The largest figure in French history, Napoleon irrevocably changed the course of his country and much of Europe during his lifetime. A highly skilled military commander, he made the most of the political and social upheaval in France caused by the Revolution and at the start of the 19th century appointed himself first as consul and then as emperor. However, he wasn't satisfied with just ruling his own country and had his eyes on the rest of Europe. In 1800 he defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Marengo in Italy and in 1803 a series of wars - named after him - began that would rage until his defeat at Waterloo at 1815.
The Napoleonic wars were fought between the French Empire and a number of changing coalition forces, but the one constant enemy he faced was the British. Invading his island nemesis was one of Napoleon's main goals and he is quoted as saying in 1797 that the French must "concentrate all our efforts on the navy and annihilate England. That done, Europe is at our feet". However, when his naval admiral dithered and the British forces scattering his fleet, the chance had gone and the Battle of Trafalgar extinguished his hopes. He instead set his sights on Austria and Russia and
Defeated both to extend his Empire.
He dreamed of a united Europe, a land mass under one banner. While he didn't live to see this, his reign in France and parts of Europe did see a rise in nationalism and his victory over the Holy Roman Empire, which he then disbanded and turned into the Confederation of the Rhine, also changed the world as this would eventually form much of modern-day Germany.
At the height of his power he installed those loyal to him to rule in parts of Holland, Sweden, Spain and Italy but this military genius didn't just change the world by the sword; he instigated many reforms and new policies which had significant impacts. For instance, the Napoleonic code was introduced, which forbade privileges based on birth but instead looked to an individual's merit, which meant that government jobs or indeed those granted high positions in his army would be those who had genuine talent. The code also allowed freedom of religious worship and made the law simpler.
1769-1821
World History
