Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769 to Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. He was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, France. Napoleon had eleven brothers and sisters, but only eight survived their entire lives. At the time of Napoleon's birth, his hometown of Ajaccio was occupied by the French and local resistance continued to grow. After Napoleon's father showed his support for the French, he was promoted to assessor of the judicial district of Ajaccio. This was an important accomplishment that allowed him to enroll his sons, Napoleon and Joseph, at the Collège d'Autun in France. Napoleon soon found himself at the Military College of Brienne. He studied there for a total of five years, then transferred to the military academy located in Paris. Napoleon's father died of stomach cancer in 1785. After this tragic event, Napoleon felt the need to take over as head of his family. He left the academy early as an artillery second lieutenant and returned home to Corsica. Shortly after his return, Napoleon sided with the French and moved his family to France. It was there that they took the French version of their last name, which was Bonaparte. With the return to France came the return to French military service for Napoleon. He quickly became a big fan of the Jacobins, a well-known political group involved in the French Revolution. During these turbulent years, France was declared a republic and King Louis XVI was executed. This led to the reign of Robespierre, his reign was called the “Reign of Terror”. It was a dark period in French history. Many innocent citizens were killed, until the Jacobins were removed from power and Robespierre was permanently executed. This period has created many good opportunities... middle of paper ... strength to sustain it. It fits into this era because it was motivated by war and violence. Nowadays we try to fix things with less violence, but back then they solved everything with violence. Napoleon fit in because that was how his mind was oriented. I believe Napoleon had some success, but not enormously. He was a brilliant military commander who won many victories, but he also suffered just as many losses. He wasn't as great as Caesar or Alexander the Great, but he accomplished a lot. He influenced the French government, its army and other countries' opinions of France. He presented the government with a more militaristic vision and he also taught citizens to never trust another Bonaparte. Works Cited Heuston, Kimberley. Napoleon Emperor and Conqueror. Canada: Franklin Watts, 2010. Print.