Napoleon Bonaparte signed letterA letter signed by Napoleon in November 1798 Napoleon is one of history's most iconic figures. As emperor of France, his actions shaped Europe in the early 19th century. Following a successful coup d'etat in 1799, Napoleon went on to conquer much of Western and North Eastern Europe. Napoleon was key in establishing a legal framework used across much of Europe, based on meritocracy, and his military strategy is still widely studied across the world.