Born in 1769 into relatively impoverished Corsican nobility, and after receiving a French military education, by the beginning of the Revolution Napoleon had become a junior officer of artillery. He witnessed the chaotic mob rule when the Tuileries Ralace was attacked in 1792, but was wise enough to build political connections with those in power during the crucial year of 1793. He came to the attention of Robespierre, who recognised his talent and promoted him to senior gunner and commander of the artillery at the siege of Toulon, where he arrived in September 1793.
Napoleon first made his mark designing a strategy to capture key forts that overlooked the harbour. Once these were under French control, they could attack any ship in the harbour and force the evacuation of the British
