4. The Directory and Napoleon's Rise to Power

Question 1

When was the Law of 22 Prairial repealed? What impacts did this have? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 1

The Law of 22 Prairial was repealed on the 1st August 1794, meaning that the Parisian revolutionary tribunal’s significance was greatly diminished and political prisoners awaiting trial were to be released.

Question 2

When was the Law on Revolutionary Government passed? What did this determine? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 2

The Law on Revolutionary Government was passed on the 24th August 1794. This dispersed central government between 16 committees made responsible to the Convention, the CPS’ powers were limited to covering diplomacy, military operations and war materials, JACOBINS REMOVED FROM POWERFUL POSITIONS.

Question 3

When did the Thermidoreans separate the Church from the State? What other religious measure did they take that improved religious tolerance? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 3

The Thermidoreans separated the Church from the State on the 18th September 1794, ending the ‘Constitutional Church’. Furthermore, they introduced tolerance for all religion, with the exception of bans on some catholic practices.

Question 4

When was the Revolutionary Tribunal closed? When was the Law of Suspects repealed? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 4

The Revolutionary Tribunal was closed in May 1795. The Law of Suspects was repealed in October 1794.

Question 5

When was the Law of the Maximum repealed? What impacts did this have? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 5

The Law of the Maximum was repealed on the 24th December 1794, bringing public workshops established as part of poor relief programmes back into private ownership.

Question 6

When was the Jacobin Club closed down? What were the political implications of this? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 6

The Jacobin Club was closed on the 12th November 1794, removing the official popular base of sans-culotte and radical support in France, with the Thermidoreans hoping that this would suppress left-wing radicalism in France.

Question 7

When did the White Terror take place? What was this? What activities are associated with this? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 7

The White Terror took place across 1795, with this being a series of attacks by the Thermidoreans on those who coordinated the Terror. This included sans-culottes and Jacobins being attacked, Trees of Liberty being felled and the closure of Jacobin-supporting newspapers.

Question 8

Why did the Revolutionary Tribunal persist as a body until 1795? What example is there of this? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 8

The Revolutionary Tribunal continued as a body into 1795 as it was used to persecute and use legal action against prominent Jacobins, with some being executed and some being deported. Jean-Baptiste Carrier was executed.

Question 9

When was the Treaty of La Jaunaye agreed? Who was this agreed between and why? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 9

The Treaty of La Jaunaye was agreed in February 1795. This was between Republican Government and royalist rebels in the West to conclude rebellions and potential attempts to restore the monarchy by this region.

Question 10

When did General Hoche defeat a rising at Quiberon Bay? How many émigrées were executed from this? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 10

Hoche defeated a rising at Quiberon Bay in July 1795, with 700 émigrées being executed as a result.

Question 11

What was the value of the assignat by April 1795 compared to its original value? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 11

The assignat had a value of 1/10 of its original value by April 1795.

Question 12

What was the bread ration size in Paris by 10th May 1795? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 12

By 1795, the size of the bread ration was only 60g.

Question 13

When did the Rising of Germinal take place? What happened (who instigated, what action, etc)? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 13

The Rising of Germinal took place on the 1st April 1795, with sans-culottes taking the opportunity to invade the Convention and demand increased bread supplies and the restoration of the 1793 Constitution.

Question 14

How was the Rising of Germinal dealt with? Why was this action able to be taken? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 14

The Rising of Germinal was dealt with by declaring martial law in Paris, allowing General Pichegru to arrest agitators. This was possible as the uprising was fairly disorganised and poorly coordinated, allowing the National Guard to tackle insurgents.

Question 15

How many sans-culottes invaded the Convention on 1st April 1795 as part of the Rising of Germinal? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 15

The 1st April 1795 Germinal Rising saw 10,000 invading the Convention.

Question 16

When did the Rising of Prairial take place? What happened (who instigated, what actions, etc)? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 16

The Rising of Prairial took place on the 20th/21st May 1795. On the 20th, Sans-culottes forced their way into the Convention, murdering a deputy. They demanded the release of Jacobin prisoners and the reinstatement of the 1793 Constitution to regenerate food supplies. On the 21st, armed sans-culottes surrounded the Convention, before a peace was negotiated.

