Directory

• The Directory lasted from 1795 to 1799.
• Constitution of the directory was agreed in September 1795
• How much of the council of five hundred was made up of existing deputies?


  Two thirds
• How many men served as directors?

  13
• Who are some notable directors?

  Barras, suppressed counter revolutionaries. Carnot, wasn't exiled despite involvement with the CGS.
• The directory wanted to limit individual power.
• What were the issues with the directory's aim?

  • No leader meant no direction
  • Directors had different political beliefs
  • No way to solve conflict between councils and directors.
• Who drew up the new directory constitution and when?

  By the Thermidorians in August 1795.
• What did the structure of the directory suggest?

  • That the bourgeoisie should be running France
  • Support for Montesquieu's separation of powers from Spirit of Laws published 1748.
• What were the two councils below the directors?

  • Council of 500, proposed legislation but didn't vote on it.
  • Council of Ancients, examined/approved or rejected legislation but couldn't propose it.
• Who made up the council of Ancients?

  250 married or widowed men over 40
• How often did elections occur?

  Every year.
• How many deputies stood down each year?

  A third.
• Electors had to pay enough tax and were eligble to sit in assemblies, there was 1 million of them and 30,000 were able to sit in assemblies.
• Who were the voters?

  • Male taxpayers
  • Over 21
  • 5.5 million out of 8 million
• The directory inherited an imbalanced budget from the thermidorians, who tried to switch economic systems which caused inflation. By the end of 1795, assignats in circulation were worthless - inherited by the directory.
• The directory also faced tax collection problems with food supply issues and grain speculators continuing, COMPOUNDED BY 1795 POOR HARVEST.
• The directory faced problems with trading, compromised by war due to British naval efforts blockading French ports.
• How did the directory attempt to stabilise currency?

  Switched paper money to metal money, final attempt at paper money called a mandat.
• In February 1796, 800 million francs worth of mandats replaced 24 billion francs worth of assignats.
• What happened with mandats - were they success?

  Counterfeited rapidly, value declined and withdrawn within a year.
• Metal coins became the only legal currency, lack of these in inflation brought deflation which hindered trade.
• When were there better harvests and a reduction in the price of grain?

  1796 and 1798
• When were weights and measures standardised and what effect did this have?

  1795, long term effect with a boost to trade.
• What did the directory do with taxation?

  • Reorganised the system in 1798 (more efficient)
  • Property tax to fix budget issues
  • Taxation of goods entering towns (octrois)
• How did the directory clear some of their debt but hinder their view to the people?

  Issued mandats which wrote off 2/3 of government debt but destroyed those who bought them.
• Directory could've claimed balance of payments surplus in 1797 and 1798, why didn't they?

  Because they would've alienated tax payers and creditors in the bourgeoisie, who they relied on support from.
• Who still remained in France that posed an issue to the directory?

  Royalists and Jacobins which threatened the moderate directory government, royalism was shown to be substantial through the 5th of October rising of Vendemiaire in 1795.
• What evidence is there that royalists were causing issues for the directory?

  • Directory only possible due to army crushing royalist revolt
  • Army in 1795/1796 needed to crush small outbreaks of royalism in the Vendee
  • Brotier arrested 1797, military, royalist rising being planned
• The Jacobin threat:

  • Babeuf called for a terror revival during 1796 economic plight.
  • Rumours of a planned, armed rising for May 1796.
  • 1797 May, Babeuf and conspirators executed~
  • Directors paranoid, began becoming corrupt.