Establishment of the Directory (1795)
- After the fall of Robespierre in 1794, France needed stability and a move away from the excesses of the Terror.
- The Constitution of 1795 created the Directory: a new system designed to avoid dictatorship and balance power.
- It included a bicameral legislature (Council of 500 + Council of Ancients) and an executive of five Directors.
- Voting was restricted to property-owning men, showing a shift back to more moderate rule.
- The Directory was meant to protect the Republic while preventing both royalist restoration and Jacobin extremism.
Nature of the Directory
- The Directory was constantly caught between royalists, who wanted the monarchy restored, and radicals, who wanted a return to Jacobin policies.
- It relied heavily on the army to maintain control, which increased the political influence of generals like Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Corruption and inefficiency were widespread, with many Directors accused of enriching themselves.
- Economically, the Directory faced food shortages, inflation, and debt, which made it unpopular.
- Politically, it failed to inspire loyalty because it lacked clear vision and depended on repression and manipulation of elections.
Collapse of the Directory (1799)
- The Directory struggled with continued war against European coalitions, which drained resources.
- Military successes abroad made generals (especially Napoleon) more popular than the government itself.
- By 1799, the Directory was seen as weak, corrupt, and incapable of solving France’s financial or political problems.
- In November 1799 (Coup of 18 Brumaire), Napoleon, with the support of the army, overthrew the Directory and replaced it with the Consulate, marking the end of revolutionary government.
Common Mistake
- Students sometimes describe the Directory as completely powerless, forgetting it did provide some stability after the Terror.
- Some confuse the Directory with the earlier radical phase, mixing up Jacobin policies with the Directory’s more moderate approach.
Exam technique
- Structure essays clearly around establishment → nature → collapse to match the question wording.
- Always connect the internal weaknesses of the Directory with the external pressures of war, since both explain its fall.
Self review
- Examine the nature of the Directory and the reasons for its unpopularity.
- To what extent did the wars of 1792–1799 contribute to the collapse of the Directory?
- How far did the Directory succeed in providing stability for France?
