Name: Napoleon Bonaparte
Age: 51 years old
Place of Birth: Ajaccio, Corsica, France
A place of death: Longwood, Saint Helena, Britain
Activity: emperor, commander, statesman
Family status: was married
Napoleon Bonaparte - Biography
The commander and diplomat with a phenomenal memory, the Emperor of France entered world history not by chance. Much has been written about him, and his strategies for warfare have been studied in detail. This is a man of extraordinary destiny.
Childhood, family
Napoleon was born in Corsica. The family was not rich, but of noble origin. There were eight children in the family. My father worked in the bar, my mother was a housewife, as they would say now, she was engaged in raising her children. Initially, the surname of this family was pronounced none other than Buanaparte, the Bonaparte variant came from Tuscany. All the children studied sacred history and literacy at home. Further education for the boy took place in a private school.
From the age of 10 he was expected by Autun College. Napoleon did not graduate from college and continued his studies at the Brienne military school. He enjoys military service and chooses the Military Academy in Paris. He has already left the walls of the educational institution with the rank of lieutenant. His military biography begins almost immediately. The young man begins his service in the artillery.
Hobbies of Napoleon
In his youth, Napoleon was distinguished by incredible modesty and isolation, he read a lot and studied military sciences. Participated in the development of the defense of Corsica. He tries himself in literature, writes reports, thinks that he will find fame in writing. But not only this young man is fond of. History, geography, legislation, philosophy - everything fascinates him.
He draws material from each of these sciences for his rich imagination, composes stories, writes historical treatises on the history of his native country. Unfortunately, not a single work of Napoleon was printed and published, all of his writings have been preserved in handwritten form. Bonaparte hated France, he believed that she had conquered his homeland, for which he had a special love.
Career
Napoleon was a revolutionary and a rebel at heart, because the French Revolution was immediately accepted by him. He becomes a member of the Jacobin Club. When they took Toulon and defeated the British, Bonaparte was given the rank of brigadier general. From that moment on, the biography of the military leader changes dramatically. His next merit was the suppression of the rebellion and the appointment of an army commander. And the commander justified all the hopes that were placed on him in the Italian campaign.
He receives a direction to Syria, and then to Egypt. Napoleon is defeated. But, in order to rehabilitate himself, he arbitrarily makes a decision to participate in the battle with the army of Suvorov. He returned to Paris during the coup, became consul, and later emperor. Under Napoleon, the Civil Code and Roman law were published.
Napoleon strengthened his power by all laws, carrying out reforms in many areas. Some of them are still present in the modern state. There were hostilities between France, Austria and England. Napoleon secured his borders and subjugated almost all European countries, and in the rest of the territories he created kingdoms and gave them to his family members.
Everything went well, but the war lasted twenty years, from which everyone was tired. The economic crisis worsened the situation, and the protest of the bourgeoisie against the sole power of the emperor.
The collapse of the empire
1812 is a turning point in Napoleon's empire. Russia did not succumb to Bonaparte, the French troops were defeated. A coalition of four countries finally defeated the Napoleonic army and entered Paris. Napoleon abdicated his throne, retaining the emperorship. He was exiled to the distant island of Elba, but soon fled, resuming the war.
Napoleon suffered a final fiasco during the Battle of Waterloo. The biography of the great commander ended shamefully. Bonaparte was again sent into exile on the island of St. Helena for a long six years.
Napoleon Bonaparte - biography of personal life
Napoleon was married to the barren Josephine Beauharnais, she was six years older than her husband. Without waiting for the heirs, he marries again the daughter of the Austrian emperor, Marie-Louise. She gave birth to the emperor's son.
No descendants of Bonaparte remained, his only son died young. There were illegitimate children, the family of one of them has survived to this day. Napoleon died at the age of fifty-one, suffering from an incurable disease.
Other interesting facts of the commander
Napoleon Bonaparte was an interesting person, and in many documents and memoirs some interesting notes about his abilities, hobbies and character have been preserved. It is known that he had a mathematical mindset, although he knew how to express himself in a literary way and express his thoughts beautifully. The Emperor loved the game of chess and hats. He had a great variety of hats, almost two hundred pieces.
