Bedtime Biography: Napoleon The Great summary

The man who would become known to history as Napoleon Bonaparte was born as Napoleone di Buonaparte on August 15, 1769. His birthplace was Corsica, a small, sunny island in the Mediterranean. Though Napoleon would go on to be a hero of France, his parents, Carlo and Letizia di Buonaparte, had Italian roots.

Corsica was a small island, with a rich and distinct culture of its own. But by the time of Napoleon’s birth it had been conquered by France.

A few years after becoming a general, Napoleon was handed control of the Army of Italy – a division of the French Army. 

Napoleon took up his new post on March 26, 1796. His assignment was simple: to drive Austrian forces out of Italy. He was more than ready for the job. For three years he’d studied Italy, forming plans for how to advance through the landscape. 

On November 9, 1799, Napoleon launched his coup. At first it went well, but then, on November 10, Napoleon entered the government’s council chambers to announce his intentions. The council didn’t agree. When the council realized what Napoleon was proposing, they couldn’t hide their anger. “Traitor!” “Outlaw!” “Down with the Dictator!” they cried. Then things turned violent. Politicians lept from their benches to confront Napoleon; they slapped him, grabbed at him, and screamed in his face.

Napoleon quickly fled in some distress. 

Napoleon’s Continental System might have worked in theory, but in practice, it was far from perfect. For one, it was almost impossible to maintain. Sure, some nations might have promised to stop trading with Britain, but that didn’t mean they actually would. And many were bitter that France had tried to interfere with their economic affairs. 

The Russians hated the system especially. They undermined it at every chance, much to the annoyance of the French. The goodwill between the two nations began to erode. Then, in 1810, things finally came to a head. The Tsar broke with France and joined forces with Britain. Once again, Napoleon went to war.

You’ve reached the end of this Bedtime Biography. Thank you for listening. Why not pause listening now so you can stay in a relaxed state? And if you’re off to bed now, I wish you a good night’s sleep.