PLOTS + COUP

• COUP OF THERMIDOR:


  Refers to the period leading up to and after the 28th of July 1794 when Robespierre is overthrown, the reign of terror in France ends and the leading jacobins are executed.
• THE BROTIER PLOT:


  In 1797, a royalist agent, and his fellow conspirators, were arrested for planning to persuade the troops occupying Paris to overthrow the government.
• COUP OF FLOREAL (C):

  The 1798 elections saw a dramatic decline in royalism, meaning that by breaking the right, the Directory had to rely on the left rather than pursuing a moderate line.

  The Jacobins launched a political attack on the Council and Legislature by criticising the reintroduction of indirect taxation and tolls.

  Even though most Jacobins were in support of the war they also criticised the Directory for allowing generals to enrich themselves whilst their men were underpaid and underfed.

  The Director fired back by supressing the media and shutting down newspapers and presses.
• COUP OF FLOREAL:

  The 1798 election saw 86 Jacobin deputies elected, 71 of which voted for the execution of Louis, out of the 437 seats available.

  The Directory decided to instigate rumours that Jacobins posed a threat to the republic.

  On 22 Floreal (11th of May 1798), they successfully pushed the Council of 500 to agreeing to partly or completely annul the election results so 127 deputies, most Jacobin, lost their seats.
• RISING OF GERMINAL:

  On April 1st 1795, a peaceful protest was held as 10,000 people marched on the convention, demanded bread to feed themselves and their starving families.

  The arrival of the National Guard was enough to disperse the crowd.
• RISING OF PRAIRIAL:

  On 20th May 1795, a crowd of sans-culottes surrounded the assembly, supported by some un-loyal members of the National Guard.

  They demanded action on food shortages, so the convention made a minor concession to appease the crowd with an agreement to set up a food commission who would investigate the problem.

  The convention refused to be pressured into taking radical action by popular unrest, so it deployed 20,000 troops from both the NG and the army.

  Over 6,000 were arrested with 42 executed.
• During the Rising of Prairial on the 20th of May 1795, the crowd forced their way into the convention, murdered the Deputy Feraud and paraded his head around the hall on a spike.
• BABEUF PLOT:


  In March of 1796, the Babeufists encouraged a battalion of the Parisian police to mutiny against the government.

  On the 10th of May 1796 Babeuf and 200 of his conspirators were arrested after Grisel betrayed the plot to the Director Carnot.

  Babeuf was executed on the 27th of May 1797 and 5 of his closest allies were exiled.
• COUP OF 18 BRUMAIRE:


  On the 9th of November 1799, the Council of Ancient and Five hundred agreed to meet in the palace of Saint-Cloud, this was done to draw the councils away from the city and under the intimidation of Napoleons troops but it was blamed on a false Jacobin threat.

  On the 10th of November 1799, Napoleon blundered through a speech and was driven from the hall by rioters.

  Sieyes, Lucien and Murat saved the coup by forcing the Ancients to decree the end of the Directory.
• The Revolt of the Parlements from 1787-1788, was a period when the Parisian parlements refused to pass Louis proposed financial reforms, this would lead to the calling of the Estates-General (5/5/89).
• COUP OF 18 FRUCTIDOR:

  On the 4th of September 1797, Augereau commanded 30,000 troops to purge 130 royalists and counter revolutionaries from the Directory.

  65 deputies were deported to French Guiana including Barthelemy and 18 were imprisoned.
• VENDEMIAIRE:


  October 5th 1795.

  25,000 Parisians rose in revolt against the Thermidorian convention due to unpopular policies.

  Napoleon led an army of some 6,000 French troops to crush the uprising using the 'grapeshot'.

  5 months later, Napoleon is offered command of the army in Italy.
• PRAIRIAL:


  May 20th 1795.

  A crowd of Sans-Culottes surrounded the assembly with disloyal members of the National Guard to protest rising grain prices.

  In a minor concession the Convention agreed to set up a food commission to investigate the problem.

