Thermidorian reaction Flashcards
How did the Convention dismantle the terror ?
1794 and May 1795
Abolished the revolutionary tribunal
Released all suspects from prison
Repealed law of prairial
Closed jacobin club
When were price controls abolished?
December 1794
Why was the price controls being abolished a bad thing for the economy?
This led to assignation value falling and mass inflation
Government had to buy war materials at market prices and therefore had to print more assignats leading to inflation
What was the rising of Prairial + when
20 May 1795:
sans-culottes of Paris rose against the Thermidorian Convention, demanding bread and the Constitution of 1793
Why did Prairial fail?
Workers were divided No institution like Paris commune to coordinate Political inexperience Army intervention Loss of support from radical bourgeoise
What two chambers did legislature consist of?
Council of five hundred and council of ancients
What weere council of five hundred ?
All had to over 30
It initiated legislation and passed it on to council of ancients
No property qualification
What was the council of ancients
250 men over 40
Could approve or object bills but not introduce them
No property qualification
What was the executive ?
Directory of five chosen by ancients from list drawn up by council of five hundred
What did Louis brother do?
He declared himself king and issued Verona declaration on 24 June 1795
Reasons for vendemiaire uprising + when
- Verona declaration (restoration of ancient regime) failed to gain mass support
- the conventions inability to deal with food shortages and inflation
What happened at Vendemiaire uprising
25,000 royalists gathered to march on convention and seize power
* outnumbered the troops, but got crushed by cannon fire - under Napoleons command
