Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon Bonaparte was a Corsican man, who later became the emperor of

France. He was born on August 15, 1769 in Corsica. Three months before Napoleon’s

birth, Corsica was defeated by the French. He spent his childhood hating France,

which was the country he would rule later in life. Carlo Bonaparte submitted to

French rule. Napoleon never forgave his father for leaving behind their Corsican

heritage. Later, Napoleon would say that Carlo was too fond of pleasure. Hus mother

was a strict person, who punished her children to teach discipline.

In 1778, Napoleon first set foot in France. He was a thin nine year-old who

could hardly speak French. At 15, Napoleon was promoted to the Royal Military

Academy. At sixteen, he became a lowly second lieutenant. After the French

Revolution, Napoleon soon became the leader of a group that opposed Corsica’s

governor Pasquale Paoli. On June 10,1793, he went to France with his mother, three

brothers, and three sisters, when he was only twenty four years old, banished from

Corsica forever.

Napoleon soon became a general, and later crowned himself emperor of

France. Many French people liked him, and he was a great general. By 1810, lots of

Europe was under French rule. In 1812, he led an invasion of Russia. The bitterly

cold weather forced the army to retreat. Many soldiers died. In 1814, Great Britain,

Prussia, and Russia joined forces and defeated Napoleon. A year later, he was again

defeated. The British exiled him to an island, and he died in 1821.