Abstract
In 1802, the Republic included the left bank of the Rhine, Piedmont, as part of the Netherlands. These territories were departmentalized. The population has increased by approximately 750,000 since 1789, reaching 29.3 million. France remains as one of the most populous countries in Europe. The break with the ancient regime is clear, though Bonaparte comes from a family of minor nobility. It remains outside the struggles of revolutionary factions while being a great defender of the Revolution. He had to go little by little. His political thought is made of three ideas: the French need peace, order of magnitude should be confirmed by the Revolution stripped of anything that might divide, and authority needed by France is a leader.
