The Establishment Of The Directory Flashcards
Influences for the November 1795 constitution (3)
Uphold the ‘rule of law’
Avoid concentration of power in hands of a single person or group = checks and balances system
Ensured power in one area always counterbalanced by that elsewhere
Problems with directory (3)
Didn’t want one person to have sole power
No prominent leader stood out + no clear direction
Directors with variety of views found difficult to work together
Evidence of directory problem (2)
Schism between more moderate conservatives (C + B) and republicans (Barras etc)on the other
Friction = Carnot and Bathelemy forced to step down in 1797
Disputes resolved within directory (2+)
No mechanism to solve disputes between executive councillors and legislative councils
Reason why directors used upper hand practices to try control composition of councils
Economic problems faced by direcotry (4+)
Poor harvest of 1795
Imports badly affected by British naval blockade
Rationing of all basic foods, candles and firewood introduced
Collapse of assignat = hyperinflation = Bread cost 50 livres/lb
How did directory aim to solve inflation (2+)
February 1796 = introduced a new paper money mandats territoriaux = land- purchase bond similar to the assignats
800 million francs-worth of mandats introduced to replace 24 billion francs-worth of assignats.
Mandates successful (2+)
Popular with workers but not wealthier members of society
Rapidly counterfeited and value depreciated rapidly - within a year worth nothing + had to be withdrawn
How did they fix inflation part 2 + impact (3)
After February 1797 = metal coins became only legal currency
Lack of coinage in circulation = deflation which hindered trade
However attempt to fix laid groundwork for Bank Of France set up by Napoleon in 1800
Solve the problem of trade and food supply (2)
1795 = weights and measures were standardised
Replaced the regional variations system that had existed under the Ancien Regime
Effect of standardised weights and measures
Helped by better harvest in 96 and 98 = price of grain reduced
Inefficient tax system fixed (3+)
Tax system was reorganised by finance minister Vincent Ramel in 1798
Introduced new property taxes (tax on doors and windows) = address budgetary issues and cover shortfall between income and expenditure
Revived the octrois = tax on goods entering towns
Impact of Vincent Ramel (3+)
Issuing of mandates = wrote of 2/3 of gov debt
Although destroyed creditors who bought them = directory could claim it achieved BoP surplus in 97 and 98
Came at expense of alienating creditors and tax payers among bourgeoisie - relied on for political support
Checks and balances (5+)
Bicameral legislature – each had different roles
Executive power shared between 5 men
One Director would retire each year by lot
Extremely difficult to alter Constitution – procedure took 9 years
Separation of powers: members of one institution could not be members of another
What was the two thirds law (3)
2/3 of members of first council should be drawn from the NC
Didn’t want inexperienced men
Only 200,000 to 100,000 approved - 19 departments rejected it
Problems with constitution (4+)
Annual elections = instability as majorities in the councils could be overturned quickly
No way of resolving conflict between legislature and executive
Councils paralyse the Directory by refusing to pass laws
Directors couldn’t dissolve the councils or veto laws passed by them
When coup of fructidor
4 September 1797
Why coup of fructidor (3+)
April 1797 = constitutional monarchists gaining 182 of 260 seats being contested (330 overall)
More than 1/3 of deputies = Royalist sympathies = fears next year there’d be more elected
Two sympathetic directors: Barthélemy and Carnot
What coup of fructidor (4+)
In September = Directors Barras + Rewbell accused Pichegru (President of 500) of contacting émigrés in 1795
Had him arrested for acting against the revolution
Used the military to seize strongpoints in Paris and arrested 177 royalist deputies, 53 of these exiled to French Guiana
42 opposition newspapers were closed
Impact of coup of fructidor (2)
Undermined the 1795 constitution
Added lack of confidence in electoral process
What followed could of fructidor (4+)
Vindictive legislation
Second estate = foreigners
Returned emigres = 2 weeks to leave France + if didn’t prosecuted by military tribunals = awarded 160 death sentences
Refractory priests = prosecuted and many hundreds deported or imprisoned
When coup of Floreal
11 May 1798
Why - coup of floreal (2+)
After Jacobin gains in the election of March 1798, outgoing councils were directed to scrutinise and verify results
This was a lengthy process so the Law of 22 Floréal to introduce a cut off
Result of coup of floreal (2+)
Purge of 127 deputies from the Council of Five Hundred before they could take their seats
The results of 8 départements were quashed, and only those in 47 (out of 96) were able to stand untouched
What did coup of floreal reinforce
Reinforced the difficulties of operating constitution of 1795
When coup of Prairial
18 June 1799
Why - coup of Prairial (3)
The councils opposed the conduct of the war
Regarded election of Director Treilhard as illegal
He was replaced by former Jacobin minister Gohier
What coup of Prairial (2+)
Newly-chosen Director Sieyès seize the opportunity and demanded the resignation of Révellière-Lépaux and Philippe de Douai
He called on the army on 18th June when they resisted = they resigned
Significant - coup of Prairial
This was the first time the Councils had forced a purge of Directors
What + why Sieyes law (3)
Law of hostages on July 1799
Fearful of growing jacobin sentiment in councils
Allowed local authorities to take action against potential ‘radicals’
Babeuf who
Campaigned for rights of poor and for 1793 constitution
What babeuf (3)
‘Conspiracy of equals’
Early 1796 = b called for revival of terror
Gov took action before anything = May 1797 B + co conspirator guillotined
