14. Napoleon Bonaparte, widely regarded as one of the most prominent leaders of all time, died in exile in the middle of the Atlantic.
Napoleon Bonaparte has gone down in history as one of the greatest military leaders of all time. The Frenchman was also a savvy politician and statesman. He rode the momentum of the French Revolution and then capitalized on his successes in the French Revolutionary Wars to rise to the position of Emperor of France. From 1804 to 1814, he was arguably the most powerful person in all of Europe. He then ruled again for 100 days in 1815. After that, however, he fell from power – and fell hard.
The ‘Little Emperor’s’ second period of power ended with defeat to the combined armies of Britain and Prussia. Realizing his time was up, he demanded asylum from the British. They granted it, but on the proviso that he lives on Santa Helena, an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, some 1,160 miles off the coast of Africa. Considering the life he had enjoyed previously, his time in exile was not just uncomfortable, but humiliating too.
The British sent a whole garrison of troops to watch over Napoleon. While he was given a relatively large house, it was damp and cold, while the island, in general, was barren and windswept. The former emperor wasn’t even allowed to receive any gifts that might hint at his former power or influence. What’s more, he didn’t even have access to most books or newspapers. For a man who prided himself on being well-read, that was the final insult. Napoleon died in May 1821, and it wasn’t until 1840 that his body was returned to his native France.