Ecole Militaire, Brienne
In 1779, nine-year-old Napoleon arrived at military school in Brienne. Barely speaking French in a heavy Corsican accent, he faced five years of isolation, austerity and mockery. Yet, despite his ardent Corsican nationalism, it was here he became a Frenchman. He also became an impassioned reader of history, devouring Plutarch’s Lives and demanding access to …