Napoleon did not need sleep, he had enough rest in his sleep for three or four hours. And sometimes a few minutes was enough to rest. It cost him nothing to take the post of a simple soldier to let him sleep. He took care of a simple soldier, he knew that in the morning he would again go into battle.
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821). A historical figure, whose activities led to global changes in the development of civilization, is called "the man who changed the world." These words apply to Napoleon Bonaparte in full measure.
He was born on the island of Corsica, in an aristocratic family. Being a patriot of his small homeland, he suffered a lot of ridicule while studying at one of the military schools in France. Forced to accept the debts of the family for a long time lived in poverty. During the French Revolution, he sympathized with the Republicans; being in Corsica with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he fought against supporters of the independence of the island.
Fearing persecution, Napoleon leaves for France, where in 1793, being the chief of artillery, he carried out an operation to liberate Toulon from the British. Having received the rank of general, he participates in several military companies, showing military leadership talent.
Bonaparte's financial problems were resolved by his marriage to Desiree Clary, the daughter of a wealthy merchant.
The refusal to go to the Vendée, where a major uprising was unfolding, almost ended the young general's military career. However, Napoleon's decisiveness in suppressing the rebellion in the capital returned him to the ranks of the acting military leaders.
After concluding a second marriage with Josephine Beauharnais, he takes command of the army and conquers Italy within a year. A huge contribution was largely spent on strengthening their own authority. Napoleon returned as an illustrious commander who could afford to ignore the instructions of the authorities.
The conquest of Egypt, despite numerous victories, Bonaparte failed. The French were ousted from Italy by Russian-Austrian troops, under the command of the invincible Suvorov. The monarchies of Europe intended to put an end to the "republican contagion". The weakness of revolutionary power provoked a coup, as a result of which Napoleon Bonaparte became the de facto ruler.
He carried out an effective reform of public administration, put finances in order and created a new type of secret police. As a result of the reforms, France became the strongest European state, which all neighbors soon became convinced of. The series of wars of 1804-1809 showed the complete superiority of the battle-hardened French army, which had an advanced military doctrine and excellent logistics.
By 1810, almost all of continental Europe was dependent on Napoleon. By this time, he had assumed the imperial title and married an Austrian princess. Imperial Russia stood in the way of his further plans.
The war of 1812, despite the significant superiority of the European "Great Army" (450 against 200 thousand bayonets), ended in the defeat and flight of Napoleon.
Despite the lack of resources, the French emperor was able to stop the troops of the coalition assembled against him and conclude a short peace. Finally defeated in 1814, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba.
However, the glory of the disgraced emperor was so great that, having landed with a small detachment, a few weeks later he entered Paris at the head of the army. During the hundred days of his reign, Bonaparte was able to recruit an army and give the last battle of Waterloo. But luck has already turned its back on him.
The captured French emperor was exiled by the British to the distant island of Saint Helena, where he died seven years later.
Consulate
After the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon hastened to formalize his power legally. A new Constitution was adopted (December 1799). According to her, France remained a republic proclaimed in the course. Formally, legislative power belonged to the Council of State (drafted laws), the Tribunate (discussed laws), the Legislative Corps (adopted or rejected laws), and executive power was transferred to three consuls for ten years.
Consul - the title of three people in France during the years 1799-1804, who concentrated in their hands the executive power. The consuls were N. Bonaparte, E. Sieyes (1748-1836), P. Ducos (1747-1816).
In fact, all power was concentrated in the hands of the first consul - Napoleon Bonaparte. He, according to the Constitution, was the commander-in-chief of the army, appointed members of the State Council, ministers, officers of the army and navy, promulgated laws. The second and third consuls acted as assistants to the first and had advisory votes. Local self-government was abolished. The departments were headed by officials who were also appointed by the first consul. As a result, only one political figure remained in France - Bonaparte. Following the results of the plebiscite of 1802, Napoleon was proclaimed consul not for 10 years, but for life, with the right to appoint a successor.
