Who is Napoleon? Brief biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Interesting facts from the biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Reasons for the defeat of Napoleon in Russia

He was small in stature. There is even an expression “Napoleon complex”, the meaning of which is that a short person, in order to compensate for the lack of growth, seeks to dominate in society. In fact, Napoleon was by no means short! He could complex because of his poverty or provinciality, because of the mocking Corsican accent or disproportionate physique - for various reasons, but not because of growth!

Napoleon was a very famous historical figure, he lived relatively recently, and many documentary sources have been preserved about him. Why is the misconception about his height so widespread?

Reason 1: feet and meters

But what kind of "lines" appear in the number denoting the length of the body?

The fact is that feet and inches, in which his height was indicated, not English but French used before the introduction of the metric system in France. One French foot was equal to 0.3248 m, one inch - 0.0270 m, and one line - 0.002255 m. Thus, Napoleon's real height is 1.6879 m (see, for example:), i.e. rounded 169 cm. But this is at the age of 51, and by this time a person’s height decreases by at least 1 cm. Therefore, most likely, real height of Napoleon - not less than 170 cm. Most of the soldiers and officers of his army were lower! Such a person, neither then nor today, can in any way be called undersized.

However, the named reason is clearly not the only one, because the myth that the great emperor - a short man - appeared during his lifetime.

Reason 2: Evil tongues

However, the propaganda of political opponents is also not the last of the reasons for the emergence of the myth of Napoleon's small stature. Having taken a place at the pinnacle of power, he often showed himself to large masses of people, so why did people, as a rule, not notice that he was very tall?

Reason 3: fallacy of visual perception

The Russian emperor Alexander I was also significantly taller than Napoleon: 178 cm. The meeting of the two emperors at the conclusion of the Tilsit peace in 1807 is captured in images and verbal descriptions, and it is not surprising that Russian eyewitnesses, talking about that meeting, emphasized that “our tsar higher than the French Bonaparte."

Let's also not forget that Napoleon was famous for being an invincible warrior. Of course, in the imagination of people who had not met him before, he seemed to be a strong man of enormous stature, and therefore, seeing a man of average physical data in front of him, many were disappointed that the illustrious hero was not as huge as they expected.

Another factor of perception that affects the assessment of a person's height is physique, body proportions. Napoleon's disproportionately large head visually reduced his height, and when he reached great heights, he became stout, which could also make him seem somewhat lower than he actually was.

The famous emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, despite the fact that he was an ambitious politician, a good statesman and a wise commander who conquered half the world, could not conquer the main enemy - Russia.

Today we have given different examples from different sources, and it is up to you to decide “ Why Bonaparte could not conquer Russia “.

1 source– moiarussia.ru

REASONS FOR THE DEFEAT OF NAPOLEON IN RUSSIA

Once, the great commander of France was asked: “What is the reason for the defeat of the invincible army of the emperor in the war with Russia in 1812?”

From the revelations of Napoleon:

“Cold, early cold and Moscow fire,” Napoleon answered. - I was wrong for a few days. I calculated the [Russian] weather for fifty years, and never did severe frosts begin before December 20, [they always came] twenty days later than they began this time. During my stay in Moscow it was three degrees of cold, - continued Bonaparte, - and the French endured it with pleasure. But during the journey (retreat from Moscow. - Approx. Aut.) The temperature dropped to eighteen degrees, and almost all the horses died. Due to the lack of horses, we could neither make reconnaissance nor send out a cavalry vanguard to find out the way. The soldiers were discouraged and confused. Instead of sticking together, they wandered around in search of fire. Those who were appointed scouts left their posts and went to their homes to warm themselves. They scattered in all directions and easily fell into the hands of enemies. Others lay down on the ground, fell asleep and, sleepy, died. Thousands of soldiers died like this."

A little later, in his diaries, he will note the most unpredictable circumstances that he encountered in Russia, and which literally shocked the great commander of France. Here is some of them:

1. Tactics of the Russian army

By the tactics of the Russian army, Napoleon was defeated both literally and figuratively. The Russian army, under the leadership of General Barclay de Tolly, kept to the tactics of constant retreat. The troops left Vitebsk, Smolensk, Moscow. Before the castling of Tolly and Kutuzov, the French were awarded only two battles.

Napoleon was ambivalent about the retreat of the Russian troops. At the beginning of the campaign, such behavior of the enemy was in the hands of the French emperor, he dreamed of reaching Smolensk with small losses. The French did not capture Smolensk, but received it in a completely unpresentable form. Stopping in the city turned out to be pointless, it was scary to move on. The army, hoping for a blitzkrieg, moved farther, deeper into the vast country.

The soldiers entered the empty cities, finished their last supplies and panicked. Bonaparte, sitting on the island of St. Helena, recalled: “My regiments, amazed that after so many difficult and deadly transitions the fruits of their efforts are constantly moving away from them, began to look with concern at the distance separating them from France.”

2. Thick walls

The story of the impenetrable walls of Smolensk takes up a whole page from Napoleon. From describing the beautiful view of the city, Napoleon turns to senseless attempts to capture it: “I used the entire artillery reserve to break through the curtain wall, but in vain - our cannonballs got stuck in the incredibly thick walls, without producing any effect. There was only one way to make a breach: to direct all our fire against two round towers, but the difference in the thickness of the walls was unknown to us.

