Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, which had been owned by the Italians until it was annexed by the French. He received his education in a French military school. When the French Revolution began, Napoleon was a low-level military officer but he quickly rose in rank and won important victories against the British and Austria. He was a popular military general who appealed to the people who looked to a strong military leader to the end disorder and corruption that existed under the Directory.
In November 1799, Napoleon overthrew the Directory and formed a new government the Consulate. The Consulate was made up of three Consuls but all the power was vested in Napoleon as the First Consul. In 1802, the constitution made him Consul for life, and in 1804, the constitution made him Emperor. For each of these constitutional changes, Napoleon held a national plebiscite (a yes or no vote). And the French people, hoping for stability,......
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