Military career of Napoleon Bonaparte

The military career of Napoleon Bonaparte spanned over 20 years. As emperor, he led the French armies in the Napoleonic Wars. Widely regarded as a military genius and one of the finest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns have been studied at military schools worldwide. He fought more than 70 battles, losing only eight, mostly at the end.[1] The great French dominion collapsed rapidly after the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon was defeated in 1814 and exiled to the island of Elba, before returning and was finally defeated in 1815 at Waterloo. He spent his remaining days in British custody on the remote island of St. Helena.[2]

Emperor of the French

Napoleon I
Nickname(s)"General Vendémiaire", "The Little Corporal", "Napoleon the Great"
Born(1769-08-15)August 15, 1769
Ajaccio, Corsica
DiedMay 5, 1821(1821-05-05) (aged 51)
Longwood, St. Helena
AllegianceFrance
Service/branchTrained as an artillerist
Years of service1779–1815
RankCommander in Chief (Head of State)
Commands heldArmy of Italy
Army of the Orient
French Army
Grande Armée
Battles/warsFrench Revolutionary Wars

Napoleonic Wars

AwardsGrand Master of the Legion of Honour
Grand Master of the Order of the Reunion
Grand Master of the Order of the Iron Crown
Grand Master of the Order of the Three Golden Fleeces
RelationsHouse of Bonaparte
Other workSovereign of Elba, writer

Early career

Napoleon's early career is well covered.[3][4] The most thorough coverage of his campaigns is by David G. Chandler.[5]

1769

August 15 – Born Nabulione di Buonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica

1778

December 15 – Leaves Corsica for mainland France

1779

January 1 – Enters a religious school at Autun

May 15 – Enters cadet school at Brienne-le-Château

1784

October 30 – Enters the École Militaire in Paris

1785

September 1 – Graduates from the École Militaire and is commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery

October 30 – Reports to first posting with the La Fère Artillery Regiment at Valence-sur-Rhône

1786

September 1 – Goes to Corsica on long furlough until June 1788

1788

June – Rejoins his regiment at Auxonne, attached to the School of Artillery

1789

September 15 – Goes on second leave to Corsica, becomes involved in revolutionary activities and attempts to gain favour with Pasquale Paoli

1791

February 10 – Returns from Corsica to regimental duty at Auxonne

April 1 – Promoted to 1st Lieutenant

September 1 – Third furlough to Corsica

1792

February 6 – Promoted to Captain (antedated)

April 1 – Elected Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, Corsican Volunteers. Is implicated in a riot in Ajaccio

May 28 – Returns to Paris, instead of rejoining his regiment

September 15 – Escorts his sister, Elisa, back to Corsica

1793

February 22–25 – Commands artillery during an abortive French landing on Maddalena Island, Sardinia

March 3 – Breaks with Paoli, blaming the failed landing on him

June 13 – Arrives with his family in Toulon, having been banished from Corsica by Paoli

August 27 – Toulon handed over to the British by Royalists

September 16 – Given command of the artillery besieging Toulon

October 18 – Promoted to Major

December 17–19 – Leads the successful recapture of Toulon from the British and Royalists

December 22 – Promoted to Brigadier General.

Battles

For comprehensive coverage, see Chandler (1973).[6] For an overall view of the military history of the era see Trevor N. Dupuy and R. Ernest Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History (2nd ed., 1970) pp. 730–770.

