Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
Q: Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
A: Napoleon Bonaparte was a French politician and army leader who ruled France from 1799 to 1814 and for a short period (the "Hundred Days") in 1815. He became Emperor of the French and King of Italy as Napoleon I.
Q: Where was he born?
A: Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica into a noble family.
Q: What languages did he learn?
A: He learned the Corsican language first before learning French.
Q: How did he gain power over Europe?
A: In the first ten years of the nineteenth century, the French Empire under Napoleon waged the Napoleonic Wars. Every European great power joined in these wars, allowing him to increase his power by making many alliances and turning other European countries into French client states by letting his friends and family members rule them.
Q: What caused his downfall?
A: The French invasion of Russia in 1812 became Napoleon's first big defeat, damaging his army so badly that it never fully recovered. This led to another Coalition defeating his forces at Leipzig in 1813, followed by an attack on France which resulted in their victory and exiling him to Elba. Less than a year later, he escaped Elba but was ultimately defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.
Q: How is he remembered today?
A: Today, Napoleon is remembered as a brilliant army leader, with his campaigns studied at military schools all over the world. People have many different views on whether he was a good or bad ruler; some remember him as a tyrant while others credit him for bringing ideas such as liberalism and modern education to countries that were conquered during his reign.
Q: How did he die?
A: A doctor said that Napoleon died of stomach cancer; however some scientists think that he may have been poisoned instead