3. Fires

If not for the published memoirs of Bonaparte, one would think that it was the French who brought fire to Russian soil. The movement of Napoleon's troops was accompanied by fires - cities and roads were burning. In Smolensk, Gzhatsk, Maly Yaroslavets fires were extinguished by the French themselves. The Russians burned everything - houses, shops, streets, crops. In the middle of Moscow, Napoleon was perplexed - why is it burning? And then sadly, but beautifully, he wrote: “Moscow has turned into a sea of ​​fire. The view from the Kremlin balcony would be worthy of Nero setting fire to Rome, but as for me, I never looked like this monster, and looking at this terrible picture my heart bled.”

4. Cities

The art of Russian architects delighted Napoleon; in his memoirs, he described the towers of Smolensk, distracting himself from wall-beating failures. Moscow completely slew the French emperor: “Built like Rome, on seven hills, Moscow presents a very picturesque view. You need to see the picture that this city presents, semi-European, semi-eastern, with its two hundred churches and a thousand multi-colored domes towering above them, in order to understand the feeling that we experienced when we saw Moscow in front of us from the height of Poklonnaya Gora.

5. Roads

Napoleon went through many Russian roads, and none of them satisfied him. The reason is not the weather, the emperor had a separate opinion about it. In his memoirs, Bonaparte called the Russian roads exceptionally impassable: “The lack of information about the condition of the roads, incomplete and unreliable maps of the region, were the reason that I did not dare to send the corps in different directions, since nothing proved the existence of easy-to-pass roads.”

6. Weather

Napoleon invaded Russia at the beginning of summer, and got out of it closer to spring. The emperor of France managed to form his opinion about the weather in Russia, for example, autumn became "the most beautiful, unusual in these harsh lands." Napoleon had to deal with severe cold at the most unfavorable moment, on the way home: “From November 7, the cold increased and with terrifying speed developed the degree of disorder in the army, which had already begun near Vyazma.”

7. Partisans

It is pleasant to realize that Napoleon was most shocked and delighted by the behavior of the Russian people. Of a people's war, Napoleon said: “The most formidable army cannot successfully wage war against an entire people who have decided to win or die. We were no longer dealing with the inhabitants of Lithuania, indifferent spectators of the great events taking place around them. The entire population, made up of natural Russians, left their homes at our approach. On our way we met only abandoned or burned villages. The fleeing inhabitants formed gangs that acted against our foragers. They did not disturb the troops themselves anywhere, but captured all marauders and stragglers.

2 source - inosmi.info

Why Napoleon failed to conquer Russia in 1812

Napoleon Bonaparte would probably have conquered Russia in 1812 if it had not been for the brain surgery performed by a French surgeon that saved the life of Russian commander Mikhail Kutuzov, scientists have found out. "This is the story of how medicine changed the course of civilization," said Mark Preul, director of research at the American Neurological Institute at Barrow.

For more than two centuries, historians have studied Kutuzov's incredible story, researchers say.

He survived severe head wounds in 1774 and 1788 and subsequently became one of the legendary heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812. After reviewing various sources in Russian and French, the researchers found that the French surgeon Jean Massot played a crucial role in this drama, using methods that heralded the advent of modern neurosurgery to save Kutuzov, who was supposedly mortally wounded. We wanted to find out what really happened and who was this surgeon who saved the life of Mikhail Kutuzov,” Preul said.

Researchers have found evidence that the first bullet wound received in a battle with the Turks in the Crimea in 1774 destroyed the frontal lobe of Kutuzov's brain.

This explains his strange behavior after being wounded, and perhaps points to the origins of the brilliant strategy he used to defeat Napoleon and his seemingly invincible Grand Army.

The injuries likely affected Kutuzov's ability to make decisions. Eyewitnesses note changes in his personality after the first gunshot wound.

Therefore, instead of openly confronting the superior forces of Napoleon in the fall of 1812, Kutuzov leaves Moscow and withdraws the army to a safe place east of the capital.

Napoleon's army, pursuing him, invades Moscow, but is faced with a lack of food, disruption of logistics supplies and the harsh conditions of the Russian winter. Napoleon left the army in December and returned to Paris defeated.

“Other military leaders thought Kutuzov was crazy, and perhaps he was. Brain surgery saved Kutuzov's life, but his brain and eye were severely damaged," Preul said.

“However, ironically, the healing process allowed him to make what turned out to be the best decision. If he had not been wounded, he could have fought openly with Napoleon and lost,” the researcher believes.

3 source– answer.mail.ru

Napoleon did not at all seek to conquer Russia in the classical sense. The main enemy of France at this point was England. After the defeat of the French fleet at Trafalgar, Napoleon was unable to land troops in England. He tried to defeat England economically - he announced the "Continental Blockade". That is, he forbade the states dependent on France (at that time, almost all of Europe) to trade with England. After the defeat of Russia in the war of 1806-1807, Alexander I was forced to join the blockade. However, this caused serious economic damage to Russia. France could not replace England either in exports or in Russian imports. Russia increasingly violated the conditions of the Continental Blockade. Napoleon did not seek to conquer Russia, he wanted to defeat the Russian army and put Russia in a dependent position, and this was quite possible. Since the Russian army would be defeated, then Napoleon could force Alexander to fulfill any of his demands. That was the main purpose of the war.

