Napoleon was a great French general and dictator that lived in late 1700's to early 1800's. He grew up in a time of chaos during French history,the French Revolution. For many years,the millions that lived in France were highly taxed and underpaid. The French Monarchy was starting to loose power,the people wanted their own goverment. The Monarch and his wife were killed by the people using Dr. Guillotine's infamous invention,the guillotine. This is the society that Napoleon grew up in.

Napoleon Bonaparte was not a French native but I proud Corsican. Napoleon came from a noble Italian family and was the son of Carlo Bonaparte. Carlo always looked out for his family first he sent young Napoleon to military school in Brienne at just the age of 10. Before he left,he had to be taught the skills of speaking French.

He was teased severely by the the noble French boys but they never got away without a black eye. He stayed in Brienne for a few months then transferred to royal military school in Paris. He enjoyed this school because the discipline was stern and punishments harsh,which is the way he thought a soldier should be treated.

When he was sixteen he was fortunate enough to receive a commission as a second lieutenant of artillery, he was overjoyed. In a mere three months, Napoleon went through the ranks of private, corporal and sergeant. When the French Revolution broke out Napoleon joined revolutionaries and served the new "People's Directory". Napoleon provided key artillery fire when French troops tried the retake Toulon from British soldiers. For this he was promoted to Brigadier General.

Upon receiving this position, he was assigned to command troops that were being sent to Egypt to set up a middle east trading post. This base was also to serve as a strangle hold on British owned India which is where Britain got most of it's income. When he arrived in Egypt, there were small skirmishes against Ottoman Turks but they were easily won by Frenchmen.

In a decisive battle called the battle of the Pyramids, Napoleon won a key victory over the Ottoman Turks. As Napoleon was winning territory for France, the Directory was losing power but Napoleon was gaining popularity with the French people. He sailed back to France and proceeded to Paris and overthrew the Directory and crowned himself and his wife Josephine, Emperor and Empress, he was now dictator of France.

He first reformed society by making new and harsher laws. Then he went on the create his "bread and butter", the Grand Armee'. By this time France was fighting Britain, Turkey, Russia and Austria. In one of his most famous battles, Napoleon defeated the Austrians in the battle of Austerlitz. After that battle it weakened Austria significantly.

Napoleon always dreamed of invading Great Britain but they had controlled the seas for years and Napoleon's era was no exception. He tried to build a navy to match the British but they were destroyed by the well skilled seamen of the British Navy. To cripple Britain, Napoleon came up with the plan of the Continental System that was to boycott British goods. Russia had signed with Napoleon to follow this plan, but later rejected it because it was a strain on the Russian economy. Simply put British goods were cheaper than anyone else's on the European Continent.

In retaliation, Napoleon attacked the "Russian Bear" but the pure size of Russia would spell doom for Napoleon's Russian campaign. The Scorched Earth Policy that Russians used, which was to burn everything useful, hampered Napoleon because his troops could not forage for food and in turn that strained his supply line. Winter also killed Napoleon's Grand Armee'. More troops were killed from hunger, frostbite or disease than were in battle fought.

On his return to Paris, he was captured by British soldiers and was dethroned and deported to Elba. Elba was a miniature government and Napoleon was even allowed a army of 400 troops. Then, he secretly escaped from Elba with his 400 troops army and landed in France. Most troops that were sent to get rid of Napoleon and his small force, deserted and joined Napoleon. The Monarchy that was established while he was gone fled to Britain and Napoleon retook governmental powers.

A British force had been in France and prepared to fight Napoleon at the field near the small town of Waterloo. The British were command by the Duke of Wellington who was a keen military leader. Napoleon just happened to be sick that morning before the battle and some historians think this is why he was out gerneraled by Wellington. Basically, Napoleon was out gerneraled by Wellington and the British eventually defeated the French. Even when Napoleon had sent in the invincible Imperial Guard they had ran in panic from the British soldiers.

Napoleon was captured once more and was permanently dethroned and sent to the south Atlantic island of St. Helena where he died. Some think that Napoleon was poisoned,others think he died from stomach cancer but no one really knows.

Napoleon Bonaparte will be long remembered for his cunning military leadership and his brilliant statesmanship.