Paul Barras’ position during the French Revolution and beyond was in many ways secured by his close relationship with Napoleon Bonaparte, with Barras exerting a profound effect on the future emperor’s life. Specifically, Barras is said to have been something of a matchmaker for Bonaparte and the woman historians later identified as one of the most significant romantic entanglements in the emperor’s life — Joséphine, whom he married in 1796.
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Barras was a big winner in the establishment of the Directory, which saw him consolidate considerable power at the same time that he began to indulge in a lavish lifestyle. He eventually became a symbol of the rampant corruption of the new status quo, so much so that by 1799 his position had become untenable in the eyes of his former ally. On November 9, 1799, Bonaparte executed yet another coup, which brought about the downfall of the Directory and the establishment of the Consulate, with Bonaparte himself as First Consul. Though Barras had resigned from his position, Bonaparte still saw him as a threat and potential conspirator against him. As such, Barras was exiled from France and sent to live in Brussels between 1801 and 1805. Though he returned to France after this period, reports that he had been conspiring with King Charles IV of Spain and King Louis XVIII saw him banished from France again in 1813.
