The Directory was the French revolutionary government that preceded Napoleon’s Consulate. Created under the Constitution of the Year III, it governed the French First Republic from 26 October 1795 until Napoleon’s coup of 18 Brumaire on 9 November 1799.
The Directory took its name from its five-member executive body, designed to prevent the concentration of power associated with earlier revolutionary governments. Executive authority was balanced against two legislative councils: the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Ancients. In practice, the system suffered from factional conflict, corruption, economic problems, and dependence on military victories.
Napoleon returned from Egypt in October 1799 and joined Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès and other politicians in overthrowing the Directory. The coup replaced it with the Consulate, making Napoleon First Consul. The Legislative Assembly and National Convention were earlier revolutionary legislatures, while the Committee of Public Safety belonged to the more radical Reign of Terror period.