Abstract
Of all the Revolutionary governments, the Directory lasted the longest (1795–99).1 Although it had some successes, including the defeat of some royalist threats and the elimination of the public debt and the worthless assignats, the Directory’s rule was characterized by a great deal of corruption and instability, which precipitated its removal from power. Most importantly, the Directory failed to build a strong base of support to offset the opposition of the Jacobins and the royalists. Twice, in 1797 and 1798, the Directory staged a coup, annulling election results in which the royalists and Jacobins gained many seats, thereby discrediting the electoral process and unwittingly preparing the way for the use of force in changing the government. Another weakness was the persistence of crime and disorder, including peasant revolts in western France, known as the chouannerie. Harsh anti-religious measures added to the government’s unpopularity and deepened the religious schism in France. Although the Directory solved the public debt problem, it did so by canceling much of the national debt, thus alienating many lenders. Friction and rivalry among the five members of the Directory further weakened the government.
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Notes
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© 2003 Alexander Grab
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Grab, A. (2003). France. In: Napoleon and the Transformation of Europe. European History in Perspective. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4039-3757-5_3
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