Military career of Napoleon

Emperor of the French

Napoleon
Emperor of the French; Napoleon
	The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries by Jacques-Louis David, 1812
Nickname(s)	"General Vendémiaire", "The Little Corporal", "Napoleon the Great"
Born	August 15, 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica
Died	May 5, 1821 (aged 51); Longwood, Saint Helena
Allegiance	France
Service / branch	Trained as an artillerist
Years of service	1779–1815
Rank	Commander in Chief (Head of State)
Commands	Army of Italy; Army of the Orient; French Army; Grande Armée
Battles / wars	French Revolutionary Wars War of the First Coalition; French invasion of Egypt and Syria; War of the Second Coalition; ; Napoleonic Wars War of the Third Coalition; War of the Fourth Coalition; Peninsular War; War of the Fifth Coalition; French invasion of Russia; War of the Sixth Coalition; War of the Seventh Coalition; ;
Awards	Grand Master of the Legion of Honour; Grand Master of the Order of the Reunion; Grand Master of the Order of the Iron Crown
Relations	House of Bonaparte
Other work	Sovereign of Elba, writer

The military career of Napoleon spanned over 20 years. He led French armies in the French Revolutionary Wars and later, as emperor, in the Napoleonic Wars. Despite his rich war-winning record, Napoleon's military career ended in defeat. Napoleon has since been 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 80 battles, losing only ten, mostly towards the end when the French army was not as dominant.^[1] The 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 to France. He was finally defeated in 1815 at Waterloo. He spent his remaining days in British custody on the remote volcanic tropical island of Saint Helena. In his long military career, Bonaparte celebrated 70 victories and suffered 10 defeats.^[2]

Battle record summary


Date	Battle	Conflict	Location	Outcome
29 Aug – 19 Dec 1793	Siege of Toulon	War of the First Coalition	French Republic	Victory
24–28 Apr 1794	Saorgio	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
21 Sep 1794	First Dego	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
5 Oct 1795	13 Vendémiaire	French Revolution	French Republic	Victory
11–12 Apr 1796	Montenotte	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
12–13 Apr 1796	Millesimo	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
14–15 Apr 1796	Second Dego	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
16 Apr 1796	Ceva	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
21 Apr 1796	Mondovi	War of the First Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
7–9 May 1796	Fombio	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
10 May 1796	Lodi	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
30 May 1796	Borghetto	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
4 Jul 1796 – 2 Feb 1797	Siege of Mantua	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
3–4 Aug 1796	Lonato	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
5 Aug 1796	Castiglione	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
4 Sep 1796	Rovereto	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
8 Sep 1796	Bassano	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
14–15 Sep 1796	San Giorgio^[3]	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
6 Nov 1796	Second Bassano	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Defeat
12 Nov 1796	Caldiero	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Defeat
15–17 Nov 1796	Arcole	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
14–15 Jan 1797	Rivoli	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
16 Jan 1797	La Favorite [fr]	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
16 Mar 1797	Valvasone	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
21–23 Mar 1797	Tarvis	War of the First Coalition	Habsburg Italy	Victory
10–12 Jun 1798	Malta	Mediterranean Campaign	Malta	Victory
2 Jul 1798	Prise d'Alexandrie	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
13 Jul 1798	Shubra Khit	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
21 Jul 1798	Pyramids	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
21–22 Oct 1798	Revolt of Cairo	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	French-occupied Egypt	Victory
11–19 Feb 1799	Siege of El Arish	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
3–7 Mar 1799	Siege of Jaffa	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Ottoman Empire	Victory
20 Mar – 21 May 1799	Siege of Acre	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Ottoman Empire	Defeat
16 Apr 1799	Mount Tabor	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Ottoman Empire	Victory
25 Jul 1799	Abukir	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	French-occupied Egypt	Victory
26 May 1800	Chiusella River	War of the Second Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
31 May 1800	Turbigo	War of the Second Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
14 May – 1 Jun 1800	Siege of Fort Bard	War of the Second Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
14 Jun 1800	Marengo	War of the Second Coalition	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
15–20 Oct 1805	Ulm	War of the Third Coalition	Electorate of Bavaria	Victory
2 Dec 1805	Austerlitz	War of the Third Coalition	Archduchy of Austria	Victory
14 Oct 1806	Jena	War of the Fourth Coalition	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
24 Oct 1806	Berlin	War of the Fourth Coalition	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
23 Dec 1806	Czarnowo	War of the Fourth Coalition	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
3 Feb 1807	Allenstein	War of the Fourth Coalition	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
7–8 Feb 1807	Eylau	War of the Fourth Coalition	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
14 Jun 1807	Friedland	War of the Fourth Coalition	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
30 Nov 1808	Somosierra	Peninsular War	Spain	Victory
1–4 Dec 1808	Siege of Madrid^[4]	Peninsular War	Spain	Victory
20 Apr 1809	Teugen-Hausen	War of the Fifth Coalition	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
20 Apr 1809	Abensberg	War of the Fifth Coalition	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
21 Apr 1809	Landshut	War of the Fifth Coalition	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
21–22 Apr 1809	Eckmühl	War of the Fifth Coalition	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
23 Apr 1809	Ratisbon	War of the Fifth Coalition	Principality of Regensburg	Victory
21–22 May 1809	Aspern-Essling	War of the Fifth Coalition	Austrian Empire	Defeat
5–6 Jul 1809	Wagram	War of the Fifth Coalition	Austrian Empire	Victory
10–11 Jul 1809	Znaim	War of the Fifth Coalition	Austrian Empire	Victory
26–27 Jul 1812	Vitebsk	French invasion of Russia	Russian Empire	Victory
16–18 Aug 1812	Smolensk	French invasion of Russia	Russian Empire	Victory
5 Sep 1812	Shevardino	French invasion of Russia	Russian Empire	Victory
7 Sep 1812	Borodino	French invasion of Russia	Russian Empire	Victory
15–18 Nov 1812	Krasnoi	French invasion of Russia	Russian Empire	Defeat
26–29 Nov 1812	Berezina	French invasion of Russia	Russian Empire	Withdrawal
2 May 1813	Lützen	War of the Sixth Coalition	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
20–21 May 1813	Bautzen	War of the Sixth Coalition	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
22 May 1813	Reichenbach	War of the Sixth Coalition	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
26–27 Aug 1813	Dresden	War of the Sixth Coalition	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
16–19 Oct 1813	Leipzig	War of the Sixth Coalition	Kingdom of Saxony	Defeat
30–31 Oct 1813	Hanau	War of the Sixth Coalition	Duchy of Frankfurt	Victory
29 Jan 1814	Brienne	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
1 Feb 1814	La Rothière	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Defeat
10 Feb 1814	Champaubert	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
11 Feb 1814	Montmirail	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
12 Feb 1814	Chateau-Thierry	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
14 Feb 1814	Vauchamps	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
17 Feb 1814	Mormant	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
18 Feb 1814	Montereau	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
5 Mar 1814	Berry-au-Bac [fr] (1814)^[5]	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
7 Mar 1814	Craonne	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
9–10 Mar 1814	Laon	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Defeat
12–13 Mar 1814	Reims	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
20–21 Mar 1814	Arcis-sur-Aube	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Defeat
26 Mar 1814	Saint-Dizier	War of the Sixth Coalition	French Empire	Victory
16 Jun 1815	Ligny	Hundred Days	United Kingdom of the Netherlands	Victory
18 Jun 1815	Waterloo	Hundred Days	United Kingdom of the Netherlands	Defeat

