Thermidorian reaction and the Directory 1794-99 Flashcards
Who were the Thermidorians?
Those who where responsible for the overthrow of Robespierre.
They were members of the CPS and CGS, ex-terrorists, and deputies of the Plain.
The Plain now emerged to take control.
Who were the Plain?
Gained from the Revolution by buying land or obtaining government contracts.
They were firmly attached to the Republic and wanted no return to monarchy, had been involved in Louis’ execution.
They disliked Jacobins, who had given too much power to the Sans Culottes and imposing the Maximums.
Popular democracy, anarchy, and the Terror were synonymous.
How did the Convention dismantle the machinery of the Terror?
Between July 1794 and May 1795, the Convention:
Abolished the Revolutionary Tribunal.
Released all suspects from prison.
Repealed the Law of Prairial.
Closed the Jacobin club.
How did the deputies gain control of the institutions that made the Terror possible?
This meant abandoning the centralisation established by the CPS.
Decreed that one quarter of the CPS and CGS had to be changed each month.
In August, 16 committees of the convention were set to take over most of the work of the CPS and CGS - these could now only run the war and diplomacy.
The Paris Commune was abolished.
Power in local governments passed to moderates and property owners.
How did the Thermidorians deal with religious issues?
They renounced the constitutional church.
In September it decided that it would no longer pay clerical salaries.
This brought about the separation of Church and State - Priests were required to follow French Law over Church Law.
Freedom of worship for all religions was restored and state recognition of the cult of the Supreme Being was abolished.
What was the significance of the response to religious issues?
The State was declaring itself entirely neutral in all religious matters.
The consequence was that refractory and constitutional priests, Protestants and Jews would be in free competition for popular support.
What was the cause of the uprisings of Prairial and Germinal?
The Thermidorians, who are mostly Bourgeoisie so believe in free trade, removed price controls, this led to increase in prices and inflation, and reduce in value of assignat.
They return weapons manufacturing to private ownership, the price of weapons goes up.
To pay for them they print more assignats, so even worse inflation.
Bad harvests in 1794 and grain shortages, so huge increase in price of bread.
Winter of 1794-95 was extremely severe, enormous increase in suicides and death from malnutrition, and famine.
What were the events of the uprising of Germinal?
The hungry turned against the Convention.
A large crowd of 10,000 unarmed people marched on the convention.
Many gained access to the main hall and disrupted debates with demands for bread, the constitution of 1793, and release of CPS members.
The insurgents withdrew without resistance when the National Guard appeared.
What were the consequences of the uprising of Germinal?
The repression following was light.
The Convention sentenced Barere, Collot and Billaud (CPS members) to be deported.
Other know activists of the Terror were disarmed.
During the Spring of 1795 disillusionment with the Conventions inability to resolve the famine led to outbreaks of violence in the provinces, some organised by royalists.
What were the events of the uprising of Prairial?
A large crowd of housewives, workers and some National Guard marched on the Convention to demand bread.
A deputy was killed in the chaos and the crowd became increasingly hostile.
Forces loyal to the Convention confronted the crowd, and a tense situation developed.
It was resolved when the Convention agreed to accept a petition to set up a food commission.
What were the consequences of the uprising of Prairial?
The next day, 20,000 convention troops surrounded rebels and forced them to give up their arms and cannon. The repression was severe this time:
40 Jacobins were arrested and 6 executed.
A further 36 were condemned to death.
6000 militants were disarmed and arrested.
The Sans culottes could no longer threaten and intimidate an elected assembly. Demoralised, without arms and without leaders, they were spent.
Why did the uprising of Prairial fail?
The workers of Paris were divided.
There was no institution like the Paris Commune in 1792 to co-ordinate their activities.
They were politically inexperienced, when they had the advantage they let the opportunity go.
They had lost the support of the radical Bourgeoisie.
The role of the army was key, as it was used against the citizens for the first time in Paris since 1789, showing their reliance on the military.
What is the White Terror?
An attack on ex-terrorists and all who had done well out of the revolution by those who had suffered under it.
They wanted vengeance on members of the popular societies and watch committees.
What was the White Terror in Paris?
