1. Thermidor and Directory
French Revolution Day 4

2. Thermidorian Reaction, 1794
Opposition to Robespierre grows in July 1794
After death of Danton, many feared they would be next
Working class radicals no longer supported him
July 1794, Robespierre was denounced in the Convention, arrested, and executed the next day along with close associates
Afraid that they would be next on Robespierre’s list, moderates in the Convention began to plot against Robespierre and his allies
Leaders of the Reaction influenced by Voltaire
Robespierre attempted suicide, but was unsuccessful- shattered his jaw with a shot
Executed without trial, just like the Terror victims

3. Thermidorian Reaction
Ended the reign of terror
Dismantled the Paris Commune
Abolished the Committee of Public Safety
By November 1794, Jacobin Clubs banned
Significant swing to the right More conservative
Bourgeois middle class who led the liberal revolution in reassert their authority
Thermidor- taken from calendar- month in which Robespierre fell

4. The Directory
In 1795 the Thermidorians created a constitution that created a bicameral legislative assembly and a collective executive of 5 directors - Directory

5. The Directory New constitution written in 1795
Set up republican form of government
Bicameral legislature
5- member executive of “directors”
People with property benefited
Office holding favored the wealthiest citizens to serve in the assembly
Wealthy middle class controlled the government – will be major weakness of the Directory
Two assemblies included the council of Ancients (250 members) – discussed and voted on legislation proposed by the second assembly
Council of 500
2/3 of the members of the new councils were elected from existing members of the Convention
The two councils elected the 5 directors
1/3 of the members of each council and 1 director were to replaced each year
Middle class wanted peace in order to gain more wealth and to establish a society where money and property determined prestige and power
All economic controls were removed which ended influence of sans-culottes
More paper money printed higher prices
Money was flaunted- “gilded youth” – trying to distance from anything of previous revolution mentality

6. Troubles for the Directory
Directory ended the Terror, but did not bring stability or peace
Made itself dependent on military protection from the beginning
Multiple uprisings – royalists tried to seize power
Napoleon, a general, was called in to squash royalist uprising
Elections in victory for royalist right, but the Directory annulled the results
Getting rid of the economic policies of the Convention, bread prices were not regulated- harsh winter of lots of starvation- people even eating carcasses of dead army horses
“Conspiracy of Equals” uprising led by Babeuf- plan to overthrow the Directory, abolish private property and enforce equality
He was arrested and guillotined – crack down on any remaining Jacobins
Different plots to overthrow the Directory
Growing inflation and mass public dissatisfaction increased, but ignored by the directory
For all of its failures the Directory did provide France with a second experiment in representative government

7. Coup d'état Brumaire
Abbe Sieyes became a director in the spring of 1799
Believed France needed a government with a stronger executive authority
He decided to overthrown the Directory
He turned to General Napoleon Bonaparte
Would he be he heir of the French Revolution or its destroyer?
When Sieyes was asked what he had done during the Revolution he responded- “I Survived.”
Since the army had grown tremendously in France, he concluded that it would emerge as the arbiter of France’s political future – decision maker
Napoleon announced to the hastily convened councils that another Jacobin conspiracy had been uncovered and that a new constitution had to be framed to provide France with a stronger executive authority – the deputies were dubious- some demanded his arrest
Napoleon’s brother Lucien, was president of the lower assembly, rejected the vote to outlaw Napoleon- ordered his troops to evict members who opposed him
Those who remained delegated complete control to Sieyes and Napoleon