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In 1804, the Constitution of the Year XII established the First French Empire with Napoleon Bonaparte I, Emperor of the French. The title Emperor of the French was established when Napoleon Bonaparte received the title of Emperor in 1804 from the French. Senate and was crowned Emperor of the French at the cathedral of Notre Dame.
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; [1] [b] 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), 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 ...
In the 16th to the 17th centuries, the First French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over 10,000,000 square kilometres (3,900,000 sq mi), the second-largest empire in the world at the time behind the Spanish Empire.
- Overview
- August 15, 1769
- 1785
- 1787–95
- 1796–99
- 1799
- 1800
- 1803
- 1804
- 1805–09
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Napoleon is born Napoleone Buonaparte in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, which lies to the west of Italy. The island comes under French rule this same year. Napoleon later adopts the French spelling of his name, Napoléon Bonaparte.
After completing his education in France, Napoleon joins the French military, becoming an artillery officer.
The French Revolution begins, and Napoleon sides with the revolutionaries. He fights in the French Revolutionary Wars and in 1793 is promoted to brigadier general. In 1795 a new constitution in France places executive power in a five-member Directory. Napoleon becomes a respected adviser on military matters to the Directory.
Napoleon marries Joséphine Tascher de La Pagerie, the widow of General Alexandre de Beauharnais, in March 1796. He subsequently leads French forces to a series of victories against the Austrians in northern Italy. He negotiates the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797. He attempts to conquer Egypt (1798–99) but is defeated by the British under Horatio Ne...
Napoleon joins a plot that overthrows the Directory on November 9–10 (18–19 Brumaire in the French republican calendar). This event is often considered the effective end of the French Revolution. A new government, the Consulate, is established, and Napoleon is made first consul, or leader of France.
A victory over Austria at the Battle of Marengo leaves France the dominant power on the continent.
In need of money, Napoleon sells the Louisiana Territory to the United States, abandoning the idea of a French empire in North America.
Napoleon’s numerous reforms in government include the Napoleonic Code, the French civil code enacted on March 21 that clarifies and makes uniform the laws of France. He also reconstructs the French education system. Napoleon declares France a hereditary empire and crowns himself emperor under the name Napoleon I.
At the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, the British fleet under Nelson destroys the French navy. From this point on Napoleon will focus on land battles. He wins major victories in the Battles of Ulm and Austerlitz (1805), Jena and Auerstädt (1806), and Friedland (1807) against an alliance of Russia, Austria, Sweden, and Prussia. The battles...
The French Empire, second only to the British, was the product of France's long history of political and economic competition with other European powers, and like them, the French founded their empire on a curious mixture of exploitation, violence, and the desire to make the world a better place—that is, to remake it in their image. Unlike their contemporaries, French colonialism triggered ...
Jan 13, 2023 · 1804-1814 - Napoleon crowns himself emperor of First French Empire. A series of military successes brings most of continental Europe under his control.
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History of Europe - Napoleonic Era, Revolution, Conflict: Napoleon ruled for 15 years, closing out the quarter-century so dominated by the French Revolution. His own ambitions were to establish a solid dynasty within France and to create a French-dominated empire in Europe. To this end he moved steadily to consolidate his personal power ...
