68 moments

1. Born at Maison Bonaparte

   1769-08-15 · Maison Bonaparte, Ajaccio, Corsica, France

   

   Napoleon was born in his family's house in Ajaccio, beginning a life closely associated with both Corsica and mainland France. Coordinates identify Maison Bonaparte.

2. Enrolls at school in Autun

   1779-01-01 · Autun, Burgundy, France

   

   At age nine, Napoleon relocated to mainland France and attended a religious school in Autun to improve his French. The source supports month precision but does not identify the exact school building.

3. Stationed at Valence

   1785-11-03 · Valence, Drôme, France

   

   The newly commissioned artillery officer began active service at Valence, one of his earliest mainland postings. Settlement coordinates are used because the quoted chronology does not specify a barracks.

4. Bombards La Maddalena from Santo Stefano

   1793-02-24 · Santo Stefano Island, La Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia, Italy

   

   During his first military expedition, Napoleon directed artillery from Santo Stefano against La Maddalena before the operation collapsed. The quotation establishes presence during the 22–25 February operation; the card uses the documented bombardment date.

5. Takes up Army of Italy post at Nice

   1793-12-01 · Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

   

   After promotion following Toulon, Napoleon went to Nice as artillery inspector for the Army of Italy. Month follows the post-Toulon appointment chronology; the source does not provide an exact arrival date.

6. Leads artillery at Toulon

   1793-12-16 · Fort Balaguier area, La Seyne-sur-Mer, Toulon, France

   

   Napoleon joined the night assault that captured the positions dominating Toulon harbour and was wounded in the thigh. Coordinates represent the Balaguier–Éguillette battlefield; fighting continued overnight into 17 December.

7. Wins at Montenotte

   1796-04-12 · Montenotte Superiore, Cairo Montenotte, Liguria, Italy

   

   Napoleon achieved the first victory of his independent Italian command, helping separate the Austrian and Piedmontese armies. Coordinates represent Montenotte Superiore and the surrounding battlefield.

8. Commands the Battle of Lodi

   1796-05-10 · Bridge over the Adda, Lodi, Lombardy, Italy

   

   Napoleon commanded the French victory at Lodi, where the seizure of the Adda bridge became central to his emerging legend. Coordinates identify the historic Adda crossing in Lodi.

9. Enters Milan after Lodi

   1796-05-15 · Milan, Lombardy, Italy

   

   Napoleon entered Milan in triumph after the victory at Lodi, consolidating French control in Lombardy.

10. Attacks at Castiglione

    1796-08-05 · Castiglione delle Stiviere, Lombardy, Italy

    

    Napoleon directed the French attack that defeated Wurmser's Austrian army during the first attempt to relieve Mantua. Settlement coordinates represent the battlefield area.

11. Defeats Wurmser at Bassano

    1796-09-08 · Bassano del Grappa, Veneto, Italy

    

    Napoleon's army defeated Wurmser at Bassano, capturing thousands of Austrian soldiers and extensive artillery and supplies.

12. Carries the standard at Arcole

    1796-11-15 · Arcole Bridge area, Arcole, Veneto, Italy

    

    Attempting to inspire a stalled assault near Arcole bridge, Napoleon exposed himself under intense Austrian fire and fell into a muddy ditch. The bridge and waterways have changed; coordinates represent the historic Arcole crossing area.

13. Resides at Villa Manin

    1797-01-01 · Villa Manin, Passariano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

    

    During negotiations with Austria, Napoleon used the last Venetian doge's country mansion near Codroipo as his residence. The source gives no narrower residence dates than the 1797 negotiation period.

14. Reaches Rivoli before dawn

    1797-01-14 · Rivoli Veronese, Veneto, Italy

    

    Napoleon arrived during the night to reinforce Joubert and personally directed the decisive French victory at Rivoli. Coordinates represent Rivoli Veronese near the Trambasore Heights.

15. Makes headquarters at Klagenfurt

    1797-03-30 · Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Carinthia, Austria

    

    Advancing toward Vienna, Napoleon established his headquarters at Klagenfurt and sought an armistice from Archduke Charles. The exact headquarters building is not specified.

16. Signs preliminary peace at Leoben

    1797-04-18 · Eggenwaldsches Gartenhaus site, Leoben, Styria, Austria

    

    Napoleon signed preliminary peace terms with Austrian representatives, effectively ending the War of the First Coalition on the continent. Coordinates represent central Leoben; the historic garden-house site is not precisely identified here.

