You're listening to an airwave media podcast.

Welcome to the Age of Napoleon.

Episode 54 The New Covenant.

Thanks for joining me.

We last left the narrative in November of 1799.

The coup of 18 Brumer swept away the directory, which had ruled France for four years, and

installed a new regime known as the Consulate.

Napoleon Bonaparte was now first Consul of France, the top position in the new government.

But that didn't mean he ruled as a dictator.

Not yet.

This was a provisional government, a temporary caretaker regime, intended only to maintain order

until a new constitution was put into place.

As the dust of the coup settled, and the government began consolidating and paving the way for a new permanent government,

each member of the Brumair conspiracy was angling to secure his own share of power in the new order.

However, as we've seen in past episodes, Napoleon was rarely

content sharing power with anyone. He preferred to do things by himself, his own way,

and chafed under any outside oversight or restraint.

As first consul Napoleon was in a better position than anyone to dominate the new government,

but he would have to win this round of post-coo infighting if he was to maximize his influence.

As it turned out, the future form of this new government was much more open to debate than anyone had realized.

Not long after the coup, one of the plotters asked its leader, Emmanuel Siez, about this new constitution.

Amazingly, Siez responded that he, quote, had a few ideas, end quote.

...