What was the name of Napoleon's Minister of Police?

Joseph Fouché was Napoleon’s Minister of Police. He held the office during much of the Consulate and First French Empire, becoming one of Napoleon’s most capable—and mistrusted—administrators.

Fouché had already built a reputation during the French Revolution, when he served as a representative on mission and took part in the radical repression associated with the Reign of Terror. Despite that revolutionary past, he proved politically adaptable. Napoleon appointed him minister of police in 1799, and Fouché developed an extensive intelligence and surveillance system.

His ministry monitored political opponents, royalists, republicans, journalists, and suspected conspirators. Fouché also helped Napoleon assess public opinion and detect plots, including threats from both anti-revolutionary royalists and disillusioned republicans. His methods made him effective but deeply controversial.

Fouché was dismissed in 1810, partly because Napoleon distrusted his independent political maneuvering, but he returned during the Hundred Days in 1815. He is sometimes confused with Talleyrand, Napoleon’s influential foreign minister; their offices and political roles were different.