Coronation of Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of France from 1804 to 1815. He is best remembered for his role in the series of conflicts known as the Napoleonic Wars, during which the French Empire enjoyed a long streak of victories. In the War of the Sixth Coalition (1813-1814), however, Napoleon was finally defeated and exiled to Elba. He escaped, but after losing the battle of Waterloo he was again imprisoned and this time exiled to Saint Helena off the coast of Africa. In February 1821, his health began to fail rapidly and he died.