Empire
Subsequently, Napoleon, relying on the army and receiving the support of the bourgeoisie and the peasantry, took the path of establishing his personal dictatorship. Voltaire said: "If God did not exist, he would have to be invented." Bonaparte was well aware of the importance of the church and tried to put it at the service of the state. In 1801, a concordat was concluded with Pope Pius VII.
Napoleon on the imperial throneA concordat is an agreement between the Pope as the head of the Catholic Church and the representative of the state regarding the position and privileges of the Catholic Church in a particular country.
The separation of church and state was abolished, and religious holidays were restored. The pope, in turn, renounced claims to church confiscated during the revolution and recognized the control of the French state over the activities of bishops and priests. Catholicism was recognized as the religion of all the French.
In 1804, Napoleon abolished the republic by proclaiming himself emperor of France. He was crowned in Notre Dame Cathedral with the imperial crown in the presence of the Pope.
“Society,” Napoleon argued, “cannot exist ... without religion. When a person dies of starvation next to another who has everything in abundance, it will be impossible for him to come to terms with such inequality if there is no opportunity to say to him: “So it is with God!”.
Protectionism
Let us tell you more about the internal policy of the consulate and the empire during the time of Napoleon I. From the first steps of his reign, Napoleon supported the development of industry in every way in the interests of the bourgeoisie, pursuing a policy of protectionism.
Protectionism is a part of the state economic policy aimed at ensuring the advantage of its industry in the domestic market through protection from foreign competition by the system of customs policy, as well as encouraging the export of manufactured goods.
The Society for the Encouragement of National Industry was created, the French Bank was opened, the financial system was reformed, and state military orders were given to the bourgeoisie.
In industry, especially in the textile, silk, and metallurgical industries, technical improvements were introduced, and the industrial revolution took place at an accelerated pace. Thus, since the revolution, the number of spinning machines has increased more than tenfold (up to 13,000 pieces), and steam engines have been introduced.
Codes
The emperor also took care of the legal consolidation of the rule of the bourgeoisie. Were developed and adopted (1804), the Commercial Code (1808), the Criminal Code (1811).
Code - a systematized set of laws relating to a particular branch of law.
One of the first to see the light was the Civil Code, which was called the Napoleonic Code. He proclaimed the inviolability of the person, the equality of citizens before the law, freedom of conscience. It enshrined the right to private property. He eliminated all remnants of traditional society. The land became a subject of sale and purchase. The Code regulated the issues of hiring, ensured the right to freedom of entrepreneurial initiative.
The Commercial Code contained a number of provisions that legally ensured the interests of stock exchanges and banks.
The principles of the general judicial process were fixed in the Criminal Code, among which the most significant were the trial by jury, the presumption of innocence, the publicity of legal proceedings, and the like.
Foreign policy
The foreign policy of Napoleon during the period of the consulate was determined by the interests of the bourgeoisie. It was intended to give France political and economic priority in Europe. Bonaparte considered war to be the only way to realize it. The Russian historian E. Tarle described the French emperor as follows: “The war was so much his element that only preparing for it or fighting, he considered himself a person who lives a full life.”
The French army became the first regular army in Europe. It consisted of free peasants who received land, or those who hoped to receive it. Outstanding and capable commanders stood at the head of the army, and Napoleon Bonaparte himself was a talented commander. The army was the main support of the emperor. The German poet G. Heine wrote about her this way: "The last peasant son, just like a nobleman from an old family, could reach the highest ranks in her." Napoleon noted that each of his soldiers "carries a marshal's baton in his satchel." The soldiers loved him, and were completely devoted to him, and died on his orders.
Napoleonic Wars
From permanent terror to permanent war. The Napoleonic Wars are wars waged by France during the period of the consulate (1799-1804) and the empire (1804-1815).
“Warriors,” said Napoleon, “it is not the defense of personal borders that is now required of you, but the transfer of war to enemy lands.” France's opponents in these wars were Austria, Prussia, Russia, but Great Britain remained the main one. “He put an end to terrorism, putting a permanent war in place of a permanent revolution,” wrote the historian E. Tarle.
