napoleon forced the kingdom of Sardinia and Piedmont, the Papal State, Parma, Modena and Naples to a truce. On May 15, 1797, Napoleon entered Milan as the conqueror of the Austrians and the liberator of the Italians.
Napoleon showed talent not only as a commander, but also as a politician. In February 1797, he signed a peace treaty with Pope Pius VI, which was very beneficial for France.
In 1798-1799, Napoleon led an expedition to Egypt and Syria. He took Alexandria, reached Cairo and defeated the Mameluke corps. Egypt was turned into a French protectorate.
On November 9-10, 1799 (18-19 Brumaire of the VIII year) Napoleon carried out a coup, as a result of which the power of the directory was replaced by the power of the consuls. He was elected first consul for a 10-year term (he served as such in 1799-1804), essentially concentrating all power in his hands over time.
From 1802, Napoleon became consul for life with the right to appoint his successor.
In 1801 the rights were restored catholic church, lost by her during the revolution: the concordat concluded with the Pope provided Napoleon with the support of the Catholic Church.
In February 1804, an Anglo-royalist conspiracy against Napoleon was discovered. Napoleon benefited from the conspiracy and consolidated his power. He was proclaimed Emperor of France, and Pope Pius VII arrived in Paris for his magnificent coronation, which took place on December 1-2, 1804.
Under Emperor Napoleon, civil, commercial and criminal codes were developed. The civil code - the Napoleonic Code - ensured his personal power. Strict centralization of the administrative apparatus was introduced. To store gold reserves and paper money, the state French Bank was established in 1800. The tax collection system was also centralized, a system of secondary schools - lyceums, higher educational institutions- Normal and Polytechnic schools. An extensive police system has been created, including a secret service. Of the 173 Parisian newspapers, 160 were closed and the rest were placed under government control.
In 1805, Napoleon I was recognized as King of Italy. In 1805, he won victories at Ulm and Austerlitz (the Battle of Three Emperors) over the armies of a coalition consisting of Austria, Russia, England, etc. In 1806 he founded the Confederation of the Rhine. In 1807, he defeated Russian troops near Friedland and forced Russia to the Peace of Tilsit, which made Napoleon the ruler of Germany.
Thanks to his victorious wars, Napoleon significantly expanded the territory of the empire and made most of the states of Western and Central Europe dependent on France. Napoleon was not only the Emperor of France, which extended to the left bank of the Rhine, and the King of Italy, but also the mediator of the Swiss Confederation and the Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine. His brothers became kings: Joseph in Naples, Louis in Holland, Jerome in Westphalia. This empire was comparable in its territory to the empire of Charlemagne or the Holy Roman Empire of Charles V.
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