Return and Reinvention

By summer 1799, Napoleon's position was untenable. The army was depleted, Egypt was in revolt, and news from Europe suggested the Directory was faltering. In a decision that abandoned his army but saved his career, Napoleon secretly sailed for France with a handful of companions, leaving General Kléber in command.

His desertion might have ended another general's career, but Napoleon transformed it into triumph. Landing in France in October 1799, he found a country hungry for strong leadership. His Egyptian failure was forgotten amid memories of Italian glory. Within six weeks, he would overthrow the Directory and seize power as First Consul.