The
Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major conflicts pitting the
French Empire, led by Emperor
Napoleon I, against an array of European powers formed into various coalitions. They revolutionized European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly owing to the application of modern
mass conscription. The wars are traditionally seen as a continuation of the
Revolutionary Wars, which broke out in 1792 during the
French Revolution. Initially, French power rose quickly as the
armies of Napoleon conquered much of Europe. In
his military career, Napoleon fought about 60 battles and lost seven, mostly at the end of his reign. The great French dominion collapsed rapidly after the disastrous
Invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon was defeated in 1814, and then once more in 1815 at
Waterloo after a brief return to power. The Allies then reversed all French gains since the Revolutionary Wars at the
Congress of Vienna.