During the Coup d'état, Napoleon worked to expand France's sphere of influence on the Italian peninsula and ended the war with Austria through short but wonderful battles. The first French victory at Po thrilled the country between the Apennines and the Alps. Despite numerous differences, the passion for national revolution made the French army popular in many places, but the atrocities of the so-called liberators, especially the delivery of looted works of art as booty to museums in Paris, led more than once to an angry uprising. After the total victory in 1796, the complaints of the masses became more pronounced. Although the old Venetian aristocracy remained hostile to the ideas of the French, the Modenas, the subjects of the Pope and the great people of Lombardy, rose up against the repulsive foreign rulers and attached themselves to the victorious French First Republic. Napoleon, who already possessed great power, cleverly turned this movement into his own advantage, as well as the advantage of the Governorate. As a reward for protecting Rome and its neighboring provinces, Napoleon received vast territory from the Pope.
After expropriating a great deal of wealth, Napoleon gave or promised "freedom" to italians in dependent or occupied territories. But he remained steadfast in his policy of reconciliation and moderation of revolution. Although Napoleon regarded the Italian state and its sovereignty as his own goal or direct political interest, rather than on considerations of republican ideas, according to research, he did not approve of those whom he despised as "the masses" and completely despised their hopes and passions. At the same time, Napoleon's army, largely recruited from all over France, had become very powerful. In the spring of 1797, Napoleon went on another expedition. Despite the courageous resistance of Archduke Karl, Austria did not have enough strength to resist Napoleon's attack, and Napoleon swept through the Italian Alps and quickly crossed the hills of the Holy Roman Empire to Vienna.
Archduke Karl (This picture is a restoration figure, reproduction is prohibited)
On October 18, 1797, in the presence of the people of the Austrian capital, Napoleon signed an armistice with Austria. After conquering the region from the province of Vaal to the Danube with considerablely small troops and undermining the power of the Austrian monarchy, Napoleon formulated peace terms within a few months. Under the Treaty of Campo Formio, Austria ceded Belgium to the First French Republic. As head of the empire, Napoleon agreed to cede the regions of the Holy Roman Empire, which were located on the French coast of the Rhine, and agreed to Lombardy and several neighboring states to form the French Cisarpini Republic.
Treaty of Campo Formio (this picture is a restoration map and is prohibited from reproduction)
Despite protests from the Governorate, Napoleon gave up Venice in return. This kind of behavior of his is extremely personal. At the time of the Adige River, the oligarchy of Venice was already a thorn in Napoleon's eye. When Napoleon marched to the Alps of the Holy Roman Empire, Venice launched an uprising in the rear. However, long before the Treaty of CampoFormio, the First French Republic had become a democratic state subject to authority. Nevertheless, Napoleon deliberately sacrificed the countries and peoples that had been allies of the French First Republic in order to sow differences among the former European anti-French leagues, as he claimed. With the exception of those countries that had grown in strength, the Coalition opposed the annexation of Venice to Austria. This act was not as bad as some historians described, but the policy, though productive, was scheming, self-serving, and a violation of all revolutionary oaths.
In this way, the twenty-seven-year-old defeated Austria, the only enemy feared by the First French Republic on the European continent, consolidated and greatly expanded his territory, and won the French army unprecedented glory. The First French Republic, which is considered to have reached the pinnacle of power, has been recognized by its rival Holy Roman Empire. The influence of the First French Republic expanded from Adige to Texel, and the dream that Armant Plessy, Duke of Richelieu, had once considered impossible was finally fully realized. The crowd was enthusiastic and paid tribute to the soldiers who had made great contributions on the battlefield. Napoleon, who was previously almost unknown, is now a miracle among every French population. Europe was also amazed by the young conqueror's extraordinary achievements, mixed with sincere praise. Diplomats of Piedmont, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire saw in Napoleon a sympathy for Europe's ancient powers and old order. Some of these diplomats have said that the generals of the endangered First French Republic will not be so gentle. Napoleon treated his defeated opponents with grace and courtesy, showing his magic charm to soldiers and politicians who wanted to please him. Thus even the staunchest enemy of the First French Republic respected and praised him. The liberated Italians regarded him as a savior, and his people loved him even more.
Surrounded by an aura of honor, Napoleon left Italy and returned to the First French Republic. The members of the Holy Roman Empire are discussing the peace that will inevitably follow the Treaty of Campoformio in Rastatt. After a short stop in Rastatt, Napoleon quietly returned to his warm home in Paris. He was a nobody when he left home; today he is warmly welcomed by louis XIV, whom he has never seen since the time of Louis XIV. But whether it was a personal preference or a prior plan, Napoleon avoided the public eye and seemed to be seeking peace. A series of splendors shine through the capital, in stark contrast to the honors of previous years. The surging crowd celebrated Napoleon's great exploits, and there was only one person in the eyes of the people, and that was Napoleon, the conqueror of Alcolai and Rivoli. This scene is like the pomp and circumstance of the ancient festivals of the Roman Republic, only with a little more modern luxury. The young hero seems to be able to change the fortunes of the country with his sword. How long can a divided, weak revolutionary government and faint heads resist in the face of Napoleon's powerful influence? This glorious incarnation has lingered in the First French Republic for a long time, how long can they coexist?