Question

How did Napoleon drive royalists out of the National Convention? a) Napoleon drove royalists out of the National Convention by using cannons against them without warning.

b) Napoleon used his military skill and the support of the troops to suppress the royalists and maintain order in the National Convention. c) Napoleon personally confronted the royalists and engaged in hand-to-hand combat to expel them.
d) Napoleon utilized a diplomatic approach to negotiate with the royalists, leading to their peaceful withdrawal from the National Convention.

Answer 1

Napoleon Bonaparte drove royalists out of the National Convention in 1795 by using a decisive and violent method known as a 'whiff of grapeshot,' firing cannons into the crowd, effectively ending the counterrevolutionary threat.

Step-by-step explanation:

Napoleon Bonaparte, a figure closely aligned with the French Revolution, swiftly gained notoriety when he suppressed a royalist insurrection at the National Convention in 1795. The method Napoleon employed to drive the royalists out of the National Convention is best captured by option (a): he ordered a 'whiff of grapeshot' into the crowd, which was a mass of small metal balls fired from cannons. This decisive and brutal act not only quelled the counterrevolutionary activity but also cemented Napoleon's reputation as a hero and savior of the revolutionary government. This pivotal moment led to his subsequent appointment as the commander of the French army in Italy and a military advisement role with the Directory, setting him on the path to establishing his dominance in French politics and military affairs.