The Rise and Fall of Napoleon

The week before Christmas, 2002, archeologists announced a surprising discovery. When workers in Lithuania -- a former republic of Russia -- were excavating a local building site, they found human remains. At first, historians thought that perhaps they were soldiers not yet recovered from World War II battles. But when metal buttons and coins were unearthed at the site, they bore the mark of French conqueror Napoleon.

Napoleon's Grand Army (or "Grand Armee," in its French form) had marched through this area, called Vilnius, on its way to Moscow in the summer of 1812. The military force was one of the largest ever assembled, estimated at between 450,000 and 600,000. However, the army that retreated here the following winter was less than a 10th of that size, with only 40,000 soldiers returning from the Russian battle front. This discovery will help researchers and historians confirm historical texts and also reveal things like health and genetic relationships from analyzing artifacts from the site.

Although Napoleon and his Grand Armee suffered tremendous defeat at the end of his career, the conquering leader and his military bands also enjoyed a triumphant rise in the records of history.

In this week's lesson, you'll learn more about what happened during this time period in Europe, and, of course, you'll dig into the character of Napoleon along with the victories and defeats of his army.

The Napoleonic Era

Start your journey at Napoleon.org, focusing on The key dates. As you move through the various years from 1768 to 1879, click on any of the colored symbols under Politics, Battles, Economy & Society, and Arts and Sciences. Text in the right-hand frame explains what was going on in these subject areas throughout this era. Also check out the Concise Family Tree to better understand Napoleon I's connections to his second and third namesakes who held their own places in history later on.

Make sure to also visit The key places section for Napoleon I. Here, click on the numbers in chronological order to find out what Napoleon was doing at each of the sites and when. What are the seven special events that occurred in France? When and in which city was Napoleon crowned King of Italy? What was his nickname and during which battle was it first used?

The Man and his Grand Armee

Your next stop is the Napoleon Bonaparte online feature at PBS. Start off at the Timeline, which provides some different information than the one you visited earlier. Explore the three time periods, 1769-1793, 1794-1807, and 1808-1821. Click on each month that's highlighted within those years. Can you identify when Napoleon was named Commander in Chief of the Army of the Interior? When did Napoleon decide to leave Moscow? When did Austria declare war on France?

But Napoleon was about more than just a chain of events in history -- in fact, without Napoleon's charisma, his strategic mind, and his followers who believed in him, the Napoleonic Era would have never been recorded. Find out more about Napoleon in the section titled, The Man and The Myth, beginning at Youth and Family Life page. What does Napoleon's native Corsica have to do with France? How did Napoleon fit in with the French students? Why did Napoleon leave Corsica when he was 24?

Move on to the other sections, Tyrant or Hero and Self-Made Myth. About how many years did it take for Napoleon to be promoted from a Major to a General? Why do the authors say Napoleon was a "shrewd propagandist?" How do you think Napoleon's character enabled him to command soldiers and to influence his popularity among society as a whole?

Next, tour through Napoleon's Campaigns and Battles. From the First Italian Campaign, to the Russian Campaign to the Waterloo Campaign, Napoleon I's most historic defeat. Which lands did Napoleon and his armies conquer? How did he rise to power during the course of these campaigns? Why did Russians burn Moscow, and how did that affect the Grand Armee?

Also, discover more about the Soldier's Life. What kinds of conditions did these soldiers have to endure? Why do you think these soldiers chose to and continued to fight with Napoleon? Next, visit the Weapons and Units of the Grand Armee to find out how these soldiers were organized. What was the difference between the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Imperial Guard?

At the PBS site, you can also play the Interactive Battle Simulator that simulates the Battle of Waterloo. Make sure to read the How to Play section before entering the simulator.

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