  20,000 Soldiers were deployed making 6,000 arrests leading to 42 executions.
• GERMINAL:


  April 1st 1795.

  A peaceful protest of 10,000 people who marched on the convention demanding bread.

  Caused by the 20% of Paris alone that relied on poor relief (bread rations) to survived.

  The National Guard was enough to disperse the crowd.
• General Hoche eradicated the Chouan army controlling Brittany from 1794-1796 using a 140,000 man army, eradicating the 22,000 rebels.
• JOURNEES 1792:


  June 20th - A crowd of 10,000 Sans-Culottes entered the residence of Louis XVI in Tuileries, Louis showed composure and donned the liberty cap before toasting to the health of the Nation.

  10th August - Storming of the Tuileries palace, 20,000 protestors murdered and mutilated 650 Swiss guards with the remaining 250 being imprisoned.
• VENDEE REVOLT (1793):


  Death toll 58,000 - 200,000.

  Began taking up arms in March 1793 caused by rising land taxes, attacks on the Church and conscription.

  Immediate cause was the execution of Louis XVI and the February 1793 order demanding 300,000 military recruits from the provinces.
• VENDEE REVOLT (1793):


  Juring Priests, Republican sympathisers and officials were beaten, driven out or murdered.

  Catholic and Royal Army formed in April 1793, having 80,000 men at its peak.

  Poorly equipped and armed with scythes and pikes.

  For 3 months the army made significant gains like, Vihiers, Saumur, Angers and Chemille.

  Failed to capture Nantes in June 1793.

  40,000 strong army defeated near Cholet in October 1793.

  Attempted to meet English forces in Granville in November 1793.
• RETRIBUTION OF THE VENDEE (1793-96):


  In early 1794, Representatives on Mission instructed Republican forces to slaughter Vendean Royalists.

  A borderline genocide ensued, when 12 army divisions under the command of General Louis Marie Turreau tore down buildings, burnt crops and killed civilians.

  6,000 people, including 400 children, were executed by being bayoneted, drowned or shot.

  Farms, crops and forests were burned across the Vendee up until 1796.
• IMPACT OF THE VENDEE (1793-96):


  The Committee of Public Safety was created on the 6th April 1793, they determined foreign policy, the right to appoint military commanders, sanction decrees and issue arrest warrants.

  Initiation of a ‘Scorched Earth’ policy to devastate land in December 1793.
• THE BACKGROUND OF LYON (1793):


  In 1789, Lyon was the only city alongside Paris with a population above 100,000, with an estimated 20,000 living in poverty.

  Tax riots broke out in June 1789 and July 1790.

  Established 32 revolutionary societies in 1790.
• THE CHAMPS DE MARS MASSACRE (1791):


  17th July 1791, 30 - 50 Parisian civilians were killed by the National Guard.

  Petitioned for the end of Absolute Monarchy, following the Flight to Varennes (20th June 1791).

  Facilitated the rise of radicalism and the separation between Jacobins and Cordeliers.
• THE DROWNINGS AT NANTES (1793-94):


  November 1793 to February 1794 Jean-Baptiste Carrier facilitated the drowning of 1,800 to 4,800 Vendeans.

  Justified with the overflow of Prisons.

  Targeted Parish Priests, Nuns and civillians.

  Carrier was executed on the 16th of December 1794.
• COUP OF 22 FLOREAL (11th May 1798)


  Neo-Jacobins won 86 out of 437 seats in the Directory.

  The Directory purged 127 deputies using the National Guard.

  More Jacobin victories were achieved in the elections of 1799, where the 500 Council refused to expel deputies (The Coup of 30 Prairial).
• COUP OF 18 FRUCTIDOR (4th September 1797)


  Royalists won 180 out of 260 seats in the Directory.

  Paul Barras called upon Napoleon and the National Guard.

  The Directory purged 53 deputies, sending 65 to the dry guillotine in French Guiana.

  Electoral results were annulled in 49 departments.

  The Clergy were forced to declare an oath to the Directory, Emigres were forced to leave the country.