17. Signs Treaty of Campo Formio

    1797-10-17 · Campoformido, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy

    

    Napoleon signed the peace treaty with Austria that ended the First Coalition and repartitioned extensive European territories. Settlement coordinates are used; the treaty was signed in a house on the village square.

18. Stays in Valletta after conquering Malta

    1798-06-13 · Banca Giuratale, Valletta, Malta

    

    Napoleon landed in Valletta after Malta's capitulation and stayed on the island while reorganizing its administration before sailing for Egypt. He spent his first night at the Banca Giuratale and subsequently stayed at Palazzo Parisio.

19. Takes Alexandria

    1798-07-02 · Alexandria, Egypt

    

    Napoleon landed near Alexandria and captured the Mediterranean port, opening the French invasion of Egypt. The canonical biography gives 1 July for landing; this linked campaign article gives 2 July. The card follows its explicit wording.

20. Commands at the Pyramids

    1798-07-21 · Imbaba battlefield, Giza Governorate, Egypt

    

    Napoleon organized his army into defensive squares and defeated the Mamluk forces near Cairo. The battle occurred near Imbaba, several kilometres from the pyramids; coordinates represent the battlefield vicinity.

21. Caught outside Cairo during revolt

    1798-10-21 · Old Cairo, Cairo, Egypt

    

    Napoleon was in Old Cairo when the uprising began and returned through the Boulaq gate before personally directing its suppression.

22. Besieges and captures Jaffa

    1799-03-03 · Old Jaffa, Tel Aviv–Jaffa, Israel

    

    Napoleon reached Jaffa with the Army of the Orient and began a siege that ended with the city's capture and mass violence. The siege lasted from 3 to 7 March 1799.

23. Conducts the siege of Acre

    1799-03-20 · Napoleon's Hill, Acre, Israel

    

    Napoleon opened the unsuccessful siege of Acre, whose resistance ended his projected advance farther into Ottoman Syria. Coordinates represent Napoleon's traditional camp southeast of Acre's walls.

24. Camps before Abukir

    1799-07-24 · Abu Qir, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

    

    Napoleon arrived near Abukir and camped overnight before attacking the Ottoman beachhead the next morning. The exact campsite is not specified; Abu Qir settlement coordinates are used.

25. Defeats Ottoman army at Abukir

    1799-07-25 · Abu Qir battlefield, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt

    

    Napoleon commanded the French victory that destroyed Mustafa Pasha's field army and temporarily secured French control of Egypt.

26. Confronts legislators at Saint-Cloud

    1799-11-10 · Château de Saint-Cloud site, Saint-Cloud, France

    

    Napoleon appeared before the legislative councils at Saint-Cloud during the coup that destroyed the Directory and established the Consulate. The château was destroyed in 1870; coordinates identify its former site.

27. Crosses the Great St Bernard

    1800-05-15 · Great St Bernard Pass, Switzerland–Italy border

    

    Napoleon began leading the reserve army across the Alpine pass in the maneuver that preceded the Marengo campaign. Crossing took about five days; coordinates identify the pass.

28. Fights at Marengo

    1800-06-14 · Marengo, Alessandria, Piedmont, Italy

    

    After crossing the Alps, Napoleon fought and won at Marengo, forcing an Austrian evacuation of much of Italy. The quoted passage follows an explicit statement that Napoleon commenced operations after crossing the Alps.

29. Crowned at Notre-Dame

    1804-12-02 · Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris, France

    

    Napoleon attended his imperial coronation at Notre-Dame, crowned himself, and then crowned Joséphine.

30. Crowned King of Italy in Milan

    1805-05-26 · Milan Cathedral, Milan, Lombardy, Italy

    

    Napoleon was crowned King of Italy with the Iron Crown of Lombardy in Milan Cathedral. The coronation date is 26 May; his declaration as king occurred on 17 March.

31. Commands victory at Austerlitz

    1805-12-02 · Pratzen Heights, Slavkov u Brna, Czech Republic

    

    Napoleon personally directed the French army at Austerlitz, defeating the combined Russian and Austrian forces. Coordinates represent the Pratzen Heights battlefield.

32. Commands at Jena

    1806-10-14 · Jena battlefield, Thuringia, Germany

    

    Napoleon directed the French army at Jena while Davout fought the principal Prussian force at nearby Auerstedt. Settlement coordinates represent the Jena battlefield area.

33. Fights through the snow at Eylau

    1807-02-08 · Bagrationovsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia

    

    Napoleon commanded the Grande Armée during the exceptionally bloody and inconclusive battle against Bennigsen's Russian army. The town was then Preussisch Eylau in East Prussia.

