They looked down on him because he was of Corsican nobility. Taunting Napoleon, they called him a "slave" because his home had been conquered by the French. .
Napoleon was very sensitive. He withdrew more and more into himself. Soon he stopped trying to make friends. In a corner of the school yard, he set up a private garden, which he closed off with a wooden fence. One of its stakes he nailed a sign that read "Napoleon's Country". .
He spent his days there, reading one book after another. The other students knew better than to come near his garden. Anyone who dared to was immediately warned with a scowl to leave. One student, though, decided to challenge Napoleon. While his companions egged him on, he barged into the garden and started to tear it apart. With a vicious look in Napoleon's eye, He threw himself at the boy. He sent him hurtling through the fence, splintering it in several places. The boy sprawled on the ground. Jumping on him, Napoleon pummeled him with his fists until the boy gave up; then Napoleon let him go. As the years at Brienne went by, he slowly gained the respect of his fellow students.
Napoleon's mother was left penniless, with eight children to take care of. Napoleon decided to earn his military commission as quickly as possible so that he could start helping her out financially. Working day and night, he completed the courses at the Military College within the year, though the program usually took two to three years. .
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At sixteen he graduated with the rank of lieutenant and was assigned to an artillery unit. Napoleon had specialized in artillery at the Military College, because he understood its importance in warfare and wanted to learn how cannons could most effectively be used in battles.
