Napoleon Bonaparte [ b ] born Napoleone Buonaparte ; [ 1 ] [ c ] 15 August — 5 May , later known by his regnal name Napoleon I , was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of military campaigns across Europe during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from to He led the French Republic as First Consul from to , then ruled the French Empire as Emperor of the French from to , and briefly again in Born on the island of Corsica to a family of Italian origin, Napoleon moved to mainland France in and was commissioned as an officer in the French Royal Army in He supported the French Revolution in , and promoted its cause in Corsica.
In , Napoleon commanded a military campaign against the Austrians and their Italian allies in the War of the First Coalition , scoring decisive victories and becoming a national hero. He led an invasion of Egypt and Syria in which served as a springboard to political power. He won the Battle of Marengo in , which secured France's victory in the War of the Second Coalition , and in sold the territory of Louisiana to the United States. In December , Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French, further expanding his power.
Napoleon shattered the coalition with a decisive victory at the Battle of Austerlitz , which led to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. Seeking to extend his trade embargo against Britain , Napoleon invaded the Iberian Peninsula and installed his brother Joseph as King of Spain in , provoking the Peninsular War.
In , the Austrians again challenged France in the War of the Fifth Coalition , in which Napoleon solidified his grip over Europe after winning the Battle of Wagram. In summer , he launched an invasion of Russia , briefly occupying Moscow before conducting a catastrophic retreat of his army that winter. The coalition invaded France and captured Paris, forcing Napoleon to abdicate in April They exiled him to the Mediterranean island of Elba and restored the Bourbons to power.
Ten months later, Napoleon escaped from Elba on a brig, landed in France with a thousand men, and marched on Paris, again taking control of the country. His opponents responded by forming a Seventh Coalition , which defeated him at the Battle of Waterloo in June Napoleon was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died of stomach cancer in , aged Napoleon is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history and Napoleonic tactics are still studied at military schools worldwide.
