Details
FOUCHE, Joseph (1763-1820). Document signed (as Minister of Police), an order to the Administrator of the Opera Comique, Paris, '19 brumaire an 8', [10 November 1799], 1½ pages, 4to, printed heading of the Republic, address leaf marked 'Pressé', traces of seal (slightly worn in outer margin of first leaf with small loss to lower corner, not affecting text, modern repair to verso; loss in blank corner of second leaf).
The dramatic announcement of the Revolution of Brumaire, which ended the Directorate, and established the Consulate with Napoleon as its principal member and effective ruler of France. The recipient is ordered to inform his fellow-citizens of the events of the previous day, 'le Conseil étoient remis à St Cloud pour délibérer sur les intérêts de la République et de la liberté, lorsque le Général Bonaparte, étant entré au Conseil des 500, pour dénoncer les manoeuvres contre-révolutionnaires, a failli périr victime d'un assassinat. La Génie de la République a sauvé ce Général. Il revient à Paris avec son escorte'.
In the midst of rumours and intrigues within the failing Directory, and threats of insurrection elsewhere, Bonaparte, the hero of the Egyptian campaign, returned to Paris to popular acclaim in October. His younger brother, Lucien Bonaparte, was elected president of the Council of 500 the next day, to use his influence to pre-empt opposition to the anticipated coup d'état. On 18 Brumaire [9 November] with the connivance of Sieyes and other members of the Directory, a supposed Jacobin plot was denounced and Bonaparte was appointed military commander of Paris. The Conseil des Anciens issued a decree for the transfer of the legislative assemblies to St Cloud, the move to be supervised by Bonaparte. Impatient for a result, he entered on the afternoon of 19 Brumaire [10 November] to harangue the assembly but was driven out. In the violence that followed, his brother-in-law, Murat, was said to have played a lively part in the expulsion of the deputies from the Orangery. General Thurot, whom Fouché despatched to St Cloud to ascertain the result, returned the same evening to report that Bonaparte was victorious.
Fouché, who had been appointed Minister of Police a few months previously, provided crucial support, including up to 900,000 livres from police funds for the conspirators. On the evening of 19 Brumaire [10 November] he signed a proclamation to be read in all the theatres, addressed to their administrators. The present document (marked 'Pressé' [urgent] twice) is cited in Louis Madelin's Fouché (1901), I, 269 - 272). It was not until the following day that the success of the coup, which marked the end of the period of the Revolution, was announced in the press.
The dramatic announcement of the Revolution of Brumaire, which ended the Directorate, and established the Consulate with Napoleon as its principal member and effective ruler of France. The recipient is ordered to inform his fellow-citizens of the events of the previous day, 'le Conseil étoient remis à St Cloud pour délibérer sur les intérêts de la République et de la liberté, lorsque le Général Bonaparte, étant entré au Conseil des 500, pour dénoncer les manoeuvres contre-révolutionnaires, a failli périr victime d'un assassinat. La Génie de la République a sauvé ce Général. Il revient à Paris avec son escorte'.
In the midst of rumours and intrigues within the failing Directory, and threats of insurrection elsewhere, Bonaparte, the hero of the Egyptian campaign, returned to Paris to popular acclaim in October. His younger brother, Lucien Bonaparte, was elected president of the Council of 500 the next day, to use his influence to pre-empt opposition to the anticipated coup d'état. On 18 Brumaire [9 November] with the connivance of Sieyes and other members of the Directory, a supposed Jacobin plot was denounced and Bonaparte was appointed military commander of Paris. The Conseil des Anciens issued a decree for the transfer of the legislative assemblies to St Cloud, the move to be supervised by Bonaparte. Impatient for a result, he entered on the afternoon of 19 Brumaire [10 November] to harangue the assembly but was driven out. In the violence that followed, his brother-in-law, Murat, was said to have played a lively part in the expulsion of the deputies from the Orangery. General Thurot, whom Fouché despatched to St Cloud to ascertain the result, returned the same evening to report that Bonaparte was victorious.
Fouché, who had been appointed Minister of Police a few months previously, provided crucial support, including up to 900,000 livres from police funds for the conspirators. On the evening of 19 Brumaire [10 November] he signed a proclamation to be read in all the theatres, addressed to their administrators. The present document (marked 'Pressé' [urgent] twice) is cited in Louis Madelin's Fouché (1901), I, 269 - 272). It was not until the following day that the success of the coup, which marked the end of the period of the Revolution, was announced in the press.
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