Napoleon Bonaparte

A short French man who can become a great ruler of France, can conquer most of Europe unless Russia and Britain. Nowadays, his myth and name is remembered as a great emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte.

As a child at a French military school, Napoleon Bonaparte dreamt of battles and victory. And it was, indeed, through victory in battle that Napoleon became a great power.

He was born on the island of Corsica in 1769. Sent to military school at the age of nine, he soon proved himself to be an avid leader with an amazing memory. After finishing school, he served as a lieutenant. He was a useful and capable officer. When he was only twenty seven, he assumed command of the Army of the Italy. Victory followed victory, and political soon followed. In the wake of the French Revolution, Napoleon represented a new beginning to the French people. In 1800, he became First Consul of France. In 1804, he crowned himself Emperor of France.

But Victory was not always to be his. Napoleon made tactical blunders in Spain again in Russia. He then several battles as invading armies tried to take over France. By 1814, Paris surrendered. The city was quickly occupied, and Napoleon was forced to flee to the island of Elba. He was to return briefly to power, only to fall again in defeat at the famous battle Waterloo. France lost, UK, Austria and Russia won. He was exiled to the tiny, isolated island of St. Helena, where he died at the age of 51.

Napoleon was often accused of being power hungry and egotistical. He did nonetheless turn his dreams of battle and victory into a reality, ruling Europe for a decade and leaving a lasting imprint on the generations who followed.