Historedia
Person

Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès

Events
2
Episodes
8
Years
1788–1799

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Publication of Sieyès' What Is the Third Estate?

    1788–1789

    Role: author; French writer and clergyman (1748–1836) who published the pamphlet anonymously and revealed his authorship after the third edition in May 1789

    1. 6 November – 27 December 1788 · composition and printing of the pamphletComposition and Printing, Late 1788

      Sieyès wrote the pamphlet during the Assembly of Notables and sent it to the printer by 27 December 1788.

    2. 1789 · circulation of the pamphletCirculation and Influence

      About 300,000 copies reached roughly one million readers, making the pamphlet among the early Revolution's most influential.

    3. January 1789 · publication of the pamphletPublication in January 1789

      The anonymous 127-page pamphlet appeared in January 1789, shortly before the Revolution began.

    4. January 1789 · argument advanced in the pamphletArgument: The Third Estate as the Nation

      Sieyès argued the Third Estate alone was a complete nation and the only legitimate estate.

    5. May 1789 · revelation of authorshipAuthorship Revealed after Third Edition

      After the third edition in May 1789, Sieyès revealed himself as the pamphlet's author.

  2. Coup of 18 Brumaire

    1799

    Role: Directory member and conspirator; appointed provisional consul

    1. May–August 1799 · French Directory politicsSieyès consolidates power and turns to Napoleon

      After joining the Directory in May 1799, Sieyès consolidated power and, following Joubert's death at Novi, turned to Napoleon on Moreau's advice.

    2. 9–10 November 1799 · Paris, seat of the Directory and Council of Five HundredOverthrow of the Directory, 9–10 November 1799

      On 9 November 1799 the conspirators launched a bloodless coup; the next day grenadiers forced the Council of Five Hundred to dissolve the Directory.

    3. November–December 1799 · French First RepublicEstablishment of the Consulate and Napoleon as First Consul

      The coup replaced the Directory with the French Consulate, bringing Napoleon to power as First Consul and, in most historians' view, ending the French Revolution.

Sources

  1. What Is the Third Estate? Wikipedia, revision of 2026-02-16
  2. Coup of 18 Brumaire Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-28
  3. Napoleon Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27