Trafalgar
“I need three days of foggy weather - and I will be the owner of London, Parliament, the Bank of England,” Napoleon said in June 1803. In the autumn of 1805, Bonaparte gathered 2,300 ships in Boulogne and other points along the English Channel for a grandiose landing operation against England. But the renewal of the war with Austria and Russia forced him to abandon this audacious plan. In addition, on October 21, 1805, the British squadron, commanded by the famous Admiral G. Nelson (1758-1805), inflicted a crushing defeat on the Franco-Spanish fleet at Cape Trafalgar. France lost the war at sea.
Battle of Cape Trafalgar. Artist C. F. Stanfield Austerlitz
On land, things unfolded more successfully. In December 1805, the decisive battle between Napoleon's troops and the Austrian and Russian armies took place in Moravia near Austerlitz. The French troops defeated the Austrians, and the Russians were pushed back to the frozen ponds. Bonaparte ordered to hit the ice with cannonballs. The ice broke and a large number of Russian soldiers drowned. Having defeated Austria, which was at the head of the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon in 1806 practically destroyed it politically. After Austerlitz, Austria was forced to recognize the capture of Venice, to give Napoleon complete freedom of action in Italy and Germany.
Battle of Austerlitz. Artist F. Gerard “There are many good generals in Europe,” said Bonaparte, “but they want to look at many things at once, and I look at only one thing - at the masses of the enemy and want to destroy them.” In 1806, Bonaparte waged war with Prussia, whose troops were subjected to an unheard-of defeat. The fortresses surrendered without a fight. 19 days after the start of the war, French troops entered Berlin.
Continental blockade
In 1806, in Berlin, Napoleon signed a decree on the continental blockade (isolation), which provided for the prohibition of all trade, postal and other relations between European states dependent on France and Great Britain. This document involved France in an unbearable war for European and world domination, without which it was impossible to force other states to put an end to trade with Great Britain. “Until the continental blockade breaks England, until the seas open to the French, until the endless war stops, the position of French trade and industry will always be precarious and a repeat of the crisis is always possible,” Napoleon noted.
Peace of Tilsit
In 1807 Napoleon made peace with Russia. The two emperors met at Tilsit. According to the agreement, the Russian autocrat Alexander I recognized all the conquests of Bonaparte and signed an agreement on peace and alliance, and also pledged to join the continental blockade. In fact, a new alignment of forces has developed in Europe: the treaty provided for the dominance of two states with the overwhelming advantage of France. But this did not satisfy Napoleon, who sought to achieve absolute dominance in Europe. Alexander I also did not want to put up with the weakening of Russia's position. The Russian statesman M. Speransky wrote: “The possibility of a new war between Russia and France arose along with the Treaty of Tilsit. These circumstances determined the fragility and short duration of the peace of Tilsit.
Napoleon imposed an indemnity on Prussia and significantly reduced its borders. From her Polish possessions, he created the Duchy of Warsaw, dependent on France. In 1807 an intervention (intervention) was organized in Portugal. In 1808 the French army invaded Spain and entered Madrid. The Spanish king from the Bourbon dynasty was overthrown. Napoleon placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne.
Napoleon accepts the defeat of Madrid. Artist A. J. Gro Indemnity - the amount of money that, under the terms of the contract, the victorious power after the war charges the defeated country.
In 1809, Napoleon inflicted another crushing defeat on Austria. He turned her into an ally by breaking off his marriage to Josephine Beauharnais and cementing his success with a dynastic marriage to the daughter of the Austrian emperor, Marie-Louise. After these events, Russia remained the main rival on the continent, and from the end of 1810 Napoleon began to actively prepare for a new war.
“He himself valued in himself the main, in his opinion, qualities that, as he claimed, were the most important and irreplaceable: iron will, fortitude and special courage, which consisted in taking on completely terrible responsibility for decisions” , - wrote the researcher of the life path of Napoleon E. Tarle.
