One of the most famous and notorious Frenchmen to have ever lived was Napoleon Bonaparte, a military leader, and politician. During his lifetime he waged multiple wars and changed the politics and culture of France forever. He was born Napoleon Buonaparte on August 15, 1769. Interestingly, Napoleon’s ancestral heritage is of Italian origins. On his paternal side, the Buonapartes were descendants of a Tuscan noble family. Sometime in the 16th century they emigrated to Corsica, an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, located southeast of the French mainland. On his maternal side, the Ramolinos came from Genoa, a small republic located north of Italy. Both sides of Napoleon’s family came from minor noble houses. As such, they were related to several influential families of Italian nobility from history. He was born at “Casa Buonaparte,” an ancestral home in Ajaccio maintained by his parents. Napoleon was the fourth child of Carlo Maria di Buonaparte and Maria Letizia Ramolino. He was their third son. Napoleon came from a large family. He had seven siblings. During his lifetime, his first and last names had different spellings. In his younger years, his first name would be spelled “Nabulione, Nabulio, Napolionne, and Napulione.” Though his last name was originally “Buonaparte” it was later changed to “Bonaparte.” This may have been done to minimize the fact of his Italian heritage as he rose to power in France. It could be said that Napoleon was conceived in war. Both of his parents joined the Corsican resistance when it was being ceded to France. His parents fought against the French, even as his mother was pregnant with him. Corsica was finally incorporated as a French province, four years after his birth. Shortly after that, Napoleon’s father, Carlo, became Corsica’s “representative to the court of Louis XVI.” As a member of the noble class, and coming from a family of moderate wealth, Napoleon had educational opportunities that exceeded what was available to most Corsican children at the time. His mother played a particularly influential role in molding him. In fact, Napoleon once said, “the future destiny of the child is always the work of the mother.” At nine years of age, Napoleon traveled to the French mainland and attended a religious school. A few months later he transferred to a military academy, Brienne-le-Chateau. Napoleon was multi-lingual. He spoke and read Corsican, Italian, and French. He eventually became fluent in French but was never able to spell correctly in the language. He spoke with a strong Corsican accent. Because of his physical appearance and strong accent, Napoleon was often the subject of discrimination by his classmates. He was frequently bullied for a host of reasons: his short stature, where he was born, his foreign mannerisms, and his slow mastery of the French language. He was a Corsican nationalist and spoke in favor of Corsica’s independence. The frequent bullying drove Napoleon to become quiet and reserved. He was melancholy at times. He applied himself to his studies, particularly reading. He was once noted as being “distinguished for his application in mathematics. He is fairly well acquainted with history and geography.” While at school, Napoleon showed early signs of his leadership skills when he lead younger students in a snowball fight against the more senior students, and ultimately won the childhood skirmish. He completed his studies at Brienne-le-Chateau at 15 years of age. He was then admitted to Ecole Militaire in Paris, France. He began training as an artillery officer. He completed the two-year course in a single year after his father died and his income was reduced as a result. After graduating, he received a commission as a second lieutenant in an artillery regiment. In the few years that followed, Napoleon’s sympathies turned from a Corsican nationalist to a pro-French Revolutionist. As the conflict continued, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of captain. Napoleon and his family were driven out of Corsica and forced to move to Toulon, France due to the shift in Napoleon’s allegiance away from Corsican independence and toward the pro-French revolution. It was at this time that he first abandoned the original spelling of his name and adopted the spelling of “Napoleon Bonaparte.” Again, likely to cover his ties with his Italian-Corsican heritage. By this time, Napoleon’s military career was well underway. He was already climbing the ranks of the French army when his family relocated to Toulon. In July 1793, Napoleon published a pro-republican pamphlet. The pamphlet found its way to Augustin Robespierre, the brother of the leader