Napoleon Seizes Power: 18 Brumaire Coup Succeeds
Napoleon nearly botched it. Facing down hostile deputies at Saint-Cloud on November 9th, he panicked, stumbled over his words, and soldiers had to physically drag him from the chamber before the crowd tore him apart. His brother Lucien saved everything — rallying the troops outside while Napoleon recovered his nerve. Within hours, the Directory's five-man government was gone. Three consuls replaced them. But Napoleon held all the real power. The "republic" survived in name only. The chaos he claimed to be ending had actually handed him France.
November 9, 1799
227 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Coup d'état
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Napoleon I of France
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French Directory
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18 Brumaire
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French Consulate
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Coup of 18 Brumaire
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Napoleon
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French Directory
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French Consulate
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Charles-François Lebrun
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Jean Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
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Lucien Bonaparte
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French Revolution
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France
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