Isabella Carter
The Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of the Year III, was a French constitution established during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution. It was drafted in mid-1795 to address widespread dissatisfaction with the extra-constitutional nature of the government. The Constitution was conservative in nature, establishing a liberal republic with a franchise based on tax payments, a bicameral legislature, and a five-member Directory. It aimed to reconcile a stable social order based on personal liberty and juridical equality while curbing freedom of the press and freedom of association.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Constitution of the Year III |
| Year Written | 1795 |
| Date Presented | 22 August |
| Date Adopted | 23 September 1795 |
| Type of Government | Liberal republic |
| Basis of Franchise | Payment of taxes |
| Legislature | Bicameral |
| Number of Directors | Five |
| Powers of Central Government | Emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association |
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What You'll Learn
- The Constitution of 1795 was written during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution
- It was drafted by a committee assigned by the Convention
- The Constitution was presented on 22 August 1795
- It established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes
- The Constitution was conservative, concentrating power but limiting how much could be exerted by an individual or faction
The Constitution of 1795 was written during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution
The Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of the Year III, was written during the Thermidorian Reaction, a period of the French Revolution between the fall of Maximilien Robespierre on 27-28 July 1794 and the establishment of the French Directory on 2 November 1795. The Thermidorian Reaction was marked by the end of the Reign of Terror, the violent suppression of the Jacobin ideology, and a shift from radical to more moderate policies.
The Thermidorian Reaction was named after the month of Thermidor in the French Republican calendar, during which the coup against Robespierre took place. The reaction was characterized by brutal force against the left, including massacres, the disbanding of the Jacobin Club, and the dispersal of the sans-culottes. The Thermidorians sought to restore stability to France and pursued conservative policies, including the restoration of freedom of religion, the reintroduction of free-market capitalism, and the allowance of the return of some aristocratic émigrés.
The Constitution of 1795 was written by a committee assigned by the Convention, which included Sieyès. It was presented on 22 August 1795 and established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes. The constitution concentrated power in a central government while also limiting the authority of the legislature, which now had two houses to slow down the legislative process. The constitution also proscribed political gatherings to prevent the reformation of clubs or the organization of national political parties.
The Constitution of 1795 was more conservative than the previous democratic Constitution of 1793. It established a five-man Directory, with power shared among the five Directors to limit the influence of any one individual or faction. The central government retained significant power, including emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association. The Constitution of 1795 sought to ensure a moderate continuation of the French Revolution, reconciling personal liberty and juridical equality with a stable social order.
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It was drafted by a committee assigned by the Convention
The Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of the Year III, was drafted by a committee assigned by the Convention. This committee included Sieyès, who was tasked with drafting a constitution that would address the widespread dissatisfaction with the extra-constitutional nature of the government at the time. The constitution aimed to ensure a moderate continuation of the French Revolution, reconciling a stable social order based on personal liberty and juridical equality.
The committee presented the constitution on August 22, and it was ratified by the Convention. The Constitution of 1795 established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes, similar to the Constitution of 1791. It created a bicameral legislature with two houses to slow down the legislative process and prevent the rapid passage of legislation. The constitution also concentrated power by establishing an explicit executive body, a five-man Directory, while limiting the power of any individual or political faction by sharing executive power among the five Directors.
The Constitution of 1795 also proscribed political gatherings of any sort to prevent the reformation of the club movement or the organization of national political parties. It granted the central government significant power, including emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association. The Directory was given the authority to appoint key officials, such as the collector of direct taxes and superintendents-in-chief for the administration of indirect taxes and national domains.
The Constitution of 1795 was more conservative than the democratic Constitution of 1793. It was adopted on September 23, 1795, by the Convention, which was dominated by the wealthy bourgeoisie determined to maintain political power. Thomas Paine, a fervent advocate for universal suffrage, criticized the property requirements for suffrage in the proposed Constitution of 1795, but his pleas fell on deaf ears, and he never appeared again in the Convention after delivering his speech.
