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Gustavus IV Adolphtis and Napoleon 303
Great masses of the nobles, deprived of their privi-
leges, fled the country to Prussia and Austria, hoping
to induce the princes of these states to rescue the king
and restore the old order. In the mean time an at-
tempted flight of the royal family had been made. Axel
von Fersen, a devoted friend of the royal family, as-
sisted in the plot and served as the disguised coachman
of the royal fugitives. The attempt failed. The royal
family was arrested near the French border, taken
back to Paris, and placed under strict surveillance.
The National Convention. The new government un-
der the Legislative Assembly and king failed, and a
new assembly known as the National Convention met
in September, 1792, to conduct the government and pre-
pare a new constitution. The Convention established
a Republic, deposed, tried, and finally beheaded the
king in January, 1793. This led the European states to
form what has been called the First Coalition against
France. It was during this coalition that Napoleon Bo-
naparte arose, conducted a brilliant campaign against
Austria, and put an end to the coalition by the Treaty
of Campo Formio, in 1797. Two years later he made
himself First Consul of France and five years later
was crowned Emperor, 1804. Coalition after coalition
was formed against him, always headed by England.
For many years he was victorious against these coali-
tions, deposing princes, creating new states, establish-
ing his brothers and a brother-in-law as allied or sub-
ject kings, until he was finally defeated at Waterloo,
1815, and banished to St. Helena.
Gustaviis IV Adolphus and Napoleon. Gustavus III
was a personal friend of the French royal family, from
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