Coup d\'etat of the 18 Brumaire

In France, the coup d'etat of the 18 Brumaire (Year VIII, November 9th 1799) of Napoleon Bonaparte mark end of the Directory and French revolution, and the beginning of the Consulate.

Description

The coup d'etat is fomented in the residence of Joséphine de Beauharnais, street Chantereine in Paris, about with the site between current the Rue of the Victoire and the Rue of Châteaudun.

The diagram of the coup d'etat lays down the following operations: Bonaparte will have the command as a chief of the army for the maintenance of law and order in Paris and in the Assemblée S. One plans to move the assemblies with Saint-Cloud under the pretext of a danger Jacobin. Indeed, since 1789, the assemblies are always under the threat of the Parisian population. By moving the assemblies, one makes sure that the Parisian population will not be able to intervene. Paris is closed and under the control of the police force, very entered or left is prohibited. The main part of the events proceeds the 19 brumaire year VIII (November 10th, 1799) in Saint-Cloud. The revisionists had considered a collective resignation of the deputies of the Council of the Five hundreds but the assemblies have delay because this idea does not achieve the unanimity; in particular two Jacobins refuse to resign. Impatient Bonaparte and decides to intervene.

Preparations of the coup d'etat per Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès

Sieyès wishes to reverse the Constitution of Year III. This one being able to be revised only at the end of 9 years, it is necessary for him to imagine a Coup d'etat. For that, it uses the complicity of the Council of Old by pretexting a rising threatening the life of the deputies, and obliging them to move with Saint-Cloud. It needs as a military support, as it finds near Napoleon Bonaparte, which will ensure the command of the troops of Paris as well as the bodyguard legislature. Then, it was necessary that the Directoire crumbles to allow the drafting of a news Constitution. Sieyès, Roger Ducos and Barras resign, and the two other directors, Moulin and Gohier, are placed under monitoring.

Course of the coup d'etat

17 brumaire year VIII

The 17, to the point of the day, the commander of Paris, the regiments of the garrison, the adjudants of the forty-eight sections were invited to go the following day to seven hours of the morning in the street Chantereine located at the current site between the street of Chateaudun and the street of the Victoire, where was the house whom Napoleon Bonaparte lived. This meeting awaited since the return of the general-in-chief did not inspire any mistrust; per same hour all the officers were also convened on whom one could count. Each one of them, believing like the public that the general was going to leave for the Armée with Italy, found very simple that had been convened they to give them orders.

18 brumaire year VIII (November 9th, 1799)

5 hours of the morning

The convocations with a meeting at 7 a.m. are sent to the Conseil of Old the. One neglects to address some to those which seem unfavourable with the coup d'etat.

7 hours

A crowd of officers in great behavior presses itself in front of the residence of Napoleon Bonaparte, street Chantereine (renamed, in its honor, street of the Victoire). Napoleon Bonaparte receives them and makes them a very dark table of France that the “ pékins ”, the “ pettifogging lawyers ” carried out at the edge of the catastrophe.

8 hours

Meeting of the the Council of Old the to Tileries. At the fixed hour all those arrived which one had invited.

An inspector of the room states that the “anarchistic ” are ready to reverse the national representation and that, to thwart their plan, it is necessary to transport the Councils out of Paris.

To eight hours and half a messenger of the council of Old gave to Bonaparte the decree according to whether it made read with the Parliament After this reading, which was followed unanimous cry of lives Bonaparte! live the Republic! the general-in-chief harangua soldiers present.

The decree is voted, the Councils will sit the following day with Saint-Cloud. Napoleon Bonaparte is named commander of all the troops and the national guard of the 17th military division (Paris and suburbs).

Incontinent, the chiefs of the forty-eight sections receive the order to make beat the general one and to make proclaim the decree in all the districts of Paris. During this time, Bonaparte goes to horse Tileries, follow-up of many a procession of generals and to soldiers.

9 hours

Admitted with its staff in the council of Old, he speaks to them. This short speech, at least singular, not to say more, was accommodated by many applause, and the new general commander went to pass the review of the troops.

