Final answer:
Before Napoleon's rise, the government of France was the Directory, an executive committee of five men. Following political and economic instability, Napoleon executed a coup d'etat, establishing the Consulate with himself as leader and later becoming Emperor of France.
Step-by-step explanation:
Government of France Before Napoleon
Before Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power, the government of France was known as the Directory. The Directory was a five-man committee that held executive power in France following the Reign of Terror and was established by the Constitution of the Year III in 1795.
However, this period was marked by continuous political instability, economic crises, and wars against various European coalitions.
Napoleon capitalized on the weakening Directory through a coup d'etat in 1799, eventually leading to the establishment of the Consulate with himself as First Consul.
This shifted France from the revolutionary republic towards an authoritarian regime, culminating in 1804 when Napoleon declared himself Emperor of France.
During the earlier phase of the French Revolution, there was significant variation in governance, including a constitutional monarchy and radical phases of the revolution.
After the fall of Napoleon, the monarchy was briefly restored in 1814-1815 during the Bourbon Restoration under Louis XVIII, who accepted constitutional limits on his power.