The defeat of the Napoleonic army in Russia
In June 1812 Napoleon started the war against Russia. This was the last war of the emperor, which ended not only his conquest, but the empire itself. The campaign against Russia was like a manifestation, the reason for Napoleon's entry into the war with Russia was to strengthen Napoleon's prestige where he was losing it, and to intimidate those who had ceased to be afraid of him. He aspired to world domination, on the way to which, first of all, England and Russia stood. Bonaparte himself was aware of the danger and complexity of this matter. He said: “The campaign against Russia is a complex military campaign. But once a job has been started, it must be completed.”
Napoleon's plans were to strike at the economic centers of Russia, cut off St. Petersburg from the provinces that supplied bread, block Emperor Alexander I in his capital. To implement this strategic plan, Bonaparte needed only to defeat the Russian troops on the border of the empire.
Napoleon said that every war must be "methodical", that is, deeply thought out, and only then it has a chance of success. “Not a genius suddenly reveals to me in secret what I need to do or say under any circumstances unexpected for others, but reasoning and reflection,” Bonaparte noted.
The Russian command chose the tactic of luring the enemy deep into the country, exhausting his army. It gave the order to retreat. In August 1812, the Russian armies united in Smolensk.
Napoleon tried to start negotiations for peace, but received no answer. From the beginning of the war, Emperor Alexander I himself was the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops. After the retreat from Smolensk, Mikhail Kutuzova (1745-1813) was appointed commander-in-chief.
battle of Borodino
The general battle between the Russians and the French took place near Mozhaisk, near the village of Borodino, on September 7, 1812. Napoleon hoped to defeat the Russian army and achieve the complete surrender of Russia.
The Battle of Borodino lasted 15 hours. Bonaparte was forced to withdraw his troops to their original positions. The battle of Borodino, according to the French commander himself, he lost. “Of all my battles, the most terrible was the battle near Moscow. The French in it showed their right to be victorious, while the Russians defended their right to be undefeated.
The Russian troops retreated. At the military council in Fili, M. Kutuzov announced his decision to leave Moscow in order to save the army. On September 14, Napoleon's army entered the city. While in Moscow, Bonaparte considered himself a winner for some time and waited for Russia to capitulate, but Russia did not offer peace. In the conditions of demoralization of the army, hunger, the French commander, the winner of Europe, for the first time decided to retreat.
“I was wrong, but not in the goal and not in the political expediency of this war, but in the way it was waged,” Napoleon recalled.
The retreat cost Napoleon the loss of almost the entire army. By mid-December 1812, no more than 20 thousand participants in the “Russian campaign” crossed the Neman from Russia.
"Battle of the Nations" near Leipzig
Returning to Paris, Bonaparte launched a storm of activity to organize a new army. His was boundless. Napoleon gathered 500 thousand people under his banners. But at what cost? These were not only 20-year-olds, which was provided for by law, but also those who were barely 18 years old.
At the beginning of 1813 there was a possibility of making peace. The monarchs of feudal Europe were ready to compromise with Bonaparte, but the emperor did not want to make concessions. In the spring of 1813, a coalition was formed against France, consisting of Russia, Great Britain, Prussia, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal. Subsequently, Austria also joined it. On October 16-19, 1813, in the "Battle of the Nations" at Leipzig, Napoleon suffered a crushing defeat and was forced to retreat to the borders of France. The depressed emperor decided to commit suicide (take poison), but the attempt to die failed.
Battle of Leipzig. Artist A. Sauerweid In mid-January 1814, the Allies entered the territory of France, and on March 31 they entered Paris. April 6, 1814 Napoleon abdicated in favor of his son Francois Charles Joseph. Bonaparte was given possession of the island of Elba. The provisional government of France was headed by Talleyrand (1753-1838). Subsequently, the allies restored the Bourbon monarchy, inviting the brother of the executed king, Louis XVIII, to the throne.
