Napoleon

He was one of the greatest generals in history, imposing his political will on all of Europe. Born into an impoverished Corsican noble family, Napoleon Bonaparte made a meteoric rise in post-revolutionary, crisis-ridden France. At the age of 24, he was already a general, shortly thereafter became commander-in-chief of the Italian army, and finally, through a coup d'état, first consul. At the age of 35, he crowned himself emperor with his own hands. Luck deserted him at the zenith of his power. The Battle of Leipzig in 1813 sealed his fate, Napoleon was exiled to Elba. But he returned. At Waterloo he fought his last battle and lost. St. Helena, a lonely island in the South Atlantic, became the place of his last exile.