Napoleon Bonaparte was born on 15 August 1769 on his native island of Corsica. Napoleon was the second son of Carlo and Letizia. Corsica and France were at war. France had easily crushed the Corsican resistance and taken control of Corsica. So when Napoleon was born, he was considered a French citizen. When Napoleon was nine years old and it was time to go to school, he was sent to a school in Autun, France. At school he was teased and tormented because he was from Corsica, but he was determined and eventually learned enough French to attend the military academy in Brienne. There he was treated with the same attitude as if he were a Corso. Napoleon did very well at school and was recommended to a military school in Paris. In 1784 Napoleon's father, Charles, died. Letizia had to raise Napoleon and his 7 brothers and sisters alone. Napoleon did not let his father's death get him down. He had already proven himself to be hard working, determined and motivated. In the fall of 1785 he graduated from military school after only one year of study instead of the normal 2 or 3. Skipping many ranks, Napoleon was assigned as a second lieutenant to an artillery regiment. His generals, and others above him, began to recognize his skills and abilities. Napoleon spent much of the next 8 years in his homeland of Corsica. There he played an active role in political and military matters and began to support the Corsican rebel Pasquale Paoli. Due to the hunger and poverty of the French people, and French leaders busy attending cure parties, the French Revolution began in 1789. Napoleon began to be promoted in the army, but began to oppose Paoli. When civil war broke out in Corsica in 1793, the Bonapartes... middle of paper... surrendered to enemy forces without a fight. Napoleon faced enormous betrayal and impossible military odds, so he renounced the title of Emperor of France and was exiled to the Island of Elba. Napoleon, bored and aware of continuing discontent in France, made a stunning return to power in 1815. He traveled to France in secret, won widespread support, and reclaimed his throne. He also reorganized the army and government. However, Napoleon was defeated at the great Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon had to renounce his title a second time on 25 June 1815, when British forces forced him into further exile. Living on St. Helena, a small rocky island far from Europe, Napoleon's health and character faded. Napoleon died on 5 May 1821, aged 51. The causes of his death have since been debated and conspiracy theories involving poison are widely believed..