The French Directory

The French Directory

by Madi Bell

Problems with the Directory

Napoleon & The Army

• election of 1795
• Directory suspicious of elected moderate loyalists
• May 1796
• group of Jacobins led by publisher Gracchus Babeuf plan a coup
• Directory discovers plot, arrests conspirators, Babeuf guillotined
• elections and coup of 1797
• after pro-royalists and pro-Jacobins are elected, members of Directory orchestrate plot to overthrow the legislature
• two members of Directory replaced to ensure moderate stance
• people dissatisfied
• many executions, rise in inflation
• continue to nullify election results to prevent swing of power
• faith and trust in government at all time low
• would a royal return to power be a bad thing?

The Members of the Directory

• as the Directory came to prominence, the French army became stronger than ever
• young Corsican named Napoleon Bonaparte led forces through Italy and Egypt, gaining great wealth and support
• the Directory supported the army as it decreased unemployment
• hope to reinvigorate economy

• Jean-François Rewbell
• elected president of Directory
• Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras
• Louis Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux
• Lazare Nicolas Marguerite, Comte Carnot
• Étienne-François-Louis-Honoré Letourneur

End of the Revolution

The Directory

• Napoleon deserts army and returns to mainland Europe
• Council of 500 elects Abbé Sieyès to the Directory
• Sieyès wanted to use new power to protect French government from instability and disturbance
• enlists aid of Napoleon to create military coup to topple Directory
• believed military rule would be more effective than current corruption
• November 9, 1799
• Napoleon overthrows the Directory
• legislature dissolved
• Napoleon is first consul of France --> military dictatorship
• lasts for 15 years
• END OF FRENCH REVOLUTION

Background

• no legislative power
• authority to appoint people to other positions in government
• great source of power
• annual elections held to keep the government in check
• checks and balances system in place
• goals
• rid France of Jacobin (revolutionary) influence
• suppress royalist attempts to regain the throne
• focused more on keeping away progressives than restoring France
• ignored deteriorating economy
• angered French people
• paranoia makes them weak

Dates:

1795-

1799

• new form of government in 1794 is National Convention
• more conservative and moderate
• wanted to create new constitution
• 8/22/1795 - ratifies Constitution of 1795
• creates bicameral legislature
• Council of Ancients- lower house
• Council of 500- upper house
• executive body of government consists of 5 officers known as The Directory
• era = last stage of Revolution