Event

Constitution of Year VIII

The Constitution of Year VIII created the Consulate and made Napoleon First Consul, formalizing his control over the French executive.

Status: draft
Event Kind: constitutional change
Date Precision: day
Date Display: 25 Dec 1799
Start Date: 25 Dec 1799
End Date: 25 Dec 1799

What happened

After the coup of 18 Brumaire, the new constitution reorganized the French government into the Consulate. Napoleon became First Consul, which gave him the dominant executive position in the state.

Why it matters

This is the legal foundation of Napoleon's personal regime. It translated a coup into a new constitutional order.

Notes

Use this as the institutional turning point that converts political seizure into durable executive power.