HC - Napoleon The Man, The Myth. The Legend Part 2 The Early Campaigns.28/03/2013 15:08:27

He fired cannon on his own countrymen, wooed the mistress of a formidable opponent and even threatened the Pope. He was Napoleon, one of the most brilliant and complex figures in history. This absorbing appraisal of his life offers a new perspective of the little man from Corsica, who rose to new heights of power by seizing every brutal, outrageous opportunity in his path. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte, a native of Corsica, crowned himself emperor of France, an audacious gesture that illustrated his overweening pride and ruthless ambition. Despite his diminutive stature, “the little corporal” loomed large over much of Europe for two decades-as an adroit statesman, military strategist and ruthless conqueror. This sweeping documentary reveals the private tribulations as well as the public triumphs of a complex historical legend. From the glory of his empire to his defeat at Waterloo and miserable exile on Elba, here is an entertaining and complete portrait of an extraordinary life.

Part 2: The Early Campaigns

Marriage to Josephine de Beauharnais did little to quell Napoleon's vaulting ambition. Now he had the opportunity to display his burgeoning military talents, which he showed to full effect during his stunning first Italian campaign. It saw Napoleon win the respect of his officers and gain the love of his men merely by ensuring that, for the first time in years, they were paid properly. After his triumphant return to Paris in 1797, Napoleon was already planning his invasion of Europe. This episode covers all these events plus the invasion of Egypt and the battle of the Pyramids, ending with Napoleon's rise to First Consul in 1799.