34. Receives Persian envoy at Finckenstein

    1807-04-27 · Finckenstein Palace ruins, Kamieniec, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland

    

    Napoleon met Mirza Mohammad-Reza Qazvini at Finckenstein Palace during negotiations for a Franco-Persian alliance. The palace is now ruined; coordinates represent the site.

35. Wins at Friedland

    1807-06-14 · Pravdinsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia

    

    Napoleon concentrated his forces at Friedland and decisively defeated Bennigsen's Russian army, prompting peace negotiations. Pravdinsk was then Friedland in East Prussia.

36. Meets Alexander on the Neman

    1807-06-25 · Neman River at Sovetsk, Russia–Lithuania border

    

    Napoleon and Alexander I began peace negotiations aboard a raft positioned in the Neman River between their armies. Coordinates represent the river at historic Tilsit, now Sovetsk.

37. Summons Spanish Bourbons to Bayonne

    1808-05-01 · Château de Marracq site, Bayonne, France

    

    Napoleon received Charles IV and Ferdinand VII at Bayonne and compelled both to surrender their claims to the Spanish throne. The Château de Marracq, Napoleon's Bayonne residence, is ruined; coordinates represent its site.

38. Meets Alexander at Erfurt

    1808-10-01 · Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany

    

    Napoleon met Alexander I and other German rulers at the Congress of Erfurt to reinforce the Franco-Russian alliance. The congress ran from 27 September to 14 October; the source supports month precision here.

39. Takes command at Vitoria

    1808-11-06 · Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain

    

    Napoleon arrived at Vitoria and assumed direct command of the large French army assembled for the Spanish campaign.

40. Observes the assault at Somosierra

    1808-11-30 · Somosierra Pass, Community of Madrid, Spain

    

    Napoleon was present when Polish light cavalry broke the Spanish defensive position at the Somosierra pass, opening the road to Madrid. Coordinates identify the mountain pass and battlefield.

41. Retakes Madrid

    1808-12-04 · Madrid, Spain

    

    Napoleon entered Madrid after French forces overcame its defenses and accepted the capital's surrender. City-center coordinates are used because the quotation does not identify a particular building.

42. Arrives to lead the Danube campaign

    1809-04-17 · Donauwörth, Bavaria, Germany

    

    Napoleon arrived from Paris to take personal command against Austria, rapidly concentrating French and allied forces in Bavaria. Donauwörth is used as the representative command location identified in campaign chronologies; the short quotation does not name it.

43. Wounded at Eckmühl

    1809-04-22 · Eggmühl battlefield, Bavaria, Germany

    

    Napoleon was slightly wounded in the heel while directing the French victory over Archduke Charles near Eckmühl. Coordinates represent Eggmühl, the principal battlefield locality.

44. Suffers reversal at Aspern-Essling

    1809-05-21 · Aspern-Essling battlefield, Vienna, Austria

    

    Napoleon commanded French forces attempting to cross the Danube and suffered his first major battlefield defeat in roughly a decade. The battle continued through 22 May.

45. Wins at Wagram

    1809-07-05 · Wagram battlefield, Deutsch-Wagram, Lower Austria, Austria

    

    Napoleon directed a massive two-day battle north of Vienna that forced Archduke Charles's army to retreat. Battle continued through 6 July.

46. Marries Marie Louise at the Louvre

    1810-04-02 · Louvre Palace, Paris, France

    

    Napoleon attended the religious celebration of his marriage to Austrian archduchess Marie Louise in the Louvre Palace. The civil ceremony occurred on 1 April at Saint-Cloud; this card records the Louvre service on 2 April.

47. Crosses the Neman into Russia

    1812-06-24 · Neman River near Kaunas, Lithuania

    

    Napoleon crossed into the Russian Empire with the Grande Armée, beginning the catastrophic Russian campaign. Coordinates represent the principal crossing vicinity near Kaunas; the army crossed at several points.

48. Captures Smolensk

    1812-08-18 · Smolensk, Russia

    

    Napoleon entered the contested city after heavy fighting, but the Russian armies escaped eastward rather than accepting decisive battle. City coordinates are used for the urban battlefield.

49. Commands at Borodino

    1812-09-07 · Borodino battlefield, Moscow Oblast, Russia

    

    Napoleon commanded the Grande Armée in the immense and costly battle that opened the road to Moscow without destroying Kutuzov's army. The article identifies Napoleon as the French commander; coordinates represent the central battlefield.

50. Enters Moscow

    1812-09-14 · Moscow Kremlin, Moscow, Russia

    

    Napoleon entered the evacuated Russian capital and occupied it for several weeks while fires devastated much of the city. The Kremlin is used because it became Napoleon's principal Moscow headquarters.

