A poor boy from a small island who became the ruler of France.
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These are the new words for Napoleon. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a soldier) · 2 = D (an army) · 3 = B (a general) · 4 = A (a battle)
5 = G (power) · 6 = F (a crown) · 7 = E (to win) · 8 = H (to lose)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
Napoleon was born in 1769 on a small island called Corsica. France took the island just before he was born, so Napoleon grew up French. His family was not rich. When he went to school in France, the other boys laughed at him. They laughed at his island name and the way he spoke. So Napoleon worked very hard. He loved books about history, numbers and war.
In 1789 there was a big revolution in France. The people did not want a king any more. This was a great chance for a young man like Napoleon. Now it was not important if your family was rich. It was important if you were clever and brave. Napoleon was both.
Napoleon was a soldier, and he was very good. He won many battles. He became a general — the top leader of an army — when he was still young. Soon he was the most famous soldier in France. And he understood one thing: after so many years of trouble, the people wanted a strong leader.
1. Why did the other boys laugh at Napoleon at school?
2. Why was the revolution a good chance for Napoleon?
1. They laughed at his island name and the way he spoke, because he came from Corsica and his family was not rich.
2. After the revolution, your family did not need to be rich. Now clever and brave people could go far, and Napoleon was clever and brave.
In 1799, France was still not calm. Napoleon and some friends took power in one night. Now Napoleon was the leader of France. But he was more than a soldier. He made new laws that were clear and fair, and many countries still use ideas from these laws today. He built new schools and banks. He worked hard to make France strong again.
But Napoleon wanted more. In 1804, there was a big ceremony in a famous church in Paris. Napoleon became the Emperor of France. He took the crown and put it on his own head. This said one thing to all of Europe: "My power comes from me."
For about ten years, Napoleon won and won. By 1810 he ruled a huge empire across much of Europe. His brothers ruled some of the countries for him. But there was war almost every year, and many soldiers on all sides died in the battles. His biggest enemy was Britain, and he could not beat its ships at sea. So he tried to stop other countries buying and selling with Britain. Slowly, this made many people in Europe angry with him.
1. What good things did Napoleon do for France, apart from fighting?
2. What did Napoleon do with the crown in 1804, and what did it mean?
1. He made new, clear and fair laws, and built new schools and banks. He worked to make France strong.
2. He put the crown on his own head. It meant that his power came from himself, not from anyone else.
In 1812, Napoleon made a very big mistake. He took a huge army into Russia. But the Russian soldiers did not fight him. They walked back, deeper and deeper, and they burned their own towns and fields. When Napoleon reached Moscow, the city was empty and on fire. Then winter came. It was very cold. Napoleon had to go back home. On the long walk back through the snow, most of his soldiers died. Only a small number came home.
Now the other countries of Europe joined together against Napoleon. In 1814 they took Paris. Napoleon lost his power, and they sent him to a small island called Elba. But he did not stay. After less than a year, he escaped. He came back to France, and his old soldiers came to help him again. For about a hundred days, he was the leader once more.
The last battle was at Waterloo, in 1815. A British army and a Prussian army beat Napoleon. This time there was no coming back. They sent him far away, to a very small island called Saint Helena, in the middle of the ocean. He died there in 1821. He was fifty-one. The poor boy from a small island had ruled almost all of Europe — and then lost it all. People still talk about him today.
1. Why did Napoleon's army fail in Russia?
2. What happened at Waterloo, and where did Napoleon go after it?
1. The Russians did not fight. They walked back and burned their own towns. Moscow was empty and on fire, then winter came, and most of Napoleon's soldiers died on the way home.
2. A British army and a Prussian army beat him at Waterloo in 1815. After that, they sent him far away to the small island of Saint Helena, where he died.
This is a story about the past, so we use the past simple. We also use small time words to show the order of events: what happened first, then, after and finally.
Put the verb in brackets into the past simple.
1. Napoleon (be) born on a small island in 1769.
2. He (win) many battles when he was young.
3. In 1804, he (become) the Emperor of France.
4. In Russia, most of his soldiers (die).
1. was (be → was)
2. won (win → won)
3. became (become → became)
4. died (die → died)
Complete each sentence with first, then, after or finally.
1. , Napoleon was a soldier and won many battles.
2. he took power and became Emperor.
3. that, he ruled a big empire in Europe.
4. , he lost at Waterloo and went to a small island.
1. First (the beginning)
2. Then (the next thing)
3. After ("After that, …")
4. Finally (the end)
Fill each gap with the past simple of the verb, then add the story in order. Read it aloud when you finish.
Napoleon (take) a big army to Russia. The Russians (burn) their own towns. When winter (come), most of his soldiers (die). Finally, he (lose) the battle of Waterloo.
took · burned · came · died · lost
Remember: take → took, come → came, lose → lost are irregular. Use time words like first, then, after, finally to keep the order clear.
There is a real podcast about Napoleon. It is for native speakers, so it is fast and quite difficult — that is normal! You do not need to understand every word.
From the Noiser podcast network. About 50 minutes. It plays on the Noiser site, or search "Short History Of Napoleon" on Spotify.
Play on Noiser →Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of Napoleon in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a poor boy from a small island → a good soldier and general → he took power and became Emperor → a big empire in Europe → the bad year in Russia → the last battle at Waterloo → a small island far away.
Try to use the past simple ("he won", "he became", "he lost") and the time words first, then, after that, finally. Use some key words too (soldier, army, general, battle, power, crown, win, lose).
Napoleon was a very strong leader. He did good things and bad things. Do you think a country needs one strong leader, or is that dangerous? Why? Talk about a leader you know about.
Tell a story of your own about the past. Use the past simple and the time words first, then, after that, finally.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: