The establishment of the Directory

Question 1

When was the New constitution and what did it create ?

Answer 1

November 1795 and it created the Directory

Question 2

What was the biggest mistake / Most controversial clause of the constitution ?

Answer 2

• Two thirds law : which declared that 2/3 of the members of the first council should be drawn from the national convention
• National convention were unpopular for their inability to solve the food crisis
• 47/48 Paris departments rejected it

Question 3

Biggest issues with the constitution

Answer 3

1. Annual elections - instability
2. No means of resolving conflict between the legislature and the executive
3. Ineffective way of governing
4. both councils were needed for legislation - complicated
5. Voting rights were more restricted to 50% of the 1971 electorate
6. Ratified by 1 million to 50,000 however 4 million didn’t vote
7. Controversial two thirds law

Question 4

Best successes of the constitution

Answer 4

1. Separation of power - power wasn’t concentrated
2. one member of the directory chosen by lot would retire - no one had to much power
3. Annual elections - increased accountability
4. Both councils needed to approve legislation - required general support

Question 5

Economic and financial issues under the directory

Answer 5

1. by 1795 Assignats were virtually worthless
2. badly balanced budget
3. Poor harvest in 1795 and poor food supply
4. Trading was compromised by British blockades of ports

Question 6

Economic and financial solutions/attempts

Answer 6

1. Switch from metal currency to paper by introducing mandats however after a year the were worthless and withdrawn
2. Metal currency was the only legal currency but deflation was caused
3. 1795 - Weights and measures were standardised \
4. 1798 - Taxation was reorganised eg revived the octrois

Question 7

Political issues

Answer 7

• Royalism had grown eg Rising of the Vendemiarie Oct 1795 was just before the new constitution
• Pockets of royalism in the Vendee and the West (1796- peace treaty signed)
• Increasing threat of Jacobinism - Babeuf 1796 called for the revival of the Terror and planned for an armed uprising in May however the Directory found out and he was executed
• Had to maintain the balance of political power

Question 8

Coup of Fructidor

Answer 8

• 4th sept 1797
• Constitutional monarch did well in the 1797 elections and there were fears the next election would increase
• Evidence was produced that the President of the council of five hundred had made contact with monarchist emigres
• Military forces were used and 177 royalist deputies were arrested and vindictive legislation followed returned emigres were given 14 days to leave France and those who didn’t would be persecuted

Question 9

Coup of Floreal

Answer 9

• 11th May 1798
• New electoral law was passed in an attempt to minimise electoral gains of royalists however instead Jacobin support soared
• Results were altered and 127 deputies were purged before they could take their seats

Question 10

Coup of prairial

Answer 10

• 18th June 1799
• Council of five hundred and the council of ancients questioned the conduct of war
• 2 directors were forced to step down or face the Paris Army
• For the first time the Councils had forced a purge of the directory not the other way around
• This increased tensions and the directory was increasingly reliant on the army - little held the government together

Question 11

Strengths of the Directory

Answer 11

Constitution - held more accountable, all male tax payers over 21 could vote, and power wasn’t concentrated
Economic/financial issues - efforts made to stabilise the country and laid the groundwork for the Bank of France (1800)
Political threats - Vendemiare rising (effective use of the army) and the Babeuf Plot (quick reactions) and both were ultimately successful
Foreign policy - Italian campaign was successful and built prestige + pillaging indemnities resulted in an economic boost (1795-1799)

Question 12

Weaknesses of the Directory

Answer 12

Constitution - No way to settle disputed between the legislative and the executive + annual elections lead to instability ie 1/3 stepped down each year
Economic/financial - Poor harvests lead to worse food supply, no currency solutions were successful and the trading situation was compromised by war
Political - Although coup of Fructidor and Prairial were successfully shut down in the short term, it the long term it undermined the new constitution and caused opposition to the directory
Foreign policy - British Naval victories and in the Rhine Campaign, the French had to retreat