Established a standing army , sovereignty over government institutions.<span />
In 1799, Napoleon staged a coup d'état to seize governmental control. The coup resulted in the current governing body, a five-member Directory, being replaced by a three-person Consulate. The first consul, Napoleon, wielded absolute power; the other two consuls were merely symbolic figures.
None of the foreign powers did not recognize the confederate states as a country and continued trade with the union.