of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre. He was given command of the artillery of the republican forces which had arrived at Toulon, in the buildup to the famous Siege of Toulon. During the siege, Napoleon’s forces captured a hill strategically located in such a way that his artillery could command control of the harbor. The British were forced to evacuate. During the assault to take the hill and capture the city, Napoleon was wounded in the leg. Because of his actions at the Siege of Toulon, and his growing leadership on the battlefield, Napoleon was placed over the artillery for France’s Army of Italy. An interesting bi-product of Napoleon’s military success during the revolution was that he was beginning to generate attention, which caused jealousy between The Army of the Alps and the Army of Italy (where he was second in command). For some time, Napoleon’s contemporaries alleged that he was placed under house arrest after the fall of the Robespierres for his association with them during the revolution. This was a very tumultuous time in the history of France, and as regimes changed hands, people involved in previous regimes were frequently maligned, or worse. This claim that Napoleon had been put under house arrest was later refuted by his secretary in his memoirs. In it, his secretary clarified the rumor, indicating that it was spread by those who were jealous of him in the Army of the Alps. His secretary indicated that Napoleon had written “an impassioned letter” to the commissioner, Saliceti, and was later acquitted of wrongdoing during the period of the French Revolution. In fact, Napoleon was asked to prepare a plan for the attack on Italian defenses in the Franco-Austrian war currently underway at the time. With his status in the military resecured, Napoleon continued his career. He was instrumental in ending an insurrection in Paris led by French royalists, in favor of the French monarchy. He used artillery to defend against the royalists, clearing the streets with a “whiff of grapeshot,” as one historian described it. Napoleon’s swift defeat of the royalist insurrection occurred in the fall of 1793. During this time, he became romantically involved with Josephine de Beauharnais, the mistress of a French pol
One of the most famous
and notorious Frenchmen to have
ever lived was Napoleon Bonaparte,
a military leader, and politician.
During his lifetime he waged
multiple wars and changed the
politics and culture of France
forever. He was born Napoleon
Buonaparte on August 15, 1769.
Interestingly, Napoleon’s ancestral heritage is
of Italian origins. On his
paternal side, the Buonapartes were
descendants of a Tuscan noble
family. Sometime in the 16th
century they emigrated to Corsica,
an island located in the
Mediterranean Sea, located southeast of
the French mainland. On his
maternal side, the Ramolinos came
from Genoa, a small republic
located north of Italy. Both
sides of Napoleon’s family came
from minor noble houses. As
such, they were related to
several influential families of Italian
nobility from history. He was
born at “Casa Buonaparte,” an
ancestral home in Ajaccio maintained
by his parents. Napoleon was
the fourth child of Carlo
Maria di Buonaparte and Maria
Letizia Ramolino. He was their
third son. Napoleon came from
a large family. He had
seven siblings. During his lifetime,
his first and last names
had different spellings. In his
younger years, his first name
would be spelled “Nabulione, Nabulio,
Napolionne, and Napulione.” Though his
last name was originally “Buonaparte”
it was later changed to
“Bonaparte.” This may have been
done to minimize the fact
of his Italian heritage as
he rose to power in
France. It could be said
that Napoleon was conceived in
war. Both of his parents
joined the Corsican resistance when
it was being ceded to
France. His parents fought against
the French, even as his
mother was pregnant with him.
Corsica was finally incorporated as
a French province, four years
after his birth. Shortly after
that, Napoleon’s father, Carlo, became
Corsica’s “representative to the court
of Louis XVI.” As a
member of the noble class,
and coming from a family
of moderate wealth, Napoleon had
educational opportunities that exceeded what
was available to most Corsican
children at the time. His
mother played a particularly influential
role in molding him. In
fact, Napoleon once said, “the
future destiny of the child
is always the work of
the mother.” At nine years
of age, Napoleon traveled to
the French mainland and attended
a religious school. A few
months later he transferred to
a military academy, Brienne-le-Chateau. Napoleon
was multi-lingual. He spoke and
read Corsican, Italian, and French.
