The Captain W. Siborne Collection and Related Materials from the British Library, London
Year |
Wellington |
Napoleon |
1769 |
Wellington born, 29th April in Dublin |
Napoleon born, 15th August in Ajaccio, Corsica |
1778 |
School at Chelsea and Eton |
Enters Military School at Brienne, France (1778-84) |
1784 |
Taught privately in Brussels |
Enters Ecole Militaire, Paris |
1785 |
|
Takes commission in artilery in the regiment of la Fere in Valence |
1786 |
Enters Royal School of Equitation in Angers |
|
1787 |
Gazetted to the 73rd Highland Infantry, declining a commission in the artilery |
|
1789 |
Aide-de-Camp to the Lord Lieut. of Ireland (1787-93) |
French Revolution - returns to Corsica to organise revolt |
1790 |
Member for Trim (1790-95) in Irish Parliament |
|
1793 |
His brother buys hum command of the 33rd Foot. |
December - Napoleon distinguishes himself at the siege of Toulon |
1794 |
Campaign on the Ems in Belgium |
|
1795 |
Departs for West Indies with his regiment, but all are turned back by gales |
Defeats counter-revolutionaries in Paris with 'whiff of grapeshot' |
1796 |
Sails to Calcutta as Colonel of the 33rd Foot. |
Marries Josephine de Beauharnais. Commands French forces in Italy |
1797 |
|
Returns to Paris in triumph after Italian campaign and enforces martial law; Plans invaision of England |
1798 |
His brother is made Governor-General of India |
Invades Egypt. French navy defeated at the Battle of the Nile |
1799 |
Battle of Seringapatam |
Battle of Aboukir (defeats Turkish);
Named one of the Consulate of Three to rule France |
1800 |
Campaign against Dhoondiah Waugh |
Napoleon made First Consul; Crosses Alps to fight Austrians; Battle of Marengo |
1801 |
Britain retakes Egypt; Wellington is too ill to join the expedition |
Helps reform French finances and judicial system |
1802 |
|
Made First Consul for life; Peace with England - Treaty of Amiens; Creates Legion d'honneur |
1803 |
Battle of Assaye (defeats Mahrattas) |
Occupation of Hanover |
1804 |
|
Crowned Emperor (2nd December) |
1805 |
Returns to England; Meets Nelson; Battle of Austerlitz (defeats of Franco-Spanish fleet foils plans to invade England) |
Leaves Villeneuve in charge of French fleet and marches to Vienna. Battle of Trafalgar - defeat Austrians and Russians; Made King of Italy |
1806 |
Marries Kitty Pakenham; Made MP for Rye (1806-7) |
Battle of Jena (defeats Prussians); Enters Berlin |
1807 |
Elected MP for Mitchell in Cornwall and then for Newport, Isle of Wight (1807-9); Birth of first son; Joins Danish expedition; Siezes Copenhagen |
Battle of Eylau (indecisive); French forces invade Portugal |
1808 |
Ordered to Portugal; Begins Peninsula Campaign. Battle of Vimeiro (defeats French); Birth of second son |
Invades Spain; Appoints his brother, Joseph, as King of Spain |
1809 |
Battle of Talavera (defeats French under Victor); Created Duke of Wellington |
Battle of Wagram (defeats Austrians); Divorces Josephine as he desires and heir |
1810 |
Battle of Coimbra |
Marries Archduchess Marie Louise |
1811 |
Battles of Fuentes de Onoro and Albuera (defeats French) |
Birth of Francois Charles Joseph Bonaparte (l'Aiglon) - his son - he is made King of Rome |
1812 |
Battle of Salamanca; Enters Madrid |
Invades Russia; Battle of Borodino; Enters Moscow, but retreats as winter sets in |
1813 |
Battle of Victoria - drives French from Spain; Invades France |
Battle of the Nations at Leipzig (Napoleon defeated) |
1814 |
|
Napoleon abdicates (11th April) and is exiled to Elba |
1815 |
Appointed Allied Commander; Gathers forces in Brussels;
Battle of Waterloo;
Wellington is victorious and is rewarded with estates in Hampshire and Belgium; Issue of Waterloo medal to all ranks present |
Escapes from Elba and landed France (March) - the Hundred days;
Battle of Waterloo;
Napoleon defeated and abdicates - exiled to St Helena; Peace of Vienna |
1818 |
Joins Liverpool Government |
|
1821 |
|
Death of Napoleon (5th May) in St Helena |
1828 |
Made Prime Minister and leads government (1828-30) |
|
1834 |
Made Prime Minister again - leads government during crisis |
|
1838 |
Meets Soult during coronation of Queen Victoria |
|
1841 |
Joins Peel's Cabinet (1841-46) |
|
1852 |
Death of Wellington (14th September) in Deal; Buried at St Paul's |
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