Why Was Napoleon So Successful

Overview of Napoleon Bonaparte'south Military machine career

Emperor of the French Napoleon
The Emperor Napoleon in His Written report at the Tuileries by Jacques-Louis David, 1812
Nickname(s)	"Full general Vendémiaire", "The Picayune Corporal", "Napoleon the Slap-up"
Born	(1769-08-xv)Baronial 15, 1769 Ajaccio, Corsica
Died	May 5, 1821(1821-05-05) (aged 51) Longwood, St. Helena
Allegiance	France
Service/co-operative	Trained equally an artillerist
Years of service	1779–1815
Rank	Commander in Primary (Head of State)
Commands held	Army of Italy Army of the Orient French Army Grande Armée
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars War of the Kickoff Coalition French campaign in Egypt and Syria State of war of the Second Coalition Napoleonic Wars War of the Tertiary Coalition State of war of the Fourth Coalition Peninsular War War of the 5th Coalition French invasion of Russia War of the 6th Coalition War of the Seventh Coalition
Awards	Grand Master of the Legion of Honour Thou Master of the Social club of the Reunion Grand Main of the Order of the Fe Crown Chiliad Master of the Social club of the Three Aureate Fleeces
Relations	Business firm of Bonaparte
Other work	Sovereign of Elba, author

Battles of Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon not listed beginning as commander

Napoleon listed start as commander

The armed forces career of Napoleon Bonaparte spanned over 20 years. As armed forces leader, he led the French armies to defeat in the Napoleonic Wars. Despite his losing state of war record and ending in defeat, Napoleon is regarded in Europe every bit a military genius and one of the finest commanders, his wars and campaigns accept been studied at military schools worldwide. He fought more than 80 battles, losing but nine, more often than not at the end when the French regular army was not as ascendant.^[1] The French rule collapsed quickly after the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon was defeated in 1814 and exiled to the island of Elba, before returning and was finally defeated in 1815 at Waterloo. He spent his remaining days in British custody on the remote island of St. Helena.^[2]

History [edit]

Napoleon'south Early Life [edit]

Napoleon's early career is well covered.^[iii] ^[4] The most thorough coverage of his campaigns is by David G. Chandler.^[5]

1769

Baronial 15 – Born Nabulione di Buonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica

1778

December 15 – Leaves Corsica for mainland French republic

1779

January 1 – Enters a religious school at Autun

May 15 – Enters cadet schoolhouse at Brienne-le-Château

1784

October 30 – Enters the École Militaire in Paris

1785

September i – Graduates from the École Militaire and is commissioned every bit 2nd Lieutenant of Arms

Oct 30 – Reports to start posting with the La Fère Artillery Regiment at Valence-sur-Rhône

1786

September 1 – Goes to Corsica on long furlough until June 1788

1788

June – Rejoins his regiment at Auxonne, attached to the School of Artillery

1789

September 15 – Goes on second get out to Corsica, becomes involved in revolutionary activities and attempts to gain favour with Pasquale Paoli

1791

February 10 – Returns from Corsica to regimental duty at Auxonne

April 1 – Promoted to 1st Lieutenant

September 1 – Third furlough to Corsica

1792

February 6 – Promoted to Helm (antedated)

Apr ane – Elected Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, Corsican Volunteers. Is implicated in a anarchism in Ajaccio

May 28 – Returns to Paris, instead of rejoining his regiment

September 15 – Escorts his sister, Elisa, dorsum to Corsica

1793

February 22–25 – Commands artillery during an abortive French landing on Maddalena Island, Sardinia

March 3 – Breaks with Paoli, blaming the failed landing on him

June 13 – Arrives with his family in Toulon, having been banished from Corsica by Paoli

Baronial 27 – Toulon handed over to the British by Royalists

September 16 – Given command of the artillery besieging Toulon

October 18 – Promoted to Major

Dec 17–xix – Leads the successful recapture of Toulon from the British and Royalists

Dec 22 – Promoted to Brigadier General.

Battles [edit]

For comprehensive coverage, see Chandler (1973).^[6] For an overall view of the military machine history of the era see Trevor N. Dupuy and R. Ernest Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History (2nd ed., 1970) pp. 730–770.

Victories [edit]

Toulon (1793)
Saorgio (1794)
First Dego (1794)
xiii Vendémiaire (1795)
Montenotte (1796)
Millesimo (1796)
2d Dego (1796)
Ceva (1796)
Mondovì (1796)
Fombio (1796)
Lodi (1796)
Borghetto (1796)
Lonato (1796)
Castiglione (1796)
Rovereto (1796)
Bassano (1796)
Arcole (1796)
Rivoli (1797)
Mantua (1796–1797)
La Favorite [fr] (1797)
Valvasone (1797)
Tagliamento (1797)
Tarvis (1797)
French invasion of Malta (1798)
Alexandria [fr] (1798)
Chobrakit (1798)
Pyramids (1798)
Cairo (1798)
El Arish (1799)
Jaffa (1799)
Mount Tabor (1799)
Abukir (1799)
Fort Bard (1800)
Combat of Turbigo (1800)
Marengo (1800)
Ulm (1805)
Austerlitz (1805)
Jena-Auerstedt (1806)
Greater Poland Insurgence (1806)
Czarnowo (1806)*
Eylau (1807)*
Friedland (1807)
Somosierra (1808)
Teugn-Hausen (1809)
Abensberg (1809)
Landshut (1809)
Eckmühl (1809)
Ratisbon (1809)
Wagram (1809)
Znaim (1809)
Vitebsk (1812)
Smolensk (1812)
Borodino (1812)
Lützen (1813)
Bautzen (1813)
Reichenbach [fr] (1813)
Dresden (1813)
Hanau (1813)
Brienne (1814)
Champaubert (1814)
Montmirail (1814)
Château-Thierry (1814)
Vauchamps (1814)
Mormant (1814)
Montereau (1814)
Berry-au-Bac [fr] (1814)^[seven]
Craonne (1814)
Reims (1814)
Saint-Dizier (1814)
Ligny (1815)

Defeats [edit]

Second Bassano (1796)
Caldiero (1796)
Acre (1799)
Aspern-Essling (1809)
Krasnoi (1812)
Leipzig (1813)
La Rothière (1814)
Laon (1814)
Arcis-Sur-Aube (1814)
Waterloo (1815)

Indecisive [edit]

Eylau (1807)

Battle tape summary [edit]


