Curated timeline

Napoleonic Wars

The saga of Napoleon Bonaparte's bid for European mastery. Follow the brilliant campaigns, the Continental System, the invasion of Russia, and the final defeat at Waterloo.

• Coup of 18 Brumaire (November 9, 1799)

  Napoleon overthrows the Directory and establishes the Consulate, effectively seizing power in France.

• Battle of Marengo (June 14, 1800)

  Napoleon defeats Austria in Italy, securing French dominance and ending the War of the Second Coalition in Italy.

• Treaty of Amiens (March 25, 1802)

  Temporary peace between France and Britain, providing a brief respite in the European conflicts.

• Louisiana Purchase (April 30, 1803)

  Napoleon sells Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million to fund his European wars.

• Coronation of Napoleon (December 2, 1804)

  Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French, marking the transformation from Republic to Empire.

• Battle of Trafalgar (October 21, 1805)

  Admiral Nelson defeats the Franco-Spanish fleet, establishing British naval supremacy for the remainder of the wars.

• Battle of Austerlitz (December 2, 1805)

  Napoleon's masterpiece victory against Austria and Russia, dissolving the Third Coalition.

• Battle of Jena-Auerstedt (October 14, 1806)

  Napoleon crushes Prussian forces in twin battles, leading to the occupation of Berlin and Prussian collapse.

• Continental System (November 21, 1806)

  Napoleon establishes an economic blockade against Britain, forbidding trade with the British Empire.

• Treaty of Tilsit (July 7, 1807)

  Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I divide Europe between them, with Prussia severely weakened.

• Peninsular War (May 2, 1808)

  Spanish uprising against French occupation begins a brutal guerrilla war that drains French resources.

• Battle of Wagram (July 5, 1809)

  Napoleon defeats Austria again, forcing the Treaty of Schönbrunn and Austrian territorial losses.

• Russian Campaign (June 24, 1812)

  Napoleon invades Russia with 600,000 men, beginning the campaign that would destroy the Grande Armée.

• Battle of Borodino (September 7, 1812)

  Bloodiest single day of the Napoleonic Wars, with massive casualties but no decisive victor.

• Retreat from Moscow (October 19, 1812)

  Napoleon begins the catastrophic winter retreat from Moscow, losing most of his army to cold and starvation.

• Battle of Leipzig (October 16, 1813)

  The 'Battle of the Nations' sees the largest battle in Europe before WWI, with Napoleon defeated by the Sixth Coalition.

• First Abdication (April 6, 1814)

  Napoleon abdicates unconditionally and is exiled to Elba as coalition forces enter Paris.

• Hundred Days (March 20, 1815)

  Napoleon escapes Elba and returns to France, regaining power for one hundred days before final defeat.

• Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815)

  Napoleon's final defeat by Wellington and Blücher, ending the Napoleonic Wars and his political career forever.

• Exile to St. Helena (October 15, 1815)

  Napoleon is permanently exiled to the remote island of St. Helena, where he dies in 1821.

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