by Pacal (Oct 26, 2005)

He was born on 15.8.1769 in Ajaccio, Corsika, and died on 5.5.1821, in Longway House, Saint Helena.

Napoleon Bonaparte was the most famous French emperor, the king of Italy, the first consul of France, general of the revolution army and the protector of the Rheinbund. He was a great strategist and politican. His empire was one of the biggest in Europe ever. Though he was a little man, he was a big personality. He finished the French revolution, conquered nearly the whole Europe and made his brothers, sisters and cousins kings of the conquered countries. But the man, who called himself the emperor of the French, wasn't a Frenchman, he was a Corsican.

But he was a violent man, too. He made an army of 40,000 14-year-old boys and marched into Russia with about 700,000 soldiers and 50,000 horses

But he came back with fewer than 40,000 people. The hard Russian winter and an ambush of the Russians killed over 650,000 soldiers.  And it wasn't the only massacre. His and the enemy’s soldiers fought in lots of battles like the Battle of Jena-Auerstädt, the Battle of Austerlitz, the Battle of Nations, the Battle of Warterloo and so on.

Many of the soldiers lost their lives in the battles. And his wars left scars in whole Europe.

But on balance I think he was an extraordinary man. Though his wars were horrible, without him Europe wouldn't be what it is now and his Civil Code is used in France this very day.

But he lost the Battle of Waterloo and so he was sent to Saint Helena, where he died.

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March 5, 2006

I think the article is very good. Pascal, the writer of the article, had described Napoleon`s life very well. I think Pascal didn't say how many lives Napoleon's conquests took. But he is right that Napoleon's reforms are good for Europe. All in all the article is very interesting !!!!!!!!!!!;D

Matthias (Balve, Germany)