Napoleon Bonaparte Research Paper
The resistible rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
Open:block:jnlArticle Open:block:scholUnivAuthors Crook, Malcolm. Close:block:scholUnivAuthors Open:block:publicationBlock Historian Close:block:publicationBlock 60 (Winter 1998): 10. Close:block:jnlArticle
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Malcolm Crook examines the remarkable ascent to power of Napoleon at the turn of the nineteenth century
The great Bicentenary of the French Revolution of 1789 may be drawing to a close, but that of Napoleon is about to commence. So now is an opportune moment to present a critical overview of his …show more content…
Bonaparte was determined to emerge as the leading player and was named as First Consul for a term of ten years when new political arrangements were enshrined in the Constitution of the Year VIII in December 1799. The sword proved mightier than the pen. Sieyes revealed his political ineptitude by failing to produce a detailed constitutional draft, and his suggestion that Bonaparte serve as a `Grand Elector' provoked an exasperated, and crudely worded response from the general to the effect that he had no desire to become a mere figurehead. Though the new system maintained three consuls at the helm, there was no doubt that Napoleon was first among unequals and when asked what was in the constitution, the standard response was: `There is …show more content…
Sieyes had to content himself with the consolation prize of heading the new Senate (which was to serve as a constitutional watchdog). This offered him patronage over the composition of two parliamentary chambers, the Legislative Body and the Tribunate, where many deputies who had supported the coup were to find a new home.8 The ultimate reward for Sieyes himself, rather ironically for such a notorious scourge of the nobility, was the title of count in Napoleon's Empire. The representative assemblies and the byzantine electoral process that Sieyes imposed on Bonaparte in 1800 were little more than window dressing. Real power resided with the First Consul and the Council of State he appointed to advise
Open:block:jnlArticle Open:block:scholUnivAuthors Crook, Malcolm. Close:block:scholUnivAuthors Open:block:publicationBlock Historian Close:block:publicationBlock 60 (Winter 1998): 10. Close:block:jnlArticle
Turn on hit highlighting for speaking browsers by selecting the Enter button
Table of Contents Biography Full text text + graphics
Full text Translate Full text Translation options popup
Headnote
Malcolm Crook examines the remarkable ascent to power of Napoleon at the turn of the nineteenth century
The great Bicentenary of the French Revolution of 1789 may be drawing to a close, but that of Napoleon is about to commence. So now is an opportune moment to present a critical overview of his …show more content…
Bonaparte was determined to emerge as the leading player and was named as First Consul for a term of ten years when new political arrangements were enshrined in the Constitution of the Year VIII in December 1799. The sword proved mightier than the pen. Sieyes revealed his political ineptitude by failing to produce a detailed constitutional draft, and his suggestion that Bonaparte serve as a `Grand Elector' provoked an exasperated, and crudely worded response from the general to the effect that he had no desire to become a mere figurehead. Though the new system maintained three consuls at the helm, there was no doubt that Napoleon was first among unequals and when asked what was in the constitution, the standard response was: `There is …show more content…
Sieyes had to content himself with the consolation prize of heading the new Senate (which was to serve as a constitutional watchdog). This offered him patronage over the composition of two parliamentary chambers, the Legislative Body and the Tribunate, where many deputies who had supported the coup were to find a new home.8 The ultimate reward for Sieyes himself, rather ironically for such a notorious scourge of the nobility, was the title of count in Napoleon's Empire. The representative assemblies and the byzantine electoral process that Sieyes imposed on Bonaparte in 1800 were little more than window dressing. Real power resided with the First Consul and the Council of State he appointed to advise