Subsequent years of military victories known collectively as the
Napoleonic Wars extended French influence over much of Western
Europe and into Poland. At its height in 1812, the French Empire
had 130 départements, ruled over 44 million subjects, maintained
extensive military presence in Germany, Italy, Spain, and the
Duchy of Warsaw, and could count Prussia and Austria as nominal
allies. Early French victories exported many ideological features
of the French Revolution throughout Europe. Seigneurial dues and
seigneurial justice were abolished, aristocratic privileges were
eliminated in all places except Poland, and the introduction of
the Napoleonic Code throughout the continent increased legal
equality, established jury systems, and legalized divorce.
Napoleon placed relatives on the thrones of several European
countries and granted many noble titles, most of which expired
with the fall of the Empire.

However, French losses in the Peninsular War in Iberia severely
weakened the Empire; after victory over the Austrian Empire in
the War of the Fifth Coalition (1809) Napoleon deployed over
600,000 troops to attack Russia, in a catastrophic French invasion
of that country in 1812. The War of the Sixth Coalition saw the
expulsion of French forces from Germany in 1813. Napoleon abdicated
in 1814. The Empire was briefly restored during the Hundred Days
period in 1815 until Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
It was followed by the restored monarchy of the House of Bourbon.
The Second French Empire or Second Empire was the Imperial
Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between
the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.

Throughout its history, the dynasty, as well as being Emperors of the
French, held various other titles and territories including; their
ancestral nation the Kingdom of Italy, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of
Westphalia, Kingdom of Holland and the Kingdom of Naples. The dynasty
was in a position of power for around a decade until the Napoleonic
Wars began to take their toll. Making very powerful enemies such as
Austria, United Kingdom, Russia and Prussia, as well as royalist
(particularly Bourbon) restorational movements in France, Spain, the
Two Sicilies and Sardinia, the dynasty eventually collapsed under
its own weight.

Between the years 1852 and 1870 there was a Second French Empire, again
a member of the Bonaparte dynasty would rule; Napoleon III of France
the son of Louis Bonaparte. However after tensions relating to Prussia,
the dynasty was again ousted from the imperial throne. Since that time
there has been a series of pretenders, supporters of the Bonaparte
family's claim to the throne of France are known as Bonapartists. The
Current head Jean-Christophe Napoléon is ironically from a Bourbon mother.