Chapter 16: The establishment of the Consulate
The coup of Brumaire
Abbé Sieyès had never supported the 1795, which set up the Directory, and had initially refused to serve in it.
However, when its failure to maintain stability seemed to vindicate his views, he finally accepted a position as
Director in May 1799. He played a significant part in the coup of Prairial in June, calling on the army to enforce
changes of personnel.
Sieyès wanted to go further. He felt that there had to be a change to the constitution to allow strong
government to emerge and he appears to have engaged in talks with General Joubert to bring about a coup
d’état with the help of the army. However, Joubert was killed at the Battle of Novi in August 1799 as Austro-
Russian forces attacked the French in Piedmont. Thus, the return of the popular general N from the Egyptian
invasion had receded and the pro-peace royalist faction was gaining strength. Ironically, both the Jacobin and
royalist sides thought N a potential saviour, while N himself had his own ambitions
Directory government on the eve of the coup of Brumaire: The Directory government was very
unpopular. It commanded little authority as fears of both a Jacobin resurgence and a royalist
restoration produced instability across the country. The economy was in poor shape, with soaring
inflation, high taxation and widespread unemployment. The bourgeoisie, who had profited from the
early years of revolution, desperately wanted internal security. The Directors in the autumn of 1799
were Paul Barras, who was regarded as corrupt and was rumoured to be planning a royalist
restoration; Moulin, a general and Barras’ protégé; Gohier, a lawyer of Jacobin views but intimate with
Josephine Bonaparte; Abbé Sieyès, who had no faith in the constitution; and Roger Ducos, his protégé,
who had only become a Director in June. Barras – against coup, wanted his own power, which is why he
appointed himself as a Directory following 13 Vendémiaire.
In preparation for a coup, Abbé Sieyès bribed council members, and, on 23rd October, arranged for N’s brother
Lucien to be elected as President of the Council of Five Hundred. Troops were also deployed around Paris,
ready for action if necessary. The plan was:
To persuade the Directors to resign
To persuade the two Councils to appoint a commission to draw a new constitution
On the morning of 18 Brumaire, members of the Council of Ancients who were sympathetic to the coup warned
their colleagues of a (supposed) Jacobin conspiracy. With Lucien in charge of the Council of Five Hundred, both
assemblies were persuaded to leave the centre of Paris and move to the former royal palace of Saint-Cloud to
the west, where they would be well away from the potentially violent pro-Jacobin Parisian mobs; N promised to
ensure the safety of the two Councils and took command of the Parisian troops, while his trusted commander,
Joachim Murat, moved 6000 men into position around Saint-Cloud. The same morning Abbé Sieyès and Ducos
resigned as Directors (in accordance with the plot). Under pressure from Talleyrand (another plotter), Barras
was also persuaded to step down. This virtually destroyed Directory government. The remaining Directors,
Moulin and Gohier, were put under house arrest. However, the Councils continued to meet.
By 19 Brumaire (10 November) most deputies had realised that they had been duped and that they were
actually facing an attempted coup by the army, rather than being protected from a Jacobin rebellion. N (who
had mistakenly hoped they would declare in his favour without force) lost patience and stormed into the
Council of Ancients, accompanied by a small escort of grenadiers. As far as Abbé Sieyès was concerned, the
‘coup within the coup’ had not been planned.
It would seem that N first went to the Council of Ancients, but having failed to make much impression, move to
the Council of Five Hundred, where he met with threats, which may or may not have been violent. Lucien
Bonaparte saved the situation by getting the place guards to intervene (probably by suggesting that some
deputies were trying to assassinate N). As the guards moved into the hall, many deputies left (some even
jumped out of the windows). When Murat’s grenadiers marched in, the remaining deputies were forcibly
expelled from the chamber.
Lucien managed to find a few deputies from the Council of Ancients (rumour has it that they were still hiding in
the park) who were prepared to obey his orders and appoint three Consuls to run the government until a new
constitution could be prepared. The government of the Directory thus came to an end. Of the three Consuls -
The coup of Brumaire
Abbé Sieyès had never supported the 1795, which set up the Directory, and had initially refused to serve in it.
