The Establishment Of The Directory Flashcards
Influences for the November 1795 constitution (3)
Uphold the ‘rule of law’
Avoid concentration of power in hands of a single person or group = checks and balances system
Ensured power in one area always counterbalanced by that elsewhere
Problems with directory (3)
Didn’t want one person to have sole power
No prominent leader stood out + no clear direction
Directors with variety of views found difficult to work together
Evidence of directory problem (2)
Schism between more moderate conservatives (C + B) and republicans (Barras etc)on the other
Friction = Carnot and Bathelemy forced to step down in 1797
Disputes resolved within directory (2+)
No mechanism to solve disputes between executive councillors and legislative councils
Reason why directors used upper hand practices to try control composition of councils
Economic problems faced by direcotry (4+)
Poor harvest of 1795
Imports badly affected by British naval blockade
Rationing of all basic foods, candles and firewood introduced
Collapse of assignat = hyperinflation = Bread cost 50 livres/lb
How did directory aim to solve inflation (2+)
February 1796 = introduced a new paper money mandats territoriaux = land- purchase bond similar to the assignats
800 million francs-worth of mandats introduced to replace 24 billion francs-worth of assignats.
Mandates successful (2+)
Popular with workers but not wealthier members of society
Rapidly counterfeited and value depreciated rapidly - within a year worth nothing + had to be withdrawn
How did they fix inflation part 2 + impact (3)
After February 1797 = metal coins became only legal currency
Lack of coinage in circulation = deflation which hindered trade
However attempt to fix laid groundwork for Bank Of France set up by Napoleon in 1800
Solve the problem of trade and food supply (2)
1795 = weights and measures were standardised
Replaced the regional variations system that had existed under the Ancien Regime
Effect of standardised weights and measures
Helped by better harvest in 96 and 98 = price of grain reduced
Inefficient tax system fixed (3+)
Tax system was reorganised by finance minister Vincent Ramel in 1798
Introduced new property taxes (tax on doors and windows) = address budgetary issues and cover shortfall between income and expenditure
Revived the octrois = tax on goods entering towns
Impact of Vincent Ramel (3+)
Issuing of mandates = wrote of 2/3 of gov debt
Although destroyed creditors who bought them = directory could claim it achieved BoP surplus in 97 and 98
Came at expense of alienating creditors and tax payers among bourgeoisie - relied on for political support
Checks and balances (5+)
Bicameral legislature – each had different roles
Executive power shared between 5 men
One Director would retire each year by lot
Extremely difficult to alter Constitution – procedure took 9 years
Separation of powers: members of one institution could not be members of another
What was the two thirds law (3)
2/3 of members of first council should be drawn from the NC
Didn’t want inexperienced men
Only 200,000 to 100,000 approved - 19 departments rejected it
Problems with constitution (4+)
Annual elections = instability as majorities in the councils could be overturned quickly
No way of resolving conflict between legislature and executive
Councils paralyse the Directory by refusing to pass laws
Directors couldn’t dissolve the councils or veto laws passed by them