He eventually became fluent in
French but was never able
to spell correctly in the
language. He spoke with a
strong Corsican accent. Because of
his physical appearance and strong
accent, Napoleon was often the
subject of discrimination by his
classmates. He was frequently bullied
for a host of reasons:
his short stature, where he
was born, his foreign mannerisms,
and his slow mastery of
the French language. He was
a Corsican nationalist and spoke
in favor of Corsica’s independence.
The frequent bullying drove Napoleon
to become quiet and reserved.
He was melancholy at times.
He applied himself to his
studies, particularly reading. He was
once noted as being “distinguished
for his application in mathematics.
He is fairly well acquainted
with history and geography.” While
at school, Napoleon showed early
signs of his leadership skills
when he lead younger students
in a snowball fight against
the more senior students, and
ultimately won the childhood skirmish.
He completed his studies at
Brienne-le-Chateau at 15 years of
age. He was then admitted
to Ecole Militaire in Paris,
France. He began training as
an artillery officer. He completed
the two-year course in a
single year after his father
died and his income was
reduced as a result. After
graduating, he received a commission
as a second lieutenant in
an artillery regiment. In the
few years that followed, Napoleon’s
sympathies turned from a Corsican
nationalist to a pro-French Revolutionist.
As the conflict continued, Napoleon
was promoted to the rank
of captain. Napoleon and his
family were driven out of
Corsica and forced to move
to Toulon, France due to
the shift in Napoleon’s allegiance
away from Corsican independence and
toward the pro-French revolution. It
was at this time that
he first abandoned the original
spelling of his name and
adopted the spelling of “Napoleon
Bonaparte.” Again, likely to cover
his ties with his Italian-Corsican
heritage. By this time, Napoleon’s
military career was well underway.
He was already climbing the
ranks of the French army
when his family relocated to
Toulon. In July 1793, Napoleon
published a pro-republican pamphlet. The
pamphlet found its way to
Augustin Robespierre, the brother of
the leader of the French
Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre. He was
given command of the artillery
of the republican forces which
had arrived at Toulon, in
the buildup to the famous
Siege of Toulon. During the
siege, Napoleon’s forces captured a
hill strategically located in such
a way that his artillery
could command control of the
harbor. The British were forced
to evacuate. During the assault
to take the hill and
capture the city, Napoleon was
wounded in the leg. Because
of his actions at the
Siege of Toulon, and his
growing leadership on the battlefield,
Napoleon was placed over the
artillery for France’s Army of
Italy. An interesting bi-product of
Napoleon’s military success during the
revolution was that he was
beginning to generate attention, which
caused jealousy between The Army
of the Alps and the
Army of Italy (where he
was second in command). For
some time, Napoleon’s contemporaries alleged
that he was placed under
house arrest after the fall
of the Robespierres for his
association with them during the
revolution. This was a very
tumultuous time in the history
of France, and as regimes
changed hands, people involved in
previous regimes were frequently maligned,
or worse. This claim that
Napoleon had been put under
house arrest was later refuted
by his secretary in his
memoirs. In it, his secretary
clarified the rumor, indicating that
it was spread by those
who were jealous of him
in the Army of the
Alps. His secretary indicated that
Napoleon had written “an impassioned
letter” to the commissioner, Saliceti,
and was later acquitted of
wrongdoing during the period of
the French Revolution. In fact,
Napoleon was asked to prepare
a plan for the attack
on Italian defenses in the
Franco-Austrian war currently underway at
the time. With his status
in the military resecured, Napoleon
continued his career. He was
instrumental in ending an insurrection
in Paris led by French
royalists, in favor of the
French monarchy. He used artillery
to defend against the royalists,
clearing the streets with a
“whiff of grapeshot,” as one
historian described it. Napoleon’s swift
defeat of the royalist insurrection
occurred in the fall of
1793. During this time, he
became romantically involved with Josephine
de Beauharnais, the mistress of
a French pol