4 source banopart-napoleon.com

Defeat of Napoleon, reasons

French prospectors learned that lice, or, more precisely, the ailments they spread, played a significant role in the defeat of Napoleon's army in 1812.

Scientists tested the pulp of the teeth of the Napoleonic army soldiers killed during the Russian campaign, and noticed that among the French army, typhus and trench fever carried by lice were rampant.

The findings of experts from one of the institutes in Marseille are published in the scientific publication Journal of Infections Diseases.

Napoleon set foot on native territory in 1812 with an army of 500,000. Only a few, wounded, weakened by cold and disease, managed to return to France.

Thus, in 1812 only 25,000 Frenchmen came to Vilnius, and only 3,000 managed to endure all the hardships. soup from them.

The dead were buried in common graves. In 2001, master builders accidentally unearthed one of these burials. They found the remains of 2 to the creeping one.

Scientists, among other things, analyzed the pulp of 72 teeth extracted from the remains of 35 Napoleonic soldiers.

In 7 fighters, DNA of the causative agent of trench fever was noticed. Three more have DNA from the causative agent of typhoid. In cumulative difficulty, scientists concluded, judging by the remains, 29% of the fighter experienced some kind of illness.

Researchers say that one of the main reasons for the loss of Napoleon in the Russian Federation was the lice and ailments that they spread.

Scientists think that similar studies of DNA extracted from the pulp of dead soldiers have every chance of being a relevant tool in the hands of historians trying to unravel the root causes of the loss of any army.

Scientist Carol Reeves, who specializes in the situation of medicine, sees in the search for personal employees a delicate mockery. The fact is that in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo, the teeth of the killed French soldiers were collected as trophies and then used for the production of dentures.

“Wherever there is war, there are diseases,” she said. “Until the First World War, soldiers often died specifically from diseases, and not during the fighting.”

5 source– inosmi.ru

Napoleon was not defeated by the Russians

Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture exaggerates the role of cannons. Joe Knight

History teaches us that Napoleon, who invaded Russia in 1812, reached Moscow with most of his soldiers intact, and retreated only because the Muscovites burned three-quarters of their city, leaving the army without food and supplies. On the way back, the army was destroyed by the harsh Russian winter. The defeat inflicted on Napoleon by the Russians, to which Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture is dedicated, was one of the greatest in military history.

However, so far no one has paid tribute to the factor that, in essence, played a key role in this war.

In the winter of 2001, workers dug a trench for a telephone cable in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius at the site of demolished Soviet barracks that had stood for decades. The bulldozer dug up something white. The bulldozer driver got out of the cab to see what it was, and - to his surprise - found a skull and other parts of the human skeleton. Another worker later said, "there were a whole bunch of these things, just thousands." Eight years earlier, a grave containing the remains of 700 people murdered by the Soviet State Security Committee (KGB) had been found in the city. Could this also be one of those secret places where the KGB disposed of its victims? Or maybe the workers found a mass grave of Jews who were killed by the Nazis?

Arriving archaeologists from Vilnius University found that the bodies were stacked in three rows in trenches that appear to have been dug as defensive positions. Apparently, the skeletons belonged to the soldiers. In total, 2 thousand skeletons were found, as well as belt buckles with regiment numbers. Among the bones were also found 20-franc coins from the early 1800s. This led scientists to the idea that in front of them were the remains of the soldiers of the French Grand Army. Napoleon, intending to conquer Russia, brought 600 thousand people into it. Of these, only about 30 thousand survived, less than a thousand of which were able to return to service in the future.

But what incredible circumstances caused the defeat of one of the greatest armies on the European continent, led by one of the greatest generals in history? In a strange way, it was not enemy soldiers and not the usual hardships of a camp life that killed her. Most of Napoleon's soldiers were young men, hardened in battle and quite capable of enduring cold, hunger, long marches and fatigue. The end of Napoleon's great conquest plans was put by a microorganism that destroyed and annihilated his army. It was the typhus microbe carried by the lice.

Initially, Napoleon had no real reason to invade Russia. In June 1807, he defeated the Russian army in the battle of Friedland, and on July 7, 1807, he signed the Peace of Tilsit with Tsar Alexander I of Russia, which made Russia and France allies (and also, among other things, forbade Russia to trade with England). Oddly enough, Napoleon did not take land from Russia and did not demand reparations. By early 1812, Napoleon controlled most of the territory between Spain and Russia. However, England controlled the seas, and Napoleon wanted to capture India, which was then an English colony. He could get to it only by land, and for this he had to take Russia under his control.

