Snapshots in History: May 5: Remembering Napoléon Bonaparte

On May 5 and beyond, take a moment to remember Emperor Napoleon 1, Emperor of the French.

Napoleon was a talented military and political leader who increased his influence during the period of the French Revolution and its associated conflicts. He was successful in most of the sixty major battles in which he played a leadership role before final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. And, yes, of course, he served as First Consul of the French Republic from 1799-1804 before becoming Emperor of the French from 1804-1814, followed by a brief exile in Elba from which he escaped to briefly become Emperor of the French again in 1815 before meeting final defeat followed by permanent exile to Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean culminating with his death under questionable circumstances (stomach cancer versus arsenic poisoning).

On top of the list of Napoleon’s legal and political accomplishments reign are his decisions to abolish feudalism throughout Europe, the establishment of equality before the law, religious tolerance (including towards Jewish people), and the Napoleonic Code established in 1804 (and adopted by other nations) that disallowed privileges on the basis of birth, allowed freedom of religion, permitted divorce, and stated that government postings should go to the most qualified people.

Despite a romantic relationship with his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), her failure to produce an heir resulted in Napoleon divorcing her to marry Maria-Louise of Austria (1791-1847) who bore him a son who briefly served as Napoleon 2 (1811-1832).

Consider the following titles about Napoleon Bonaparte and his family from Toronto Public Library collections:

Books: