# Le Petit Caporal (DD-224)

> Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 to 1821) rose through the French Revolutionary army, seized power in 1799 and crowned himself Emperor of the French in December 1804. His wars reshaped Europe until his defeats in 1814 and at Waterloo in 1815, after which he was exiled to Saint Helena. The Napoleonic Code of 1804 influenced civil law in many countries. 'Le Petit Caporal', the little corporal, was an affectionate nickname from his soldiers; he was about 1.69 m tall, roughly average for a Frenchman of his time. The footage shows illustrations of Napoleon, with the presenter.

- Department: People (also History, Military)
- First published: 2024-05-08
- Last updated: 2024-05-08
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/le-petit-caporal/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1799**: Napoleon seizes power
- **December 1804**: Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French
- **1815**: Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=le-petit-caporal

## Quick facts

- **DD-224-F01**: He crowned himself emperor in 1804. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (1804))_
- **DD-224-F02**: His code influenced civil law worldwide. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Napoleonic Code))_

## Write-up

Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804. He was about average height for his time.

1. **1804**: He crowned himself emperor in 1804.
2. **Napoleonic Code**: His code influenced civil law worldwide.
3. **Waterloo**: He was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
4. **Height**: He was about average height.
5. **Nickname**: His soldiers called him the little corporal.

## Related case files

- [The First Roman Emperor (DD-213)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-first-roman-emperor/): I linked another self-made emperor
- [Charlemagne (DD-217)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/charlemagne/): I linked an earlier ruler crowned emperor of much of Europe

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: Le Petit Caporal: Napoleon Crowned Himself Emperor of the French in 1804

- Duration: 36.4 s · Published: 2024-05-08
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/C6tkZM1OGDH.mp4

### Transcript

Napoleon Bonaparte, an intriguing figure whose military genius and political acumen shaped the course of European history. Rising from the ashes of the French Revolution, he crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804, reshaping the continent through a series of relentless conquests. Napoleon's legal codification, the Napoleonic Code, influenced legal systems worldwide. DID YOU KNOW? Despite popular depictions of Napoleon as a man of diminutive stature, he was actually of average height for his time. His legacy is a complex tapestry of military strategy, governance, and the quest for power. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: When did Napoleon crown himself emperor?**  
A: In Notre-Dame. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (1804) · Wikipedia: Napoleon)_

**Q: What legal code did he introduce?**  
A: Civil law. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Napoleonic Code) · Wikipedia: Napoleonic Code)_

**Q: Where was he finally defeated?**  
A: 1815. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Waterloo) · Wikipedia: Napoleon)_

**Q: How tall was he?**  
A: About 1.69 m. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Height) · Wikipedia: Napoleon)_

**Q: What does Le Petit Caporal mean?**  
A: From his soldiers. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Nickname) · Wikipedia: Napoleon)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Napoleon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon)
- [Wikipedia: Napoleonic Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Code)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Le Petit Caporal." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-224, last updated May 8, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/le-petit-caporal/