Timeline of the Napoleonic era

Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

Early years

 * 1769
 * August 15: Napoleon was born in Ajaccio, Corsica


 * 1785
 * October 28: Napoleon graduates from Ecole Militaire with the rank of second lieutenant in the artillery.
 * November 3: Stationed in Valence


 * 1793
 * December 22: For his brilliant tactical command (although a subordinate officer, he was widely credited for the victory) at an internal French Siege of Toulon, Napoleon receives the new rank of brigadier general


 * 1794
 * August 9–20: Napoleon is imprisoned under suspicion of being a Jacobin and a supporter of Robespierre.


 * 1795
 * October: Royalist 13 Vendémiaire rising put down by Napoleon. Barras helps Napoleon win promotion to Commander of the Interior
 * October 15: At the home of Paul Barras, a Directory member, Napoleon meets Rose de Beauharnais (Joséphine)
 * 2 November: The French Directory (in French: "le Directoire") was established


 * 1796
 * March 2: Napoleon is given command of the French army in Italy
 * March 11: Italian campaign against Austria begins
 * May 10: Napoleon wins the Battle of Lodi
 * November 17: Napoleon wins the Battle of Arcole


 * 1797
 * January 14: Napoleon wins the Battle of Rivoli
 * October 17: Treaty of Campo Formio with Austria
 * December 5: Napoleon returns to Paris as a hero


 * 1798
 * May 19: Napoleon begins his Egyptian campaign with an army of 38,000
 * July 21: Wins Battle of the Pyramids against Mamelukes in Egypt
 * July 24: Fall of Cairo
 * August 3: Under the command of Admiral Nelson, the British fleet destroys the French navy in the Battle of the Nile. Napoleon's army is cut off from supplies and communication

Napoleonic era

 * 1799
 * August 23: Receiving news of turmoil in France, Napoleon relinquishes command in Egypt to Kléber and returns to Paris, a so-called Coup d’état
 * November 9–10: Coup of 18 Brumaire Napoleon overthrows the Directory
 * December 12: Napoleon elected First Consul of the Consulate


 * 1800
 * June 14: Battle of Marengo
 * December 24: Napoleon escapes an assassination attempt


 * 1801
 * February 9: Treaty with Austria signed at Lunéville, Treaty of Lunéville
 * July 8: Battle of Algeciras
 * July 15: Concordat of 1801


 * 1802
 * March 25: Treaty of Amiens
 * May 1: Napoleon restructures French educational system
 * May 19: Légion d'honneur established
 * August 2: New constitution adopted, plebiscite confirms Napoleon as First Consul for life


 * 1803
 * May 3: Napoleon sells the Louisiana Territory to the U.S.
 * May 18: Britain declares war on France
 * May 26: France invades Hanover


 * 1804
 * March 21: Introduction of the Civil Code (also known as Napoleon Code)
 * May 18: Napoleon proclaimed Emperor of the French by the Senate
 * December 2: Napoleon crowns himself emperor, in the company of the Pope


 * 1805
 * October 19: Battle of Ulm
 * October 21: Battle of Trafalgar; Admiral Lord Nelson killed
 * October 30: Battle of Caldiero
 * December 2: Battle of Austerlitz


 * 1806
 * March 30: Napoleon names his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples, and appoints other family members to various other posts
 * July 12: Confederation of the Rhine established with Napoleon as Protector. Initially had 16 member states, later others added, including kingdoms of Saxony and Westphalia
 * August 6: Holy Roman Empire abolished
 * September 15: Prussia joins Britain and Russia against Napoleon
 * October 14: Battle of Jena and Battle of Auerstadt
 * November 21: The Berlin Decree (1806), which initiated the Continental System was issued


 * 1807
 * February 8: Battle of Eylau
 * June 14: Battle of Friedland
 * June 25: Treaty of Tilsit signed between Russia and France
 * October 27: Treaty of Fontainebleau (1807) secretly agreed between Napoleon and Spain to partition Portugal


