196 ST. HELENA 



misconduct. Napoleon went to Paris to complain of his 

 sentence, but was not restored to his rank in the army. 

 October, 1795, saw him in command (under Barras) of the 

 Conventional Army, to act against the Parisians, who were 

 showing an active disapprobation of the measures of the 

 Convention. 



He acquitted himself in this contest so much to the satis- 

 faction of Barras and fell in so entirely with his views in 

 other matters, that he resigned the army of the interior to 

 him, and then procured his appointment to the command 

 of the army of Italy. Just before his departure for Italy 

 Napoleon married Josephine, the rich widow of the Viscount 

 de Beauharnois. Such were the steps by which he, at 

 twenty-seven years of age, rose in a space of three years 

 from the rank of Chef-de-brigade to that of commander-in- 

 chief of the most important army in the Republican service, 

 and for this extraordinary promotion he appears to have 

 been indebted principally to the good offices of Barras, 

 who had sufficient penetration to discover his military 

 talent. In a single campaign he over-ran the greater part 

 of Italy, defeating three Austrian armies, commanded by 

 the veteran Wormser. By celerity of movement, and 

 decisive manoeuvres then unknown, he allowed the enemy 

 no time to concentrate forces, or choose positions, but 

 attacked with an intrepidity which even the bravery and 

 discipline of the Austrian army could not withstand. By 

 his brilliant and decisive victory over Archduke Charles 

 in March, 1797, and subsequent successes, he advanced so 

 far into the Austrian dominions as to threaten Vienna itself. 

 This state of things led to a treaty highly favourable to 

 French aggrandisement and power, and ended the first Re- 

 publican war under Napoleon. Under successive titles 

 of First Consul and then Emperor (for the people wearied 

 with scenes of anarchy and bloodshed, hailed him as their 

 deliverer, and gave him sufficient ambition and address 

 to mount the vacant throne, thus covering crime with 

 military glory), he obtained a series of victories over the 

 continental armies of Europe, conquests unparelleled in 

 ancient or modern warfare. In the year 1810 he had reached 

 the zenith of his power. The battles of Marengo, Austerlitz, 

 and Jena had compelled the great powers Russia, Austria, 