By its orders 10.000 men, ordered by the general Lannes, occupied Tileries; the stations of the Luxembourg, of the Military academy, the palate of the Five hundreds (Palais Bourbon), of the Invalid , were entrusted to the guard of the generals Milhaud, Murat, Marmont, Berruyer.

The general Lefebvre preserves the command of the 17^e military division, and Moreau itself accompanies Bonaparte in quality by its assistance-of-camp.

With the palate of Luxembourg, the directors Louis Gohier and Jean-François Moulin note that they are given up by the three others and “kept” by the general Moreau. These various measurements were taken with as well address and promptitude as, as of the ten hours of the morning, the capacity of the directors had disappeared like a shade.

Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès and Roger Ducos, which had been initiated in the mysteries of the plot, went like ordinary citizens in the council of Old.

Barred, Gohier and Moulins wanted initially to make some resistance, they made call the Lefebvre general to give him orders. This one answered them, that under the terms of the decree, he knew of another superior only the Bonaparte general.

Lastly, Bonaparte, surrounded by a crowd of generals and soldiers, indirectly addressing to the members executive power, apostrophized them in the room of the Council (the Old ones) by these striking down words

11 hours

In the garden of Tileries, Napoleon Bonaparte seeing Botot, the secretary of Paul Barred, addresses a short speech remained to him famous: “What did you make this France that I had left you so brilliant? ”

Midday

The Council of Old meets in the Bourbon palate (current National Assembly). The president Lucien Bonaparte reads the decree of transfer to Saint-Cloud. The Jacobins protest in vain. With the palate of Luxembourg, Paul Barred sign his resignation. Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès and Roger Ducos gave theirs.

14 hours

Napoleon Bonaparte and his staff make keep by the troops the strategic points of Paris and the road of Saint-Cloud. Paris remains calm. The life continues there like usually.

The Moulin director had proposed with his colleagues to seize Bonaparte and to make it shoot, but he learned soon that the execution of a so bold blow was not any more in its capacity; a detachment sent around Luxembourg made him give up its project. The proper guard of the Directory was put, of its own movement, with the provision of the hero of Italy and Egypt, and the directors estimated themselves happy that one allowed them to go to finish their days in the darkness and the retirement.

November 10th, 1799 - 19 brumaire year VIII

8 hours

The deputies, often accompanied by their family, gain Saint-Cloud where animation is large. In the park, bivouac the guard of the Council and ten companies of the 79e half-brigade. The general Jean Mathieu Philibert Sérurier, is in charge of the “protection” of the Councils. In the castle, the workmen hurry to lay out the benches, the platforms, the hangings. On the first floor of the right wing of the castle, the gallery of Apollo is used as room of deliberations with the Council of Old. For lack of other big rooms, the the Council of the Five hundred seat in the Orangery, with the ground floor, building perpendicular to the body of the castle.

9 hours 30; Paris

Rue de la Victoire, Napoleon discusses with the officers and the important civilians in charge of the operation. Success does not appear certain.

11 hours; Paris

Escorted by a detachment of cavalry, Napoleon Bonaparte leaves for Saint-Cloud.

12 hours 30; Saint-Cloud

Napoleon Bonaparte and his escort arrive at the Château of Saint-Cloud. They are accommodated by varied cries: “Bonaparte Lives” or “Sharp the Constitution! ” (by the opponents with the coup d'etat).

12 hours 30, with the Orangery of the castle

Lucien Bonaparte, president of the Council of the Five hundreds, opens the meeting. Jacobins speak initially. One shouts: “Not of dictatorship! With bottom dictators! Live the Constitution! ” One of them makes decide that all the deputies will have to lend oath of “fidelity to the Constitution of year III” .

14 hours, gallery of Apollo

The meeting of the Council of Old starts. Several deputies Jacobins ask for explanations on the “plot” which because the transfer to Saint-Cloud.

