Period of European and French history 17991815 named after
Napoleon (I) Bonaparte, ruler of France as dictator from 1799, conqueror of most of Europe from 1803, and emperor of the French 180414 and 181415.
Napoleon was born into a minor aristocratic family on the Mediterranean island of Corsica in 1769. Despite his lowly beginnings, he rose to be the undisputed ruler of France and influenced the fate of Europe. He fought a series of wars against all the states of Europe, and redrew the borders of the continent many times. He also passed a wide range of laws within France, and established a variety of new institutions as part of his system of government.
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