Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military leader and emperor who rose to prominence during the French Revolution. He is best known for his role in the Napoleonic Wars, where he expanded French territory and influence across Europe. His strategic brilliance and reforms in governance left a lasting impact on France and the world. Born on August 15, 1769, in Corsica, Napoleon became a general at a young age and later crowned himself Emperor of the French in 1804. His ambitious campaigns and eventual downfall at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 marked significant turning points in European history.