-
Introduction
Contrary to a widely held belief, it was not the coronation (Sacre) of 2 December 1804, which “created” the Napoleonic Empire but rather a Sénatus-consulte adopted by the Sénat during its meeting of 18 May 1804. The ensemble of documents presented on Napoleonica® les archives makes it possible to follow this apparently “parliamentary” inception to what was the denouement of a political manoeuvre on a large scale.
-
Documents
– Curée’s Motion (in French)
– The Sénatus-Consulte organique of 28 Floréal, An XII (18 May, 1804) (in French)
– All the other texts on napoleonica.org: the work of the Sénat, the opposition of the Comte de Lille [Comte de l’Isle] (future Louis XVIII)… (in French)
-
Commentary
– The proclamation of Empire by the Sénat Conservateur
– Napoleonic legitimacies and the proclamation of Empire -
Timeline
-
Biographies
– Many political personalities (in French) on the site napoleonica.org
– CARNOT, Lazare
– CUREE, Jean-François -
Bibliography
– Selection of works on the proclamation of Empire
The proclamation of Empire, 18 May 1804
Contrary to a widely held belief, it was not the coronation (Sacre) of 2 December, 1804, which “created” the Napoleonic Empire but rather a Sénatus-consulte adopted by the Sénat during its meeting of 18 May, 1804. The ensemble of documents presented on Napoleonica® les archives makes it possible to follow this apparently “parliamentary” inception to what was the denouement of a political manoeuvre on a large scale.
updated 7 March 2024.