In the eyes of his descendants, Talleyrand remained an unsurpassed master of diplomacy, intrigue and bribery. A proud, arrogant, mocking aristocrat, he carefully concealed his lameness, was a cynic and the father of "lies", never forgot about his own benefit; a symbol of unscrupulousness, deceit and betrayal. Politics was for him "the art of the possible", a game of the mind, a means of subsistence. It was a strange and mysterious person. He himself expressed his last will in this way: "I want to continue arguing for centuries about who I was, what I thought and what I wanted."
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna is a conference of ambassadors of the great powers of Europe, led by the Austrian diplomat Metternich. It took place in Vienna from September 1814 to June 8, 1815. All cases were decided by a "committee of four" of representatives of the victorious countries - Russia, Great Britain, Austria, Prussia.
For the monarchs and ambassadors who came to Vienna, balls, performances, hunting, and pleasure walks were arranged daily. The Congress, which "worked" for almost a year, never met for business meetings. They said that he does not sit, but dances.
By decision of the Congress of Vienna, France was returned to the borders that existed before the start of the revolutionary and aggressive wars. A contribution was placed on her.
According to the decision of the congress, part of Poland with Warsaw went to Russia and Finland was annexed; The islands of Malta and Ceylon went to Great Britain. The German Confederation was created, but the fragmentation of Germany persisted. Italy also remained fragmented. Norway was decided to join Sweden.
The principle of "legitimism"
The goal set by the leaders of the Congress was to eliminate the political consequences of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. They defended the principle of "legitimism", that is, the restoration of the rights of former monarchs who had lost their possessions. Thus, the congress restored (restored) the Bourbon dynasty not only in France, but also in Spain and Naples. The power of the Pope was restored in the Roman region.
Pompous phrases about "reform of the social order", "renewal of the European political system", "lasting peace based on an even distribution of power" were uttered in order to inspire calmness and surround this solemn congress with an aura of great dignity, but the real purpose of the congress was the distribution between the winners of the booty that was taken from the vanquished.
Holy Union
To combat the revolutionary movement, at the suggestion of the Russian Emperor Alexander I, the monarchs in 1815 entered into the so-called Holy Alliance. They pledged to help each other "in the name of religion" and jointly suppress the revolution, wherever it started. The document on the creation of the Holy Alliance was signed by the rulers of Russia, Austria, Prussia. Later, the monarchs of many European states joined the Holy Alliance. Great Britain was not a member of the Holy Alliance, but actively supported its measures to combat revolutions. At the initiative of the Union, revolutions were suppressed in Italy and Spain (20s of the 19th century).
Rulers of the states of the Holy Alliance: Russian Emperor Alexander I, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III, Austrian Emperor Franz 1 One Hundred Days by Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte, while on the Elbe, was well informed about the events in France. Taking advantage of the contradictions between opponents and the hatred of the French for the restored Bourbon dynasty, the former emperor with his closest supporters landed in March 1815 near Marseilles. The "hundred days" of Napoleon began - an attempt to restore the former regime. But neither the triumphant campaign of Bonaparte in Paris, nor the support of the army and a significant part of the population could no longer change the balance of power in Europe.
Battle of Waterloo
Despite the existing contradictions, Napoleon's opponents organized a new anti-French coalition, and on June 18, 1815, another defeat was inflicted on Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. A week after Waterloo, Bonaparte assessed the significance of the battle this way: "The states are not at war with me, but with the revolution."
Battle of Waterloo. Artist V. Sadler Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena under the protection of the British, where he died on May 5, 1821, bequeathing to his son to remember the main motto: "Everything for the French people." In his will, dictated on April 15, 1821 to Count Montholon, the former emperor said: "I want my ashes to rest on the banks of the Seine, among the French people whom I loved so much."
There was a terrible storm on the ocean that day. The wind uprooted the trees. In the evening, Napoleon Bonaparte was gone. His last words were: "France ... Army ... Vanguard ...". Sobbing, the servant Marchand brought the emperor's overcoat, which he had kept from the day of the battle of Marengo (June 14, 1800), and covered his body with it ... The entire garrison of the island took part in the funeral. When the coffin was lowered into the grave, an artillery salute was heard. So the British gave the last military honor to the deceased emperor.
