Timeline of the Napoleonic era facts for kids

Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

Early years

1769

• August 15: Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio, Corsica

1785

• October 28: Napoleon graduates from Ecole Militaire with the rank of second lieutenant in the artillery.
• November 3: Stationed in Valence

1793

• December 22: For his brilliant tactical command (although a subordinate officer, he was widely credited for the victory) at an internal French battle at Toulon, Napoleon receives the new rank of brigadier general

1794

• August 9–20: Napoleon is imprisoned under suspicion of being a Jacobin and a supporter of Robespierre.

1795

• October: Royalist 13 Vendémiaire rising put down by Napoleon. Barras helps Napoleon win promotion to Commander of the Interior
• October 15: At the home of Paul Barras, a Directory member, Napoleon meets Rose de Beauharnais (Joséphine)
• 2 November: Directory (le Directoire) established

1796

• March 2: Napoleon is given command of the French army in Italy
• March 11: Italian campaign against Austria begins
• May 10: Napoleon wins the Battle of Lodi
• November 17: Napoleon wins the Battle of Arcole

1797

• January 14: Napoleon wins the Battle of Rivoli
• October 17: Treaty of Campo Formio with Austria
• December 5: Napoleon returns to Paris as a hero

1798

• May 19: Napoleon begins his Egyptian campaign with an army of 38,000
• July 21: Wins Battle of the Pyramids against Mamelukes in Egypt
• July 24: Fall of Cairo
• August 3: Under the command of Admiral Nelson, the British fleet destroys the French navy in the Battle of the Nile. Napoleon's army is cut off from supplies and communication

Napoleonic era

1799

• August 23: Receiving news of turmoil in France, Napoleon relinquishes command in Egypt to Kléber and returns to Paris, a so-called Coup d’état
• November 9–10: Coup of 18 Brumaire Napoleon overthrows the Directory
• December 12: Napoleon elected First Consul of the Consulate

1800

• June 14: Battle of Marengo
• December 24: Napoleon escapes an assassination attempt

1801

• February 9: Treaty with Austria signed at Lunéville, Treaty of Lunéville
• July 8: Battle of Algeciras
• July 15: Concordat of 1801

1802

• March 25: Treaty of Amiens
• May 1: Napoleon restructures French educational system
• May 19: Légion d'honneur established
• August 2: New constitution adopted, plebiscite confirms Napoleon as First Consul for life

1803

• May 3: Napoleon sells the Louisiana Territory to the U.S.
• May 18: Britain declares war on France
• May 26: France invades Hanover

1804

• March 21: Introduction of the Civil Code (also known as Napoleon Code)
• May 18: Napoleon proclaimed Emperor of the French by the Senate
• December 2: Napoleon crowns himself emperor, in the company of the Pope

1805

• October 19: Battle of Ulm
• October 21: Battle of Trafalgar; Admiral Lord Nelson killed
• October 30: Battle of Caldiero
• December 2: Battle of Austerlitz

1806

• March 30: Napoleon names his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples, and appoints other family members to various other posts
• July 12: Confederation of the Rhine established with Napoleon as Protector. Initially had 16 member states, later others added, including kingdoms of Saxony and Westphalia
• August 6: Holy Roman Empire abolished
• September 15: Prussia joins Britain and Russia against Napoleon
• October 14: Battle of Jena and Battle of Auerstadt
• November 21: The Berlin Decree (1806), which initiated the Continental System was issued

1807

• February 8: Battle of Eylau
• June 14: Battle of Friedland
• June 25: Treaty of Tilsit signed between Russia and France
• October 27: Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807) secretly agreed between Napoleon and Spain to partition Portugal

1808

• March 17: Imperial University established
• May 2: Spanish people rise up against France. Often referred to as Dos de Mayo Uprising
• May 3: Napoleon's soldiers retaliate for uprising by brutally executing Spanish citizens (famously depicted in Goya's The Third of May 1808)
• July 7: Joseph crowned King of Spain after Portugal revolts against the Continental System/blockade Napoleon had put in place. Napoleon collected five armies to advance into Portugal and 'bullied' the Spanish royal family into resigning
• Peninsular War
• July 16–19: Battle of Bailén

1809

• April 19: Battle of Raszyn
• May 22: Battle of Aspern-Essling; first defeat of Napoleon in 10 years
• July 5–6: Battle of Wagram; success for Napoleon, Austria loses territory and must enforce the Continental System
• July 27-28: Battle of Talavera
• October 14: Treaty of Schönbrunn signed
• December 14: Public announcement of Napoleon's divorce from Joséphine

1810

• March 11: Napoleon marries Marie Louise of Austria by proxy in Vienna
• April 1: Napoleon officially marries Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma in Paris

1811

• March 20: Napoleon II, Napoleon's son born, styled as the King of Rome

1812

• July 22: Battle of Salamanca
• August 4–6: Battle of Smolensk
• September 1: Moscow evacuated
• September 7: Battle of Borodino
• September 14: Napoleon arrives in Moscow to find the city abandoned and set alight by the inhabitants; retreating in the midst of a frigid winter, the army suffers great losses
• October 19: Beginning of the Great Retreat from Moscow
• October 24: Battle of Maloyaroslavets
• November: Crossing of the River Berezina
• December: Grande Armée expelled from Russia

1813

• April 2: Battle of Lüneburg
• May 2: Battle of Lützen
• May 20–21: Battle of Bautzen
• May 26: Battle of Haynau
• June 4–26: Armistice of Poischwitz
• June 21: Battle of Vitoria
• August 15: Siege of Danzig
• August 23: Battle of Großbeeren
• August 26–27: Battle of Dresden
• August 26: Battle of Katzbach
• August 27: Battle of Hagelberg
• August 29–30: Battle of Kulm
• August 31: Battle of San Marcial
• September 6: Battle of Dennewitz
• September 16: Battle of the Göhrde
• September 28: Battle of Altenburg
• October 3: Battle of Wartenburg
• October 7: Battle of Bidassoa
• October 14: Battle of Liebertwolkwitz
• October 16–19: Battle of Leipzig
• October 30–31: Battle of Hanau
• November 10: Battle of Nivelle
• October 31: End of the Siege of Pamplona
• December 7: Battle of Bornhöved
• December 9–13: Battles of the Nive
• December 10: Battle of Sehestedt

1814

• February 10–14: Six Days Campaign
• February 15: Battle of Garris
• February 27: Battle of Orthez
• April 10: Battle of Toulouse
• March 30–31: Battle of Paris
• April 4: Napoleon abdicates his rule and Louis XVIII, a Bourbon, is restored to the French throne
• April 11: Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814) Napoleon agrees to exile in Elba, the allies agree to pay his family a pension
• April 14: Battle of Bayonne
• May 4: Napoleon is exiled to Elba; his wife and son take refuge in Vienna

1815

• February 26: Napoleon escapes from Elba
• March 20: Napoleon arrives in Paris

Beginning of the Hundred Days

• June 16: Battle of Ligny
• June 18: Napoleon is defeated in the Battle of Waterloo
• June 28: Second restoration of Louis XVIII
• October 16: Napoleon is exiled to Saint Helena
• November 20: Treaty of Paris (1815)

1821

• May 5: Napoleon dies