15 hours, in a living room of the castle

Napoleon Bonaparte and Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès impatientent themselves. Napoleon is very dissatisfied to learn that the Five hundreds must lend oath to the Constitution.

15 hours 30, gallery of Apollo

The Old ones learn that three directors gave their resignation. They ask the Council of the Five hundreds to designate thirty candidates. The meeting is adjourned.

Napoleon Bonaparte followed by his aide-de-camps penetrates in the room. He protests against those which treat it “new César ”, of “ new Cromwell ”, and say that he “ wants to establish a military government ”. He pronounces a vehement harangue

“- And the Constitution? says to him by stopping it the deputy Linglet.

Napoleon Bonaparte answers that she was violated with the 18 fructidor year V (September 4th 1797), the 22 floréal year VI (May 11th 1798), the 30 meadow year VII (June 18th 1799). Napoleon Bonaparte holds an awkward speech. He protests of his devotion to freedom. One asks to name him the conspirators. He answers by saying his confidence in the Council of Old and his mistrust towards the Council of the Five hundreds. “ Where the men are who would like to return Convention to us, revolutionary Committees and scaffolds. ” It finishes while threatening to call upon the soldiers and leaves the gallery.

Its speech is very badly perceived by the deputies who show it to want to found the dictatorship.

16 hours, with the Orangery

After having lent oath to the Constitution, the deputies of the Council of the Five hundreds learn the resignation from the director Paul Barras. They discuss on the manner of replacing it.

16 hours 30

Napoleon Bonaparte between with the Orangery in the room of the Five hundreds, accompanied by some pomegranates. To the moment when it entered, the Parliament proceeded, in greatest agitation, with the roll-call, so that its members again swore to defend the Constitution.

With the sight of Bonaparte and its pomegranates, the imprécations resound of all shares

One shouts: “ Out the law! With bottom dictatorship! Live the Republic and the Constitution of year III ”. Some weak cries of “ Vive Bonaparte ” are thorough.

Bonaparte believing its threatened life, leaves, pulled by four pomegranates, without being able to utter a word.

16 hours 35, small living room contiguous to the Orangery

Napoleon Bonaparte enters, finds there Sieyès and says to him: “They want to put to me out the law”. Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès answers him: “It is them which were put there”, and he adds that it is necessary to make go the troops.

16 hours 30, with the Orangery

Lucien Bonaparte, president of the Council of the Five hundreds, tries to defend his/her brother, but its speech is accommodated by hootings. Lucien Bonaparte then leaves his seat and yields it to Jean-Pierre Chazal.

In a great disorder, certain deputies ask for the setting out the law of Napoleon Bonaparte, others, that his command of the troops is withdrawn to him, others finally, that Lucien Bonaparte takes again the presidency to vote on the “ out the law ” (which gives to any citizen the right to kill that which is indicated by such a vote).

Lucien Bonaparte takes again the presidency but the tumult continues. Lucien Bonaparte declares the meeting closed while exclaiming: “ It has there no more here of freedom. Not having more the means of making me hear, you will see at least your president, as a sign of public mourning, deposit the marks of the popular magistrature here. ”. On these entrefaites, a pomegranate stake sent by the généralissime enters the room and removes it.

17 hours, the small living room then court

Bonaparte, on the false report which it was put out the law precipitates with the window and shouts “ With the weapons! ” Then it passes in the court where it is joined by his brother, they ride a horse.

Lucien Bonaparte declares that “ the vast majority of the Council is in this moment, under the terror of some representatives with stylets which put themselves out the law You will recognize for legislators of France only those which will go near me. As for those which would remain in the Orangery, that the force expels them. These brigands are not any more the representatives of the people; they are the representatives of the dagger. ”

Napoleon Bonaparte speaks: “ Soldiers, I led you to the victory; can I count on you? ” Clamors: “ Yes, yes! Live the general! ”.

It is Lucien Bonaparte who will incite the troops to put order in the assemblies. It is this day which is at the origin of the “ myth of the dagger ” saying that certain deputies wanted to stab Napoleon Bonaparte to justify an intervention of the army. And it is thorough has to leave by its pomegranates which are afraid of the situation. The pomegranates were inside.

