What happened following Thermidorian Reaction (1794-5)

Question 1

Broad categories?

Answer 1

Dismantling the machinary of the Terror
Depriving s-c of power
New constitution
Dependence on army (suppression of 1795 armies)
(Religious revival and White Terror emergence)

Question 2

First thing that happens following the Thermidorian Reaction?

Answer 2

1 August- Law of 22 Praril repealed

Question 3

What did the Convention do in Sept?

Answer 3

Stopped paying clerical salaries

Question 4

What did the Convention do in October?

Answer 4

Parisian sectional assemblies forbidden from meeting and salaries for members were withdrawn

Question 5

What did the Convention do in November?

Answer 5

Closed the Jacobin Club
Paris Commune abolished
And salaries for members were withdrawn

Question 6

What did the Convention do on 24 December?

Answer 6

Economic maximums abolished

Public workshops to provide employment were closed

Question 7

What did the Convention do in 1795 Feb?

Answer 7

Guaranteed the free exercise of religion

Question 8

What happened in April?

Answer 8

Assignats fell to 8% face value- exacerbated by poor harvests 94-95
Germinal- 10k

Question 9

What happened in May?

Answer 9

Revolutionary tribunal was abolished
Chief prosecutor, Foquier-Timille, was executed
20 May- 1 Praril= 20k military had to put it down

Question 10

What was happening in summer 1795?

Answer 10

White Terror- esp bad in the NW and SE: 2k killed in 1795 SE

Question 11

What happened in Aug 1795?

Answer 11

1795 Constitution (with law of 2/3)

Question 12

What happened in Oct 1795?

Answer 12

Vendemaire - Napoleon led reprisals; 300 killed

Question 13

Other (non-date specific) ways the Terror was dismantled?

Answer 13

CPS and CGP membership changed by 1/4 per month ; their role restricted to wars and diplomacy; Convention exercised greater oversight
SC disempowered- surveillance committees dismantled than abolished

Question 14

Examples of terror structure being dismantled?

Answer 14

Law of 22 Praril repealed
May 1795 rev tribunal abolished and chief pros executed
CGP and CPS committee restricted and membership changed
Reps-en-mission restricted
Nov 1794- Jacobin Club closed& Paris Commune abolished (Convention depriving sc of power despite originally providing communes and sections with power)

Question 15

Examples of sc deprived of power?

Answer 15

Restriction than abolition of committees of surveillance deprived sc of office, income and power
Parisian sectional assemblies (another sc powerbase) prohibited from meeting in Oct 1794 and salaries for membership were withdrawn
SC economic power reversed- economic maximum abolished; public workships to provide employment were closed
Inflation - assignats = 8% face value by April 1795

Question 16

Examples of 1795 riots suppressed?

Answer 16

Germinal- April 1795=10k

1 Praril- 20 May 1795= mostly women

Question 17

What did Germinal and Praril indicate?

Answer 17

The decline in the power of the SC- without the org of sectional assemblies, they were ineffective

Question 18

1 Praril reprisals?

Answer 18

6k militants were arrested/disarmed and nearly 80 were executed

Question 19

Riots suppressed demonstrating?

Answer 19

Dependence on the army - 20k troops used to counter Prairil
Thermidorian had no popular mandate and therefore their power increasingly depended on use of armed force
(also seen in Oct 1795 Vendemaire; N led troops and killed 300)

Question 20

Why did Vendemaire happen?

Answer 20

Royalists annoyed that the constitution didn’t restore constitutional monarchy

Question 21

Who was The White Terorr led by?

Answer 21

Royalists and armed gangs known as Companies of the Sun and Companies of Jesus
Vengeul - had lost out due to terror and bien nationaux

Question 22

Regions White Terror effected?

Answer 22

N and W of teh Loire
NW and SE= v violent
2k killed in SE (1795) and continued into 96-97

Question 23

Religious Revival under the Convention

Answer 23

Convention abandoned the Constitutional Church- in sept 1794 they stopped paying clericla saaries
Feb 1795- guaranteed the free excercise of all religions, but no outward signs

Question 24

1795 new Const?

Answer 24

lay power in hands of the very rich
5m in the electorate- but property qualification at voting second stage put power in hands of 30k
This ensured bourgeoise had power over the working class
Bicameral legislature- Council of 500 and Council of Ancients
Separate leg and exec- Directory
Divided power and rotated membership to ensure no return to a centralised dictaorship
To esnrue elections didnt provide a royalist majority, rule of 2/3 was decreed- 2/3 deputies must come from existing deputies in the council