When did Napoleon Bonaparte execute the coup d'état that led to the Constitution of Year VIII?
Napoleon Bonaparte executed a coup d'état on the 9th of November 1799. This event occurred on the 18th of Brumaire, year VIII in Saint-Cloud.
Questions about Constitution of the Year VIII
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who wrote most of the text for the Constitution of Year VIII and how long did it take?
Pierre Claude François Daunou wrote most of the document within just eleven days. He belonged to the Society of Ideologues, a group of liberal republicans hostile to Jacobinism.
Which three individuals were named as consuls under the executive power of the Constitution of Year VIII?
The three consuls named for ten years included Napoléon Bonaparte, Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, and Charles-François Lebrun. Only the First Consul held actual authority while the Second and Third Consuls possessed only consultative power.
What were the official results announced by Lucien Bonaparte regarding the plebiscite on the 7th of February 1800?
Official results claimed 3,011,107 votes in favor against only 1,562 opposants from a base of around six million registered voters. Historian Claude Langlois demonstrated in 1972 that these numbers were massively falsified with true support likely standing at approximately 1.55 million.
How was the Constitution of Year X related to the original Constitution of Year VIII?
The Constitution of Year X amended the Constitution of Year VIII by making Napoleon First Consul for Life. A more extensive alteration followed as the Constitution of Year XII established the Bonaparte dynasty with Napoleon as hereditary Emperor.