The famous French general who led forces during the Napoleonic Wars was Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose to prominence as a military leader in the late 18th century and became Emperor of the French in 1804. His campaigns across Europe aimed to expand French territory and influence, resulting in significant victories as well as considerable losses. The Napoleonic Wars, which lasted from 1803 to 1815, transformed Europe politically and socially, leading to lasting changes in various nations and culminating in Napoleon’s eventual defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.