Knowledge Check: The Directory & Napoleon's Rise Flashcards
(90 cards)
1
Q
When was the Law of 22 Prairial repealed? What impacts did this have?
A
- 1st August 1794
- Diminished the significance of the Parisian revolutionary tribunal’s and political prisoners awaiting trial were to be released.
2
Q
What did the Law on Revolutionary Government determine?
A
- Dispersed central government between 16 committees made responsible to the Convention
- The CPS’ powers were limited to covering diplomacy
- Military operations and war materials
- Jacobins were removed from powerful positions
3
Q
When did the Thermidoreans separate the Church from the State?
A
18th September 1794 and ended the ‘Constitutional Church’
4
Q
What other religious measure did the Thermidorians take that improved religious tolerance?
A
Introduced tolerance for all religion with the exception of bans on some Catholic practices
5
Q
When was the Revolutionary Tribunal closed?
A
May 1795
6
Q
When was the Law of Suspects repealed?
A
October 1794
7
Q
When was the Law of the Maximum repealed? What impacts did this have?
A
- 24th December 1794
- Brought public workshops established as part of poor relief programmes back into private ownership.
8
Q
When was the Jacobin Club closed down? What were the political implications of this?
A
-12th November 1794
- Removedthe official popular base of sans-culotte and radical support in France
- Thermidoreans hoped this would suppress left-wing radicalism in France.
9
Q
When did the White Terror take place?
A
1795
10
Q
Why did the Revolutionary Tribunal persist as a body until 1795? What example is there of this?
A
- It was used to persecute and use legal action against prominent Jacobins, with some being executed and some being deported.
- Jean-Baptiste Carrier was executed.
11
Q
When was the Treaty of La Jaunaye agreed? Who was this agreed between and why?
A
- February 1795
- Between Republican Government and royalist rebels in the West
- Concluded rebellions and potential attempts to restore the monarchy by this region.
12
Q
When did General Hoche defeat a rising at Quiberon Bay? How many émigrées were executed from this?
A
- July 1795
- 700 émigrées executed
13
Q
What did the Thermidorians aim to achieve through their economic policies?
A
Laissez-faire and deregulated economy which would allow businesses to prosper
14
Q
What policies did the Thermidorians pursue?
A
They ended economic regulation and price controls, deregulation trade and restoring paper currency.
15
Q
What was the bread ration size in Paris by 10th May 1795?
A
Only 60g.
16
Q
How was the Rising of Germinal dealt with? Why was this action able to be taken?
A
- Martial law declared allowing General Pichegru to arrest agitators.
- This was possible as the uprising was fairly disorganised and poorly coordinated, allowing the National Guard to tackle insurgents.
17
Q
How was the Rising of Prairial dealt with? What actions were taken to suppress/disperse threats?
A
- Diminished when 40,000 troops were gathered to dispel crowds
- Peace later being negotiated
- Later, presumed rebels and leaders were rounded up and 42 people were executed for their involvement in this.
18
Q
How many rebels from the Rising of Prairial were cross examined/executed?
A
- 6,000 cross-examined
- 42 executed
19
Q
What was the immediate response to the Riding of Vendémaire?
A
- Cannons were located by the Republican troops
- Led by Bonaparte, with some rebels killed to disperse the uprising.
20
Q
During the Riding of Vendémaire what was the proportion of Royalists to Republicans?
A
6 Royalists marching for every 1 Republican
21
Q
How many Royalists were killed by the Republican troops as part of the Rising of Vendémiaire and how many death sentences were handed out?
A
- 300 Royalist rebels killed by the Republican troops
- 10 death sentences distributed retrospectively.
22
Q
When was the Constitution of the Directory agreed by the Thermidoreans? When was this ratified?
A
- August 1795
- Agreed by plebiscite in September 1795.
23
Q
What was the Directory of Five’s role? What procedure saw Directors retire?
A
- 5 Directors chosen to make up the Executive.
- One member would retire each year, chosen by lot.