However, when its failure to maintain stability seemed to vindicate his views, he finally accepted a position as
Director in May 1799. He played a significant part in the coup of Prairial in June, calling on the army to enforce
changes of personnel.
Sieyès wanted to go further. He felt that there had to be a change to the constitution to allow strong
government to emerge and he appears to have engaged in talks with General Joubert to bring about a coup
d’état with the help of the army. However, Joubert was killed at the Battle of Novi in August 1799 as Austro-
Russian forces attacked the French in Piedmont. Thus, the return of the popular general N from the Egyptian
invasion had receded and the pro-peace royalist faction was gaining strength. Ironically, both the Jacobin and
royalist sides thought N a potential saviour, while N himself had his own ambitions
Directory government on the eve of the coup of Brumaire: The Directory government was very
unpopular. It commanded little authority as fears of both a Jacobin resurgence and a royalist
restoration produced instability across the country. The economy was in poor shape, with soaring
inflation, high taxation and widespread unemployment. The bourgeoisie, who had profited from the
early years of revolution, desperately wanted internal security. The Directors in the autumn of 1799
were Paul Barras, who was regarded as corrupt and was rumoured to be planning a royalist
restoration; Moulin, a general and Barras’ protégé; Gohier, a lawyer of Jacobin views but intimate with
Josephine Bonaparte; Abbé Sieyès, who had no faith in the constitution; and Roger Ducos, his protégé,
who had only become a Director in June. Barras – against coup, wanted his own power, which is why he
appointed himself as a Directory following 13 Vendémiaire.
In preparation for a coup, Abbé Sieyès bribed council members, and, on 23rd October, arranged for N’s brother
Lucien to be elected as President of the Council of Five Hundred. Troops were also deployed around Paris,
ready for action if necessary. The plan was:
To persuade the Directors to resign
To persuade the two Councils to appoint a commission to draw a new constitution
On the morning of 18 Brumaire, members of the Council of Ancients who were sympathetic to the coup warned
their colleagues of a (supposed) Jacobin conspiracy. With Lucien in charge of the Council of Five Hundred, both
assemblies were persuaded to leave the centre of Paris and move to the former royal palace of Saint-Cloud to
the west, where they would be well away from the potentially violent pro-Jacobin Parisian mobs; N promised to
ensure the safety of the two Councils and took command of the Parisian troops, while his trusted commander,
Joachim Murat, moved 6000 men into position around Saint-Cloud. The same morning Abbé Sieyès and Ducos
resigned as Directors (in accordance with the plot). Under pressure from Talleyrand (another plotter), Barras
was also persuaded to step down. This virtually destroyed Directory government. The remaining Directors,
Moulin and Gohier, were put under house arrest. However, the Councils continued to meet.
By 19 Brumaire (10 November) most deputies had realised that they had been duped and that they were
actually facing an attempted coup by the army, rather than being protected from a Jacobin rebellion. N (who
had mistakenly hoped they would declare in his favour without force) lost patience and stormed into the
Council of Ancients, accompanied by a small escort of grenadiers. As far as Abbé Sieyès was concerned, the
‘coup within the coup’ had not been planned.
It would seem that N first went to the Council of Ancients, but having failed to make much impression, move to
the Council of Five Hundred, where he met with threats, which may or may not have been violent. Lucien
Bonaparte saved the situation by getting the place guards to intervene (probably by suggesting that some
deputies were trying to assassinate N). As the guards moved into the hall, many deputies left (some even
jumped out of the windows). When Murat’s grenadiers marched in, the remaining deputies were forcibly
expelled from the chamber.
Lucien managed to find a few deputies from the Council of Ancients (rumour has it that they were still hiding in
the park) who were prepared to obey his orders and appoint three Consuls to run the government until a new
constitution could be prepared. The government of the Directory thus came to an end. Of the three Consuls -
