List of presidents of France

The first officeholder is considered to be Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, who was elected in 1848 but provoked the 1851 self-coup to later proclaim himself emperor as Napoleon III.

His coup, which proved popular as he sought the restoration of universal male suffrage previously abolished by the legislature, granted the newly-established Second Empire firm ground.

From 1793 the National Convention was dominated by its Committee of Public Safety, in which the leading figures were Georges Danton and then Maximilien Robespierre.

The Directory was officially led by a president, as stipulated by Article 141 of the Constitution of the Year III.

Centre (Thermidorians)       Right-wing (Clichyens)       Left-wing (Montagnards)       Other (Maraisards) After the Coup of 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799), Barras, Ducos, and Sieyès resigned.Moulin and Gohier, refusing to resign, were arrested by General Moreau.