^[a]

References

^ 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.

^ 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)
^ Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life (2014)
^ Michael V. Leggiere; Phillip R. Cuccia. Napoleon and the Operational Art of War. BRILL, Leiden (2020). p. 166
^ United States Military Academy. Summaries of Selected Military Campaigns. West Point, New York (1953). p. 22
^ Jean Tranié et Juan-Carlos Carmigniani, Napoléon : 1814 – La campagne de France, Pygmalion/Gérard Watelet, 1989, 315 p.
^ David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) excerpt and text search

v t e Napoleon
Napoleonic era timeline First French Empire
Family	Wives: Joséphine de Beauharnais Marie Louise Children: Charles Léon Alexandre Walewski Napoleon II Father: Carlo Maria Buonaparte Mother: Letizia Ramolino Brothers: Joseph Bonaparte Lucien Bonaparte Louis Bonaparte Jérôme Bonaparte Sisters: Caroline Bonaparte Pauline Bonaparte Elisa Bonaparte
Life and career	Stay in Auxonne [fr] Coup of 18 Brumaire Consulate Assassination attempts Constitutions 1799 1802 1804 1815 Napoleonic Wars Coronation Sale of Louisiana Planned invasion of the United Kingdom Holland Mesures usuelles Looting of art Tactics Weaponry and warfare 1st abdication 1st exile Route Napoléon 2nd abdication 2nd exile [fr] Death [fr] mask
Battles and wars	French Revolutionary Wars Siege of Toulon French Revolution 13 Vendémiaire Battle of Lodi Battle of Bassano Battle of Rivoli French campaign in Egypt and Syria Battle of the Pyramids Siege of Jaffa Battle of Marengo War of the Third Coalition Battle of Austerlitz War of the Fourth Coalition Battle of Eylau War of the Fifth Coalition Battle of Eckmühl French invasion of Russia Battle of Borodino War of the Sixth Coalition Battle of Leipzig Battle of Vauchamps Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube Hundred Days Battle of Ligny Battle of Waterloo
Views	Catholic Church Concordat of 1801 Tiara Jewish people Grand Sanhedrin Infamous Decree Protestants Organic Articles Slavery Law of 20 May 1802 Saint-Domingue expedition Women [fr]
Homes and honours	Arc de Triomphe Column of the Grande Armée Equestrian statue Palace of Fontainebleau Les Invalides Longwood House Maison Bonaparte Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker Milan Rue de la Victoire Warsaw monument
Legacy and memory	Bank of France Bonapartism Cultural depictions Napoleon complex "China is a sleeping giant" quote German Romanticism Napoleonic Code Propaganda Tomb Retour des cendres Penis Studies Symphony No. 3 (Beethoven)
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Battle record summary

References

Further reading