17 hours 30; The Orangery

After the departure of Lucien Bonaparte, the deputies continued to discuss in the tumult. They hear drum rolls and the cries of “Sharp Bonaparte”.

Bonaparte does not have any more that one step to be made and its intentions are accomplished: soldiers, by its orders, invade the room of the Orangery, bayonet to the gun, and make some leave liking or force all the deputies who are there.

The general Victor-Emmanuel Leclerc advances and says: “ Citizens representatives, one cannot answer any more of the safety of the Council, I invite you to withdraw you. ”

After some counterparts, Joachim Murat exclaims: “ Foutez me all this world outside! ”. The majority of the deputies pass in the park by the windows by giving up their togas.

The images of the deputies leaving by the windows and wanting to stab Napoleon are very widespread. Bonaparte is in fact the right man for the job which makes rock a parliamentary coup d'etat in military coup d'etat.

Measures are taken by the secretary-general of the police force Fouché, so that the deputies, by leaving Saint-Cloud, cannot immediately return in Paris, precaution the purpose of which was to prevent them from reforming their Parliament in this populeuse city.

18 hours 45; Gallery of Apollo

Learning what has just occurred to the Orangery, the president Cornudet makes vote the following decree: “ the Council of Old, awaited the retirement of the Council of the Five hundreds, issues what follows: four of the members of the executive Directory having given their resignation and the fifth being put in monitoring, it will be named a provisional executive commission, composed of three members. ”

Moreover the legislative body is deferred with the 1st nivôse year VIII (December 22nd 1799). An intermediate commission taken in the Council of Old exerts during this time the legislative power.

19 hours, small living room

Napoleon Bonaparte and Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès are not satisfied with this decree which considers that the deputies of the Council of the Five hundreds disappeared. They decide to bring together the deputies of this Council who are favorable for them and whom one will be able to find.

21 hours, the Orangery

About fifty deputies of the Council of the Five hundreds could be gathered. Lucien Bonaparte chairs them.

After this victory, Lucien proposes with the council the Old ones to reorganize a new council of the Five hundreds, by eliminating those from his members who held obstinately for the old constitution.

The proposal is taken into account; the majority of the Five hundreds takes place in the Orangery, and the exclusion of sixty and one deputies is issued.

The two councils abolish the directorial government by mutual agreement; a commission on the revision of the Constitution is formed; an executive commission consular , made up of Sieyès, Bonaparte, inherits the directorial capacity; the three Consuls lend oath in the two councils to be faithful “to the sovereignty of the people, with the indivisible Republic one and, freedom, the equality and the representative system. ” The nation accepted these promises. The same day, the Five hundreds declared that generals and the soldiers who, the morning had driven out them Orangery, had deserved fatherland well.

November 11th, 1799 - 20 brumaire year VIII

4 hours

The Old ones and the Five hundred present designate twenty-five members of each commission. The three consuls (Napoleon Bonaparte, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, Roger Ducos) lend oath in front of them.

Bonaparte declares “ Citoyens, the Revolution is fixed at the principles which began it, it is finished. ”

In the course of the day

First important decision of the First consul: he names Martin Michel Charles Gaudin at the particularly important station of Minister for Finance. This one will be one of his/her closer collaborators, since it will provide these functions during all the Consulat and all the Empire, of the November 11th 1799 ( 20 brumaire year VIII ) at April 1st 1814, then during the Hundred Days, of the March 20th to the June 22nd 1815.

The Consulate is set up, an authoritarian regime directed by three consuls, of which only the first holds really the capacity: France starts a new period of its history while being on the point of entrusting its destiny to a Empereur.

Note: for certain historians, the Consulate is the last phase of the French revolution. For others, it forms, with the First Empire, a new stage of the French history. For others still, (François Pipe cleaner), the French revolution stops only at the beginning of the third republic (1880).

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