Following the French Revolution of 1789, the National Convention had established the First Republic in 1792. However, by the late 1790s, the Directory, a five-member executive body, was facing numerous challenges, including military defeats, economic instability, and political corruption.
Napoleon, who had been a successful military commander during the Revolutionary Wars, saw an opportunity to seize power. He conspired with members of the Directory and the Council of Elders, the upper house of the French legislature, to plan the coup.
The Coup d'état of 18 Brumaire:
- November 9, 1799: Napoleon's brother Lucien, a member of the Council of Five Hundred, the lower house of the legislature, convinced the council to move the government's seat from Paris to Saint-Cloud, a town just outside of the city. Napoleon was appointed to command the military forces for the move.
- November 10, 1799: Napoleon and his troops took control of Saint-Cloud and surrounded the legislature's meeting place. He addressed the Council of Elders, claiming that the republic was in danger and demanding that they give him emergency powers. The council agreed, granting him temporary authority to establish a new government.
- Napoleon then faced the more resistant Council of Five Hundred. However, Lucien Bonaparte stalled the proceedings by giving lengthy speeches, allowing Napoleon time to gather loyal troops. When Napoleon confronted the Council, he was met with hostility, and some lawmakers attempted to attack him.
- Napoleon ordered his grenadiers to clear the chamber. They marched into the chamber and dispersed the legislators, effectively dissolving the Council of Five Hundred.
With both chambers of the legislature essentially neutralized, Napoleon consolidated power. He appointed a provisional government, which later drafted a new constitution that concentrated power in the hands of a First Consul, a position that Napoleon assumed.
The Coup of 18 Brumaire effectively ended the French Revolution and established the Consulate, with Napoleon as the de facto ruler of France. It was a critical step in Napoleon's rise to power, paving the way for his coronation as Emperor of the French in 1804.