Coup de brumaire

Question 1

When was the coup?

Answer 1

1799
18th Brumaire - 19th Brumaire
9th November - 10th November

Question 2

When did Sieyes become director and why did he finally accept this position?

Answer 2

Accepted Director in May 1799

Felt the constitution needed changing to allow a strong government

Question 3

Who were the Directors in Autumn 1799? What were the backgrounds?

Answer 3

Barras: regarded as corrupt, rumores to pe planning a royalist restoration

Moulin: a general and Barras’ protege

Gohier: lawyer of Jacobin views but intimate w Bonaparte

Sieyes: no fair in the constitution

Ducos: Sieyes’ ally and protege, had only became Director in June

Question 4

What important move did Sieyes make leading up to the coup?

Answer 4

Bribed council members so on 23rd October 1799 he had arranged for Lucien Bonaparte to be elected President of Co500

Question 5

Describe the events of 18 Brumaire

Answer 5

• CoA members (sympathetic to coup) warned colleagues of a supposed Jacobin plot
• Both CoA and 500 members persuaded to leave Paris and go to Palace of St. Cloud, away from pro-Jacobin mobs
• Napoleon took command of Parisian troops, ensuring Councils’ safety; his trusted commander, Murat, moved 6000 men into position around St. Cloud
• Sieyes and Ducos resign as Directors in accordance with the plot; under pressure from Talleyrand (another plotter) Barras stepped down = virtually destroying Directory government

Question 6

What were the original aims of the coup?

Answer 6

1) Persuade the Directors to resign

2) Persuade the two councils to appoint a commission to draw a new constitution

Question 7

Describe the events of 19 Brumaire

Answer 7

• Most deputies realised they had been fooled
• Now they feared a coup by the army under Napoleon’s control not by the Jacobins
• Napoleon, who realised deputies in councils wouldn’t declare favour without force, lost patience and stormed the CoA

Question 8

What did Napoleon do during the coup?

Answer 8

• First went to CoA
• Failed to make an impression so moved to Co500
• There he was met w threats
• These may or may not have been violent

Question 9

What was Lucien’s role during the coup?

Answer 9

• Saved the situation by getting palace guards to intervene

_ As the guards moved into the hall, many deputies left

Question 10

How did the coup end?

Answer 10

• Remaining deputies forced from chamber after Murat’s grenadiers marched in
• Lucien found a few deputies from CoA prepared to obey his orders and appoint 3 Consuls to run government until a new constitution prepares

Question 11

When did Napoleon return from Egypt?

Answer 11

October 1799

Question 12

What happened after Napoleon returned?

Answer 12

Sieyes asked him support his coup and they had a series of secret meetings throughout November