1. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Constitutional Republic: The Directory, 1795-1799

2. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org S T A R T E R

3. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Thursday, 17 September 2015 Why was the Directoire overthrown? KI3: Radical Revolution 1793-1799.

4. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Thursday, 17 September 2015 Session Aims Events of 1789. identify the reasons why the Directory was unable to continue assess the role of different groups in the downfall of the Directors

5. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Thermidorian Reaction 1794 17951796 1797 179817991804 Robespierre Executed (7/28/94) -Thermidorian Reaction Begins Rule of the Directory Price Controls Abolished Constitution of 1795 Coup d’etat of Fructidor (September 4) 1797 Coup d’etat of Brumaire (11/9/1799) Consulate begins End of Revolution? Napoleon crowned Emperor =Restoration Begins White Terror attacks Jacobins Consulate of NB

6. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org The Weakness of the Directory Constitution of 1795 –Supported mainly by Wealthy –Restricted the politically active class –Universal male suffrage selected electors –Electors were usually wealthy –Electors chose department officials and members of the Legislative Assembly –Lower Chamber= Council of the 500 –Upper Chamber= Council of Ancients (250) Chose the Directory (5 executives) Council of Ancients Council of 500

7. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Opposition to the Directory The Directory STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES FAILURES THREATS

8. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Opposition to the Directory Gracchus Babeuf & Lower Class (hurt by Laissez Faire); Declaration of Verona and Conspiracy of Equals; the Count of Provence; Jacobins; Hebertists; Royalists The Directory

9. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Directory’s Enemies on the Right Louis XVIII –Count of Provence –Directed royalists against Directory from Verona, Italy –not too politically bright –Declaration of Verona announced his intention to restore Old Regime and punish revolutionaries since 1789 (doh!) –“Bourbons learned nothing and forgot nothing.” –French don’t love Con of 1795 but Restoration to them means Return of privileged nobility Reimplementation of the manorial system

10. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Directory’s Enemies on the Left Conspiracy of Equals (1796) group led by Gracchus Babeuf Wanted to overthrow the Directory with a dictatorship called it democratic Wanted to abolish private property, equality decreed a precursor to communism Babeuf is guillotined Yet Directory ignored hardships of lower classes Gracchus Babeuf

11. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Fashion: Convention v Directory Periods Radical Period Thermidorian Period

12. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Napoleon Educated in a French military school Barras, head of state security, selected Napoleon to defend the Convention against attacks by royalists Married Josephine de Beauharnais, a leader of society In two years he defeated the Austrians, won control of most of Italy, and made the Peace of Campo Formio unilaterally!

13. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org French royalists won elections Republicans worked a coup d’etat, with Napoleon's help, the “Coup d’etat of Fructidor” Directory annulled the 3/1797 elections and made peace with Austria France also annexed Belgium and the west bank of the Rhine The Political Crisis of 1797: Summary

14. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Coup d’etat of Fructidor: Details 3/1797- first free election is held: Royalists win many seats and are gaining political control Republicans, regicides, and Napoleon can not let royalists get control (Napoleon, for one, never would have risen in “Old Regime”)

15. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Coup d’etat of Fructidor (September 4, 1797): The Directory annuls the elections of the spring to keep the royalists out and Directors violate their own Constitution of the year III. Directory first purges 2 Directors: One, Lazare Carnot, driven into exile, also Bathelemy. To save the republic (they said), they had to violate their own constitution…

16. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Foreign Policy of Directory Expansion continues: 10/1797- Treaty of Campo Formio Austria recognizes French annexation of Belgium (former Austrian Netherlands) & Northern Italy Pope deposed and Roman Republic declared Only England is still at war with France Napoleon’s aggression is directed toward Egypt Young Napoleon

17. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Who had deserted the Directory after 1797? Why? WHO?WHY?

18. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org The Coup d’Etat of 1799 Bonaparte After Fructidor constitutionalism is given up Directory becomes an ineffective dictatorship –They repudiate debts –Guerrilla activity in Vendee flares up –Religious schism becomes more acute as Directory persecutes refractory clergy Napoleon feints toward India with the invasion of Egypt (indirect strike at British) British fleet cuts off French army in Egypt Napoleon abandons his army and returns to Paris on his own.

19. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Directory is looking for a general to keep a lid on France Abbe Sieyes says “confidence from below, authority from above” Coup d’ etat of Brumaire (11/9/1799) Napoleon is chosen as a member of the Consulate (3) and becomes first Consul 11/1799 The Coup d’Etat of 1799: Bonaparte

20. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org Steps to Brumaire… 1797 1798 1799 COUP OF BRUMAIRE

21. AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org AS History Matters www.pastmatters.org