Summary
Soon after the Republic was declared, Corsica became embroiled
in civil strife. One faction of Corsicans wanted to join the new
Republic, and the other faction wanted an independent Corsica.
The Bonaparte family had always been pro-French, and they were
leaders of the pro-Republic faction. Napoleon himself was a member
of the Jacobin club in Corsica, which favored a constitutional
monarchy. Ultimately fearing for their lives, the Bonapartes fled
to France in June 1793.
Napoleon finally returned to military duty in 1793, now
in the Republic's army, and became a captain. His task was to
help suppress the anti-Republic insurrections sweeping the French
countryside. Also, various European armies were violating the
French border during the revolutionary period of confusion. Under
General Carteaux, Napoleon served as an artillery captain in the
Siege of Toulon, in which France recaptured Toulon from British
pro-Royalist forces on September 22, 1793. Nappoleon handled his
artillery units so well in this battle that he was promoted to
Brigadier-General, and caught the eye of Maximilien Robespierre,
who in 1794 made Napoleon the commandant of artillery in the French
Army in Italy, which was controlled by Austria at the time.
In the month of "Thermidor" (July) 1794, the more moderate factions
of revolutionaries brought down and executed Robespierre. Napoleon,
whose promotion by Robespierre had established his reputation as
the dictator's protégé, was temporarily thrown in jail for being
a Jacobin. However, because he was so valuable as a military commander,
Napoleon was released in September, though he was not given the
Italian command, as many still feared he was ambitious and dangerous.
Napoleon went to Paris to complain to the authorities.
Fearing dictatorship such as produced Robespierre's "Reign
of Terror," the new French government set up the Directory, a
five-person executive council. Paul Francois Barras, a member
of the Directory, had control of the army, and sought to use it
to restore order against the resurgent royalist forces that were
threatening to attack the National Assembly. On October 8, 1795,
Barras made Napoleon second-in-command of the Army of the Interior.
Napoleon defeated the royalists, preserved order in Paris, and
saved the Directory's government. The Directory was profoundly
grateful to Napoleon.
At a party at Barras' home, Napoleon met Marie Josèphe
Rose de Beauharnais. Later, she would be called Josephine. They
married on March 9, 1796.
By 1795, the anti-French coalition was dissolving, and
only Austria and England remained at war with France. Napoleon
convinced the Directory to let him attack Austria's position in Northern
Italy, and on March 2, 1796, the Directory, still owing its existence
to him, made him commander of the Army of Italy. Using lightning
attacks and the advantage of surprise, Napoleon first defeated
Austria's allies in the region (Piedmont and Sardinia). On May
10, Napoleon inflicted an embarrassing defeat on the Austrians
at the Battle of Lodi. Soon the various republics of Italy, from Naples
to Rome, surrendered to French control.
