THE FRENCH CONSULATE
The government of France from 1799 to 1804 is called the Consulate. This was the period beginning at the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire and ending at the start of the Napoleonic Empire.
Napoleon Bonaparte was the First Consul of France. During this period of the French history, Napoleon established himself as the dominant power in France. However, he had not declared himself as the Emperor during this period.
Through the coup d'etat of 18 Brumaire (November 9, 1799), Napoleon became the master of France. After this, Napoleon renewed his Italian campaign. The armies of Napoleon crossed the Alps through the Great Saint Bernard Pass and reoccupied Milan on June 2, 1800. They scored a victory over the Austrians at Marengo between the Po and Bormida rivers.
The Second Coalition collapsed. After the Treaty of Luneville (Feb 9, 1801) was signed, the Ligurian and Cisalpine republics were reestablished.
France reannexed Piedmont, Elba and Piombino in September 1802. Annexation was made official in 1808. In Tuscany, Austrian Influence ended after Louis was declared king of Etruria. Austria retained Venetia. The area from Alps to the Tuscan Maremma was under the control of France. Towards south, the Papal and Bourbon governments were in power.
The second Cisalpine Republic came out as a transitional regime. Napoleon's most trusted advisor on Italian affairs in Paris was the Milanese patrician Francesco Melzi d'Eril. Napoleon was in favor of the formation of a large Italian state. He wanted an Italian Republic, whose constitution would be based on the French model.
The Central authority would be under the president. The representative body would be divided among three estates.
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