Treaty of Campo Formio
Signed on 17 October 1797 between France and Austria, the Treaty of Campo Formio ended the War of the First Coalition by granting France the Austrian Netherlands and French-controlled northern Italy, while secretly promising Austria the ancient Republic of Venice. Negotiated largely on Napoleon's own initiative, overriding the Directory's instructions, the treaty confirmed Bonaparte as the regime's indispensable military asset and a political force in his own right. The peace was fragile and short-lived, but its signature marked the high-water mark of the Directory and accelerated Napoleon's path to power.
- Year: 1797 CE
- Category: Diplomatic
