Timeline of the Napoleonic era
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.
Early years
;1769- August 15: Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio, Corsica
- October 28: Napoleon graduates from Ecole Militaire with the rank of second lieutenant in the artillery.
- November 3: Stationed in Valence
- December 22: For his brilliant tactical command at an internal French battle at Toulon, Napoleon receives the new rank of brigadier general
- August 9–20: Napoleon is imprisoned under suspicion of being a Jacobin and a supporter of Robespierre.
- October: Royalist 13 Vendémiaire rising put down by Napoleon. Barras helps Napoleon win promotion to Commander of the Interior
- October 15: At the home of Paul Barras, a Directory member, Napoleon meets Rose de Beauharnais
- 2 November: Directory established
- March 2: Napoleon is given command of the French army in Italy
- March 11: Italian campaign against Austria begins
- May 10: Napoleon wins the Battle of Lodi
- November 17: Napoleon wins the Battle of Arcole
- January 14: Napoleon wins the Battle of Rivoli
- October 17: Treaty of Campo Formio with Austria
- December 5: Napoleon returns to Paris as a hero
- May 19: Napoleon begins his Egyptian campaign with an army of 38,000
- July 21: Wins Battle of the Pyramids against Mamelukes in Egypt
- July 24: Fall of Cairo
- August 3: Under the command of Admiral Nelson, the British fleet destroys the French navy in the Battle of the Nile. Napoleon's army is cut off from supplies and communication.
Napoleonic era
- August 23: Receiving news of turmoil in France, Napoleon relinquishes command in Egypt and returns to Paris, a so-called Coup d’état
- November 9–10: Coup of Brumaire Napoleon overthrows the Directory
- December 12: Napoleon elected First Consul of the Consulate
- June 14: Battle of Marengo
- December 24: Napoleon escapes an assassination attempt
- February 9: Treaty with Austria signed at Lunéville: Treaty of Lunéville
- July 8: Battle of Algeciras
- July 15: Concordat of 1801
- March 25: Treaty of Amiens
- May 1: Napoleon restructures French educational system
- May 19: Legion of Honour established
- August 2: New constitution adopted, plebiscite confirms Napoleon as First Consul for life
- May 3: Napoleon sells the Louisiana territory to the U.S.
- May 18: Britain declares war on France
- May 26: France invades Hanover
- March 21: Introduction of the Civil Code
- May 18: Napoleon proclaimed emperor by the Senate
- December 2: Napoleon crowns himself emperor, in the company of the Pope
- October 19: Battle of Ulm
- October 21: Battle of Trafalgar
- October 30: Battle of Caldiero
- December 2: Battle of Austerlitz
- March 30: Napoleon names his brother, Joseph Bonaparte, king of Naples, and appoints other family members to various other posts
- July 12: Confederation of the Rhine, Napoleon as ‘protector’. Initially had 16 member states, later others added, including kingdoms of Saxony and Westphalia.
- August 6: Holy Roman Empire abolished
- September 15: Prussia joins Britain and Russia against Napoleon
- October 14: Battle of Jena and Battle of Auerstadt
- November 21: The Berlin Decree, which initiated the Continental System was issued
- February 8: Battle of Eylau
- June 14: Battle of Friedland
- June 25: Treaty of Tilsit signed between Russia and France
- October 27: Treaty of Fontainebleau secretly agreed between Napoleon and Spain to partition Portugal
- March 17: Imperial University established
- May 2: Spanish people rise up against France. Often referred to as Dos de Mayo Uprising
- May 3: Napoleon's soldiers retaliate for uprising by brutally executing Spanish citizens
- July 7: Joseph crowned King of Spain, after Portugal revolts against the Continental System/Blockade Napoleon had put in place. Napoleon collected five armies to advance into Portugal and 'bullied' the Spanish royal family into resigning.
- Peninsular War
- July 16-19: Battle of Bailén
- April 19: Battle of Raszyn
- May 22: Battle of Aspern-Essling - first defeat of Napoleon in 10 years
- July 5–6: Battle of Wagram - success for Napoleon, Austria loses territory and must enforce the Continental System
- October 14: Treaty of Schönbrunn signed
- December 14: Public announcement of Napoleon's divorce from Joséphine
- March 11: Napoleon marries Marie Louise of Austria by proxy in Vienna
- April 1: Napoleon officially marries Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma in Paris
- March 20: Napoleon II, Napoleon's son born, referred to as the "King of Rome"
- July 22: Battle of Salamanca
- August 4–6: Battle of Smolensk
- September 1: Moscow evacuated
- September 7: Battle of Borodino
- September 14: Napoleon arrives in Moscow to find the city abandoned and set alight by the inhabitants; retreating in the midst of a frigid winter, the army suffers great losses
- October 19: Beginning of the Great Retreat from Moscow
- October 24: Battle of Maloyaroslavets
- November: Crossing of the River Berezina
- December: Grande Armée expelled from Russia
- April 2: Battle of Luneburg
- May 2: Battle of Lützen
- May 20–21: Battle of Bautzen
- May 26: Battle of Haynau
- June 4–26: Armistice of Poischwitz
- June 21: Battle of Vitoria
- August 15: Siege of Danzig
- August 23: Battle of Großbeeren
- August 26–27: Battle of Dresden
- August 26: Battle of Katzbach
- August 27: Battle of Hagelberg
- August 29–30: Battle of Kulm
- August 31: Battle of San Marcial
- September 6: Battle of Dennewitz
- September 16: Battle of the Göhrde
- September 28: Battle of Altenburg
- October 3: Battle of Wartenburg
- October 7: Battle of Bidassoa
- October 14: Battle of Liebertwolkwitz
- October 16–19: Battle of Leipzig
- October 30–31: Battle of Hanau
- November 10: Battle of Nivelle
- October 31: End of the Siege of Pamplona
- December 7: Battle of Bornhöved
- December 9–13: Battles of the Nive
- December 10: Battle of Sehestedt
- February 10–14: Six Days Campaign
- February 15: Battle of Garris
- February 27: Battle of Orthez
- April 10: Battle of Toulouse
- March 30–31: Battle of Paris
- April 4: Napoleon abdicates his rule and Louis XVIII, a Bourbon, is restored to the French throne
- April 11: Treaty of Fontainebleau Napoleon agrees to exile in Elba, the allies agree to pay his family a pension
- April 14: Battle of Bayonne
- May 4: Napoleon is exiled to Elba; his wife and son take refuge in Vienna
- February 26: Napoleon escapes from Elba
- March 20: Napoleon arrives in Paris
- June 16: Battle of Ligny
- June 18: Battle of Waterloo
- June 28: Restoration of Louis XVIII
- October 16: Napoleon is exiled to Saint Helena
- May 5: Napoleon dies