After the Peace of Tilsit, France and Russia became allies, but their alliance was unreliable. Russia violated the treaty by trading with England. Eventually, Napoleon grew fed up with this state of affairs and used the breach of treaty as an excuse to start a war. In June 1812, the Napoleonic army assembled in eastern Germany. On June 22, 1812, Napoleon held a review of his troops on the western bank of the Neman with great pomp. His engineers built a pontoon bridge across the river, and the next day the army entered Russian-controlled Poland. Everything went well. In the summer, although it was hot and dry, it was easy to march on the roads. The supply columns kept slightly ahead of the troops, so provisions were available and the soldiers were healthy. Although military hospitals were set up on the way to Poland in Magdeburg, Erfurt, Posen and Berlin, they were not needed. The army reached Vilnius in four days without encountering resistance.

However, it was in Poland that Napoleon got into trouble. The region turned out to be incredibly dirty. The peasants were unwashed, their matted hair was infested with lice and fleas, and the wells were filthy. In enemy territory, the carts were forced to stay behind the troops. The roads were monstrously dusty or deeply pitted by spring rains, and as a result the wagon trains fell further and further behind, which meant difficulties with water and provisions. The army was so large that it could not hold the line, and a fair part of it turned into randomly scattered crowds. Many soldiers ravaged peasant houses and fields, took away cattle. Almost 20 thousand army horses fell on the way to Vilnius from lack of water and fodder. The houses of the peasants were so dirty that they seemed alive because of the abundance of cockroaches. Typical army diseases began to appear - dysentery and other intestinal ailments - and although new hospitals were established in Danzig, Königsberg and Thorn, they could not cope with the influx of sick soldiers sent to the rear by the authorities.

But that was only the beginning.

A few days after crossing the Neman, many soldiers developed a fever. A red rash appeared on their bodies. The faces of some of them turned blue, after which the patients quickly died. So the Grand Army met with typhus.

Typhoid existed in Poland and Russia for many years, but after the retreating Russian army devastated Poland before Napoleon's forces, the situation worsened. Poor sanitation, combined with unusually hot summers, provided an ideal environment for lice to spread. Typhus is caused by the microorganism Rickettsia prowazekii. Only a century after the campaign of 1812, scientists will find out that the causative agent of typhoid must be looked for in the feces of lice.

The typical French soldier was dirty and sweaty and rarely changed. This made it easy for the lice to feed on his body and hide in the seams of his clothes. When clothes and skin are infected with lice excrement, the slightest scratch or abrasion is enough for the causative agent of typhoid to enter the body. The situation was aggravated by the fact that, for security reasons, the soldiers, who feared attacks by the Russians or the revenge of the Poles, slept in large groups in a cramped space. This allowed the lice to move onto the bodies of those who had not yet been infected. In just a month of campaigning, Napoleon lost 80,000 soldiers who died or became incapable of service from typhus. Chief Surgeon Baron D.Zh. Larrey established the best medical and sanitation in the world in the French army, but an epidemic of this magnitude was impossible to curb. A witness reports how one of the soldiers encountered lice.

“Bourgogne fell asleep on a bed of reeds, but he was quickly awakened by lice. Finding himself literally covered in them, he took off his pants and shirt and threw them into the fire. They exploded with such a roar, as if two infantry ranks had fired a volley. He couldn't get rid of the lice for two months. All his companions also got lice, many were bitten and fell ill with spotted fever (typhoid).

On July 28, three generals told Napoleon that the war with the Russians was taking a dangerous turn. Losses from disease and desertion reduced the combat strength, in fact, by half. In addition, it was difficult to establish supplies in hostile territory. Napoleon listened to their arguments and agreed to end the campaign, but two days later he changed his mind and told his generals: “The danger itself is pushing us towards Moscow. Die is cast. Victory will save us and justify us.”

So Napoleon moved on with his sick and tired soldiers. August 17, he took Smolensk, shortly after that Valutino. The Russians retreated, pulling Napoleon, who had divided the army into three parts, deep into their territory. By August 25, Napoleon had lost 105,000 of his main army of 265,000. Thus, he had only 160,000 soldiers left. Two weeks later, due to typhus, there were already 103,000 of them.

The troops of Russian General Mikhail Kutuzov took up defensive positions near Borodino, about 70 miles west of Moscow. On September 7, the French army entered the battle with the Russians. Both sides suffered heavy losses. Napoleon approached Moscow, but his victory turned out to be pyrrhic - only about 90 thousand French soldiers remained in the ranks. Napoleon expected the Russians to surrender, but the townspeople simply left Moscow to him. By the time Napoleon arrived, three-quarters of the city had been burned, and the French had no food or other supplies. Fifteen thousand reinforcements approached the city, but 10 thousand of these soldiers died of disease. The Russian winter was rapidly approaching, and Napoleon decided to retreat to France - he had no other choice. With the remnants of the army, he hobbled to Smolensk, where he hoped to find food and shelter. However, having reached the city on November 8, the commander found that the hospitals were already overcrowded with the sick and wounded. Discipline in the army was falling, and the final blow was that the supplies Napoleon had hoped for had already been spent by the reserves. On November 13, the army left Smolensk and on December 8 reached Vilnius. By this time, only 20 thousand soldiers could fight in it. Upon learning of the coup attempt undertaken in France by General Claude Francois de Male, Napoleon left General Joachim Murat in his place and hurried to Paris. Murat did not defend Vilnius and, leaving artillery and booty looted in Moscow to the advancing Russians, retreated to the Neman. On December 14, when he crossed the river, he had less than 40 thousand people, mostly incapacitated. Thus ended Napoleon's great dream of marching to India through Russia.