24
Q
What was the Council of Ancients and their role?
A
- A branch of the legislature made up of married or widowed men over 40.
- They could approve or reject legislation, but not propose it.
25
What was the Council of Five Hundred and their role?
- A branch of the legislature made up of deputies over the age of 30.
- They could propose and write legislation but not vote on it.
26
How often would elections occur under the Directory?
Annually
27
What proportion of deputies would step down annually?
1/3 would step down annually
28
What are advantages and disadvantages of 1/3 of deputies standing down annually and annual elections?
+ The Directory and its representatives are constantly held accountable to the electorate
- Promotes political instability and a rapid turnover of representatives.
29
How was the Directory composed politically? What results did this have?
- The Directory was made up of people from a variety of political backgrounds (former CPS members, moderates, Thermidoreans, Jacobins)
- Meaning that the Executive lacked a clearly defined direction and struggled to make decisions.
30
What economic/financial issues faced the Directory?
- Thermidoreans attempts to create a deregulated, liberal economy had caused inflation.
- The budget was severely imbalanced due to issues with tax collection and spending
- Issues continued with food supply
- Trading had been made difficult by British blockades and the war.
31
How did the Directory attempt to resolve issues with paper currency? What was the outcome of this?
- Attempted to continue a shift towards paper currency by replacing the devalued assignats with the mandats, a similar scheme to the assignat.
- However, these were counterfeited and rapidly lost value, leading to them being withdrawn from circulation.
32
What issue existed with the use of metal currency in the Directory period?
- The metal currency was at one stage France’s only legal currency
- The lack of this in circulation hindered trade and brought deflation.
33
When were weights and measures standardised by the Directory? What impacts did this have and what issues did this solve?
- 1795,
- Ended a period in which at one point 25,000 different measures existed.
- When coupled with improved harvests in 1796/8, this contributed to reduced grain prices.
34
When was the taxation system reorganised under Ramel? What measures did he introduce?
- Reorganised in 1798 by Ramel
- Introduced new property taxes (on doors and windows),
- Returned to the use of the octrois, a tax on goods entering towns.
35
As a result of changes to the taxation system, what tax system did the Directory appear similar to? What responses were there to this?
- Appeared to be similar to the Ancien Regime’s taxation system due to the increase in indirect taxes and the increased tax burden on the bourgeoisie.
- This left the bourgeoisie particularly disaffected with the Directory’s financial policy.
36
What fraction of government debt was written off by the introduction of the mandats?
2/3
37
When did the Brotier plot occur? What faction did this aim to replace the Republican government with?
- January 1797
- ARoyalist, André-Charles Brotier was arrested for planning a royalist rising in Paris which would overthrow the government.
38
What was the 2/3 Law? Why was this unpopular?
- Passed prior to the first elections to the Councils of the Directory that 2/3 of their first members should be drawn from the existing National Convention.
- Unpopular as these politicians were blamed for France’s food shortages and inflation.
39
By what % had the value of the mandats fallen by the end of their first day in circulation?
20%
40
Who was Gracchus Babeuf? What ideas did he subscribe to?
- A left-wing radical who wished to advance the rights of the poor by calling for the Constitution of 1793.
- He later began calling for a revival of the Terror in 1796.
41
What was Babeuf’s idea of the ‘Conspiracy of Equals’?
Envisaging the overthrow of the current government through an armed uprising, replacing it with a government of ‘equals’ who would govern France in the benefit of all.
42
When was the Babeuf plot ended?
May 1796 with Babeuf guillotined.
43
What action was taken as part of the Coup of Fructidor?
- 4th September 1797
- 177 royalist deputies were rounded up and arrested following their successes in the 1797 elections.
- Some were deported to French Guiana
- 42 newspapers were closed down.
44
How many seats did monarchists take in the 1797 elections? What proportion of the Councils did this monarchist faction make up?
- 182 seats
- Over 1/3 of the total seats in the Councils.
45
When did the Coup of Fructidor occur?
