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title: "Rise of Napoleon: From Revolution to Empire | Model Diplomat"
description: "A Corsican artillery officer rose to become Emperor of France, leaving a lasting question of whether Napoleon fulfilled or betrayed the Revolution that made"
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/rise-of-napoleon"
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Rise of Napoleon: From Revolution to Empire

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# Rise of Napoleon: From Revolution to Empire

How a Corsican artillery officer became Emperor of France — and whether Napoleon fulfilled or betrayed the revolution.

## The Revolution's Soldier

Napoleon Bonaparte was a product of the revolution. Born in Corsica in 1769, he was a minor nobleman who would never have risen to command under the Ancien Regime. The revolution opened careers to talent, and Napoleon had talent in extraordinary measure.

He first gained fame defending the Convention against a royalist uprising in 1795 (the 'whiff of grapeshot') and then through brilliant military campaigns in Italy (1796-97) and Egypt (1798-99). In November 1799, he overthrew the weak Directory government in the coup of 18 Brumaire and made himself First Consul — effectively dictator. In 1804, he crowned himself Emperor.

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