No	Date	Battle	Location	Outcome
1.	29 Aug-19 December 1793	Siege of Toulon	French Democracy	Victory
2.	24-28 Apr 1794	Saorgio	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
3.	21 September 1794	First Dego	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
4.	5 October 1795	13 Vendémiaire	French Democracy	Victory
5.	11-12 Apr 1796	Montenotte	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
6.	12-thirteen April 1796	Millesimo	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
7.	14-15 Apr 1796	2nd Battle of Dego	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
eight.	16 Apr 1796	Ceva	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
ix.	21 Apr 1796	Mondovi	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
10.	seven-9 May 1796	Fombio	Habsburg Italy	Victory
eleven.	x May 1796	Lodi	Habsburg Italian republic	Victory
12.	30 May 1796	Borghetto	Habsburg Italia	Victory
13.	4 Jul 1796-2 Feb 1797	Siege of Mantua	Habsburg Italy	Victory
14.	3-4 Aug 1796	Lonato	Habsburg Italy	Victory
15.	v Aug 1796	Castiglione	Habsburg Italy	Victory
16.	4 Sep 1796	Rovereto	Habsburg Italy	Victory
17.	eight Sep 1796	Bassano	Habsburg Italy	Victory
18.	6 November 1796	2d Bassano	Habsburg Italy	Defeat
19.	12 Nov 1796	Caldiero	Habsburg Italy	Defeat
20.	15-17 November 1796	Arcole	Habsburg Italy	Victory
21.	fourteen-15 Jan 1797	Rivoli	Habsburg Italian republic	Victory
22.	16 Jan 1797	La Favorite	Habsburg Italian republic	Victory
23.	16 Mar 1797	Valvasone	Habsburg Italy	Victory
24.	16 Mar 1797	Tagliamento	Habsburg Italia	Victory
25.	21-23 Mar 1797	Tarvis	Habsburg Italy	Victory
26.	10-12 Jun 1798	Malta	Malta	Victory
27.	ii Jul 1798	Alexandria	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
28.	thirteen Jul 1798	Shubra Khit	Mameluk Arab republic of egypt	Victory
29.	21 Jul 1798	Pyramids	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
thirty.	21-22 Oct 1798	Revolt of Cairo	French Arab republic of egypt	Victory
31.	xi-19 February 1799	Siege of El Arish	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
32.	3-7 Mar 1799	Siege of Jaffa	Ottoman Empire	Victory
33.	20 Mar-21 May 1799	Acre	Ottoman Empire	Defeat
34.	16 April 1799	Mount Tabor	Ottoman Empire	Victory
35.	25 Jul 1799	Abukir	French Arab republic of egypt	Victory
36.	31 May 1800	Gainsay of Turbigo	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
37.	xiv May-1 Jun 1800	Siege of Fort Bard	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
38.	fourteen Jun 1800	Marengo	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
39.	15-20 Oct 1805	Ulm	Electorate of Bavaria	Victory
40.	2 December 1805	Austerlitz	Archduchy of Austria	Victory
41.	14 October 1806	Jena	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
42.	9 Nov 1806-fifteen Jun 1807	Greater Poland Uprising	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
43.	23 December 1806	Czarnowo	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
44.	7-viii Feb 1807	Eylau	Kingdom of Prussia	Indecisive
45.	fourteen Jun 1807	Friedland	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
46.	30 Nov 1808	Somosierra	Spain	Victory
47.	19 Apr 1809	Teugen-Hausen	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
48.	20 Apr 1809	Abensberg	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
49.	21 Apr 1809	Landshut	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
l.	21-22 Apr 1809	Eckmühl	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
51.	23 Apr 1809	Ratisbon	Austrian Empire	Victory
52.	21-22 May 1809	Aspern-Essling	Austrian Empire	Defeat
53.	5-vi Jul 1809	Wagram	Austrian Empire	Victory
54.	26-27 Jul 1812	Vitebsk	Russian Empire	Victory
55.	xvi-18 Aug 1812	Smolensk	Russian Empire	Victory
56.	seven Sep 1812	Borodino	Russian Empire	Victory
57.	fifteen-18 Nov 1812	Krasnoi	Russian Empire	Defeat
58.	26-29 Nov 1812	Berezina	Russian Empire	Inconclusive
59.	2 May 1813	Lützen	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
60.	20-21 May 1813	Bautzen	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
61.	22 May 1813	Reichenbach	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
62.	26-27 Aug 1813	Dresden	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
63.	17 Sep 1813	Kulm	Kingdom of Saxony	Defeat
64.	16-xix Oct 1813	Leipzig	Kingdom of Saxony	Defeat
65.	thirty-31 Oct 1813	Hanau	Duchy of Frankfurt	Victory
66.	29 Jan 1814	Brienne	French Empire	Victory
67.	1 Feb 1814	La Rothière	French Empire	Defeat
68.	10 February 1814	Champaubert	French Empire	Victory
69.	11 Feb 1814	Montmirail	French Empire	Victory
70.	12 Feb 1814	Chateau-Thierry	French Empire	Victory
71.	14 Feb 1814	Vauchamps	French Empire	Victory
72.	17 February 1814	Mormant	French Empire	Victory
73.	18 February 1814	Montereau	French Empire	Victory
74.	five Mar 1814	Drupe-au-Bac	French Empire	Victory
75.	7 Mar 1814	Craonne	French Empire	Victory
76.	nine-10 Mar 1814	Laon	French Empire	Defeat
77.	12-13 Mar 1814	Reims	French Empire	Victory
78.	xx-21 Mar 1814	Arcis-sur-Aube	French Empire	Defeat
79.	26 Mar 1814	Sain-Dizier	French Empire	Victory
80.	16 Jun 1815	Ligny	United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland of the Netherlands	Victory
81.	18 Jun 1815	Waterloo	United Holland	Defeat