The exact cause of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte remains one of the mysteries of history today.
In the history of France there were many upheavals and revolutions, monarchies were replaced by republics, and vice versa. One of the significant figures in the history of this country and all of Europe was Bonaparte.
Few people know that after his defeat, he abdicated in favor of his young son. The Bonapartists gave him the name Napoleon II. What happened to the rightful heir, how many more 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 has developed in different ways.
The first son appeared to the ruler from a connection with Eleanor de la Plaigne. At that time, Napoleon was married to Josephine Beauharnais, but the couple had no children in ten years of marriage. The boy was born on December 13, 1806 at two in the morning. The emperor received good news while in Poland. His first thought was to adopt a child, but soon she disappeared. Napoleon wanted to have a legitimate heir.
The boy was named Charles. Mother and son received annual money for their maintenance. The father loved and spoiled the boy. After his death, he left him a considerable sum. However, Charles squandered it very quickly, because he liked to spend money, play cards, participate in duels. He was dismissed from military service for non-compliance with the charter, he tried to study for a clergyman. As a result, the young man found a way to exist - he sued the annual allowance from his mother, and later received a pension from his cousin, who became emperor. After the overthrow of Napoleon III, Count Leon went bankrupt, later he was buried as a beggar tramp.
The birth of Charles prompted the emperor to think about parting with his official wife, who was unable to give birth to an heir. He meets Maria Valevskaya, who on 05/04/1810 gives birth to her son Alexander. When the mistress returned to Paris with her son in her arms, the emperor had already found a replacement for her. He allocated a substantial amount for the maintenance of his son. Maria Valevskaya died very early, and Alexander had to take care of his own life. In 1830 he took part in the Polish uprising. After his defeat, the young man moved to Paris, where he became the captain of the French army. After retiring, he was engaged in journalism, dramaturgy, carried out diplomatic missions, 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?
Mother of the heir
After a divorce from Josephine, the ruler of France began looking for a wife who would give birth to 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 of the ministers saw the best candidate in the sister of the Russian Emperor Alexander the First, Anna Pavlovna. There were also those who were inclined towards an alliance with Austria through marriage to Marie-Louise, the daughter of Emperor Franz the First.
Alexander the First did not want such a relationship, so he came up with new excuses. Napoleon tired of waiting, he turned his gaze towards the Austrian party. The contract was signed in 1810, at the same time a marriage by proxy was concluded in Vienna. Only after that the couple met. Before that, they had not seen each other.
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 the birth of the boy, he was proclaimed the King of Rome. However, this title was formal. In 1814 the Emperor abdicated. He did this in favor of his legitimate heir, and Napoleon II was declared French emperor. Only Bonapartists considered him a ruler, who called the boy like this: Napoleon II Eaglet.
The history of such a nickname is connected with the repressive regime that was introduced after the abdication of Napoleon. The name of the former emperor turned out to be unsafe to mention, so his followers called him the Eagle. The bird was the heraldic symbol of the ruler. It was dangerous to mention the son who left France, so he was called Eaglet. Who came up with the nickname is unknown, but Edmond Rostand glorified him. In 1900, he wrote the drama The 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, as the power in France 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 originally assigned to watch over 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 origins could lead to a serious Bonapartist movement, not only in France, but throughout the world.
The son of the deposed emperor lived near Vienna (Schoenbrunn Castle). He was forced to speak only in German, and they 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, or maybe in spite of them, Franz remembered his origin. He was an ardent admirer of his great father.
Early death
By 1830, Napoleon II, whose height was about the same as his father, rose to the rank of major. It is not known whether he could justify the hopes of the Bonapartists. His life was short. He died in 1832 from tuberculosis.
They buried Napoleon-Francois in Vienna, next to other Habsburgs.
posthumous fate
A hundred years later, Napoleon II (photos have not survived to this day) was disturbed. In 1940, Adolf Hitler ordered his remains to be transferred to the cathedral of Les Invalides. He was placed next to the tomb of his father.
