French Consulate

The French Consulate refers to the era in which Napoleon Bonaparte on 10 November 1799 to 1 December 1804 as the First Consul in fact held the autocracy. The consulate was replaced with the coronation of Napoleon I on 2 December 1804 the Empire.

The transition from the Board to the consulate was brought about by the coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799). On November 10, was appointed under pressure from the military to the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte by the National Convention.

The Consulate Constitution ( Constitution of the Year VIII) became effective on December 24, 1799 after a referendum in force.

Structure of the Constitution

The consulate was based on a complex draft constitution in the nucleus to Sieyès, a fellow conspirators Napoleon and members of the first consulate, fell and was changed by Napoleon.

Formal center of the Constitution made ​​by the Senate ( Senate conservateur ), which should consist of 80 members appointed for life. The Senate added itself ( co-optation ), should also former consuls of constitutional ways are members. His duties were varied. So he stood at the election of the Legislative Assembly, the tribunate, the consuls and the top Judges. In addition, he was able to explain every enactment, and every other act of government, but also the proposed national elections void as unconstitutional. Not expressly provided for, but were later practiced constitutional amendments by decisions that were called senatus consulta. Thus, the Senate was to some extent electoral body, the Constitutional Court and general supervisory authority.

The government was constructed in two stages as under the directorial constitution: entered the place of the former Board of the executive, as it were as head of government and head of state, the body of the three consuls. Assumed that the ministers were as real executors, but this should remain politically without influence.

The consuls were distinguished as first, second and third, and should be elected by the Senate on 10 years each, while the third consul for five years offset should be appointed as the First and Second. The First Consul ( Napoleon ) were granted various privileges, among other things, he appointed the Minister alone, most judges, officers and officials. In the rest of government affairs, although he had to consult with his two colleagues, and they had to sign the acts of government, his decision was sufficient, however. After all, he could be represented in the individual case in its prerogatives by one of his colleagues, this could be involved in the leadership of the State Council. Nevertheless, the First Consul was legally and factually alone determinative.

The Senate also chose a kind of chamber of parliament, the tribunate, discuss the legislative proposals of the government and express wishes of the other constitutional organs was allowed, but no decision-making powers possessed. In addition, the Corps législatif ( legislative body ) was elected by the Senate, who were allowed to vote by passive listening to the spokesman of the government and the tribunate by secret vote on the legislative proposals of the government. Both chambers were partially renewed every year.

As a subsidiary organ of the consuls at the governmental and administrative leadership a State Council was re- established, who was in fact primarily as an administrative court and still exists today.

Even people through elections were provided, which were not directly though. In a complex three-tier system local lists were at the various administrative levels determined first of each one-tenth of the electorate, from these in a further ballot one-tenth of the elected local lists on regional lists, and finally from the regional lists again a tenth of the elected representatives on regional lists that together formed a national list. The Senate and the First Consul were allowed to consider only people who stood on the associated list according to the respective function in elections or appointments. The Senate could annul these lists, however, at any time.

The measures provided for elections, however, were hardly used in the limited time of validity of the Constitution; several provisions to free choice results were excluded from the outset: So the first consuls were appointed under validity of the Constitution (2nd consulate) in the constitutional text; the Senate was formed in such a way that the former second and third consuls and the new second and third consuls united together and appointed a majority of the Senate; the members so appointed then add the remaining selected. Sieyès and Ducos were determined by the constitution specifically to senators.

Overall, the Consulate constitution thus formed, in spite of the provisions relating to the amazing continuity directorial, only one topical Republican staffage for Napoleon's dictatorship.

First consulate of 18 Brumaire

  • Napoleon Bonaparte
  • Emmanuel -Joseph Sieyès
  • Pierre -Roger Ducos

Second consulate of 24 Frimaire VIII

  • Napoleon Bonaparte
  • Jean -Jacques Régis de Cambacérès
  • Charles -François Lebrun
First French Empire French Directory Co-option
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