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WAS THE DIRECTORY’S DEPENDENCE ON THE MILITARY UNAVOIDABLE? (Reaction to…
WAS THE DIRECTORY’S DEPENDENCE ON THE MILITARY UNAVOIDABLE?
The Verona Declaration
8th June 1795, Louis’ child dies, on the 24th, his brother the Comte d’Provence declared himself Louis XVIII, known as the Verona declaration
He aimed to restore the monarchy and the estates system, returning all confiscated land to the emigres and the refractory clergy
This damaged his popularity, as while many people liked the idea of a constitutional monarchy, the idea of restoring the ancient regime was too much
Revolt in the Provinces and Reaction to Conscription
The Chouannerie and the Invasion of Quiberon Bay
Led by Jean Cotterau, an uprising began in Brittany in 1793, it was not only anti-Jacobin but also royalist, by Spring 1796, they controlled most of Britany
They sought help from the British and the emigres, and on 28th June 1795, 3,000 emigres and British troops landed at Quiberon Bay to meet with a larger force
But the government knew of the plan, and so met them, outnumbering them 8 to 1, taking 6,000 prisoners, by Summer 1796 the rebels had lost
Re-Emergence of Unrest in the Vendee
The early success of the Chouan inspired unrest in the Vendee, where there were still those that resented the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, as the Directory had still yet to restore refractory priests
When the Comt d’Artois proposed an invasion of the region in September 1795, he found little support from both the British and the rebels.
The rebels were angry about economic and religious issues, not wanting to restore the ancient regime
The Impact of War
By 1795, France was winning the war, having occupied the Austrian Netherlands
In 1795 Napoleon began his Italian campaign, eventually defeating the Austrians, negotiating the peace deal himself under the treaty of Campo-Formio
Reaction to Conscription and Revolt in the Provinces
With the war dragging on, people lost interest, becoming weary of war
By the end of 1795, all foreign troops had been expelled from France, resulting in a call for peace even within the Councils
Despite increasing levels of desertion (around 3,000 French soldiers deserted after defeating the Spanish), the war continued into the Rhine and Italy
5th September 1798, a law passed conscripting all men aged between 20-25, this caused a wave of uprisings in 1799, as this called for even married men
Deserters of the army joined rebel forces, allowing them to capture small towns such as Le Mans, though the NG were able to suppress the revolts
War Breeds War: The Vicious Cycle
As lands were conquered, more troops were needed to control them, requiring conscription.Their expenses were then covered by the money taken from the conquered lands, creating perpetual cycle
French war profits totalled around 360 million francs.Only one-quarter of the 200 million francs from Napoleons Italian campaign made it back to the Directory
The Directory had also become reliant on the military, Napoleon defending the government during the Vendemiarie rising, in 1797, the Directory used the army to purge the royalists in the coup of Fructidor.