Although the ten-year term of the Consulate was not due to expire until 1810, Andrew Roberts explains (in Napoleon: A Life), in May 1802 a Senate motion to extend it for a second ten-year term passed by sixty to one:
This led to seemingly spontaneous but in fact well-orchestrated calls for a new Constitution of the Year X, under which Napoleon would become First Consul for life. ‘You judge that I owe the people another sacrifice,’ he disingenuously told the Senate. ‘I will give it if the people’s voice orders what your vote now authorizes.’ Like Julius Caesar refusing the Roman diadem twice, he wanted it to look as if he were being dragged reluctantly to lifelong power.
Question about your reading habits: how many books do you read at once, how long do you take to to finish a book, and how much time are you typically devoting to reading in a day? I’m curious because I’ve seen the Napoleon book excerpted for more than a month now.
I’m not sharing excerpts as I read them. I’m going back through my highlights and spacing out the intriguing anecdotes.
And you’re the best to ever do it.
Well, thank you, Jim!
:)