Victories

Defeats

Indecisive

Battle record summary
Date Battle Opponent Location Outcome
29 Aug-19 Dec 1793Siege of ToulonFrench RepublicVictory
24-28 Apr 1794SaorgioKingdom of SardiniaVictory
5 Oct 179513 VendémiaireFrench RepublicVictory
11-12 Apr 1796MontenotteKingdom of SardiniaVictory
12-13 Apr 1796MillesimoKingdom of SardiniaVictory
14-15 Apr 1796Second Battle of DegoKingdom of SardiniaVictory
16 Apr 1796CevaKingdom of SardiniaVictory
21 Apr 1796MondoviKingdom of SardiniaVictory
7-9 May 1796FombioHabsburg ItalyVictory
10 May 1796LodiHabsburg ItalyVictory
30 May 1796BorghettoHabsburg ItalyVictory
4 Jul 1796-2 Feb 1797Siege of MantuaHabsburg ItalyVictory
3-4 Aug 1796LonatoHabsburg ItalyVictory
5 Aug 1796CastiglioneHabsburg ItalyVictory
4 Sep 1796RoveretoHabsburg ItalyVictory
8 Sep 1796BassanoHabsburg ItalyVictory
15-17 Nov 1796ArcoleHabsburg ItalyVictory
14-15 Jan 1797RivoliHabsburg ItalyVictory
16 Jan 1797La FavoriteHabsburg ItalyVictory
16 Mar 1797ValvasoneHabsburg ItalyVictory
16 Mar 1797TagliamentoHabsburg ItalyVictory
21-23 Mar 1797TarvisHabsburg ItalyVictory
10-12 Jun 1798MaltaMaltaVictory
2 Jul 1798AlexandriaMameluk EgyptVictory
13 Jul 1798Shubra KhitMameluk EgyptVictory
21 Jul 1798PyramidsMameluk EgyptVictory
21-22 Oct 1798Revolt of CairoFrench EgyptVictory
11-19 Feb 1799Siege of El ArishMameluk EgyptVictory
3-7 Mar 1799Siege of JaffaOttoman EmpireVictory
20 Mar–21 May 1799AcreOttoman EmpireDefeat
16 Apr 1799Mount TaborOttoman EmpireVictory
25 Jul 1799AbukirFrench EgyptVictory
14 May-1 Jun 1800Siege of Fort BardKingdom of SardiniaVictory
14 Jun 1800MarengoKingdom of SardiniaVictory
15-20 Oct 1805UlmElectorate of BavariaVictory
2 Dec 1805AusterlitzArchduchy of AustriaVictory
14 Oct 1806JenaKingdom of PrussiaVictory
9 Nov 1806-15 Jun 1807Greater Poland UprisingKingdom of PrussiaVictory
23 Dec 1806CzarnowoKingdom of PrussiaVictory
7-8 Feb 1807EylauKingdom of PrussiaVictory
14 Jun 1807FriedlandKingdom of PrussiaVictory
30 Nov 1808SomosierraSpainVictory
19 Apr 1809Teugen-HausenKingdom of BavariaVictory
20 Apr 1809AbensbergKingdom of BavariaVictory
21 Apr 1809LandshutKingdom of BavariaVictory
21-22 Apr 1809EckmühlKingdom of BavariaVictory
23 Apr 1809RatisbonAustrian EmpireVictory
21-22 May 1809Aspern-EsslingAustrian EmpireDefeat
5-6 Jul 1809WagramAustrian EmpireVictory
26-27 Jul 1812VitebskRussian EmpireVictory
16-18 Aug 1812SmolenskRussian EmpireVictory
7 Sep 1812BorodinoRussian EmpireVictory
26-29 Nov 1812BerezinaRussian EmpireVictory
2 May 1813LützenKingdom of SaxonyVictory
20-21 May 1813BautzenKingdom of SaxonyVictory
22 May 1813ReichenbachKingdom of SaxonyVictory
26-27 Aug 1813DresdenKingdom of SaxonyVictory
16-19 Oct 1813LeipzigKingdom of SaxonyDefeat
30-31 Oct 1813HanauDuchy of FrankfurtVictory
29 Jan 1814BrienneFrench EmpireVictory
10 Feb 1814ChampaubertFrench EmpireVictory
11 Feb 1814MontmirailFrench EmpireVictory
12 Feb 1814Chateau-ThierryFrench EmpireVictory
14 Feb 1814VauchampsFrench EmpireVictory
17 Feb 1814MormantFrench EmpireVictory
18 Feb 1814MontereauFrench EmpireVictory
5 Mar 1814Berry-au-BacFrench EmpireVictory
7 Mar 1814CraonneFrench EmpireVictory
9-10 Mar 1814LaonFrench EmpireDefeat
12-13 Mar 1814ReimsFrench EmpireVictory
20-21 Mar 1814Arcis-sur-AubeFrench EmpireIndecisive
26 Mar 1814Sain-DizierFrench EmpireVictory
16 Jun 1815LignyUnited Kingdom of the NetherlandsVictory
18 Jun 1815WaterlooUnited Kingdom of the NetherlandsDefeat

