After the war, the Jacobins took over, led by Robespierre. He ruled with the Reign of Terror, where anyone who disagreed with him was killed. But eventually, the committee got sick of him and he was executed by guillotine.
When the government was in shambles and the people wanted stability, Napoleon saw his chance to take power. He promised peace and stability. He was made emperor in 1804. Napoleon expanded France and by 1812, they controlled most of Europe.
He can help us and make our government stable again!
Yeah, he should be our leader!
However, Napoleon's reign did not last very long. Eventually, he was exiled to an island but then came back. Then he was exiled again to an island farther away. Then, with no ruler, the people in Europe and France did not know what to do. So they held a meeting in Vienna. In that meeting, they tried to prevent future aggression and restore balance to Europe. This was called the Congress of Vienna. France eventually became a monarchy again.