downfall of the directory

lead up to ‘98 election

• substantial ⭣ royalist pol support

  • coup fructidor broke power

• directory had to rely on support of left more

  • jacs capitalise - attack govt for -

    • indirect tax

    • allowing military generals to ⭡ wealth while army underpaid/underfed

  • → directory shut down press

• lots jacs elected as deputies

Coup of Floreal

• election results panicked directory/moderate deps

  • spread rumours jacs pose threat to republic + aimed destroy constitution

• push 500s annul elections lots departments

  • seats filled ppl chosen by directory (undemo)

• highlighted how broken pol system was, ⭣ legitimacy govt

Role of Sieyes

• ‘99 - Sieyes = director

  • republican, pro rev values

• aim = bring down directory from inside

  • pol system failing

  • believed it only matter of time til govt overthrown

• invited Napoleon to join plot

  • needed military support

  • popular (ppl ⭡ likely accept coup)

  • accepts to ⭡ position

return of Napoleon

• following unsuccessful invasion of egypt

  • aim = attack british interests (egypt crucial for british trade w India)

  • mistakenly overextend army by invading Ottoman

• N abandoned troops + returned to paris oct ‘99

  • did little to damage reputation -

    • his team of propagandists played down his failures etc

    • overshadowed by victory over Austria

Coup of Brumaire

• 9 nov ‘99

• Sieyes + plotters convinced ancients Jacobin plot forming in 500s

  • convinced them to reconvene at Saint-Cloud for safety

• N troops gathered outside chamber of 500

• Moreau troops surrounded directory building

  • Sieyes + Ducos resigned (in on plot)

  • Barras resigned, 1 fled, 1 remaine under military arrest

• coup nearly failed -

  • N physically attacked by angry deputies when he entered council of 500

    • called him a dictator

    • renewed its oath of constitution in defiance

• saved by Lucien Bonaparte

  • N’s brother, president of 500

  • told council some jac deputies had tried assassinate N

  • allowed him to demand expulsion of 61 deputies

    • leg quickly pushed thru council to abolish directory + est 3 man executive

Establishment of Consulship

• new constitution dec ‘99

• 1st 3 consuls = Napoleon, Sieyes, Ducos

• N est the 1st consul shld have ⭡ power than other 2

  • argued it shld be him bc he = coup military leader

• 2 chamber - The Tribunate + The Legislature

• senate est to initiate laws

  • N chose members (= his loyal supporters)

• Lucien ordered plebiscite to legitimise new constitution

  • figures falsified - claimed accepted by 3m voters

    • + assumed a yes vote from all military

  • real figures still indicated most ppl wanted govt change from directory

main reasons for collapse of the Directory

• failures/unpopularity of Directory

  • reliance on military

  • complexity of sitch - desire to maintain moderation

• econ

• foreign war, internal threats

  • demonstrated ppl wld support overthrowing govt

• individuals

  • Sieyes, Lucien, appeal of Napoleon