Many of the dead soldiers were buried in defensive trenches dug during the retreat. It was in one of these trenches that builders stumbled upon the remains of the Napoleonic Great Army two centuries later.

Didier Raoult, a researcher at Marseille Mediterranean University, analyzed the pulp of 72 teeth taken from the remains of 35 soldiers found in Vilnius. Seven soldiers had DNA in their pulps from the microorganism Bartonella Quintana, which causes trench fever, another louse-borne disease that was common during the First World War. The pulps of three more soldiers contained DNA segments from R. prowazekii, the cause of epidemic typhus. In total, traces of the presence of R. prowazekii or B. quintana were found in 29% of the remains, which means that lice were one of the important factors that contributed to the defeat of Napoleon.

Most Americans are familiar with the finale of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, commissioned by Russia to commemorate the victory over Napoleon. It ends with cannon shots and the ringing of bells, however, if Tchaikovsky had wanted to capture the true sounds of Napoleon's defeat, we would have heard only the soft and quiet rustle of lice biting into human flesh. An organism that is too small to be visible to the human eye has changed the course of human history.

6 source– dic.academic.ru

The Patriotic War of 1812 (fr. Сampagne de Russie pendant l'ann?e 1812 - the war between Russia and Napoleonic France on the territory of Russia in 1812.

The reasons for the war were Russia's refusal to actively support the continental blockade, which Napoleon saw as the main weapon against Great Britain, as well as Napoleon's policy towards European states.

At the first stage of the war (from June to September 1812), the Russian army fought back from the borders of Russia to Moscow, giving the battle of Borodino before Moscow.

At the second stage of the war (from October to December 1812), the Napoleonic army first maneuvered, trying to leave for winter quarters in areas not devastated by the war, and then retreated to the borders of Russia, pursued by the Russian army, hunger and frost.

The war ended with the almost complete destruction of the Napoleonic army, the liberation of the territory of Russia and the transfer of hostilities to the lands of the Duchy of Warsaw and Germany in 1813 (see War of the Sixth Coalition). Among the reasons for the defeat of Napoleon's army, the Russian historian N. Troitsky names the popular participation in the war and the heroism of the Russian army, the unpreparedness of the French army for military operations in large spaces and in the natural and climatic conditions of Russia, military leadership talents of the Russian commander in chief M. I. Kutuzov and other generals.

Why Napoleon Bonaparte failed to conquer Russia in 1812 - reasons, studies, history updated:

He portrayed Napoleon as a man with a comical appearance and behavior: a short man, taking majestic poses. The emperor was indeed short, but not so short as to be considered the subject of ridicule. If we shift his height - 5 feet and 2 inches - to our metric system, it turns out almost 170 cm. Today we would call such a man small, but at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, such growth was quite normal.

Napoleon is not only an emperor, but also an academician. He became a member of the French Academy of Sciences for mathematical research: in particular, for deriving "his" theorem.

The emperor was a rather fearless person, but he was very afraid of cats.

Napoleon was considered a fan of good opera, especially Italian. But he did not show emotions either before or after the performance. Those who performed on stage did not expect a single clap from him. It is clear that the rest of the audience, seeing that the emperor did not applaud, did not do it themselves. One can only imagine how the actors felt when they finished the performance and heard the deathly silence ...

Willy-nilly, Napoleon enriched our Russian language. After all, it was his captured soldiers, hungry and chilled to the bone, who asked the Russians for help, turning to them “dear friend!” (in French - "cher ami"). So in our lexicon, another well-aimed word appeared, denoting a swindler, a swindler and a rogue - "sharomyzhnik".

Any ordinary person who finds himself in a stressful situation is unlikely to close his eyes from the experience. But for Napoleon, the most decisive moments of his life were an occasion to “reset the program” in his head: this was the case during the battles near Austerlitz and Wagram. The emperor fell asleep instantly - as if he was turning off. Although he slept very little: for a good rest, he had about three hours a day.

Napoleon was known not only for his fearlessness (in everything except for cats), but also for his cruelty. Once, when a shell fell nearby, which was about to explode, all the “brave men” surrounding the commander fled. To teach them a lesson in courage, the emperor rode up to the projectile on a horse and stood so that the deadly weapon was right above her belly. There was a deafening explosion, the horse with its entrails torn to shreds fell dead, and the rider was alive and unharmed and demanded a new horse.

Napoleon could boast of excellent health: he had never been seriously treated for anything. And only during the last exile - to the island of St. Helena - fell ill with an incomprehensible disease that killed him a few years later. But there is an opinion that it was not a disease, but small portions of arsenic, which were daily mixed into the food of the disgraced emperor by his ill-wisher ...

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The biographies of Napoleon and Hitler have very little in common. But the magic of numbers is really amazing. Many significant events in their lives happened with a difference of 129 years.

Comparison table of dates:

(The facts that most sources refer to are taken for verification.)

• - For some reason, many people confuse the year of Napoleon's birth, hence a number of absurdities with numbers arise. (Accidentally or on purpose, that's another story altogether);
• - Coming to power, a very loose concept (Depending in what country and in what position);
• - Confusion in different styles of calendars.

(* Conclusion: It is very indirectly possible to talk about coincidences (they exist), because this way you can adjust many dates in the biographies of many accomplished adults (For example: Today, many go to school for the first time at the age of 7 - just mysticism))

Similar patterns were observed in the biographies of the 16th and 35th US President: Abraham Lincoln / John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

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The brief biography of Napoleon Bonaparte for children and adults presented in this article will surely interest you. The name of this has long become a household name not only because of his talent and intelligence, but also thanks to the incredible ambitions, as well as the dizzying career that he managed to make.

The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte is marked by the rapid rise of his military career. Entering the service at the age of 16, he became a general at the age of 24. Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor at the age of 34. Interesting facts from the biography of the French commander are numerous. Among his skills and features were very unusual. It is said that he read at an incredible speed - about 2 thousand words per minute. In addition, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte could sleep for a long time for 2-3 hours a day. Interesting facts from the biography of this person, we hope, aroused your interest in his personality.

Events in Corsica leading up to the birth of Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor, was born on August 15, 1769. He was born on the island of Corsica, in the city of Ajaccio. The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte would probably have turned out differently if the political situation of that time had been different. His native island was for a long time in the possession of the Republic of Genoa, but in 1755 Corsica overthrew the rule of Genoa. After that, for several years it was an independent state, ruled by Pasquale Paole, a local landowner. Carlo Buonaparte (his portrait is presented below), Napoleon's father, served as his secretary.

In 1768, she sold France the rights to Corsica. And a year later, after the local rebels were defeated by French troops, Pasquale Paole moved to England. Napoleon himself was not a direct participant in these events and even their witness, since he was born only 3 months later. Nevertheless, Paole's personality played a big role in shaping his character. For a long 20 years, this man became the idol of such a French commander as Napoleon Bonaparte. The biography for children and adults of Bonaparte, presented in this article, continues with a story about his origin.

Origin of Napoleon

Letizia Ramalino and Carlo Buonaparte, the parents of the future emperor, were petty nobles. There were 13 children in the family, of which Napoleon was the second oldest. True, five of his sisters and brothers died in childhood.

The father of the family was one of the ardent supporters of the independence of Corsica. He participated in the drafting of the Corsican Constitution. But in order for his children to be educated, he began to show loyalty to the French. After some time, Carlo Buonaparte even became a representative of the nobility of Corsica in the French Parliament.

Studying in Ajaccio

It is known that Napoleon, as well as his sisters and brothers, received their primary education in the city school of the city of Ajaccio. After that, the future emperor began to study mathematics and writing with the local abbot. Carlo Buonaparte, as a result of interaction with the French, managed to obtain royal scholarships for Napoleon and Joseph, his older brother. Joseph was to make a career as a priest, and Napoleon was to become a military man.

cadet school

The biography of Napoleon Bonaparte continues already in Autun. It was here that the brothers left in 1778 to study French. A year later, Napoleon entered the cadet school located in Brienne. He was an excellent student and showed a special talent in mathematics. In addition, Napoleon liked to read books on various topics - philosophy, history, geography. The favorite historical characters of the future emperor were Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. However, at this time, Napoleon had few friends. Both the Corsican origin and accent (Napoleon never managed to get rid of it), as well as the tendency to loneliness and complex character, played a role in this.

Father's death

He later went on to study at the Royal Cadet School. Napoleon graduated ahead of schedule in 1785. At the same time, his father died, and he had to take his place as head of the family. The elder brother was not suitable for this role, since he did not differ in leadership inclinations, like Napoleon.

Military career

Napoleon Bonaparte began his military career in Valence. The biography, the summary of which is the topic of this article, continues in this city, located in the center of the Rhone lowland. Here Napoleon served as a lieutenant. Some time later he was transferred to Oxonne. The future emperor at that time read a lot, and also tried himself in the literary field.

The military biography of Napoleon Bonaparte, one might say, gained momentum in the decade following the end of the cadet school. In just 10 years, the future emperor managed to go through the entire hierarchy of ranks in the French army of that time. In 1788, the future emperor tried to get into the service and in the Russian army, but he was refused.

Napoleon met the French Revolution in Corsica where he was on vacation. He accepted and supported her. Moreover, Napoleon was noted as an excellent commander at the time he was made a brigadier general, and then the commander of the Italian army.

Marriage to Josephine

An important event in Napoleon's personal life took place in 1796. It was then that he married the count's widow Josephine Beauharnais.

Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars

Napoleon Bonaparte, whose full biography is presented in an impressive volume of books, was recognized as the best French commander after he inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy in Sardinia and Austria. It was then that he rose to a new level, starting the "Napoleonic Wars". They lasted almost 20 years, and it was thanks to them that such a commander as Napoleon Bonaparte, a biography, became known to the whole world. A brief summary of the further path to world glory, passed by him, is as follows.

The French Directory was unable to maintain the gains that the revolution brought. This became apparent in 1799. Napoleon, along with his army, was at that time in Egypt. After his return, he broke up the Directory thanks to the support of the people. On November 19, 1799, Bonaparte proclaimed the regime of the consulate, and 5 years later, in 1804, he declared himself emperor.

