French Directory and Napoleon: Key Events, Structures, and Reforms

The Directory

The French government from 1795-1799, led by five Directors created under the Constitution of Year III to balance power and avoid the dictatorship of one man or one group.

Council of Five Hundred

Lower house of the legislature made of 500 elected members under the Directory that proposed laws and nominated Directors.

Council of Ancients

Upper house of the legislature made of 250 members that approved or rejected laws from the Council of Five Hundred.

Barras

One of the five Directors who was initially the most dominant, a former nobleman and an enthusiastic supporter of the revolution. He had been a key player in Robespierre's downfall.

La Revelliere-Lépeaux

Director known for being a strong republican and opponent of the monarchy and for his anticlerical beliefs and support for secularism.

Reubell

Director who was very knowledgeable on foreign affairs, was a more moderate republican than the others, but had voted for the execution of the king. He had been an opponent of Robespierre and disliked the extremism of the Jacobins. He focused on foreign policy and expanding France's influence in Europe.

Le Tourneur

Moderate Director who was an engineer and military expert and initially supported administrative reform before being replaced.

Carnot

Director who was against Jacobin extremism and was also a military strategist known as the 'Organizer of Victory' during the Revolutionary Wars.

Republic of Equals

Radical movement founded by Gracchus Babeuf in 1796 advocating social and economic equality for all.

Gracchus Babeuf

Leader of the Babeuf Plot in 1796 who called for communal property and total equality.

Coup d'état

A sudden, often violent overthrow of government by a small group of citizens or military personnel.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Corsican-born French general who seized power in 1799 through a coup and became Emperor in 1804.

Joseph Fouché

Napoleon's Minister of Police, known for his extensive spy network and aided in the coup of 1799 to seize power from the Directory. Was an extreme Jacobin in the early years of the revolution.

Lucien Bonaparte

Napoleon's brother and President of the Council of Five Hundred.

Maurice de Talleyrand

Napoleon's foreign minister, diplomatic advisor, and aided in the coup of 1799 to seize power from the Directory. Was a bishop prior to the revolution. Eventually lost faith in Napoleon in 1813 and instead worked towards the restoration of the monarchy.

August 1795 - Constitution of 1795

Convention created the Directory government, dividing power between two legislative councils and five Directors.

Creation of the Directory (1795)

Established to restore order after the Reign of Terror and avoid dictatorship or extremist takeover.

Problems Faced by the Directory (1795-1799)

Economic crisis, corruption, political divisions, and reliance on the military.

1796 - Babeuf Plot

Failed uprising led by Gracchus Babeuf to overthrow the Directory and establish a socialist Republic of Equals.

1797 - Coup of Fructidor

Directory-led purge to remove royalist influence from government. Directors ignored election results, suppressed royalists by force, imposed strict censorship on the press, and removed the more moderate, potentially pro-royalist, directors, leaving the Jacobin leaning members of the Directory in charge.

1799 - Coup of 30 Prairial

Peaceful coup replacing moderate Directors with Jacobin sympathizers and lead to the coup of 18 Brumaire.

November 1799 - Coup of 18 Brumaire

Military coup led by Napoleon that overthrew the Directory and created the Consulate.

Amnesty

Official pardon granted to former political enemies or exiles.

Plebiscite

Popular vote used by Napoleon to legitimize his policies and rule.

First Consul

Title held by Napoleon after the Coup of 18 Brumaire, giving him executive power.

Council of State

Advisory body created by Napoleon consisting of principal ministers who drafted laws and oversaw administration.

Prefect

Government-appointed administrator who governed each French department and reported directly to Paris.

Enlightened Despot

An absolute ruler who uses power to enact reforms based on reason and progress.

Freedom of the Press

Right to publish freely, which Napoleon severely restricted.

Reconciliation

Napoleon's policy of healing divisions between revolutionaries and royalists.

The Moniteur

Official government newspaper used by Napoleon for propaganda.

1799 - Napoleon Becomes 1st Consul

Result of the Coup of 18 Brumaire, establishing the Consulate government.

1800 - Battles of Marengo and Hohenlinden

French victories in Italy and Germany that secured Napoleon's control of France.

1800 - Bank of France

National bank established to stabilize the currency and manage public debt.

1802 - The Concordat

Agreement between Napoleon and the Pope restoring the Catholic Church's status in France.

1801-1807 - Code Napoléon

Comprehensive legal code standardizing laws on property, family, and civil rights.

1801 - Education Reforms (Lycées and University System)

Napoleon's state-controlled education system for boys aged 10-16 with the aim to produce middle-class elite capable of administering France in the future. Women and the poor were excluded from these reforms.