Notes
  1. Roberts says his losses came at Siege of Acre (1799), Battle of Aspern-Essling (1809), Battle of Leipzig (1813), Battle of La Rothière (1814), Battle of Laon (1814), Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube (1814), and Battle of Waterloo (1815). Andrew Roberts, "Why Napoleon merits the title 'the Great,'" BBC History Magazine (1 November 2014)
  2. Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life (2014)
  3. Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life (2014)
  4. Frank McLynn, Napoleon: A Biography (1997)
  5. David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) 1172 pp; a detailed guide to all major battles excerpt and text search
  6. David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) excerpt and text search
  7. Jean Tranié et Juan-Carlos Carmigniani, Napoléon : 1814 - La campagne de France, Pygmalion/Gérard Watelet, 1989, 315 p.

Further reading
Main article: Napoleonic Wars § Further reading
  • Bell, David A. The First Total War: Napoleon's Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It (2008) excerpt and text search
  • Bruce, Robert B. et al. Fighting Techniques of the Napoleonic Age 1792–1815: Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics (2008) excerpt and text search
  • Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) 1172 pp; a detailed guide to all major battles excerpt and text search
  • Crowdy, Terry. Napoleon's Infantry Handbook (2015)
  • Delderfield, R.F. //Imperial Sunset: The Fall of Napoleon, 1813-14 (2014)
  • Dupuy, Trevor N. and Dupuy, R. Ernest. The Encyclopedia of Military History (2nd ed. 1970) pp 730–770
  • Dwyer, Philip. Napoleon: The Path to Power (2008) excerpt vol 1; Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power (2013) excerpt and text search v 2; most recent scholarly biography
  • Elting, John R. Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grand Armee (1988)
  • Esdaile, Charles. Napoleon's Wars: An International History 1803-1815 (2008), 621pp
  • Gates, David. The Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815 (NY: Random House, 2011)
  • Griffith, Paddy. The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789–1802 (1998) excerpt and text search
  • Harvey, Robert (2013). The War of Wars. Constable & Robinson. p. 328., well-written popular survey of these wars
  • Haythornthwaite, Philip J. Napoleon's Military Machine (1995) excerpt and text search
  • Hazen, Charles Downer. The French Revolution and Napoleon (1917) online free
  • Kagan, Frederick W. The End of the Old Order: Napoleon and Europe, 1801-1805 (2007)
  • McLynn, Frank. Napoleon: A Biography (1997)
  • Nafziger, George F. The End of Empire: Napoleon's 1814 Campaign (2014)
  • Parker, Harold T. "Why Did Napoleon Invade Russia? A Study in Motivation and the Interrelations of Personality and Social Structure," Journal of Military History (1990) 54#2 pp 131–46 in JSTOR.
  • Pope, Stephen (1999). The Cassel Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. Cassel. ISBN 0-304-35229-2.
  • Rapport, Mike. The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford UP, 2013)
  • Riley, Jonathon P. Napoleon as a General (Hambledon Press, 2007)
  • Roberts, Andrew. Napoleon: A Life (2014) Major new biography by a leading British historian; 926 pp
  • Rothenberg, Gunther E. (1988). "The Origins, Causes, and Extension of the Wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon". Journal of Interdisciplinary History. 18 (4): 771–793. JSTOR 204824. JSTOR 204824
  • Rothenberg, E. Gunther. The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (1977)
  • Schneid, Frederick C. (2011). The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Mainz: Institute of European History.
  • Schneid, Frederick C. Napoleon's Conquest of Europe: The War of the Third Coalition (2005) excerpt and text search
  • Shoffner, Thomas A. Napoleon's Cavalry: A Key Element to Decisive Victory (2014)
  • Smith, Digby George. The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book: Actions and Losses in Personnel, Colours, Standards and Artillery (1998)
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