Saviour of the Republic

When a royalist revolt in Paris threatened to overthrow the government, it fell to Napoleon – the liberator of Toulon – to save the Republic.

Facing a force of more than 20,000 men, Napoleon was massively outnumbered. But when the royalists descended on the National Convention in Paris on 5 October, Napoleon's troops forced them back. In less than an hour, 300 royalists lay dead. Not only had Napoleon saved the republic, but his exploits won him ever greater standing among the politicians running the new regime – the Directory. His upward trajectory was increasing.