Bokassa I attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect.

[citation needed] The coronation consumed one third of the nation's annual budget and all of the French aid that year; France also supplied substantial material support to the ceremony from both public and private sources.

[1] Despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event, although delegations were present, such as Robert Galley and René Journiac for France.

[1] His rapprochement to Muammar Gaddafi and his widely publicized repression of internal dissent (culminating in the 1979 Ngaragba Prison massacre) created a rift between Bokassa and the French.

Public dissent continually grew over the next few years, surviving a coup attempt in December 1974, and narrowly escaped assassination in February 1976. International support was waning during this period as well, so in response Bokassa dissolved the republican government and established the Central African Revolutionary Council in September 1976.