Napoleon Bonaparte's Biography

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Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, in his island homeland of Corsica. Napoleon was the second son of Carlo and Letizia. Corsica and France were at war. France had easily crushed the Corsican resistance, and taken over Corsica. So when Napoleon was born, he was considered a citizen of France. When Napoleon was nine years old and it was time for his schooling, he was sent to a school in Autun, France. At the school he was teased and tormented for being from Corsica, but he was determined, and he eventually learned enough French to attend the military academy Brienne. There he was treated with the same attitude for being a Corsican. Napoleon did very well in school and was recommended to a military school in Paris. In 1784, Napoleon’s father, Carlo, died. Letizia was left to raise Napoleon and his 7 brothers and sisters by herself. Napoleon didn’t let the death of his father bring him down. He had already shown that he was hard working, determined, and motivated. In the fall of 1785, he graduated from military school after only one year of study instead of the normal 2 or 3. Skipping many ranks, Napoleon was assigned as second Lieutenant to an artillery regiment. His Generals, and others above him, started to recognize his skill and capability.

Napoleon spent much of the next 8 years in his homeland of Corsica. There he played an active role in political and military matters, and started supporting the Corsican rebel Pasquale Paoli. Because of starvation and poverty of the French people, and France’s leaders to busy attending parties to care, the French Revolution started in 1789. Napoleon started to get promoted in the military, but he began to oppose to Paoli. When civil war started in 1793 in Corsica, the Bonaparte ...

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...rendered to enemy forces without a fight. Napoleon faced massive betrayal and impossible military odds, so he gave up his title of Emperor of France, and he was exiled to the Island of Elba.

Napoleon, bored and aware of the continuing discontent in France, made an amazing return to power in 1815. He Traveled to France in secret, and attracted vast support and reclaimed his throne. He also reorganized the army and government. However, Napoleon was defeated the great battle of Waterloo. Napoleon had to give up his title a second time on June 25th 1815, where British forces forced him into further exile. Living on St. Helena, a small rocky island well away from Europe, Napoleon's health and character withered away. Napoleon died on May 5th 1821, age 51. The causes of his death have been debated ever since, and conspiracy theories involving poison are widely believed.

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