8. The Establishment Of The Consulate Flashcards
What was Sieyes’s attitude to the 1795 constitution?
He never supported it, so initially refused to serve in it. When it’s failure to maintain stability seemed to vindicate his views, he finally accepted a position as Director in May 1799. He played a significant part in the coup of Prairial in June, calling on the army to enforce changes of personnel.
How did Sieyes want to change the constitution?
To allow a strong government to emerge, he engaged in talks with General Joubert to bring about a coup d’etat with the help of the army. However, Joubert was killed at the Battke of Novi in August 1799 as Austro-Russian forces attacked the French in Piedmont. By the time Bonaparte had returned from the Egyptian campaign in October, the prospect of invasion had receded and the pro-peace royalist faction was gaining strength.
What did Sieyes do in preparation for the coup?
He bribed council members, and, on 23rd October, he arranged for Napoleons brother, Lucien to be elected as President of the Council of Five Hundred. Troops were Lao deployed around Paris, ready for action if necessary.
What was the plan for the coup?
- To persuade the Directors to resign.
2. To persuade the two councils to appoint a commission to draw a new constitution.
How did the coup plan out?
Members of the Council of Ancients, who were sympathetic to the coup, warned their colleagues of a (supposed) Jacobin conspiracy. With Lucien in charge of the Council of Five Hundred, both assemblies were persuaded to leave the centre of Paris and move to the former royal palace of Saint-Cloud, where they would be well away from the potentially violent pro-Jacobin Parisian mobs; Napoleon ensured the safety of the two Councils and took command of Parisian troops, while his trusted commander, Murat, moved 6000 men into position around Saint-Cloud. The same morning, Sieyes and Ducos resigned as Directors (in accordance with the plot). Under pressure from Talleyrand (another plotter), Barras also stepped down. This virtually destroyed the Directory government. The remaining Directors (Moulin and Gohier) were put under house arrest, but the councils continued to meet. By 10th November, most deputies realised that they were facing a coup from the army, rather than being protected from a Jacobin rebellion.
What was the coup within the coup?
Napoleon (who mistakenly hoped the deputies in Saint-Cloud would declare in his favour without force) lost patience and stormed into the Council of Ancients, accompanied by a small force of grenadiers. Sieyes didn’t know this had been planned. Having failed to make much of an impression, Napoleon moved to the Council of Five Hundred where he was met with threats. Lucien Bonaparte got the palace guards to intervene. As the guards moved into the hall, many deputies left. When Murat’s grenadiers marched in, the remaining deputies were forced out of the chamber. Lucien found a few deputies from the Council of Ancients who were prepared to obey and appoint three Consuls to run the government until a new constitution could be prepared. This marked the end of the Directory and the three consuls were Sieyes, Ducos and Napoleon.
How did Napoleon ensure that the new constitution served his ambition?
By balancing the ideas of both Sieyes and his friend Daunou in their preparation of the new constitution.
What formed the basis for the French Consulate of 1799-1804?
The new constitution, adopted on 24th December 1799 which became known as the Constitution of Year VIII.
What was the Constitution of Year VIII?
First Consul: shared executive power with two others for ten years, appointed ministers and acted as director of policy and initiator of all legislation.
Council of State: chosen by the First Consul and acted as an advisory body; nominated officials and prepared draft legislation.
Senate: comprised of 80 members nominated by the First Consul (nominated for life), duty to protect the constitution, advised First Consul on draft legislation, selected deputies for Tribunate and legislative body and could override decisions made by legislature.
Legislative Body: the upper chamber of the legislature, comprised 300 members and would vote on legislation but not discuss it.
Tribunate: the lower chamber of legislature, comprised of 100 members and would discuss legislature but not vote on it.
6000 Notables: the senate selected deputies to form the legislature from these notables.
Third stage of voting (departmental list): 60,000 citizens selected 10% of themselves to form the Notables.
Second stage of voting (communal list): 600,000 citizens selected 10% of themselves to form the departmental list.
First stage of voting (all Frenchmen over 21): required to have lived in the same house for one year and voted for 10% of themselves to form the communal list.
What were the problems with the Constitution of Year VIII?
- It vested great power in the First Consul who would appoint and dismiss ministers, make legislative proposals and control foreign policy.
- Sieyes and Ducos chose to step aside and entered the new senate. Replacement Consuls, found in December 1799, were Regis de Cambaceres and Lebrun who were intensely loyal to Napoleon.
- This was the first constitution of the revolutionary period not to be accompanied by a Declaration of Rights.
- The vote was diluted through various electoral rounds, so from a total electorate of 6 million, only 6000 were able to initiate legislature.
- There was no clear provision as to how the fifth of the two bodies of legislature who were to be replaced annually would be selected.
- The First Consul could by-pass opposition in the Legislative Body and he had a right to choose members of the Council of State.
Strengths of the Constitution of Year VIII.
- The two Consuls who replaced Ducos and Sieyes were Regis de Cambraceres (had legal knowledge and reputation as a moderate republican) and Lebrun (a man of royalist sentiment).
- There was a total electorate of 6 million as all Frenchmen over 21 could vote.
What was Napoleon’s position and the state of France by 1799?
Napoleon had clearly shown overwhelming political ambition, but it would be wrong to say that he was already the autocratic ruler of France. News of the coup had been greeted more with apathy than enthusiasm on the streets of Paris (where Jacobin sentiment lingered) and there was some outright opposition from Jacobins in the provinces. The constitutional arrangements clearly worked to Napoleon’s advantage. However in the midst of economic crisis and general insecurity there was doubtless some anxiety on the part of both ruler and ruled. Napoleon claimed he was the ‘heir of the revolution’ and that he set out to fulfil his principals.
