He was joined in exile by some of his loyal supporters: Marshal Bertrand, Count Montholon and their wives; Count de Las Cases and his young son; General Gourgaud and ten servants, including Marchand and Saint-Denis. In Paris, Napoleon took part in crushing the royalist insurrection against the Convention (13 Vendémiaire Year IV (5 October 1795), which resulted in his being named Division General on 16 October 1795. Realising that he could not launch a direct attack on the English navy (the French suffered a bitter defeat at Trafalgar in 1805), Napoleon decided to weaken England’s economy by imposing a continental blockade in 1806. The French Revolution in 1789 pitched the defenders of the monarchy, the privileged aristocracy and the high-ranking clergymen against the partisans for a more egalitarian society, known as republicans. 1807. Click here to find out more about the Republican calendar. Did you know? 2477 Words 10 Pages. 1797. Coup d’état that established Napoleon as First Consul of France, part of a triumvirate that included Cambacérès and Lebrun. Marie Louise, archduchess of Austria, second wife of Napoleon and mother of his son, Napoleon Francois Joseph Charles Bonaparte. On 15 November, Napoleon launched an attack near Rivoli, and after three days of fighting, achieved victory. Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (referred to as just Talleyrand) was French foreign minister during the early part of Napoleon’s reign. These “Articles”, which were never approved by the Pope, allowed Bonaparte to reinforce his political dominance over the spiritual authority held by the church since the Middle Ages. They met on a raft in the middle of the Niemen River to sign the treaty, which had both a public and a private part. Joseph. Illustration: Georges Rouget, The Religious marriage of Napoleon and Marie-Louise, 2 April 1810 in the Salon Carré at the Louvre, © RMN-Grand Palais (Château de Versailles). It makes for a fitting place to begin our timeline of the Napoleonic Wars. Bibliography. Generally viewed as one of his most brilliant battles, the Battle of Austerlitz was fought in what is now the Czech Republic, with Napoleon trouncing the armies of the Austrian and Russian Empires. Did you know? Italian Campaign. Besides the medal and a title (“Grand Officier”, “Commandants”, “Officier”, “Légionnaire”), the recipient also received a regular allowance for life. In 1771, he succeeded in having his family’s noble Tuscan origins recognised by France, which meant that not only could his sons benefit from study grants handed out by the king, but they could also attend schools reserved for the nobility. 1809. 1794. However, some of the allies were reluctant to apply the blockade with any real conviction for fear that their own trade would suffer, and smuggling increased. But on 1 August, Admiral Nelson blocked the French fleet from escaping and bombarded the ships. On 2 March 1796, the Directory named Napoleon Commander-in-chief of the Armée d’Italie and dispatched him with orders to counter Austrian influence in Italian territory. Browse Collection. Some of these dates are expressed using the system of the Republican calendar. -- June, battles of Ligny and, 1815. France’s repressive response on 3 May fuelled opposition in the country, which was supported by a heavyweight ally, England. George Canning:  Another Foreign Secretary and short-term Prime Minister, Canning was responsible for much of the diplomacy during the early Napoleonic Wars. A week later, the French entered a city soon to be consumed in flames; the Russians had sacrificed it in order to destroy any supplies or ammunition from which the French could have profited. He initially made for the island of Aix, from where he hoped to set sail for (possibly) the United States. -- Peace of Pressburg. 1795. October 17th. The French settlement in Cairo provoked an uprising of the native inhabitants which was harshly suppressed. In History. On 1 March 1815, Napoleon landed at Golfe Juan, crossed the Alps and arrived in Grenoble where an army commanded by Ney awaited him. Little by little he installed family members on the European thrones: his stepson Eugene de Beauharnais was made Viceroy of Italy in 1805, his brothers Louis and Joseph became Kings in Holland and Naples respectively in 1806, and later on, in 1807, Jerome was named to Westphalia. When she and Napoleon failed to have children, she agreed to a divorce. 1806. Napoleon was accompanied by 160 scholars, geologists, botanists, chemists, and doctors. The Convention thus wanted to help young republics known as “sisters” of the Revolution to free themselves from the monarchies of the Ancien Regime and spread revolutionary ideals. Commander of the Army of Italy.-- March 6th. The Légion d’honneur is part of the ‘masses de granit’, the name given by Napoleon to what he considered to be his most important laws that reorganised France during the Consulat. March 13th. 1810. Traditionally, Spain had been an ally of France, playing an important role in the continental blockade of England trade. Assistance could also be accorded to needy members and, concerned about the education of young girls, Bonaparte introduced educational centres for the daughters and granddaughters of titulars. Musée du Château de Versailles © RMN-Grand Palais (Château de Versailles) / Daniel Arnaudet / Jean Schormans. Despite the land-based victory at Abukir on 25 July 1799, Napoleon decided to return to France, arriving back in Paris on 16 October. It was not a military award; civilians, industrialists, scientists and artists, and men and women alike, could all receive the honour. At the same time, the French fleet lay in Abukir Bay, believing itself to be safe and protected. Caricature showing Napoleon (right) and the British Prime-minister William Pitt (left) in 1805 greedily serving themselves large portions of the world. Napoleon’s first few years at school in Autun and then at military school in Brienne were difficult: his Corsican accent and his solitary nature frequently singled him out for teasing and jokes.