Napoleon Bonaparte seized power of the French Republic in 1799 in a coup d'etat. He ruled France as First Consul in a triumvirate with Jean Cambaceres and Charles-Francois Lebrun. On the 2nd of December, 1804, Napoleon created the French Empire , crowning himself Emperor at Notre Dame. He became ruler of an empire comprising of France, most of Northern Italy. One year later, he defeated the Austrians and Russians at the Battle of Austerlitz. As a result, he reorganised the German states into the Confederation of the Rhine, a French protectorate. Earlier that year, Napoleon had created the Kingdom of Italy, with himself as king.