1. Ch. 7. 3 Napoleon Comes to
Rule!
“Good and decent people must be
protected and persuaded by gentle
means, but the rabble must be led
by terror.” Napoleon Bonaparte
2. Life in the Revolution=Change
• Daily life of the French
changed drastically with
the Revolution.
• Liberating thoughts and
rhetoric inspired great
shifts in politics,
economics, industry,
religion, and society.
These new ideologies
and shifts had their
effect on fashions.
This caricature contrasts 1778 (at right)
and 1793 (at left) styles for both men and
women, showing the large changes in
just 15 years
3. More Change-Calendar of the Republic
• The new calendar was adopted by
the National Convention in October,
1793. The year began on September
22 of the old calendar, and was
divided into twelve months of thirty
days each, leaving five days (six in
leap years) over at the end of the
last month. These five or six days
were to be known as the Sans-
culottides, and were to be a series of
national holidays. Each month was
divided into three weeks,
called décades, the last day of
each décade being set aside as a day
of rest corresponding to the old
Sunday.
• The months were grouped into four
sets of three, by seasons, and given
"natural" names, some of which are
rather attractive--vendémiaire,
brumaire,
frimaire (autumn); nivôse,
pluviôse,ventôse (winter);
germinal, floréal,prairial
(spring);messidor, thermidor,
fructidor (summer). The days of
the décade were named
arithmetically--primidi, duodi, on
to décadi. In place of the old saints'
days, each day was dedicated to a
suitable fruit, vegetable, animal,
agricultural implement.
5. Home from Egypt…
…Napoleon encounters a
France in turmoil. The
directory had lost
political control and the
confidence of the people.
Abbe Sieyes hatches a
plot to overthrow the
corrupt Directory and
convinces Napoleon to
lead the attack.
6. In Paris on 18 Brumaire, year VIII
(November 9, 1799)…
• …there was a coup d’état that
overthrew the system of
government under
the Directory in France. The
government was moved to the
safety of Chateau St. Cloud in fear
of a fake Jacobin plot. Once
there, 3 of the 5 members of the
Directory resigned. Napoleon
fumbled through a speech to the
legislators (Council of 500) who
responded with anger. Napoleon
would then take more drastic
steps.
7. Napoleon and his grenadiers driving
the Council of Five Hundred from the
Orangerie.
9. The Constitution of the
Year VIII created an
executive consisting of
three consuls, but the
First Consul, Napoleon
Bonaparte, wielded all
real power, while the
other two, Emmanuel-
Joseph Sieyès and
Pierre-Roger Ducos,
were figureheads.
Napoleon legitimized
his rule with
plebiscites.
