Napoleon Bonaparte

1769–1821 · Corsican/French · French Revolutionary & Napoleonic Era

Known for: Emperor who conquered most of Europe, reformed French law, and was defeated at Waterloo

Napoleon rose from minor Corsican nobility to become Emperor of France and master of continental Europe. He was a military genius who won 50+ major battles, reformed French law (the Napoleonic Code still underpins legal systems worldwide), and modernized administration, education, and infrastructure across his empire.

He crowned himself Emperor in 1804, conquered most of Europe by 1812, then overreached by invading Russia—losing 500,000 men in the catastrophic retreat from Moscow. He was exiled to Elba, escaped, returned to power for 100 days, lost at Waterloo, and was exiled to Saint Helena, where he died at 51.

He's simultaneously one of history's greatest military commanders and one of its most destructive—the Napoleonic Wars killed an estimated 3-6 million people. He also reintroduced slavery in French colonies after the Revolution had abolished it.

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