Napoleon’s Rise to Power
History: KS3, topic 13.2.2
Napoleon’s Rise to Power
In the midst of France’s chaos, a man called Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power in the military and went on to establish himself as leader of a powerful French Empire.
Political crisis
- By 1799 AD, France was in a political crisis.
- It had been ten years since the Storming of the Bastille and, although many progressive political steps had been made in France, there was no strong leadership in the country.
The Directorate
- Robespierre’s reign of terror was over, and France was now being governed by a Directorate of five people, who had no clear political aims or agenda for the country.
- It was in this political environment that Napoleon seized power.
The coup
- He returned to France and staged a coup (a military take-over) against the Directorate in November 1799 AD.
- Many people in France welcomed this, seeing Napoleon as a strong and decisive leader who would unify France after years of chaos.
The First Consul of France
- Napoleon was made First Consul of France at the age of just thirty and took total control of French politics.
- The French Revolution had come to an end, and France entered the Napoleonic Era.
Test yourself on Napoleon’s Rise to Power
What problem was France facing in 1799?
When did Napoleon stage his coup against the French Directorate?