# Constitution of Year VIII (1799)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1799-constitution-of-year-viii
Location: France
Categories: main-event

The new constitution concentrated executive power in the First Consul. Within the broader Consulate & Napoleonic Empire period, Napoleon consolidated many revolutionary reforms while concentrating power, building an empire and waging continental war. French institutions and armies reshaped Europe before military defeat restored the Bourbons. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Napoleon Bonaparte (First Consul). Constitution of Year VIII mattered because it changed the legal or constitutional framework within which French institutions and citizens operated. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Constitution of Year VIII mattered because it changed the legal or constitutional framework within which French institutions and citizens operated.

Ruler at the time: [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://history-france.com/rulers/napoleon-bonaparte)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Constitution of Year VIII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Constitution+of+Year+VIII&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Constitution of Year VIII](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Constitution+of+Year+VIII)
- [Vie-publique — French institutions and history](https://www.vie-publique.fr/)