The First Cabinet of Napoleon was appointed by the Emperor Napoleon upon the establishment of the First French Empire on 18 May 1804, replacing the Cabinet of the Consulate. It was succeeded by the French Provisional Government of 1814 following the downfall of Napoleon and the abolition of the Empire.
Formation At the session of the Tribunat on 3 Floréal year XII (23 April 1804) Jean-François Curée proposed that Napoleon, then First Consul, be declared hereditary Emperor of France. The motion was supported by several members of the Tribunat, with only Lazare Carnot speaking against it. At a session of the Senate on 28 Floréal year XII (18 May 1804) attended by Consul Charles-François Lebrun and all the ministers a motion was adopted in which Napoleon was declared hereditary Emperor of the French. The formal coronation ceremony was delayed until 11 Frimaire year XIII (2 December 1804), when Pope Pius VII attended and Napoleon crowned himself in the Notre Dame de Paris.
Ministers Napoleon retained the ministers from the Consulate, but made various changes during his reign. He did not appoint a prime minister, but headed the government himself. The ministers were: Ministry From To MinisterSecretary of State 18 May 1804 17 April 1811 Hugues-Bernard Maret, duc de Bassano 17 April 1811 20 November 1813 Pierre Daru 20 November 1813 1 April 1814 Hugues-Bernard Maret, duc de BassanoForeign Affairs 18 May 1804 9 August 1807 Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 9 August 1807 17 April 1811 Jean-Baptiste de Nompère de Champagny 17 April 1811 20 November 1813 Hugues-Bernard Maret, duc de Bassano 20 November 1813 1 April 1814 Armand Augustin Louis de CaulaincourtInterior 18 May 1804 8 August 1804 Jean-Antoine Chaptal 8 August 1804 9 August 1807 Jean-Baptiste de Nompère de Champagny 9 August 1807 29 June 1809 Emmanuel Crétet 29 June 1809 1 October 1809 Joseph Fouché (?) 1 October 1809 1 April 1814 Jean-Pierre de MontalivetJustice 18 May 1804 13 June 1813 Claude Ambroise Régnier 20 November 1813 1 April 1814 Mathieu MoléWar 18 May 1804 9 August 1807 Louis-Alexandre Berthier 9 August 1807 20 November 1813 Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke 20 November 1813 1 April 1814 Pierre DaruWar Administration 18 May 1804 3 January 1810 Jean François Aimé Dejean 3 January 1810 20 November 1813 Jean-Girard Lacuée 20 November 1813 1 April 1814 Pierre DaruFinance 18 May 1804 1 April 1814 Martin Michel Charles GaudinTreasury 18 May 1804 27 January 1806 François Barbé-Marbois 27 January 1806 1 April 1814 Nicolas François, Count MollienNavy and Colonies 18 May 1804 1 April 1814 Denis DecrèsPolice 10 July 1804 3 June 1810 Joseph Fouché 3 June 1810 1 April 1814 Anne Jean Marie René SavaryReligious Affairs 10 July 1804 4 January 1808 Jean-Étienne-Marie Portalis 4 January 1808 1 April 1814 Félix-Julien-Jean Bigot de PréameneuManufacturing and Commerce 16 January 1812 1 April 1814 Jean-Baptiste Collin de Sussy
Replacement In March 1814 the allied armies invaded France, and arrived at the walls of Paris on 29 March 1814. After a short struggle on 30 March 1814 against overwhelmingly superior forces, on 31 March 1814 Marshal Auguste de Marmont signed the capitulation of Paris. A provisional government was formed on 1 April 1814 under the presidency of Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord.
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