Napoleon, First Consul of France

[barbarossa2]

Currently playing an 1803 PBEM Scenario game as Sweden, I was busy writing my diplomatic dispatches to Europe and wondered how I should be writing the salutation for France. Surely not "To Napoleon, Emperor of France" as he had not been crowned as Emperor yet. So I did a little digging on Wikipedia and found this...

"The Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire in 1804. By extension, the term The Consulate also refers to this period of French history.

"During this period, Napoléon Bonaparte, as First Consul had established himself as the head of a more conservative, authoritarian, autocratic, and centralized republican government in France while not declaring himself head of state. Nevertheless, due to the long-lasting institutions established during these years, Robert B. Holtman has called the Consulate "one of the most important periods of all French history."

So until France is an Empire, I guess I will be addressing France's player as "Napoleon, First Consul of France".

Interesting. For the full article see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Consulate

For the government of France from 1795 to 1799 (the National Convention) see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Directory

For the government of France from 1792 to 1795 (the National Convention) see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Convention

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For those remotely interested, what follows is the most relevant and shortest description of this period of French history from Wikipedia:
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FRENCH FIRST REPUBLIC (1792–1799)
In the Brunswick Manifesto, the Imperial and Prussian armies threatened retaliation on the French population should it resist their advance or the reinstatement of the monarchy. As a consequence, King Louis was seen as conspiring with the enemies of France.

On August 10, 1792 in France the King Louis XVI was arrested. After the first great victory of the French revolutionary troops at the battle of Valmy on September 20, 1792 the First Republic was proclaimed the day after on September 21, 1792.

January 17, 1793 saw King Louis condemned to death for "conspiracy against the public liberty and the general safety" by a weak majority in Convention. The January 21 execution led to more wars with other European countries. Louis' Austrian-born queen, Marie Antoinette, would follow him to the guillotine on October 16.

When war went badly, prices rose and the sans-culottes (poor labourers and radical Jacobins) rioted; counter-revolutionary activities began in some regions. This encouraged the Jacobins to seize power through a parliamentary coup, backed up by force effected by mobilising public support against the Girondist faction, and by utilising the mob power of the Parisian sans-culottes. An alliance of Jacobin and sans-culottes elements thus became the effective centre of the new government. Policy became considerably more radical.

The Committee of Public Safety came under the control of Maximilien Robespierre, and the Jacobins unleashed the Reign of Terror (1793–1794). At least 1200 people met their deaths under the guillotine — or otherwise — after accusations of counter-revolutionary activities. In 1794 Robespierre had ultra-radicals and moderate Jacobins executed; in consequence, however, his own popular support eroded markedly. On July 27, 1794 the French people revolted against the excesses of the Reign of Terror in what became known as the Thermidorian Reaction. It resulted in moderate Convention members deposing and executing Robespierre and several other leading members of the Committee of Public Safety. The Convention approved the new "Constitution of the Year III" on August 17, 1795; a plebiscite ratified it in September; and it took effect on September 26, 1795.

The new constitution installed the Directoire and created the first bicameral legislature in French history. On November 9, 1799 (18 Brumaire of the Year VIII) Napoléon Bonaparte staged the coup which installed the Consulate; this effectively led to his dictatorship.


FIRST EMPIRE (1804–1814)

In 1799, Napoléon Bonaparte, a brilliant military general who had participated in the French Revolutionary Wars of 1796, 1797 and 1798, seized power as First Consul, and in 1802 he was made First Consul for life. Bonaparte attracted more power and gravitated towards imperial status, gathering support on the way for his internal rebuilding of France and its institutions. He gradually dampened opposition using exile, systematic bureaucratic oppression, and constitutional means, and in 1804, the Senate granted him the title of emperor. The French Empire (or the Napoleonic Empire) (1804–1814) was marked by the French domination and reorganization of continental Europe (the Napoleonic Wars) and by the final codification of the republican legal system (the Napoleonic Code).

[IronWarrior]

Sorry, looks like I crowned myself a little early then. [:D] I didn't know when he actually became emporer... thanks for the info.

In our game, I believe France is already an Empire, but you can call me whatever you like... sorry if I've spoiled any immersion. [;)]

[ptan54]

One of the things that annoyed me most in COG (not a big point, but I'm all for historical feel) is that the rulers of the various countries never change. For example, if you play 1792 and 1796 as France, you have King Louis and the Directoire as the French head of state. Even if you get to 1799 and 1804, it doesn't change to Napoleon, First Consul or Napoleon, Emperor of the French. I haven't bought COG EE yet but can you confirm whether there are events to implement this? I read there were some "historical event". I certainly hope that the Coup de Brumaire and Coronation of Napoleon are modelled, as well as a possible Bourbon restoration if France gets defeated...