OCR Specification focus:
‘the establishment of the Thermidorian Regime; the constitution of the Directory’
The Thermidorian Regime marked a turning point in the French Revolution, bringing an end to radical Jacobin dominance and laying foundations for the Directory’s constitutional government.
The Fall of Robespierre and the Thermidorian Reaction
The Coup of Thermidor
On 27 July 1794 (9 Thermidor Year II), Robespierre and his allies were overthrown and executed. Their downfall ended the Reign of Terror, which had relied on the Committee of Public Safety and widespread repression.
The coup was driven by fears among deputies of Robespierre’s growing power and suspicion of renewed purges.
His execution created a power vacuum, which moderates quickly filled.
The Thermidorian Reaction Defined
Thermidorian Reaction: The political shift following Robespierre’s fall that dismantled radical Jacobin institutions and policies, while restoring moderate republicanism.
In the months after Thermidor, the regime dismantled the instruments of terror, reduced the power of the Jacobin clubs, and curtailed the role of revolutionary committees.
The Establishment of the Thermidorian Regime
Political Developments
The Thermidorians aimed to stabilise France by curbing extremism. Key measures included:
Abolition of the Revolutionary Tribunal (1795), ending mass executions.
Closure of the Jacobin Club in Paris.
Release of political prisoners and a general amnesty for many.
Curtailment of the sans-culottes’ influence, limiting radical street politics.
These actions restored authority to the National Convention, reducing mob and committee dominance.
Social and Economic Policy
Economic challenges persisted:
The abandonment of the Maximum Laws (which had fixed prices) led to inflation and food shortages.
The assignats (paper currency) collapsed in value, fuelling discontent.
Popular uprisings such as the rising of Germinal (April 1795) and Prairial (May 1795) highlighted continuing unrest, though both were suppressed with force.
White Terror
In 1795, reprisals known as the White Terror spread across France, particularly in provinces.
White Terror: A wave of violent attacks by royalists and moderates against former Jacobins and sans-culottes after the fall of Robespierre.
This created cycles of vengeance and instability, deepening divisions within revolutionary France.
The Constitution of Year III (1795)
Drafting a New Framework
The Thermidorians wanted a political settlement that avoided both Jacobin dictatorship and royalist restoration. This led to the Constitution of Year III (1795).
Engraved “Déclaration des Droits et des Devoirs de l’Homme et du Citoyen (1795)” from the official text of the Constitution of Year III. It illustrates the Thermidorian emphasis on legality, property, and civic duties as well as rights. Source
Its main features were:
Establishment of a bicameral legislature:
Council of 500 (proposed laws).
Council of Ancients (approved or rejected laws).
Creation of a five-man executive body, the Directory, elected by the legislature.
Restricted suffrage based on property qualifications, reducing popular participation compared with 1793.
Safeguards Against Extremism
The design of the constitution reflected fears of both radical democracy and autocracy:
By splitting legislative power, it avoided concentration in a single assembly.
showing the Council of Five Hundred, the Council of Ancients, and the five-member Directory. It illustrates the checks and balances built into the Constitution of Year III. Source
By dividing executive authority among five directors, it reduced the risk of dictatorship.
By introducing property requirements, it excluded large sections of the working class from political life, curbing sans-culottes’ influence.
The Two-Thirds Law
To secure control for existing deputies, the Two-Thirds Law required that two-thirds of the first Directory’s members be drawn from the current Convention.
This provoked royalist opposition, culminating in the Vendémiaire Rising (October 1795) in Paris, which was crushed by troops under Napoleon Bonaparte, ensuring the Directory’s survival.
Significance of the Thermidorian Regime and the Directory
Political Stability and Fragility
The Thermidorians succeeded in restoring some order after the turmoil of the Terror. However:
The Directory was politically unstable, relying on military support to maintain authority.
Factionalism persisted: royalists sought restoration of the monarchy, while Jacobins hoped for renewed radicalism.
The executive lacked strong legitimacy, since directors were unelected by the people.
Legacy
The Thermidorian Regime and the Constitution of Year III represented an attempt at moderate republican government, balancing revolutionary ideals with a reaction against extremism.
It marked the end of Jacobin dominance and the reassertion of bourgeois control.
Yet the Directory’s dependence on the army foreshadowed the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Its limitations highlighted the enduring challenge of reconciling revolutionary ideals with political stability.
FAQ
The sans-culottes lost much of their political influence after Thermidor. Their radical clubs were suppressed, price controls were removed, and uprisings such as Germinal and Prairial were crushed.
This marked the end of their ability to shape national politics, though their discontent continued to simmer at a local level.
The Thermidorians rolled back the harsh de-Christianisation of the Terror. They allowed religious freedom, enabling both Catholics and Protestants to worship, while still maintaining a secular republic.
By tolerating religion without restoring Church power, they reduced tensions but avoided handing influence back to clerical elites.
In the provinces, memories of Jacobin repression during the Terror were fresh. Royalists and moderates took revenge on former radicals in rural areas and smaller towns.
Local vendettas played out violently.
Victims often included Jacobin officials and sans-culottes leaders.
Violence was less controlled than in Paris, making it more widespread and brutal.
Collapse of the assignat currency, causing hyperinflation.
End of price controls, leading to soaring food costs.
Poor harvests increased shortages, especially in urban centres.
These pressures fuelled unrest, weakened confidence in government, and pushed many to support either royalist or Jacobin alternatives
The deputies argued it was necessary to ensure stability by keeping experienced revolutionaries in office. They feared a sudden influx of royalists might overturn the republic.
However, many contemporaries saw it as self-serving, provoking resentment and sparking the Vendémiaire Rising in Paris.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks):
In what year was the Constitution of Year III, which established the Directory, introduced in France?
Mark Scheme:
1795 = 2 marks
Any other year = 0 marks
Question 2 (6 marks):
Explain two ways in which the Constitution of Year III (1795) attempted to prevent a return to either Jacobin dictatorship or monarchical rule.
Mark Scheme:
Identification of a valid feature = 1 mark
Explanation of how it limited Jacobin dictatorship or monarchy = 2 marks
(Max 3 marks per way, 6 marks total)Possible points:
Bicameral legislature (Council of 500 and Council of Ancients) (1 mark). Explanation: prevented concentration of power in a single assembly, reducing risk of Jacobin dominance (2 marks).
Five-man Directory as executive (1 mark). Explanation: dividing executive power reduced risk of dictatorship by a single individual (2 marks).
Property qualifications for suffrage (1 mark). Explanation: restricted popular political participation, limiting sans-culottes’ radical influence (2 marks).
Two-Thirds Law (1 mark). Explanation: ensured continuity of moderate deputies from the Convention, preventing royalist takeover (2 marks).
Maximum = 6 marks (two explained points).
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