4th September 1797
46
What legislation followed the Coup of Fructidor?
- Followed by legislation to declare former members of the Second Estate as foreigners meaning they had to reapply for citizenship,
- Returned émigrées were given only 2 weeks to leave France or face prosecution.
- Refractory priests were also deported or imprisoned.
47
What happened at the Coup of Floréal?
With many Jacobins being elected to the Councils during this period. The Directory, wishing to reduce the threat of extremist elements, quashed these results, removing these deputies from the councils.
48
How many Jacobin deputies were purged from the Council of Five Hundred by the Coup of Floréal? How many départements had their results completely quashed?
- 127 Jacobin deputies were purged from the Council of Five Hundred by the Coup of Floréal.
- 8 départements had their results completely quashed.
49
When did the Coup of Floréal occur?
11th May 1798
50
When did the Coup of Prairial take place?
18th June 1799
51
What happened during the Coup of Prairial?
- Sieyès and Barras, attempted to enforce the demands of the Council that 2 Directors step down.
- This had to be enforced by troop movements, coordinated by General Joubert, with resignations being produced by 2 Directors.
52
Who was involved in the Coup of Prairial?
- Sieyès
- Barras
- Joubert
53
What was different about the Coup of Prairial?
The Directors had been purged by the Council
54
When did Napoleon first take charge of the French Army of Italy?
1796
55
When was the Armistice of Cherasco agreed? What did this agree?
- April 1796
- Piedmont-Sardinia withdrew from the War of the First Coalition
- France gained control of Savoy and Nice
- France was guaranteed supplies and munitions
- French troops were granted free passage through Piedmont
56
What agreements were formed between Napoleon and the Pope/the King of Naples in DATE?
Napoleon managed to agree with the Pope/King of Naples for indemnities to be paid to France to avoid further conflict having heard his reputation of taking lands before.
57
What 4 settlements had Napoleon’s men taken in Italy by May 1797?
- Peschiera
- Verona
- Legnago
- Mantua
58
When did Napoleon set up the Transpadane and Cispadane Republics? Where were these located respectively?
- May 1796.
- These were set up South and North of the Po River respectively.
59
When was the Cisalpine Republic set up and what land was it made up of?
- June 1797
- Existing as a merger of the Cispadane and Transpadane Republics.
60
When was the Ligurian Republic set up?
1797
61
When was the Treaty of Campo Formio negotiated?
17th October 1797
62
What did the Treaty of Campo Formio agree?
- Ended the War of the First Coalition
It also agreed...
- The recognition of French control of the Austrian Netherlands
- Acceptance of Napoleon’s Italian Republics
- Recognition of the Rhine frontier
- French possession of several small islands in the Adriatic.
63
What was significant about the negotiation of the Treaty of Campo Formio *for Napoleon*?
- Negotiated without seeking the prior approval of the Directory
- Asserted his power and dominance over France’s foreign policy and established his independence from the Directory.
64
When did the War of the First Coalition end?
17th October 1797
65
When did the War of the Second Coalition begin?
1799
66
Why did Napoleon attempt to avoid launching a military campaign directly against England?
Previous attempts to invade Ireland and destabilise England had failed, while the strength of the British Navy made seaborne invasion complicated.
67
Why was an invasion of Egypt an attractive prospect for France?
- Protect their own trading interests
- Attack British commercial interests
- Undermine British access to India and the East Indies
- Potentially make a French invasion of England possible at a later date.
68
When did the French Army arrive in Egypt?
July 1798
69
When did the Battle of Pyramids occur and what was the outcome?
- 21 July 1798
- French victory
70
When did Admiral Nelson launch an attack on the French fleet at Aboukir Bay? What impacts did this have?
- August 1798
- This cut off Napoleon from France and isolated him in the area around Egypt.
71
When did Napoleon take Jaffa?
March 1799
72
When did Napoleon return to France?
August 1799
73
What news prompted Napoleon to return to France? What aims did he have?
- Heard that Austria and Russia were advancing on France and were stationed at the country’s borders.
