You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast.

Welcome to the Age of Napoleon.

Episode 66, Master of France.

Thanks for joining me.

Before we get started, I'll remind you once again that you can listen to this and all future

episodes ad free by pledging at least two dollars a month on patreon.com. We left off last time in early 1802 in the wake of the Treaty of Amiens.

All of Europe was celebrating, but Napoleon had no intention of resting on his laurels.

He was already in the preliminary stages of a massive ambitious reform agenda, which would soon see the entire country transformed

and lay the foundations for modern France.

We'll start out this episode with a bit of an anti-climax. On the afternoon of August 3rd, 1802, Bonaparte was at the Twelery

Palace, his official primary residence, and main place of business.

He was in a meeting with a group of foreign ambassadors when he was interrupted by a delegation

of senators bearing urgent news.

In the preceding weeks, France had held yet another referendum.

The legislators had gone to the palace that afternoon to inform the first console that the results were in,

and had just been ratified by the Senate.

French voters had been given a single question, quote,

Will Napoleon Bonaparte be consul for life?

End quote.

A whopping 99.76% had responded, yes.

Once again, numbers that would have made Saddam Hussein jealous.

Out of more than 7 million eligible voters, only just over 8,000 had turned out to vote no.

...