 * 1808
 * March 17: Imperial University established
 * May 2: Spanish people rise up against France. Often referred to as Dos de Mayo Uprising
 * May 3: Napoleon's soldiers retaliate for uprising by brutally executing Spanish citizens (famously depicted in Goya's The Third of May 1808)
 * July 7: Joseph crowned King of Spain after Portugal revolts against the Continental System/blockade Napoleon had put in place. Napoleon collected five armies to advance into Portugal and 'bullied' the Spanish royal family into resigning
 * Peninsular War
 * July 16–19: Battle of Bailén


 * 1809
 * April 19: Battle of Raszyn
 * May 22: Battle of Aspern-Essling; first defeat of Napoleon in 10 years
 * July 5–6: Battle of Wagram; success for Napoleon, Austria loses territory and must enforce the Continental System
 * July 27-28: Battle of Talavera
 * October 14: Treaty of Schönbrunn signed
 * December 14: Public announcement of Napoleon's divorce from Joséphine


 * 1810
 * March 11: Napoleon marries Marie Louise of Austria by proxy in Vienna
 * April 1: Napoleon officially marries Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma in Paris


 * 1811
 * March 20: Napoleon II, Napoleon's son born, styled as the King of Rome


 * 1812
 * July 22: Battle of Salamanca
 * August 4–6: Battle of Smolensk
 * September 1: Moscow evacuated
 * September 7: Battle of Borodino
 * September 14: Napoleon arrives in Moscow to find the city abandoned and set alight by the inhabitants; retreating in the midst of a frigid winter, the army suffers great losses
 * October 19: Beginning of the Great Retreat from Moscow
 * October 24: Battle of Maloyaroslavets
 * November: Crossing of the River Berezina
 * December: Grande Armée expelled from Russia


 * 1813
 * April 2: Battle of Lüneburg
 * May 2: Battle of Lützen
 * May 20–21: Battle of Bautzen
 * May 26: Battle of Haynau
 * June 4–26: Armistice of Poischwitz
 * June 21: Battle of Vitoria
 * August 15: Siege of Danzig
 * August 23: Battle of Großbeeren
 * August 26–27: Battle of Dresden
 * August 26: Battle of Katzbach
 * August 27: Battle of Hagelberg
 * August 29–30: Battle of Kulm
 * August 31: Battle of San Marcial
 * September 6: Battle of Dennewitz
 * September 16: Battle of the Göhrde
 * September 28: Battle of Altenburg
 * October 3: Battle of Wartenburg
 * October 7: Battle of the Bidassoa
 * October 14: Battle of Liebertwolkwitz
 * October 16–19: Battle of Leipzig
 * October 30–31: Battle of Hanau
 * November 10: Battle of Nivelle
 * October 31: End of the Siege of Pamplona
 * December 7: Battle of Bornhöved
 * December 9–13: Battles of the Nive
 * December 10: Battle of Sehested


 * 1814
 * February 10–14: Six Days Campaign
 * February 15: Battle of Garris
 * February 27: Battle of Orthez
 * April 10: Battle of Toulouse
 * March 30–31: Battle of Paris
 * April 4: Napoleon abdicates his rule and Louis XVIII, a Bourbon, is restored to the French throne
 * April 11: Treaty of Fontainebleau (1814) Napoleon agrees to exile in Elba, the allies agree to pay his family a pension
 * April 14: Battle of Bayonne
 * May 4: Napoleon is exiled to Elba; his wife and son take refuge in Vienna


 * 1815


 * February 26: Napoleon escapes from Elba
 * March 20: Napoleon arrives in Paris
 * Beginning of the Hundred Days


 * June 16: Battle of Ligny
 * June 18: Napoleon is defeated in the Battle of Waterloo
 * June 28: Second restoration of Louis XVIII
 * October 16: Napoleon is exiled to Saint Helena
 * November 20: Treaty of Paris (1815)


 * 1821
 * May 5: Napoleon dies