Question 17

How was the Rising of Prairial dealt with? What actions were taken to suppress/disperse threats? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 17

The Rising of Prairial was diminished when 40,000 troops were gathered to dispel crowds, with a peace later being negotiated. Later, presumed rebels and leaders were rounded up and 42 people were executed for their involvement in this.

Question 18

How many sans-culottes surrounded the Convention during the Rising of Prairial? How many rebels were cross examined/executed? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 18

20,000 sans-culottes gathered at the Convention during the Rising of Prairial, with the retribution by the Thermidoreans seeing 6000 people cross-examined and 42 executed.

Question 19

When did the Rising of Vendémiaire take place? What happened (who instigated, what actions, etc)? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 19

The Rising of Vendémiaire took place on the 5th October 1795, with a protest by royalist supporters (who felt that their interests were not being protected) seeing them march on the Convention and outnumber troops defending the building. Cannons were located by the Republican troops, led by Bonaparte, with some rebels killed to disperse the uprising.

Question 20

How many Royalists marched on the Convention as part of the Rising of Vendémiaire? What was the proportion of Royalists to Republicans at the Rising? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 20

25,000 Royalists marched on the Convention on the 5th October as part of the Rising of Vendémiaire, with 6 Royalists marching for every 1 Republican opposite.

Question 21

How many Royalists were killed by the Republican troops as part of the Rising of Vendémiaire? How many death sentences were handed out after the Rising? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 21

The Rising of Vendémiaire saw 300 Royalist rebels killed by the Republican troops, with 10 death sentences distributed retrospectively.

Question 22

When was the Constitution of the Directory agreed by the Thermidoreans? When was this ratified? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 22

The Directory’s Constitution was agreed by the Thermidoreans in August 1795, agreed by plebiscite in September 1795.

Question 23

How did the Directory attempt to resolve issues with paper currency? What was the outcome of this? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 23

The Directory attempted to continue a shift towards paper currency by replacing the devalued assignats with the mandats, a similar scheme to the assignat. However, these were counterfeited and rapidly lost value, leading to them being withdrawn from circulation.

Question 24

When were weights and measures standardised by the Directory? What impacts did this have and what issues did this solve? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 24

The Directory standardised weights and measures in France in 1795, thus ending a period in which at one point 25,000 different measures existed. When coupled with improved harvests in 1796/8, this contributed to reduced grain prices.

Question 25

When was the taxation system reorganised under Ramel? What measures did he introduce? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 25

The taxation system was reorganised in 1798 by Ramel, with this introducing new property taxes (on doors and windows), as well as returning to the use of the octrois, a tax on goods entering towns.

Question 26

What fraction of government debt was written off by the introduction of the mandats? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 26

2/3 of government debt was written off by the introduction of the mandats.

Question 27

When did the Brotier plot occur? What faction did this aim to replace the Republican government with? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 27

The Brotier plot occurred in January 1797, with a Royalist, André-Charles Brotier arrested for planning a royalist rising in the capital which would overthrow the government.

Question 28

What was the 2/3 Law? Why was this unpopular? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 28

The 2/3 Law was a law passed prior to the first elections to the Councils of the Directory that 2/3 of their first members should be drawn from the existing National Convention. This was unpopular as these politicians were blamed for France’s food shortages and inflation.

Question 29

By what % had the value of the mandats fallen by the end of their first day in circulation? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 29

The mandats’ value had fallen by 20% by the end of their first day in circulation.

Question 30

What was Babeuf’s idea of the ‘Conspiracy of Equals’? When was his plot ended? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 30

The ‘Conspiracy of Equals’ was Babeuf’s idea envisaging the overthrow of the current government through an armed uprising, replacing it with a government of ‘equals’ who would govern France in the benefit of all. This plot was ended in MAY 1796, with Babeuf guillotined.