- Aim to engage in military action and bathe in glory
- Also aware of the political opportunities in France due to the weak government of the Directory there.
74
When did the Coup of Brumaire take place?
9 - 10th November 1799
75
How did Sieyès’ prepare for the Coup of Brumaire? What did he aim to achieve?
- He bribed Council members and having Napoleon’s brother, Lucien, elected as President of the Council of Five Hundred.
- Troops were deployed around Paris.
- Sieyès aimed to force the Directors to resign and persuade the Councils appoint a commission to draw up a new constitution which would provide strong government.
76
Where were the Council members evacuated to at the start of the Coup of Brumaire? Why?
The Council members were evacuated to the Palace at Saint-Cloud away from Paris after Council members sympathetic to the coup warned their colleagues of a supposed Jacobin conspiracy.
77
How many Parisian troops were positioned around the Palace of Saint-Cloud by Napoleon to capture and pressurise the Councils during the Coup of Brumaire?
6000 Parisian troops were stationed around the Palace of Saint-Cloud to entrap the Councils and force an overthrow of the government.
78
What happened to the Directors (who?) during the Coup of Brumaire?
Saw the Directors Sieyès, Ducos, Talleyrand and Barras resign, destroying the Directory government.
79
How did Napoleon depart from Sieyès’ original plan of the Coup of Brumaire?
- By storming firstly into the Council of Ancients, then into the Council of Five Hundred, both times with armed support in order to accelerate the situation.
- Sieyès did not wish to see the purging of the councils but Napoleon did.
80
How did Lucien Bonaparte manage to secure the appointment of the Consulate?
The Consulate was agreed to when Lucien managed to find a handful of deputies to approve the appointment of three Consuls until a new constitution could be ratified.
81
When was the constitution of the Consulate ratified?
24th December 1799
82
What was the First Consul’s role? Who were they supported by?
- The First Consul was the Consulate’s Executive
- Granted the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, propose legislation and direct foreign policy.
- Supported by 2 further consuls which held advisory roles.
83
What was the Council of State’s role? Who was it appointed by? (and what were the impacts of this?)
The Council of State acted as an advisory body which prepared draft legislation. This was appointed by the First Consul, which effectively allowed the Executive to control this body.
84
What was the Senate’s role? Who appointed this body? (And what were the impacts of this?)
Intended to advise the First Consul on draft legislation and selected deputies for the 2 legislative branches. They were appointed by the First Consul FOR LIFE meaning that the First Consul could effectively surround themselves with loyal advice.
85
What was the role of the Legislative Body? Who appointed them directly/indirectly? (What were the impacts of this?) - Establishing the Consulate
The Legislative Body would vote on legislation but not debate it. This body was selected DIRECTLY by the Senate, although INDIRECTLY appointed by the First Consul meaning that the First Consul could effectively control the legislature.
86
What was the Tribunate and what was its role? Who appointed this directly/indirectly? (What were the impacts of this?) - Establishing the Consulate
The Tribunate was the lower branch of the legislature which could debate legislation but not vote on it. This was selected DIRECTLY by the Senate, although INDIRECTLY selected by the First Consul, meaning that the First Consul could partially control the Legislature.
87
What was the size of the electorate in the Consulate?
All Frenchmen over 21, meaning 6 million men had the right to vote.
88
What issues diluted the electorate’s significance? - Establishing the Consulate
The electorate’s significance was diluted by the various electoral rounds through which the electorate was whittled down to only 1/1000 of its original size to the Notables that could sit in the legislature.
89
What was absent from the Consulate’s constitution which had been present in all previous constitutions? - Establishing the Consulate
No provision for a Declaration of Rights, meaning that citizens were not guaranteed any rights against a fairly autocratic government.
90
What fraction of the legislature would step down every year? What issue was there with this?
2/5 of the legislature would step down annually to be replaced, yet no procedure was ever formalised for how these deputies would step down from their positions or how it would be decided who would retire.
