How far did the directory manage to achieve moderation? Flashcards
Council of five hundred + Council of ancients?
1) Legislature= consisted of …. men above…. their role was to…. … … … + .. .. .. ..
2) Consisted of – men above .. .. .. their role was .. …… OR ….. …. + they had no rights to ….. or …….. …. …….
- ..the age of 30 …. Inititate draft new leg = dafts/bills passed to the second chamber COFA
- … age of 40… to approve OR refuse bills …. amend or initiate laws themselves
WHO COULD VOTE
- Was there a property qualification?
- Like the 1791 constitution, elections were held in stages. Which men could vote for electors?
- what would electors vote for?
- conditions to be an elector?
- what did the gov implement to stop a dictatorship/dominance of a particular faction?
- Was there a property qualification = Not to be a deputy but yes to vote
- Like the 1791 constitution, elections were held in stages. Which men could vote for electors = all men over 21 who paid direct taxes on property
- what would electors vote for = deputies to the councils
- conditions to be an elector = Pay taxation equivalent to 150-200 days labour.
- what did the gov implement to stop a dictatorship/dominance of a particular faction =
- Annual elections
- 1/3 of all members of the councils retired + replaced every year = no political majority
NOTE = Thermidorean C = Feared royalist resurgence in first election in 1795 = 2/3 must’ve served in convention = No royalism or neo-Jacobinism = want continuity
Directors/Executive = Job specification
directors who/Executive = name at least 3
-In charge of law enforcement, foreign and military
- Barras = Key role in capturing Toulon
- Carnot = Responsible for levee en masse + war effort = not held accountable
- Reubell
- Letourner
- La revelliere lepaux
Weakness of constitution
- tried to make checks and balances but no dominating body no clear directon or leadership
- directors supposed to enforce laws but couldnt make.
- Directors supposed to deal foreign policy but couldnt make war/peace.
- No negotiation for bills rejected by Ancients.
- No stability as ⅓ retired each year = making the chances of new leaders or long term policies highly impossible.
- Decree ⅔ caused opposition. neo-Jacobinism despised as many Jacobins were purged at this point and royalist hates it as there has been no royalists sitting in the convention/
Economic and financial reforms - REFORMS OF THE CURRENCY?
1 - what was the mandate and why did it fail?
2 - What was the issue with metal currency?
3 - How was the currency issue partially solve?
1 - Mandate was a new paper currency. Failed cause it was given its value in relation to the assignat (inflation soared), which had collapsed + worthless. = Mandate = worthless
2- not enough in circulation. hidden away + hoarded during the rev
3- Return to a ‘natural eco’, involving payment in grain, bread or produce
Economic and financial reforms - SATE DEBT?
1 - What did the directory do in sep 1797?
2 - What was successful about this?
3 - What issues were there?
1 - Declared themselves bankrupt and this issued state bonds to creditors to pay off debts.
2 - 2/3 state debt was wiped out, Reducing govv annual expenditure by 160m livres
3 - bonds lost value, angered creditors + made it harder for gov to borrow in future. Actions were unpopular with the creditor and council of ancients, who felt it was immoral that money lenders had lost their money.
Economic and financial reforms - TAXATION?
1 - Application of the land tax had been ‘piecemeal’ meaning..
2 - What type of taxes did the director’s minister of finance reintroduce?
3 - What issues and criticisms did these cause?
4- What was good about it?
1 - It was not properly enforced or regulated, due to limited records and lack of local administrators to regulate + calculate payments and oversee collections
2 - Raleml-Nogaret reintroducced indrect taxes, charge on chimneys, poll tax, tax on windows and doors, tolls and customs barriers and a stamp tax on newspapers + reg of official doc
3 - UNPOPULAR - toll and customs taxes = Directory trying to bring hated taxes of the ancien regime. Directory wanted to bring Gabelle, vetoed by council of Ancients
4 - Stamp tax successful. Tax reforms were arguably necessary measure given the shortfalls of direct taxation.
MARTIAL LAW
1 - Why did the directory increase policing and domestic repression?
2 - What powers were the army given?
1 - Seen as necessary as a result of trouble in Britanny and the Vendee, bread riots, banditry triggered by faine and growing resenment of gov reforms.
