Who Was When

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First French Empire

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The empire Napoleon Bonaparte ruled as Emperor of the French. It began with his coronation in December 1804 and ended with his abdication in 1814, interrupted by his return in 1815 and his defeat at Waterloo. Its armies fought coalitions of Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia across Europe, and it left behind the Napoleonic Code.

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Key events

  1. Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French at Notre-Dame on 2 December, with Pope Pius VII present
  2. The Civil Code, known as the Napoleonic Code, takes effect

    The code restricted the legal rights of married women: under its Article 213 the wife owed obedience to her husband.

  3. Napoleon defeats an Austrian-Russian army at Austerlitz on 2 December
  4. – The Berlin Decree of 21 November starts the Continental System, a blockade of British tradeDisputed

    Encyclopedia.com dates the system 1806 to 1813; World History Encyclopedia gives 11 April 1814, the date of Napoleon's abdication, as its end.

  5. Napoleon crosses the Niemen into Russia on 23 and 24 June with an army of about 615,000 French and allied troopsDisputed

    The troop and death figures are World History Encyclopedia's estimates. The death figure counts both sides and civilians, and the article says it likely surpassed one million.

  6. Napoleon abdicates at Fontainebleau in April after Allied armies take Paris, and is exiled to ElbaDisputed

    Sources give different days in April 1814: Encyclopedia.com dates the abdication in favour of his son to 4 April, and World History Encyclopedia dates his abdication to 11 April.

  7. Napoleon, back in power since March, is defeated by Wellington and Blücher at Waterloo on 18 June and abdicates again