Napoleon’s rise to power Flashcards
The Italian campaign
The Coup of Brumaire
-Abbé sieyès felt that they had to be a change to the constitution to allow strong government to emerge
- In preparation for coup Sieyès and the 23rd of October arranged for Napoleon‘s brother Lucian to be elected as president of the council of 500
- On 18 Brumaire, members of the council of agents who were sympathetic to the coup warned their colleagues of a jacobin conspiracy.
- With Lucien in charge of the council of 500 both assemblies were persuaded to leave the centre of Paris and move to former Royal Palace of Saint Cloud
- Napoleon promised to ensure the safety of the two councils and took command of the Parisian troops
- By 19th Brumaire most deputies had realised that they had been duped and that they were actually facing attempted coup by the army rather than being protected from a jacobin
rebellion
- Napoleon lost his patience and stormed into the council of agents however failed to make an impression and moved to the council of 500 where he was met with Fretz which may or may not have been violent, Lucien Bonapart save the situation by getting the palace guards to intervene.
- Lucien managed to find a few deputies from the council of ancients who were prepared to obey his orders and appoint three counsuls to run the government until a new constitution could be prepared for the government of directory came to end