The causes of this swift reverse of fortune were curiously complex.  The Robespierres had in the meantime been guillotined at Paris (July 28th, or Thermidor 10th); and this “Thermidorian” reaction alone would have sufficed to endanger Buonaparte’s head.  But his position was further imperilled by his recent strategic suggestions, which had served to reduce to a secondary role the French Army of the Alps.  The operations of that force had of late been strangely thwarted; and its leaders, searching for the paralyzing influence, discovered it in the advice of Buonaparte.  Their suspicions against him were formulated in a secret letter to the Committee of Public Safety, which stated that the Army of the Alps had been kept inactive by the intrigues of the younger Robespierre and of Ricord.  Many a head had fallen for reasons less serious than these.  But Buonaparte had one infallible safeguard:  he could not well be spared.  After a careful examination of his papers, the Commissioners, Salicetti and Albitte, provisionally restored him to liberty, but not, for some weeks, to his rank of general (August 20th, 1794).  The chief reason assigned for his liberation was the service which his knowledge and talents might render to the Republic, a reference to the knowledge of the Italian coast-line which he had gained during the mission to Genoa.

For a space his daring spirit was doomed to chafe in comparative inactivity, in supervising the coast artillery.  But his faults were forgotten in the need which was soon felt for his warlike prowess.  An expedition was prepared to free Corsica from “the tyranny of the English”; and in this Buonaparte sailed, as general commanding the artillery.  With him were two friends, Junot and Marmont, who had clung to him through his recent troubles; the former was to be helped to wealth and fame by Buonaparte’s friendship, the latter by his own brilliant gifts.[31] In this expedition their talent was of no avail.  The French were worsted in an engagement with the British fleet, and fell back in confusion to the coast of France.  Once again Buonaparte’s Corsican enterprises were frustrated by the ubiquitous lords of the sea:  against them he now stored up a double portion of hate, for in the meantime his inspectorship of coast artillery had been given to his fellow-countryman, Casabianca.

The fortunes of these Corsican exiles drifted hither and thither in many perplexing currents, as Buonaparte was once more to discover.  It was a prevalent complaint that there were too many of them seeking employment in the army of the south; and a note respecting the career of the young officer made by General Scherer, who now commanded the French Army of Italy, shows that Buonaparte had aroused at least as much suspicion as admiration.  It runs:  “This officer is general of artillery, and in this arm has sound knowledge, but has somewhat too much ambition and intriguing habits for his advancement.”  All things considered, it was deemed advisable to transfer him to the army which was engaged in crushing the Vendean revolt, a service which he loathed and was determined, if possible, to evade.  Accompanied by his faithful friends, Marmont and Junot, as also by his young brother Louis, he set out for Paris (May, 1795).