Thermidorian Reaction and the Directory 1794 ~ 1795 Flashcards
How did the Convention attempt to alleviate the consequences of the Terror?
1) abolished the Revolutionary Tribunal
2) released all suspects from prison
3) repealed the Law of Prairial
4) closed the Jacobin Club
5) Constitutional Church renounced
6) established separation of Church and State, clerical salaries no longer under state responsibility
7) 21 February 1795, restored freedom of worship
8) ended state recognition of Robespierre’s cult
9) December 1794, Maximum laws abolished
10) August 1794, sixteen committees set up to take over the work of the CPS and CGS
11) CPS confined to running the war and diplomacy
12) Paris Commune abolished
What was the uprising of Germinal?
1 April 1795
- unarmed crowd of 10,000 marched on the Convention, demanding bread, the constitution of 1793, and the release of imprisoned (following the coup) CPS members Barère, Collot, and Billaud.
- repression was light, Convention deported those 3 CPS members
What was the uprising of Prairial?
20 May 1795
- large crowd of housewives, workers, and National Guard marched on the Convention demanding bread
- deputy killed amongst chaos, crowd becoming panicked and hostile
21 May 1795
- cannons aimed at the crowd without preparation to fire
- Convention agreed to set up a food commission and the crowd disbanded
22 May 1795
- armed troops of the regular army arrested 40 Montagnards, arresting 36 millitants
- marked the end of the sans-culottes as a political force
What led to the uprisings of Germinal and Prairial?
- removal of price controls led to fall in assignat value and massive inflation
- more assignats printed to buy war materials
- poor harvest in 1794, grain shortage and increase in bread prices (again…)
- severe winter of 1794-95, rivers froze and factories shut down
Why did the uprising of Prairial fail?
- divided, National Guard units in some Sections were loyal to the Convention, while others took part in the uprising
- no organisation to coordinate plans/strategy
- politically inexperienced sans-culottes and housewives
- ARMY INTERFERENCE
Describe the White Terror
- in Paris, in Vendée, and in the south
April ~ May 1795
- an attack on ex-terrorists by those who suffered from them, a reaction to the atrocities of the revolution.
- those who took part were not royalists, only wished for revenge (e.g. victims of Revolutionary Tribunals)
In Paris:
- middle class youths, dressed extravagantly like bourgeoisie, but with long hair tied back at the neck as if about to be guillotined
- formed gangs, beat up Jacobins and sans-culottes
In Vendée:
- movement known as Chouan began under Jean Cottereau
- against conscription
- attacked grain convoys (transportation vehicles like ships)
- murdering officials, destabilising local governments
- June 1795, total rebel force was about 22,000
- huge army led by General Hoche wiped out the Chouans and Vendée rebels
In the south:
- rampant murder gangs, but not considered a serious threat so the Convention dgaf
- because no one gaf these gangs spread rapidly, with prison massacres reminiscent of the September massacres from 1795 ~ 1797
What was the Constitution of Year III (1795)
22 August 1795
- abolition of privilege
- freedom of the individual
- control of local and national affairs by an elected assembly and elected officials
- all men over 21 who paid direct taxation could vote for electors
- electors who paid 150-200 days of labour in taxation could vote for deputies
- two thirds of the deputies for the new councils had to be chosen from existing members of the Convention to prevent a royalist majority in votes
Explain the separated legislature and executive
Legislature
- elections held every year, when a third of members retire
The Council of Five Hundred: over the age of 30, initiate legislation and pass it on.
The Council of Ancients: 250 men over the age of 40, approve or object legislation, but cannot introduce or change
Executive
The Directory: 5 directors chosen by the Ancients from a list drawn up by the Five Hundred
- hold office for 5 years, 1 director retires every year
- not members of either council
- could not initiate or veto laws
- could not declare war
- no control over treasury
- in charge of diplomacy, military affairs, and law enforcement
What are the weaknesses of the Directory?
- instability from yearly elections
- stalemates between the 2 councils, no way of resolving conflicts
- 2 councils could paralyse the Directory by refusing to pass laws that the Directory required
What was the Verona Declaration?
From Italy, Louis XVI’s brother Comte de Provence proclaimed himself Louis XVIII, issuing the Verona Declaration
He promised to restore the ancien regime completely, and return confiscated land to the Church and emigres.
This did not sound enticing and turned more constitutional monarchists towards the republic instead.
What was the Vendemaire uprising?
