In the armistice of Cherasco the king of Sardinia cedes to France his territories of Savoy and Nice

After two rapid victories in north Italy, Napoleon marches on Turin and the king of Sardinia asks for an armistice

Napoleon creates in northern Italy the Cisalpine Republic, formed from occupied territores including the papal states of Bologna and Ferrara

Napoleon Bonaparte takes command of the French army of Italy, with astonishingly successful results

Irish nationalist Wolfe Tone sails from France to invade Ireland with a force of 14,000 French soldiers

Napoleon marches against Vienna and is only two days from the city when the emperor requests an armistice

In Venice Napoleon deposes the last of the doges and sets up a provisional democracy

Napoleon achieves the peace of Campo Formio, by which Austria cedes the Austrian Netherlands and northern Italy to France

By the Treaty of Campo Formio the free republic of Venice, created by Napoleon, is handed over to Austrian rule

Napoleon, with distinguished scientists in his fleet, sails to invade Egypt

Napoleon's campaign in Egypt begins well with the Battle of the Pyramids, a victory over an Egyptian army

Irish nationalist Wolfe Tone, convicted of treason for his failed invasion, cuts his throat to cheat the British gallows

Disaster strikes the French in Egypt when Nelson finds their fleet in Aboukir Bay and destroys it in the Battle of the Nile

Napoleon leads a costly, unsuccessful and plague-ridden expedition against the Turkish garrisons in Syria

Napoleon, in Syria, orders 3000 captured defenders of Jaffa to be killed by bayonet or drowning to save ammunition

Tipu Sultan, ruler of Mysore, is killed fighting the British at Seringapatam

Napoleon abandons his army in Egypt and returns hastily to Paris at a time of great political opportunity

Napoleon contrives a military coup that ends the Directory and gives him sweeping powers as First Consul

Napoleon takes a French army through the Alps before the snows have cleared, and defeats the Austrians at Marengo

Horatio Nelson puts his telescope to his blind eye when the signal is given to withdraw from Copenhagen harbour

Both France and Britain, engaged against each other in the Napoleonic Wars, take the first census of their populations

The treaty agreed at Amiens between France and Britain brings a welcome lull after ten years of warfare in Europe

The peace of Amiens comes to an abrupt end when Britain declares war again on France

Napoleon assembles an invasion fleet against Britain, where Martello towers are hastily built in preparation

The USS Philadelphia is captured, with its 300 crew, in the first Barbary War between the US and north African pirate states