Brief historical overview:
Due to civil unrest, a revolution broke out in France in 1789 leading to the end of the French monarchy. From 1794 to 1799, a new Directoire governed- however, quite ineffectively. By 1799, the opportunity was right for a young military leader by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte to stage a coup. In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France and began reestablishing order. Although his reign was marked by series of wars abroad, Napoleon was successful in bringing stability to the country as well as reestablishing a prosperous French economy- specifically the French textile industry. The reign of Napoleon Bonaparte is now referred to as the Empire period in France.