Constitution of Year VIII Flashcards
(15 cards)
Who were the original intended Consuls of the Consulship?
1) NB
2)Abbe Sieyes
3) Ducos
What did Abbe Sieyes argue about the consulship?
-Argued that the 3 consuls should share political authority; NB argued that the first Consul should have greater power than the rest
Who replaced Ducos and Abbe Sieyes as consuls after they resigned?
-Second Consul = de Cambaceres: legal expert and republican who was in the Cps in Nov. 1794 and in the council of 500 from 1795-1797
-Third Consul = Lebrun: constitutional monarchist who was in prison during the Terror (advised on financial matters)
What was the admission of a republican and constitutional monarchist in the consulship suggest?
-Part of NB’s policy of ralliement
When did the constitution of Year VIII put in place?
-24 December 1799
What was the result of the plebiscite to legitimize the constitution of Year VIII in 1800?
-3m vs. 1,562 ( possible 7m voters)
Were the results falsified and if so how?
YES:
-8000 yes vote added to each departement and yest vote assumed for all military personnel - more realistic figure is 1.5m
What was the voting system in the constitution of Year VIII?
-Indirect voting: Universal male suffrage (6m men who lived in the same house for one year) who elected communal list who elected department list who elected national list which the senate used to chose the members for Legislature and Tribunate
-Extremely dilute democracy and therefore power rests mostly with NB
What was the Tribunate?
-100 members 25+
-discussed legislature but not able to vote on it
-1/5 replaced annually
-later remove as useless
What was the Legislature?
-300 members 30+
-voted on legislation in secret but could not discuss it
-1/5 replaced annually
What was the Senate?
-60 members agted 40+
-Nominated by First Consul
-Served for life
-Verified legislation with support of consuls
What was the council of state?
30-40 members chosen by the First Consul
-nominated all central and local officials
-Helped initiate legislation
What was the powers of the First Consul?
-Appoint and dismissed ministers in the Senate and Council of State
-Appoint and dismiss prefects and mayors of major towns
-Direct foreign policy
-Initialed ALL legislation
-elected for 10 years.
What ways are the constitution of Year VIII democratic?
1) Universal male suffrage
2)Plebiscites: frequently used plebiscites to see support for constitutional changes
3)Some checks on First consul’s power: served for 10 years and Senate verified the legislation- Senatus consultum gave the senate rights to preserve or amend the constitution
What ways are the constitution of Year VIII undemocratic?
1)Democracy was superficial: indirect voting so did not have massive effect
2)Plebiscites were rigged
3) First constitution that did not have the Declaration of rights connected to it
4)Power was firmly in the hands of the first consul
