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Cannon were crucial in Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power, and continued to play an important role in his army in later years.

During the French Revolution, the unpopularity of the Directory led to riots and rebellions.

When over 25, 000 of these royalists — led by General Danican — assaulted Paris, Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras was appointed to defend the capital ; outnumbered five to one and disorganized, the Republicans were desperate.

When Napoleon arrived, he reorganized the defenses, while realizing that without cannon, the city could not be held.

He ordered Joachim Murat to bring the guns from the Sablons artillery park ; the Major and his cavalry fought their way to the recently captured cannon, and brought them back to Napoleon.

When Danican's poorly trained men attacked, on 13 Vendémiaire, 1795 — October 5, 1795, in the calendar used in France, at the time — Napoleon ordered his cannon to fire grapeshot into the mob, an act that became known as the " whiff of grapeshot ".

The slaughter effectively ended the threat to the new government, while, at the same time, made Bonaparte a famous — and popular — public figure.

Among the first generals to recognize that artillery was not being used to its full potential, Napoleon often massed his cannon into batteries, and introduced several changes into the French artillery, improving it significantly, and making it among the finest in Europe.

Such tactics were successfully used by the French, for example, at the Battle of Friedland, when sixty-six guns fired a total of 3, 000 roundshot and 500 rounds of grapeshot, inflicting severe casualties to the Russian forces, whose losses numbered over 20, 000 killed and wounded, in total.

At the Battle of Waterloo — Napoleon's final battle — the French army had many more artillery pieces than either the British or Prussians.

As the battlefield was muddy, recoil caused cannon to bury themselves into the ground after firing, resulting in slow rates of fire, as more effort was required to move them back into an adequate firing position ; also, roundshot did not ricochet with as much force from the wet earth.

Despite the drawbacks, sustained artillery fire proved deadly during the engagement, especially during the French cavalry attack.

The British infantry, having formed infantry squares, took heavy losses from the French guns, while their own cannon fired at the cuirassiers and lancers, when they fell back to regroup.

Eventually, the French ceased their assault, after taking heavy losses from the British cannon and musket fire.