Lecture on the history of Napoleon Bonaparte. A French military leader and statesman who emerged during the French Revolution. He rose rapidly, proclaiming himself emperor in 1804. A renowned strategist, he led victorious military campaigns, expanding the French empire throughout Europe. His Napoleonic Code influenced modern legislation. However, his overweening ambition led to his downfall. Defeated at Waterloo in 1815, he was banished to the island of St. Helena where he died in 1821. His legacy, a mixture of military genius and unbridled ambition, continues to fascinate, generating debates about his impact on history and his complex figure as a leader and ruler.