A Corsican Beginning

Napoleon—or Napoleone di Buonaparte, as he was christened—arrived just fifteen months after France had purchased Corsica from the Republic of Genoa. His father, Carlo Buonaparte, had fought alongside the Corsican patriot Pasquale Paoli against French rule before pragmatically switching sides to secure his family's future. This early lesson in political flexibility would resonate throughout Napoleon's career.

The Buonaparte family occupied a precarious position in Corsican society. While they claimed noble status, they were far from wealthy. Carlo's decision to embrace French rule opened doors for his children, particularly access to French educational institutions reserved for the minor nobility. Of the eight surviving Buonaparte children, it would be Napoleon who most fully seized these opportunities.

Young Napoleon spoke Corsican and Italian before learning French, and he would carry a distinctive accent throughout his life—a reminder of his outsider origins that both motivated and haunted him. At age nine, he left Corsica for the Royal Military School at Brienne-le-Château in mainland France, beginning a transformation from provincial islander to French officer.