2 - Army could use military courts to try rebels and opponents of the gov. These courts became permanent bodies 1797 =(martial law = military law reigned) Soldiers deployed to deal w domestic unrest, rather than national guard.
Attempts to control factionalism, 1795-7
Babeuf Plot, 1796
1) Who was Gracchus Babeuf and what were his criticisms of the Directory?
2) What was Babeuf accused of?
3) Did he pose a great threat to the Directory, in reality?
4) What was the greatest success of the Babouvists?
5) What did this lead to?
1) Radical journalist - advocated complete redistrubtion of land in order to provide for all poor -opposed policies of directory, preserving gins of bourgeoisie.
2) Accused leadin conspiracy of equals, plot overthrow directory in communinst style bby
3) didnt pose shit tho - small 500 followers
4) encouraging three battalions of Parisian policing mutiny 1796 march - short lived tho - easily suppressed
5) Influential beyond French revolution - soviet union 1917
The Verona Declaration, 1795
1) Who were the émigrés led by?
2) What were their aims?
3) What was the Verona Declaration?
1) Emigres led by king louis XVI bro,
2) restore louis to throne - not great threat until 8 june 1795
3) restore estates system of ancient regime + return confiscated lands to emigres + refractory preists.
The Vendémiaire Uprising, 1795
1) Why did royalists feel targeted by the ‘decree of 2/3’?
2) Why were many ordinary people also unhappy with this decree?
3) What happened on 5th October 1795?
4) Why did the rebellion fail?
5) Who led the defeat of the rebels, and what was his role?
6) To what extent was the Vendémiaire rising a royalist uprising?
1) decree 2/3 = royalist felt targeted as it rule intended reduce chance of royalist revival
2) ordinary ppl unhappy didnt help out of poverty and famine = keen to see new body elected
3) 25,000 gathered in paris to seize power = outnumber gov
4) but no leadership, org, weaponry =failed
5) Barras charged w crushing rebellion - supported by NAPOLEON - placed in charged of the artillery
6) Yes = rejected decree 2/3 inspired revolt by the arrival of comte D’Artois, Louis bro, emigres leaders NO= economic issues - gov failure to solve it - ppl in famine - new taxation aint helping but keeping bourgeoisie in pwr
Coup of Fructidor, 1797
1) what threat did the revival of royalism and monarchism pose to the Directory? See p.252.
2) Why did the royalists gain support in this period?
3) What was the Coup of Fructidor? What happened?
4) What was the importance of the coup?
Stretch:
5) How did the Coup both strengthen and undermine the Directory’s position?
1) gradually over time they could gain majority in directory - moderate royalist led by Feuillant (former) D’andre ex-emigre - returned to lead electoral campaign for royalists
2) ppl saw directory not solving eco issues and reliance of military for justice - out of 260 council seats being contested 180 won by royalists
3) Remaining republican deputies act to prevent royalist domination - 4th September 1797, Napoleon and army surrounded Council, arrested 55 royalist deputies (falsely accused of plotting royalist coup)
4) Significance of coup of Fructidor - to prevent royalist resurgence, election results overturned = legitimacy of democracy undermined, reliance on military
5) deported them to frnech colonies + council approved another decree= ccancelling election results in numerous dep. = 177 deputies removal from councils
Directorial terror
Suppression of royalism …. 10,000 priests….Repression
Emigres forced to leave, some hunted and executed (D’Andre escaped to Switzerland). Clergy blamed for spread - made to swear oath of loyalty
……
Refused oath of loyalty = ‘dry-guillotined’ = deportation and imprisonment
…….
400 parish churches closed, demolished and sold in the Nord
CONCLUSION= TO WHAT EXTENT DID THE DIRECTORY MANAGE TO ACHIEVE MODERATION???>?>?>?>?>?>
- The consequence of coup of fructidor undermined the constitution
- Directoorial terror - supporting moderation by crushing royalism not as the previous.
- Directory V. dependent on army - while this was necessary i order to preserve a moderate political line. Diretory actions undermined confidence in public system
- Eco reforms - successful -However, Indirect taxes, failed to manage currency - argued to keep bourgeisie in power and maintain their gain from french revolution