NOTES

^ Roberts says his losses came at Siege of Acre (1799), Battle of Aspern-Essling (1809), Battle of Leipzig (1813), Boxing of La Rothière (1814), Boxing of Laon (1814), Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube (1814), and Boxing of Waterloo (1815). Andrew Roberts, "Why Napoleon merits the title 'the Groovy,'" BBC History Magazine (1 Nov 2014)
^ Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life (2014)
^ Andrew Roberts, Napoleon: A Life (2014)
^ Frank McLynn, Napoleon: A Biography (1997)
^ David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) 1172 pp; a detailed guide to all major battles. excerpt and text search
^ David G. Chandler, The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) extract and text search
^ Jean Tranié et Juan-Carlos Carmigniani, Napoléon : 1814 - La campagne de France, Pygmalion/Gérard Watelet, 1989, 315 p.

Farther reading [edit]

Bell, David A. The First Total War: Napoleon's Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It (2008) excerpt and text search
Bruce, Robert B. et al. Fighting Techniques of the Napoleonic Age 1792–1815: Equipment, Combat Skills, and Tactics (2008) excerpt and text search
Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) 1172 pp; a detailed guide to all major battles excerpt and text search
Crowdy, Terry. Napoleon'due south Infantry Handbook (2015)
Delderfield, R.F. //Imperial Sunset: The Autumn of Napoleon, 1813-14 (2014)
Dupuy, Trevor N. and Dupuy, R. Ernest. The Encyclopedia of Armed forces History (2nd ed. 1970) pp 730–770
Dwyer, Philip. Napoleon: The Path to Ability (2008) excerpt vol i; Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power (2013) excerpt and text search 5 2; most recent scholarly biography
Elting, John R. Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grand Armee (1988)
Esdaile, Charles. Napoleon's Wars: An International History 1803-1815 (2008), 621pp
Gates, David. The Napoleonic Wars 1803-1815 (NY: Random Business firm, 2011)
Griffith, Paddy. The Art of War of Revolutionary France, 1789–1802 (1998) excerpt and text search
Harvey, Robert (2013). The State of war of Wars. Lawman & Robinson. p. 328. , well-written popular survey of these wars
Haythornthwaite, Philip J. Napoleon's Military Auto (1995) excerpt and text search
Hazen, Charles Downer. The French Revolution and Napoleon (1917) online free
Kagan, Frederick Westward. The Stop of the Onetime Order: Napoleon and Europe, 1801-1805 (2007)
McLynn, Frank. Napoleon: A Biography (1997)
Nafziger, George F. The End of Empire: Napoleon's 1814 Campaign (2014)
Parker, Harold T. "Why Did Napoleon Invade Russia? A Written report in Motivation and the Interrelations of Personality and Social Structure," Periodical of Military History (1990) 54#ii pp 131–46 in JSTOR.
Pope, Stephen (1999). The Cassel Lexicon of the Napoleonic Wars. Cassel. ISBN0-304-35229-2.
Rapport, Mike. The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Brusque Introduction (Oxford UP, 2013)
Riley, Jonathon P. Napoleon every bit a Full general (Hambledon Press, 2007)
Roberts, Andrew. Napoleon: A Life (2014) Major new biography past a leading British historian; 926 pp
Rothenberg, Gunther E. (1988). "The Origins, Causes, and Extension of the Wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon". Periodical of Interdisciplinary History. eighteen (four): 771–793. JSTOR 204824. JSTOR 204824
Rothenberg, E. Gunther. The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (1977)
Schneid, Frederick C. (2011). The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . Mainz: Institute of European History.
Schneid, Frederick C. Napoleon's Conquest of Europe: The War of the Tertiary Coalition (2005) extract and text search
Shoffner, Thomas A. Napoleon's Cavalry: A Key Element to Decisive Victory (2014)
Smith, Digby George. The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Volume: Actions and Losses in Personnel, Colours, Standards and Artillery (1998)