Territorial Control:
1. Peak territorial size: At its peak, Napoleon’s empire covered approximately 2.5 million square kilometers (965,000 square miles) of land.
2. Controlled European territories: The empire included countries such as France (including Corsica), Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, much of Italy, Germany (including parts of Prussia and Austria), Poland, most of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), Portugal (temporarily), and the Illyrian Provinces in Eastern Europe.
Population:
3. Total population: The empire had a population of around 170 million people, making it one of the most populous empires in Europe at the time.
Conquered and Allied territories:
4. Conquered territories: Many areas within Napoleon’s empire were conquered territories, where local governments were replaced with French authorities.
5. Allied and satellite states: Napoleon also established a network of allied states and vassal kingdoms, such as the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Naples, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and the Confederation of the Rhine, which were aligned politically with France.
6. Overseas colonies: Napoleon's empire also included overseas territories such as the French Antilles in the Caribbean, French Guiana in South America, Senegal and other parts of West Africa, as well as the islands of Mauritius and Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
Expansionist Goals:
7. Napoleon’s ambition: Napoleon’s military campaigns and territorial conquests were driven by his desire to create a French-dominated European hegemony and to reshape the political landscape of the continent.
8. Fall and defeat: Napoleon’s empire ultimately collapsed in 1815 after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. The Congress of Vienna, held after his downfall, redrew the map of Europe and restored many of the pre-Napoleon boundaries.