What Are Some Interesting Facts About Napoleon Bonaparte?

Interesting facts about Napoleon Bonaparte include the fact that he and his family fled from Corsica in 1793, and he was arrested by the revolutionary French government for his association with Maximilien Robespierre. Another interesting fact is that it was Napoleon’s Egypt campaign that discovered the Rosetta stone.

Napoleon was born in Corsica the year following the French acquisition of the island. He was educated as a boy in France and graduated from the military academy at Brienne-le-Chateau and from the Ecole Militaire. After receiving a commission in the French army, Napoleon returned home to Corsica. Once at home, he became involved in local politics. This involvement led to a clash with the nationalist governor Pasquale Paoli in 1793, and ended in Napoleon’s defeat. He and his family were forced to leave Corsica ignominiously.

In France the following year, Napoleon became associated with revolutionary leaders Augustin and Maximilien Robespierre. This association led to his promotion to brigadier general. It also led to his arrest in July 1794 when the Robespierre brothers were overthrown and executed. However, Napoleon was returned to good grace in 1795 when he used an artillery battery to suppress a royalist insurrection in Paris. Following this success, he was promoted to major general.