Domestic policy of Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte, whose biography by this time had already been marked by many achievements, decided in his own to focus on strengthening his own power, which was supposed to serve as a guarantee of the civil rights of the French population. In 1804, the Napoleonic Code, a code of civil rights, was adopted for this purpose. In addition, a tax reform was carried out, as well as the creation of the French Bank, owned by the state. The French education system was created under Napoleon. Catholicism was recognized as the religion of the majority of the population, but freedom of religion was not abolished.

Economic blockade of England

England was the main opponent of France's industry and capital in the European market. This country financed military operations against it on the continent. England attracted major European powers such as Austria and Russia to its side. Thanks to a number of French military operations carried out against Russia, Austria and Prussia, Napoleon was able to annex to his country the lands that previously belonged to Holland, Belgium, Italy and Northern Germany. The defeated countries had no choice but to make peace with France. Napoleon declared an economic blockade of England. He banned trade relations with this country. However, this measure also hit the French economy. France was unable to replace British products in the European market. This was not able to foresee Napoleon Bonaparte. A brief biography in abbreviation should not dwell on this, so let's continue our story.

Decline in authority, the birth of an heir

The economic crisis and protracted wars led to a decrease in the authority of Napoleon Bonaparte among the French who had previously supported him. In addition, it turned out that no one threatens France, and Bonaparte's ambitions are due only to concern for the state of his dynasty. In order to leave an heir, he divorced Josephine, since she could not give him a child. In 1810, Napoleon married Marie-Louise, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. In 1811, the long-awaited heir was born. However, the public did not approve of marriage with a woman from the Austrian royal family.

War with Russia and exile to the Elbe

In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to start a war with Russia, whose brief biography, largely due to this, is of interest to many of our compatriots. Like other states, Russia once supported the blockade of England, but did not seek to comply with it. This step was fatal for Napoleon. Defeated, he abdicated. The former French emperor was sent to the island of Elba, located in the Mediterranean Sea.

Napoleon's revenge and final defeat

After the abdication of Bonaparte, representatives of the Bourbon dynasty returned to France, as well as their heirs, who sought to regain their position and fortune. This caused discontent among the population. On February 25, 1815, Napoleon fled from Elba. He returned in triumph to France. Only a very brief biography of Napoleon Bonaparte can be presented in one article. Therefore, let us say only that he resumed the war, but France could no longer bear this burden. Napoleon was finally defeated at Waterloo, after 100 days of revenge. This time he was exiled to St. Helena, which was much farther away than before, so it was more difficult to escape from it. Here the former emperor spent the last 6 years of his life. He never saw his wife and son again.

Death of the former emperor

Bonaparte's health began to deteriorate rapidly. He died on May 5, 1821, presumably from cancer. According to another version, Napoleon was poisoned. A very popular opinion is that the former emperor was given arsenic. However, have you been poisoned? The fact is that Napoleon was afraid of this and voluntarily took small doses of arsenic, thus trying to develop immunity to it. Of course, such a procedure would certainly end tragically. Be that as it may, even today it is impossible to say with complete certainty why Napoleon Bonaparte died. His brief biography, presented in this article, ends here.

It must be added that he was first buried on the island of St. Helena, but in 1840 his remains were reburied in Paris, in Les Invalides. The monument on the grave of the former emperor is made of Karelian porphyry, which was presented to the government of France by Nicholas I, the Russian emperor.

According to historians, the French emperor understood the destructiveness of the war with Russia

“If I take Kyiv, I will take Russia by the legs; if I take Petersburg, I will take her by the head. But if I enter Moscow, I will strike Russia in the very heart. These words of Napoleon, which he allegedly uttered on the eve of the invasion of Russia, are known to everyone from school. Based on these words, Napoleon's plan to attack Russia and occupy Moscow was for a long time considered an indisputable fact.

However, this phrase came from the pen of the Abbot de Pradt, Napoleon's representative in Poland during the war of 1812. He began his memoirs a few years after the events described, and they are so full of fiction that it is impossible to believe them.

And what can you believe? Oleg Sokolov, president of the All-Russian military-historical public movement, historian, author of the books "Napoleon's Army", "Austerlitz: Napoleon, Russia and Europe in 1799-1805" is sure of official documents.

He is currently working on a new book on the War of 1812. The events described in it are based solely on facts - orders and other documents that have survived to this day in Russian and French archives. At the same time, Oleg Sokolov is convinced, several sensational discoveries await readers. One of them is the plan of Napoleon's military campaign against Russia.

Speaking of the war of 1812, we must remember that by this time Russia and France were allies. In 1807, the Peace of Tilsit was concluded between them. According to its terms, Russia joined the continental blockade of England, recognized all the conquests of Napoleon in Europe. She even fought on the side of France with the Austrians. And although it was more like the appearance of hostilities - during the fighting between the Russians and the Austrians, 3 soldiers were killed - nevertheless, officially, relations between Moscow and Paris were allied.

But if Napoleon strove for a long and lasting friendship with Russia, then Alexander I from the very beginning perceived this alliance as a temporary truce. And the point is not only that in society he was reproached for the shameful terms of the Tilsit Treaty. The Russian ruling circles were seriously worried about the growing power of the French Empire. In addition, Napoleon revived Poland, which was completely unacceptable for Russia, Oleg Sokolov tells the Voice of Russia.

