 Revolts soon broke out and the country descended into near chaos, with a series of transient presidents until March 1847, when General Faustin Soulouque, a former slave who had fought in the rebellion of 1791, became president.He purged the military high command, established a secret police, and eliminated mulatto opponents.In August 1849, he grandiosely proclaimed himself as Haiti's second emperor, Faustin I. Soulouque's expansive ambitions led him to mount several invasions of the Dominican Republic.