The Gilded Youth perpetrated the White Terror, they formed gangs to beat up and intimidate Jacobins and Sans Culottes.
There was some violence, but not on the same scale of the Terror.
They were middle class who dressed extravagantly as a reaction to the restrictions of the Terror.
What was the White Terror in the Vendee?
It was much more violent.
Chouans, Guerrilla groups opposed to conscription, began in Brittany 1794-96.
They attacked grain convoys and destabilised local government outside the towns by murdering officials.
It was a huge threat, with the total rebel force numbering 22,000.
General Hoche was sent with an army to eradicate them as they posed a serious threat.
What was the White Terror in the South?
It was not seen as a threat so little effort was made to crush them, which allowed them to spread rapidly.
Gangs of Youth in Paris killed 2000 in 1795, and continued until 96.
What were the aims of the 1795 constitution?
To guarantee the main features of the Revolution - abolition of privilege, freedom of the people, and control of affairs by elected bodies.
Ensure a dictatorship like the CPS would be impossible, and no return to monarchy.
What are the features of the 1795 constitution?
All men who paid direct taxation were allowed to vote to choose electors.
Real power was in the hands of the electors who chose the deputies. Had to pay taxes equivalent to 150-200 days labour. Electors were therefore very rich and those who’d suffered in the 1793-4 revolution.
The legislature was rigidly separated from the executive to prevent a dictatorship.
What was the Leglislature?
The Council of Five Hundred, all over 30, who would initiate legislation and then pass it to the Council of Ancients.
The Council of Ancients, 250 men over 40, who approved or objected bills but couldn’t change or introduce them.
Elections were held every year, when a third of members were removed.
What was the Executive?
A Directory of 5, chosen by the Ancients, who would hold office for 5 years, though one had to retire each year.
They could not be members of either council, and their powers were limited.
They could not initiate or veto laws or declare war and had no treasury control.
What authority did the directory have?
They were in charge of diplomacy, military affairs and law enforcement.
Government ministers and commissioners, who oversaw policy was implemented in the provinces, were responsible to the Directors.
What were the weaknesses of the new constitution?
The yearly elections promoted instability, as majorities could be quickly overturned.
There was no way to resolve conflicts between the legislature and the executive.
The councils could paralyse the Directory by refusing to pass laws.
The Directory couldn’t dissolve the councils or veto their laws.
What is the Separation of powers?
If a hostile majority dominated the legislature then the constitution allowed it to paralyse the directory.
The Directory couldn’t dissolve them back, so relied on cancelling elections and calling in on the army to resolve disputes.
How did the convention avoid being unpopular?
It feared that free elections might produce a royalist majority.
It then decreed that two thirds of the deputies must be chosen from among the existing deputies.
What caused the Verona Declaration?
Constitutional monarchists felt they were gaining public support.
They had hoped to put Louis XVI’s son on the throne but he died in June 1795.
Louis’ brother immediately proclaimed himself as Louis XVIII and on 24 June issued the Verona Declaration.
What was the Verona Declaration?
It was a reactionary document, that made restoring the monarchy more difficult.
Louis XVIII promised to restore the three estates and the parlements.
Also, the restoration of stolen property such as those from the Church and Emigres.
This annoyed those who had brought it and had benefitted from the abolition of tithes and feudal dues.
It boosted those favouring a republic, unintentionally.
What caused the Vendemiaire uprising?
News of the Two Thirds Law shocked Parisians who had hoped the Convention would soon be replaced.
Its inability to deal with food shortages and inflation turned many against the Convention, yet now it seemed many of its deputies would be returned to the new constitution.
Frustration and anger spilled into a rebellion.
What was the Vendemiaire Uprising?
5 October 1795, a large royalist crowd of 25,000 gathered to march on the convention and seize power.
This greatly outnumbered the government troops, but the opposition had cannon, under General Bonaparte, which the rebels did not.
This crushed the rebellion, with over 300 casualities.
What were the consequences of the Vendemiaire Uprising?
The Sectional Assemblies were abolished and the National Guard placed under the control of Napoleon Bonaparte.
For the second time in 6 months, the army had saved the Thermidorian Republic.