5 October 1795
- against the Convention, two-thirds law was not well received as many Parisians hoped to replace the Convention
- royalist crowd of 25,000 marched on the Convention to seize power
- government troops had cannon, led by General Bonaparte
- over 300 killed or wounded, one of the bloodiest journees
What was the Babeuf Plot?
useless
- Babeuf disliked the new constitution because he believed the true way to achieve equality was the communal management of property
- the first communist
- March 1796, plotted to overthrow the Directory
- his fellow conspirator ratted him out and nothing came of this plot
What was the coup of Fructidor?
- elections of 1797 revealed that the idea of a constitutional monarchy was becoming more popular again
- people tired of war abroad and religious conflicts at home, craved stability
- councils appointed Barthelemy and Carnot to important positions, both were sympathetic to monarchists
3-4 September 1797
- coup against the restoration of the monarchy, getting help from the army
- troops seized all strong points in Paris and surrounded the council chambers, arresting Carnot, Barthelemy, and 53 deputies
What did the Directory do to emigres and refractory priests following the coup of Fructidor?
- emigres leave in 2 weeks or guillotine
- priests take oath rejecting support to royalty or deport
Effects of this:
- alienated Catholic opinion
- created more opposition for the Directory
What economic problems were the Directory facing?
- Directory issued new paper currency, ‘mandats territoriaux’, which soon lost value and withdrawn in February 1797
- metal coins: only legal currency, short in supply, led to deflation, causing sellers to reduce prices to stimulate demand
- inflation of 1795-97: made Directory unpopular with workers
- deflation: made Directory unpopular with businessmen because lower prices = lower profits
Who was Dominique-Vincent Ramel?
- elected to the Estates-General, the Convention and the Council of 500, the Directory appointed him as Finance Minister in 1796
- September 1797, decreased national debt and helped stabilise French finances for a time with the bankruptcy of two-thirds, renouncing two-thirds of national debt with a one-off payment
- increased revenue by implementing 4 forms of direct taxation: trading licenses, land, movable property, doors & windows, which survived until 1914
- commissioners appointed by Directors assessed and levied taxes for CENTRAL CONTROL
- brought back indirect taxation from the ancien regime, to fund war
Timeline of the War of the First Coalition
1) June 1794, Battle of Fleurus
2) January 1795, Netherlands made peace
3) July 1795, Spain made peace
4) October 1797, Austria made peace
5) 2 British victories in 1797, though the war with Britain continued
State some early signs of Napoleon’s big ego
- April 1797, he signed an armistice (a truce) with Austria, deciding the terms himself without consulting the Directory
- as a result, had to give Austria Venice and part of the Venetian Republic
How was 1798 significant for France
- peak of the Republic’s power, achieving a degree domination across Europe
- set up satellite republics (states that appear independent but are actually under French control) e.g. Helvetic Republic in Switzerland, Roman Republic, Cisalphine Republic, Ligurian Republic
Timeline of the War of the Second Coalition
1) December 1798, Russia declared war
2) March 1799, France declared war on Austria
3) France almost invaded, but Austria sent its troops to Rhine instead of supporting Russia in Switzerland, allowing France to advance on Russia, and they withdrew in autumn of 1799.
Explain the coup of Brumaire
- 1799, collapse of government administration in the provinces, due to: few troops to enforce Directory’s decrees, local authorities siding with royalists, absence of regular troops due to war and National Guard not large enough
- Russians retreated from Switzerland, Sieyes saw an opportunity for a coup, wished to strengthen the executive
- Sieyes selected Napoleon, asking him to lend his influence and popularity, as he had returned to France a hero and successful republican general, despite abandoning his army in Egypt
- Napoleon agreed but only on condition that they set up a provisional (temporary) government of 3 consuls to draft a new constitution
- Sieyes moved the councils to the Château de Saint Cloud using rumours of a Jacobin plot to bring down the government, reducing opposition
- However, on 19 Brumaire it is revealed that it was Sieyes’ plot, Napoleon goes to speak with the Council of Ancients first, calling for a stronger government, but fails to convince them.
- He then speaks to the Council of 500, where he is physically attacked by Jacobin deputies
- Lucien Bonaparte, president of the 500 told the troops some deputies were attempting to assassinate Napoleon, causing them to come and clear the hall
- later on, councillors sympathetic to the plotters approved a decree dissolving the Directory, replacing it with an executive committee of 3 consuls: Sieyes, Ducos and Napoleon.
- little rejoice at news of the coup, ranging from surprise to mild opposition
Why did the Directory fail?
1) instability, annual elections and no provision for settling conflicts
2) reliance on the army
3) alienating original supporters, who are the owners of Church land, with policies such as forced loan
4) people wanted peace after years of war
5) corruption
