Napoleon Bonaparte, born on August 15, 1769, in the French island of Corsica, emerged as a prominent figure in the early 19th century in Europe. He initially came to power in France through a coup after the Revolution and later declared himself Emperor, leading the French army against anyone who opposed him. Unlike other world leaders, Napoleon is remembered by his first name rather than his surname.
As a young officer, Napoleon quickly adapted to the Revolution, and when the French Revolution of 1789, marked by slogans of freedom, nationalism, and equality, took place, he was a artillery officer in the French army. The monarchy was overthrown, and a Republic was established.
The young officer Napoleon swiftly embraced the revolution, and when he tried to spread the effects of the French Revolution in his birthplace, Corsica, he was exiled from the island in 1793. Upon his return to France, he took decisive action to suppress the uprising of Parisian gangs on October 5, 1795, by bombarding them, gaining recognition. At that time, France was governed by a five-member Directory regime. Following his decisive move that saved the French government, the Directory, from collapse, he was appointed to lead the army preparing for the Italian campaign at the young age of 26.
Leading from the front during the Italian campaign, constantly boosting the morale of his soldiers (it is even rumored that he knew the names of all his soldiers), and achieving tactical successes, Napoleon proved to be a skilled commander in Italy. He won a total of 18 pitched battles during this campaign. After his successes in the Italian campaign, he set off for Vienna. As a result, on October 17, 1797, he was forced to sign the Austrian ceasefire treaty. The revenues generated from the new territories acquired by France through profitable treaties greatly pleased the Directory. In 1797, Napoleon returned to his country in a triumphant manner.
Napoleon and the Egyptian Campaign:
The French government assigned Napoleon the task of invading England. However, General Napoleon Bonaparte did not advocate engaging the British in naval warfare, knowing that the British were strong at sea. Instead, he believed that seizing the route to England's Far East colonies would weaken Britain's power. Therefore, he obtained approval for the Egyptian campaign and set out for Egypt, which was then an Ottoman territory, in 1798.
After defeating the ruling Mamluk administration in the Battle of the Pyramids and entering Cairo with a conquering attitude, Napoleon embarked on policies of rebuilding Egypt and maintaining good relations with the local population. He even claimed to be a Muslim to the people of Egypt and was given the name Ali Bonaparte. Furthermore, in order to convince the people of the occupation, he continued to mint money in the name of Sultan III. Selim of the Ottoman Empire. However, as the French intentions to exploit Egypt became apparent, and as the French mistreated Muslims, and the uprising movements began, which Napoleon's army brutally suppressed, he could no longer maintain a presence in the region. Consequently, Napoleon moved towards Palestine to acquire new territories.
However, he suffered a defeat against Cezzar Ahmet Pasha at the fortress of Acre in this region and was forced to retreat. The Ottoman army also provided support to the French from the sea, courtesy of the renowned Admiral Nelson, and contributed to Napoleon's withdrawal from Egypt. In the Battle of the Nile, where Admiral Nelson destroyed the French fleet, he cut off the army's connection with the mainland and played a crucial role in Napoleon's withdrawal from Egypt. General Napoleon later said, "If I hadn't been stopped in Acre, I would have conquered all of Asia." In 1799, after facing defeats in Egypt, when Napoleon heard that the French army was defeated by the Coalition in his homeland, he returned to France, leaving a small unit in Egypt. During his stay in France, he encouraged studies to examine historical artifacts, and, in a way, thanks to Napoleon, the science of Egyptology began. Moreover, the Rosetta Stone, which led to the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs, was discovered thanks to Napoleon.
Interestingly, the Ottoman army that defeated Napoleon at Acre was composed of the Nizam-ı Cedid soldiers, modeled after the French army. In other words, this innovative army, formed by taking the French army as a model, defeated the actual French army. This is another testament to the strength of the Turkish military.
Napoleon Becomes Emperor:
Napoleon returned to France like a hero, and around him, a significant following of believers had formed. The Directorate, the government established after the French Revolution, had collapsed, and a consul regime replaced it. With a coup, Napoleon was elected as the new leader of this regime as the First Consul. Now, the legend of Napoleon was about to begin in France and around the world.
Napoleon gradually elevated his rule and dominance in the consulship. On May 18, 1804, he declared himself Emperor and then invaded the Iberian Peninsula, proclaiming his brother Joseph Bonaparte as the King of Spain. He was no longer General Napoleon, but Emperor Napoleon. As a tribute to Charlemagne, he named his newly established empire the French Empire. Meanwhile, his arch-enemy Britain, observing Napoleon's actions and France's expansionist policies with concern, triggered a series of events. After the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, they allowed Portugal and the Spanish people to rebel. This led to the Peninsular War, also known as the War of Independence in Spain. Starting on May 2, 1808, and ending on April 17, 1814 (lasting 6 years), the war was won by the Spaniards.
The Peninsular War is a well-known fact that played a significant role in Napoleon's downfall. In this war, the British provided significant support to the Portuguese and the Spanish.
In the same year, 1808, France declared war on Austria, its neighboring country, and in the battle known as the Battle of Wagram, Napoleon defeated Austria. Napoleon was now unstoppable. He defeated any country that came in his way, expanding his borders and inflating his ego. Continental Europe was helpless against Napoleon, and the alliances they formed among themselves were easily swallowed by the French army. However, appointing his relatives as rulers in the newly acquired territories led to an increase in nationalist movements in these countries.
Napoleon and the General Winter:
Napoleon had now greatly expanded his borders. He had gained control over a large part of continental Europe, from the Iberian Peninsula to the border of the Russian Empire. In about a span of 10 years, Napoleon added a significant portion of continental Europe to his territories. He ruled over a population of approximately 70 million. To enhance his power, he made a move that would exhaust him; in 1812, he set out on the Russian campaign. His colossal French army, consisting of 800,000 soldiers, overwhelmed the Russians and captured Moscow. However, the Russians, by retreating, left no place for the French army to shelter, burning and destroying the areas they withdrew from. Falling into the clutches of the Russian cold, most of the French soldiers died from freezing without even using their weapons. A similar mistake would be
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