"As you know, in 1772-1795 Poland was divided three times between Austria, Prussia and Russia. Russia received the largest Polish territories. The country of Poland disappeared. And so Napoleon restored that part of it that was once torn away in favor of Prussia and Austria Thus, by 1810 Poland was actually revived, although formally it was called the Duchy of Warsaw," continues Oleg Sokolov.

“But without the lands that had ceded to Russia, Poland was clearly incomplete. And on the part of the Poles one could expect actions aimed at further restoring the country. Therefore, among the Russian ruling circles, the decision was ripe to launch a preventive strike against the Duchy of Warsaw, destroy it, then raise an uprising among those European countries that are dissatisfied with the policies of Napoleon, and deliver a decisive blow to France. This point of view, which Alexander shared, became dominant among the top of Russian society in 1811, "the historian notes.

Napoleon was told about these plans by the commander-in-chief of the troops of the Duchy of Warsaw, Józef Poniatowski. Since February 1811, he began to bombard the French emperor with letters of cries for help, continues Oleg Sokolov.

“The Russian army is concentrating on our border,” Poniatowski writes. “Its task is to attack the Duchy of Warsaw and destroy it. Alexander wants to proclaim himself the Polish king. Sir, they will attack us, if not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow. Save! We will do our duty and fight to the last, but the Russians will simply trample us. There are 40 thousand of us and 200 thousand of them.”

“Already in 1811, an order was given to evacuate Warsaw. All archives, all ammunition were taken away from the border. Hundreds of letters and reports fall on Napoleon’s desk. And if at first he believed that the Poles were exaggerating and themselves trying to sow conflict, then by summer 1811, he has no doubt that the Russian army is preparing to strike at the Duchy of Warsaw and then to destroy Napoleonic France," the historian notes.

Indeed, in February 1811, an order was given to move Russian troops to the Polish border. Reports about the upcoming Russian offensive are coming in batches to Paris. And exactly one year later, in February 1812, Napoleon orders the troops of the Great Army to gather at the borders of Russia. But what did the emperor of the French have in mind? Having studied the documents, Oleg Sokolov judges this with all certainty.

"You can only believe those orders that in February-May 1812 were given by Napoleon to Marshal Davout, Eugene Beauharnais, Prince Jerome Bonaparte. There are dozens of them, these orders, and Napoleon's plan is clearly visible in them. It consists in defeating the Russian army on the Vistula line near Warsaw.To hold the offensive of the Russian army on Warsaw under its right wing, which will include the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth corps of the Great Army, and the left wing, consisting of the first, second, third corps, as well as three cavalry corps, deliver a powerful blow from the north and defeat the Russian army near Warsaw."

“That is, this is a war on the territory of Poland, which Napoleon expected to end in about 20 days,” says the historian. “After that, it was supposed to conclude a victorious peace with Russia, which would bring the restoration of if not all of Poland within the borders of 1772, then at least its large part, plus other political conditions that would guarantee the calm of the French Empire from the east side.

This plan remained in effect until June 1812. But neither in April, nor in May, nor at the beginning of June 1812 did the Russian army go on the offensive. The Russian command was very well aware of what was happening in France. The scouts were very active. In particular, the most detailed reports on the movements of the French army were transmitted from Paris. And when they saw in Moscow those gigantic forces that Napoleon moved to the Russian borders, the offensive fervor somehow subsided immediately.

“When the Russian command received information about what huge forces were gathering from the other side, their desire to attack disappeared. But the Napoleonic army was already moving towards the borders. The regiments were stretching from Milan and Amsterdam, from Paris and Valencia,” Oleg Sokolov notes. Many soldiers traveled three or four thousand kilometers to their designated collection points, and when this armada approached the Neman in early June, it simply could not stop, otherwise, like locusts, it would eat everything around in one or two days. "The Russian army did not undertake offensive operations, Napoleon decided to cross the Neman himself. But he was absolutely sure that the Russians were waiting for him on the other side of the river to give a decisive battle there. That is, in the new campaign plan, neither Moscow nor St. didn't exist either."

"It was about crossing the Neman, attacking the Russian army, occupying Vilna and concluding a victorious peace. All orders issued before June 24 - the moment of crossing the Neman, speak of a 20-day campaign. About the need to have food for 20 days , ammunition for 20 days, etc. Even when his army crossed the Neman, the emperor had no doubt that the Russians were about to rush to meet him and a battle would take place that would decide the fate of the war. That is why Napoleon was preparing not a long war, but one uncompromising blow, after which there should not have been any questions," said Oleg Sokolov.

Thus, Napoleon counted on a short victorious military operation. War in Poland. An exclusively political war, in order to remain friends and allies with Alexander after the conclusion of peace.

But the Russian army began its retreat, and all the plans of the French emperor collapsed. The war went according to a completely different scenario and ended in an absolutely unpredictable way for Napoleon, who did not know defeat. His military genius could not penetrate the Russian soul. And even this first lesson did not teach the great strategist anything. A little later, Napoleon would be shocked by the Moscow fire - a blow from which the Emperor of France was never able to recover.