Military career of Napoleon

Template:Short description Template:Template other Template:Napoleon series The military career of Napoleon spanned over 20 years. He led French armies in the French Revolutionary Wars and later, as emperor, in the Napoleonic Wars. Despite his rich war-winning record, Napoleon's military career ended in defeat. Napoleon has since been regarded as a military genius and one of the finest commanders in history. His wars and campaigns have been studied at military schools worldwide. He fought more than 80 battles, losing only ten, mostly towards the end when the French army was not as dominant.

The French dominion collapsed rapidly after the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon was defeated in 1814 and exiled to the island of Elba, before returning to France. He was finally defeated in 1815 at Waterloo. He spent his remaining days in British custody on the remote volcanic tropical island of Saint Helena. In his long military career, Bonaparte celebrated 70 victories and suffered 10 defeats.

Battle record summary

Date	Battle	Conflict	Opponent	Location	Outcome
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Siege of Toulon	War of the First Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Republic	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Saorgio	War of the First Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	First Dego	War of the First Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	13 Vendémiaire	French Revolution	Template:Flagicon	French Republic	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Montenotte	War of the First Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Millesimo	War of the First Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Second Dego	War of the First Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	Ceva	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	Mondovi	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Fombio	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Lodi	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Borghetto	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Siege of Mantua	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Lonato	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Castiglione	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Rovereto	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Bassano	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	San Giorgio	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Second Bassano	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Defeat
Template:Dts	Caldiero	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Defeat
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Arcole	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Rivoli	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Template:Ill	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts	Valvasone	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Tarvis	War of the First Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Habsburg Italy	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Malta	Mediterranean Campaign	Template:Flagicon	Malta	Victory
Template:Dts	Alexandria	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
Template:Dts	Shubra Khit	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
Template:Dts	Pyramids	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Revolt of Cairo	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	File:Flag of the Ottoman Empire (1453-1844).svg	French-occupied Egypt	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Siege of El Arish	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon	Mameluk Egypt	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Siege of Jaffa	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon	Ottoman Empire	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Siege of Acre	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Ottoman Empire	Defeat
Template:Dts	Mount Tabor	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon	Ottoman Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Abukir	French invasion of Egypt and Syria	Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon	French-occupied Egypt	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Siege of Fort Bard	War of the Second Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	Chiusella River	War of the Second Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	Turbigo	War of the Second Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts	Marengo	War of the Second Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Sardinia	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Ulm	War of the Third Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Electorate of Bavaria	Victory
Template:Dts	Austerlitz	War of the Third Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Archduchy of Austria	Victory
Template:Dts	Jena	War of the Fourth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
Template:Dts	Berlin	War of the Fourth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
Template:Dts	Czarnowo	War of the Fourth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
Template:Dts	Allenstein	War of the Fourth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Eylau	War of the Fourth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Prussia	Template:Maybe
Template:Dts	Friedland	War of the Fourth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Prussia	Victory
Template:Dts	Somosierra	Peninsular War	Template:Flagicon	Spain	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Siege of Madrid	Peninsular War	Template:Flagicon	Spain	Victory
Template:Dts	Teugen-Hausen	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
Template:Dts	Abensberg	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
Template:Dts	Landshut	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Eckmühl	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Bavaria	Victory
Template:Dts	Ratisbon	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Principality of Regensburg	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Aspern-Essling	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Austrian Empire	Defeat
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Wagram	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Austrian Empire	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Znaim	War of the Fifth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Austrian Empire	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Vitebsk	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Smolensk	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Shevardino	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Borodino	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Disputed
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Template:Ill	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Maloyaroslavets	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Disputed
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Krasnoi	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Defeat
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Berezina	French invasion of Russia	Template:Flagicon	Russian Empire	Disputed
Template:Dts	Lützen	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Bautzen	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
Template:Dts	Reichenbach	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Dresden	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Saxony	Victory
Template:Dts – Template:Dts	Leipzig	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	Kingdom of Saxony	Defeat
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Hanau	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	Duchy of Frankfurt	Victory
Template:Dts	Brienne	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	La Rothière	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Defeat
Template:Dts	Champaubert	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Montmirail	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Chateau-Thierry	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Vauchamps	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Mormant	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Montereau	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconFile:Flagge Königreich Württemberg.svg	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Berry-au-Bac	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Craonne	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Laon	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Defeat
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Reims	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts - Template:Dts	Arcis-sur-Aube	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	French Empire	Defeat
Template:Dts	Saint-Dizier	War of the Sixth Coalition	Template:Flagicon	French Empire	Victory
Template:Dts	Ligny	Hundred Days	Template:Flagicon	United Kingdom of the Netherlands	Victory
Template:Dts	Waterloo	Hundred Days	Template:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:FlagiconTemplate:Flagicon	United Kingdom of the Netherlands	Defeat

Further reading

• Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) 1172 pp; a detailed guide to all major battles excerpt and text search
• Crowdy, Terry. Napoleon's Infantry Handbook (2015)
• Dupuy, Trevor N. and Dupuy, R. Ernest. The Encyclopedia of Military History (2nd edition 1970) pp 730–770
• Elting, John R. Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grand Armee (1988)
• Esdaile, Charles. Napoleon's Wars: An International History 1803–1815 (2008), 621pp
• Gates, David. The Napoleonic Wars 1803–1815 (NY: Random House, 2011)
• Hazen, Charles Downer. The French Revolution and Napoleon (1917) online free
• Nafziger, George F. The End of Empire: Napoleon's 1814 Campaign (2014)
• Parker, Harold T. "Why Did Napoleon Invade Russia? A Study in Motivation and the Interrelations of Personality and Social Structure," Journal of Military History (1990) 54#2 pp 131–46 in JSTOR.
• Riley, Jonathon P. Napoleon as a General (Hambledon Press, 2007)
• JSTOR 204824
• Rothenberg, E. Gunther. The Art of Warfare in the Age of Napoleon (1977)
• Shoffner, Thomas A. Napoleon's Cavalry: A Key Element to Decisive Victory (2014)
• Smith, Digby George. The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book: Actions and Losses in Personnel, Colours, Standards and Artillery (1998)