Napoleon Bonaparte: Great and autocratic

200 years ago on December 2, 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor designate. Previously, the brilliant general and military strategist, was appointed as consul for life. The statesman who dominated like no other kind of global politics in the early 19th century.

Only work with untiring zeal, ambition and an almost pathological political business achieved double Italian born in Corsica, on August 15, 1769 in Ajaccio was born, the place of the son of an aristocrat small lawyers to one of the most successful leaders human history. For his family circumstances were anything but rosy.

Dad's favorite
As the second oldest of twelve children - and also as a darling of popes - Napoleon was generally considered quite stubborn and temperamental to be allowed to visit the privilege of an excellent school in 1779 in mainland France. And even to this date, almost no French, but only controlled Italian mother tongue. Shortly after that the student was amended in 1784 to the military academy in Paris, tragedy struck: his father died of stomach cancer and his family very little money to live.

Head of family
Therefore, the offspring of six years old, was largely his own. He took the position of his father and the family is fed with the low pay of second lieutenant. At least the mother had seven brothers and bring yourself. The official race was allowed to take a lot of young soldier in 1785 by the only road with a special permit - in recognition of his outstanding mathematical achievement.

A stroke of genius
Over the next eight years will be the young man's military career did not really get going. Only when he succeeded in 1793 with a smart strategy to restore the naval base of Toulon by the English, Napoleon's career began to climb. In Paris, overthrew the royalist uprising in Paris, for the Austrians, who soon conquered much of northern Italy and made ​​a haul of several million francs.

Diplomatic marriage
In addition, marriage to the aristocratic widow Sophie de Beauharnais was in 1796 as a brilliant move. The path to the dominant social class, which previously was closed, so free. For Napoleon, whose idol is Julius Caesar wanted to go higher. In 1799 he participated in a coup and was named the first of three consuls. The first time that it ruled for ten years, however, has been appointed in 1802 as consul for life. His megalomania knew no limits: Two years later, on 02 December 1804 was crowned in the church of Notre-Dame Paris himself emperor.

Democracy in spite of the monarchy
Although Napoleon was driven primarily by greed and ambition - for his country, did much: At no time tells the French domestic politics recently - built on an organized force, centralized political system, reform the sectors of educational administration, justice y. Also for more democracy, the monarch became addicted to hard work. It introduced the Civil Code, Civil Code, type the first time establishes the equality of all men before the law and freedom of religion - it is important demands of the French Revolution.

War in Europe
In foreign policy, Napoleon took power, but with time and became increasingly marginalized. His claim of supremacy in Europe and his plans for world politics since 1803, led to ever-new military clashes, which are also called "Napoleonic Wars. " had seven seasons, including against Britain, Prussia, Austria and Russia.

France in the final
The consequence of its policy of conquest led to the depletion: By 1812, the resources of France through the many wars have been exhausted. And even when people lose once respected monarch sympathy. In particular, the strict fiscal policy and the establishment of a strict police of Napoleon was a disaster for the people.

The case of an emperor
The last major obstacle is that Napoleon Battle of Leipzig. Despite the strong opposition to the French troops against the majority of the allied enemies of Prussia, Russia, Austria, England, Sweden and Bayern admit defeat. 2 Forced to abdicate in April 1814, the Senate and the Emperor to retire to Elba. But the iron will of the great ruler is not broken. As an emperor called 100-day returns in 1815 in a final dramatic action to the experience of that same year at the Battle of the devastating defeat at Waterloo.

Exiled to St. Helena
Napoleon is on the British island of St. Helena exile in the South Atlantic, where he was the May 5, 1821 died of stomach cancer. Only in 1840 his remains were moved to Paris at the Invalides and buried. There is also the son of Napoleon Franz buried. This was her second marriage to Marie Louise of Austria dating back to the boy never came to the throne. The allies rejected in 1814 after a succession of young monarch. He died at the age of 21 years at the court of his grandfather, Francis I, in Vienna.

More than Napoleon
Want more information about the famous little man (height: 1.69 m) to know? We recommend: Napoleon Online, which is about, especially the war and military history, as well as to provide a page that is most interesting stories about the private person of Napoleon.