Heir of Napoleon II
The last monarch of France was Napoleon III Bonaparte. He was the nephew of the illustrious emperor and cousin of the Duke of Reichstadt. At the birth of the future monarch, they named Charles Louis Napoleon. Father was Ludovic Bonaparte. Mother - Hortense de Beauharnais. The marriage between them was contracted under duress, so the couple lived in constant separation.
The boy grew up at the court of his uncle. Since childhood, he literally worshiped him and was devoted to "Napoleonic" ideas. He strove for power and went to his goal, clearing the way in front of him.
After the overthrow of Bonaparte, the boy with his brother and mother moved to Switzerland, where Hortense acquired the Arenenberg castle. Louis did not receive a systematic school education due to constant moving. In Switzerland, he entered the 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 sent 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. She also failed. As a result, Charles Louis was arrested with other conspirators, put on trial by peers. His punishment was life imprisonment with all rights reserved. Surprisingly, no such punishment existed in French law. The unfortunate 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 Howard, who was an actress, wealthy and with many useful contacts. She helped her lover in many ways.
Reign of Napoleon III
In 1848 there was a revolution in France. Louis hastened to Paris. He took a wait-and-see attitude until the opportunity arose to put forward 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 Napoleon II (the son of Emperor Bonaparte) was the head of state for fourteen days.
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 thought badly.
Napoleon III surrendered to William the First. A day later, the September Revolution took place in Paris. The empire has 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, the 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 beard. Munchausen's emblem was three ducks, which can be considered an allusion to the coat of arms of the Bonapartes (three bees).
Dynastic connection
There are five Napoleons in history. All of them were relatives.
It is customary to start the Bonaparte genealogy 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 of the list ruled, the rest were considered rulers only by the Bonapartists.
Napoleon Bonaparte- otherwise he was also called Buonaparte - a Frenchman by nationality and a military man by vocation. Political affairs were not alien to him, therefore, when taking military decisions, Bonaparte was practically not mistaken, thanks to his comprehensive knowledge.
Napoleon was born in 1769. Since childhood, he was considered a strong-willed and strong-willed person, as well as very developed and capable. His military career began quite early: at the age of 27, he was appointed to the post of commander in chief of the Italian army.
Career and Affairs
All issues with Italy were successfully settled, and the young man counted on continuing his career: the next was to be a trip to Austria, but the authorities refused him. Selfishness and a thirst for new victories overshadowed his eyes, and at that time he ran into conflicts with the government of his native state several times, and they even wanted to punish him. However, successes with Austria so eclipsed everyone's eyes that all incidents were forgiven to the commander in chief, and he received his first portion of glory.
Before Bonaparte became emperor, he made a coup in the country and became consul at the age of 30. Being in this position, he also served the people a lot: he established merchant shipping, social relations between France and the allied countries, with which he successfully established economic relations. France got stronger, people began to look to the future with confidence.
After becoming emperor in a couple of years, Napoleon began to expand the land, including by military means. He subjugated many countries of Europe to France and formed a powerful state, in which, however, not all countries felt comfortable.
In 1798 he went to conquer Egypt. There he planned to establish colonies and take advantage of the fertility of the local lands to grow crops for his people.
Then he turned to the rulers of England, Austria and Russia with a proposal of peace - of course, on the condition that France retain all the conquered lands. Napoleon knew how to calculate strategic moves well. However, he was not only an excellent strategist, but also a very competent diplomat. Only this time his oratory skills did not save him. Only with Austria was it possible to sign a peace agreement.
Remaining days of Napoleon
After all the unclean deeds, he was exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he spent the rest of his days. This island belonged to Great Britain, and no one would have known about it if the fate of a smart, bright, extraordinary, but at the same time cruel man, dreaming of world domination, had not brought here. Even in prison, he did not lose heart: his strength was not broken. He died in 1821 from an unknown disease: perhaps a man like him simply could not be in captivity, but it was better for the whole world.
If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you