Question 31

When did the Coup of Fructidor take place? What action was taken as part of this? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 31

The Coup of Fructidor took place on the 4th September 1797, with Royalist deputies being rounded up and arrested following their successes in the 1797 elections. Some were deported to French Guiana, while 42 newspapers were closed down.

Question 32

How many seats did monarchists take in the 1797 elections? What proportion of the Councils did this monarchist faction make up? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 32

Monarchists took 182 seats in the 1797 elections, making up more than 1/3 of the total seats in the Councils.

Question 33

How many royalist deputies were arrested as part of the Coup of Fructidor? How many opposition newspapers were closed? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 33

177 royalist deputies were arrested as part of the Coup of Fructidor, with 42 opposition newspapers closed down.

Question 34

What legislation followed the Coup of Fructidor? (3) - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 34

The Coup of Fructidor was followed by legislation to declare former members of the Second Estate as foreigners, meaning they had to reapply for citizenship, while returned émigrées were given only 2 weeks to leave France or face prosecution. Refractory priests were also deported or imprisoned.

Question 35

When did the Coup of Floréal occur? What happened? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 35

The Coup of Floréal took place on the 11th May 1798, with many Jacobins being elected to the Councils during this period. The Directory, wishing to reduce the threat of extremist elements, quashed these results, removing these deputies from the councils.

Question 36

How many Jacobin deputies were purged from the Council of Five Hundred by the Coup of Floréal? How many départements had their results completely quashed? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 36

127 Jacobin deputies were purged from the Council of Five Hundred by the Coup of Floréal. 8 départements had their results completely quashed.

Question 37

When did the Coup of Prairial take place? What happened? (who was involved?) WHAT WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS COUP? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 37

The Coup of Prairial took place on the 18th June 1799. Abbé Sieyès, along with Barras, attempted to enforce the demands of the Council that 2 Directors step down. This had to be enforced by troop movements, coordinated by General Joubert, with resignations being produced by 2 Directors. The Directors had been PURGED BY THE COUNCIL.

Question 38

When was the Armistice of Cherasco agreed? What did this agree? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 38

The Armistice of Cherasco was agreed in April 1796, determining that Piedmont-Sardinia would withdraw from the War of the First Coalition. It also gave Savoy and Nice to France, with supplies and munitions being guaranteed to France, in addition to free passage through Piedmont for French troops.

Question 39

When did Napoleon set up the Transpadane and Cispadane Republics? Where were these located respectively? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 39

Napoleon set up the Transpadane and Cispadane Republics in May 1796. These were set up South and North of the Po River respectively.

Question 40

When was the Cisalpine Republic set up? (what land was it made up of?) When was the Ligurian Republic set up? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 40

The Cisalpine Republic was set up in June 1797, existing as a merger of the Cispadane and Transpadane Republics. The Ligurian Republic was also set up in 1797.

Question 41

When was the Treaty of Campo Formio negotiated? What did this agree? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 41

The Treaty of Campo Formio was negotiated on the 17th October 1797. This ENDED THE WAR OF THE FIRST COALITION, also agreeing for the recognition of French control of the Austrian Netherlands, acceptance of Napoleon’s Italian Republics, recognition of the Rhine frontier and French possession of several small islands in the Adriatic.

Question 42

When was the War of the First Coalition ended? When did the War of the Second Coalition begin? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 42

The War of the First Coalition was ended in October 1797, with the War of the Second Coalition beginning in 1799.

Question 43

When did French armies arrive in Egypt and the Battle of Pyramids occur? What was the outcome of this battle? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 43

The French arrived in Egypt in July 1798, with France being victorious in defeating the Egyptians at the Battle of Pyramids.

Question 44

When did Admiral Nelson launch an attack on the French fleet at Aboukir Bay? What impacts did this have? - The Directory and Napoleon’s Rise

Answer 44

Admiral Nelson attacked the French fleet at Aboukir Bay in August 1798. This cut off Napoleon from France and isolated him in the area around Egypt.