A lifelong and hereditary power: the question of the Parallèle entre César, Cromwel, Monck et Bonaparte

On 10 Brumaire An 9/1 November 1800, a 16-page anonymous pamphlet entitled Parallèle entre César, Cromwel, Monck et Bonaparte was published in Paris. In it, figures central to revolutions and changes in political power from the past – such as Oliver Cromwell, George Monck, and Julius Caesar – were directly compared to Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France. ‘Who wrote it?’ and ‘Why?’ were questions that were asked at the time, and indeed still today. Furthermore, Napoleon himself seems to have been directly involved. In a few days there were copies of the pamphlet throughout France. But suddenly, Napoleon took against it, angered by the ‘folly’ of trying to institute heredity by a law, officially denying any connection with the Parallèle and having it removed from circulation. How was it possible that the affair caused so much commotion? This article takes a new look at the pamphlet, which seems to have been a sort of public opinion test balloon on the question of heredity, and considers its place within Bonaparte’s relatively swift (and easy) journey from republican Consulship to ‘Carolingian’ Emperor.