Directory Flashcards
When was the new directory constitution drawn up
Drawn up in August and ratified by a plebiscite in September
What was the role of the Council of 500
- comprised of deputies over age 30
- proposed and drew up all legislation but didn’t vote on it
What was the role of the Council of Ancients
- comprised of 250 married or widowed men over 40
- examined and approved/rejected legislation but did not propose it
What was the of the Directory
- 5 directors chosen by the ancients from a list provided by the 500
- directors formed the executive and appointed ministers
- one member, chosen by lot, would retire each year and no one could also sit on the councils
Who was able to vote in the first round of the elections
all male taxpayers over 21 were ‘citizens’ who were able to vote- meant that 5.5 million out of 8 million adult males were able to vote
What were the weaknesses of the constitution
since directory sought to limit power of individual politicians no leader stood out- left them without a clear direction and directors found it difficult to work together
no mechanism to resolve disputes between the executive directors and legislative councils
What economic problems did the directory face from the beginning
- thermedorian attempt to switch from a system of economic control to a more a liberal environment resulted in acute inflation
- inherited a badly unbalanced budget and problems of tax collection
- problems of food supply persisted, hindered by grain speculators but also compounded by another poor harvest
- trading situation was comprised by war and by British naval efforts to restrict French colonial trade and blockade French ports
What economic reforms did the directory introduce
1) switched from paper money to metal currency- made one last attempt at paper money by introducing mandats (failed)
-lack of coinage in circulation
brought deflation which
hindered trade
2) weights and measures standardised- price of grain brought down
3) taxation system was reorganised making the assessment and collection of direct taxation more efficient and introducing new property taxes to address budgetary issues and cover the shortfall between income and expenditure
4) directory could claim that it had achieved a balance of payments surplus in 1797 and 1798- at the expense of alienating both creditors and tax payers among the bourgeoise (relied on bourgeoise for political support)
What was the problem with mandats
rapidly counterfeited and their value depreciated so rapidly that within a year they were virtually worth nothing
What was the Babeuf Plot
May 1796- Babeuf began calling for the revival of the terror
when news reached gov that soldiers were ready to join armed uprising of the masses they took action
May 1797- Babeuf and his co-conspirators were guillotined whilst other supports were transported
When was the coup of Fructidor
4th September 1797
What was the nature of the coup of fructidor
- April 1797 constitutional monarchists increased seats to 182 (more than 1/3 of deputies had royalist sympathies)
- to prevent possible royalist majority directors produced evidence that the president of the 500 had made contact with monarchist emigres in 1795 and he was arrested
- 177 royalist deputies were arrested (53 exiled to Guiana) and 42 opposition newspapers were forcibly shit down
- undermined the constitution and added to lack of confidence in the electoral process
When was the coup of floreal
11th May 1798
What was the nature of the coup of floreal
- directory passed new electoral law in Jan 1798 before next round of elections to minimise royalist gains
- results just as alarming as Jacobins soared ahead
- results altered by law of 22 floreal which purged 127 deputies from the 500
- reinforced difficulties of the constitution
When was the coup of prairial
18th June 1798
