‘We’ll know if that’s true soon enough,’ Napoleon concluded. ‘In the meantime we must deal with Austria. If they play their game as they did before they will drag the negotiations out for as long as possible while they prepare to renew the fight. In which case there will be more war, whether our people like it or not. It is your job, Fouché, to silence those we cannot win round.’

‘I will see to it,’ Fouché replied evenly.

‘Good.’ Napoleon nodded. Fouché’s slightly reptilian features unnerved him. Napoleon had no doubt that the Minister of the Interior would use any measure needed to suppress opposition to the new order. It was regrettable, thought Napoleon, but the need for repressive action had been forced on him by the enemies of France. Political freedom was a luxury at the best of times. Besides, what did the common peasant or soldier in the ranks really care about such refined notions as a free press? As long as they were fed and entertained then they were content. And, better still, they could be counted on to support Napoleon against the lawyers, philosophers and radicals who formed the core of those opposed to the consulate. In time, when there was true peace, there might be occasion to let people express themselves more freely.

Until then France must be saved from herself before she could be saved from her enemies.

Having signed the peace preliminaries the Austrians delayed moves towards a peace treaty when negotiations opened at Lunéville, just as Napoleon had expected. The Austrian envoys presented a long list of their terms, few of which Napoleon could agree to. Nevertheless it granted the French armies a chance to rest through the long summer months. Meanwhile, in Paris, Napoleon worked feverishly to reform the governance of the country.

A commission was set up to frame a new legal code that would sweep away all the regional anomalies and update the civil, criminal and financial laws of France. Napoleon attended as many meetings as he could, driving its business forward until the first draft was ready four months later. Plans were made to improve roads, ports and canals.Theatres were to be subsidised to help keep the people entertained and provision was made for the care of more than ten thousand wounded veterans who had returned from the wars. Joseph led a small party of church figures to Rome to open negotiations with the Pope for the restoration of the Catholic church in France. Before Joseph left Paris, Napoleon made it clear to him that the final concordat would not include any provision for priests to collect tithes, nor would any property of the church be returned, and the appointment of bishops would have to be approved by the French government.