Hoping to extend the Continental System, his embargo against Britain, Napoleon invaded the Iberian Peninsula and declared his brother Joseph the King of Spain in 1808. Two years later, the Austrians challenged the French again during the War of the Fifth Coalition, but Napoleon solidified his grip over Europe after triumphing at the Battle of Wagram.

Napoleon defeated Prussia at the battles of Jena and Auerstedt, marched the Grande Armée into Eastern Europe, and defeated the Russians in June 1807 at Friedland, forcing the defeated nations of the Fourth Coalition to accept the Treaties of Tilsit. In 1806, the Fourth Coalition took up arms against him. Napoleon shattered this coalition with victories in the Ulm campaign and at the Battle of Austerlitz, which led to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1804, to consolidate and expand his power, he crowned himself Emperor of the French.ĭifferences with the United Kingdom meant France faced the War of the Third Coalition by 1805. He engineered a coup in November 1799 and became First Consul of the Republic. Two years later he led a military expedition to Egypt that served as a springboard to political power. In 1796, he began a military campaign against the Austrians and their Italian allies, scoring decisive victories, and became a national hero. He rose rapidly in the ranks after saving the governing French Directory by firing on royalist insurgents. He was resentful of the French monarchy, and supported the French Revolution in 1789 while serving in the French army, trying to spread its ideals to his native Corsica. Napoleon was born on the island of Corsica into a family descended from Italian nobility. However, historians still debate whether he was responsible for the Napoleonic Wars in which between three and six million people died. He is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and his wars and campaigns are still studied at military schools worldwide. He initiated many enduring reforms, but has been criticized for his authoritarian rule. His political and cultural legacy endures as a celebrated and controversial leader. He was the leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then of the French Empire as Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814, and briefly again in 1815. Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone Buonaparte 15 August 1769 – ), 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. Rescale the fullscreen map to see Saint Helena.