51. Crosses the Berezina

    1812-11-01 · Berezina crossing at Studienka, Minsk Region, Belarus

    

    Napoleon and the remnants of the Grande Armée crossed improvised bridges over the Berezina while Russian forces pressed them from several directions. The quotation establishes the army's crossing; Napoleon's command presence is documented by the article. Month precision avoids selecting one day from the multi-day passage.

52. Reaches the Lützen battlefield

    1813-05-02 · Lützen battlefield, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

    

    Napoleon arrived during the battle, stabilized his inexperienced army, and committed the Guard and massed artillery against the coalition.

53. Wins at Dresden

    1813-08-27 · Dresden, Saxony, Germany

    

    Napoleon commanded French forces in a major victory over the coalition around the Saxon capital. The battle began on 26 August and ended on 27 August; the card records the decisive second day.

54. Defeated at Leipzig

    1813-10-16 · Leipzig, Saxony, Germany

    

    Napoleon commanded the Grande Armée during the four-day Battle of the Nations, the decisive defeat that ended French dominance in Germany. Start date is used for the continuous four-day battle.

55. Reaches Sézanne before Six Days' Campaign

    1814-02-09 · Sézanne, Marne, France

    

    Napoleon concentrated at Sézanne before striking the dispersed Army of Silesia in his celebrated Six Days' Campaign. The wording indicates he was already there during the night preceding the 10 February attack; 9 February is used with moderate confidence.

56. Attacks at Champaubert

    1814-02-10 · Champaubert, Marne, France

    

    Napoleon opened the Six Days' Campaign by attacking and defeating the isolated Russian corps at Champaubert.

57. Abdicates at Fontainebleau

    1814-04-06 · Palace of Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau, France

    

    With Paris lost and his marshals unwilling to continue, Napoleon signed an unconditional abdication at Fontainebleau.

58. Disembarks as sovereign of Elba

    1814-05-04 · Portoferraio, Elba, Tuscany, Italy

    

    Napoleon landed at Portoferraio to begin exile as sovereign of the small Principality of Elba. Harbour-town coordinates are used.

59. Returns to France at Golfe-Juan

    1815-03-01 · Golfe-Juan, Vallauris, France

    

    Escaping Elba, Napoleon landed with about one thousand followers and began the march that restored him to power for the Hundred Days.

60. Reaches Grenoble

    1815-03-07 · Grenoble, Isère, France

    

    After winning over troops sent to arrest him, Napoleon reached Grenoble and secured a major milestone on his march toward Paris.

61. Re-enters Paris

    1815-03-20 · Tuileries Palace site, Paris, France

    

    Napoleon entered Paris after Louis XVIII fled, restoring the imperial government without a battle in the capital. The former Tuileries Palace site is used as the destination of his return.

62. Commands at Waterloo

    1815-06-18 · Waterloo battlefield, Walloon Brabant, Belgium

    

    Napoleon personally commanded the French army in its final defeat against Wellington and Blücher. Coordinates represent the central battlefield near the Lion's Mound.

63. Retires to Malmaison

    1815-06-25 · Château de Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison, France

    

    After his second abdication, Napoleon left Paris and stayed at Joséphine's former residence while deciding whether he could escape abroad. The date follows three days after the 22 June abdication.

64. Surrenders aboard HMS Bellerophon

    1815-07-15 · Basque Roads off Rochefort, Bay of Biscay, France

    

    Blocked from sailing to the United States, Napoleon surrendered to Captain Frederick Maitland aboard the British warship off Rochefort. Coordinates are a representative offshore point in Basque Roads; the shipboard position is not precisely stated.

65. Arrives at Jamestown in exile

    1815-10-01 · Jamestown, Saint Helena

    

    Napoleon reached Saint Helena in British custody aboard HMS Northumberland, beginning his final exile. The supporting quotation provides month rather than day precision.

66. Stays at the Briars pavilion

    1815-10-01 · The Briars, Saint Helena

    

    While Longwood was prepared, Napoleon lived in the small garden pavilion at the Briars and befriended the Balcombe family. The stay began after his October arrival; the source does not provide an exact move-in day.

67. Moves into Longwood House

    1815-12-10 · Longwood House, Saint Helena

    

    Napoleon moved into Longwood House, which remained his guarded residence for the rest of his life. Coordinates identify Longwood House.

68. Dies at Longwood

    1821-05-05 · Longwood House, Saint Helena

    

    Napoleon died in British exile at Longwood House after months of worsening illness.