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The Constitution was presented on 22 August 1795
The French Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of Year III, was presented on 22 August 1795. It was established during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution. The Constitution was prepared by the Thermidorian Convention, which was dominated by the wealthy bourgeoisie. It was more conservative than the abortive democratic Constitution of 1793. The Constitution of 1795 established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes, similar to the Constitution of 1791. It featured a bicameral legislature to slow down the legislative process and a five-man Directory, which was given emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association.
The Constitution of 1795 was designed to ensure a moderate continuation of the Revolution. It sought to reconcile a stable social order based on personal liberty (meaning individual property rights) with juridical equality. To achieve this balance, the framers reduced the authority of the legislature, which now had two houses and so could not pass legislation as rapidly. The Constitution also created an explicit executive body, concentrating power but also limiting how much any one individual or political faction could exert by sharing executive power among the five Directors.
The Constitution proscribed political gatherings of any sort to prevent the re-formation of the club movement or the organisation of national political parties. The Directory was given the power to appoint functionaries in the French colonies and the collector of direct taxes in each department. It also appointed the superintendents-in-chief for the administration of indirect taxes and the national domains. The ministers were made jointly and severally responsible for the non-execution of laws and orders of the Directory.
The Constitution defined French citizens as: "Every man born and resident in France, who, being twenty-one years of age, has inscribed his name on the civic register of his canton, and who has lived afterwards one year on the territory of the Republic, and who pays any direct contribution whatever, real or personal, is a French citizen."
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It established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes
The Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of Year III in the French Republican calendar, was established during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution. It was drafted in mid-1795 in response to widespread dissatisfaction with the extra-constitutional nature of the government at the time. The Left demanded "bread and the Constitution of 1793", while those who had suffered under the Terror sought to curb the popular political activity that had led to continual uprisings and civil unrest.
The Constitution of 1795 established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes. This meant that citizens who paid taxes had the right to vote and participate in the political process. The franchise was similar to that of the Constitution of 1791, which had also established a liberal republic with a tax-based franchise. The Constitution of 1795 also included a bicameral legislature, or two houses, which slowed down the legislative process and made it more difficult for laws to be passed rapidly.
The framers of the Constitution of 1795 reduced the authority of the legislature by creating an explicit executive body that shared power among five Directors. This concentration of power also limited how much any one individual or political faction could exert influence. The central government, however, retained great power, including emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association.
The Constitution of 1795 also included provisions for the protection of individual liberties and property rights. It guaranteed the inviolability of property and provided for just indemnification in cases where property was taken for public necessity. It also ensured uniformity of weights and measures throughout the Republic and prohibited any citizen from being forced to contribute to religious expenses.
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The Constitution was conservative, concentrating power but limiting how much could be exerted by an individual or faction
The Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of the Year III, was established in France during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution. It was conservative, concentrating power in the central government but limiting how much could be exerted by an individual or faction.
The Constitution of 1795 was drafted to address widespread dissatisfaction with the extra-constitutional nature of the government at the time. The Left demanded "bread and the Constitution of 1793", while those who had suffered under the Terror sought to end the Revolution by finishing off popular political activity in the sections that had led to continual uprisings and civil unrest in the provinces.
To achieve this delicate balance, the framers of the Constitution of 1795 reduced the authority of the legislature, which now had two houses so it could not pass legislation as rapidly. By creating an explicit executive body, the constitution concentrated power in the central government. However, it also limited how much any one individual or political faction could exert power by sharing executive power among five Directors. The constitution also proscribed political gatherings of any sort to prevent the re-formation of the club movement or the organization of national political parties.
The Constitution of 1795 established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes, similar to the Constitution of 1791. It also established a bicameral legislature to slow down the legislative process and a five-man Directory. The central government retained great power, including emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association.
The Constitution of 1795 is an example of how the concentration of power in a central government can be balanced with limitations on the power exerted by individuals or factions within that government. This concept of limiting federal power is also seen in the US Constitution, where the national government is conceived as one of limited and enumerated powers, with checks and balances in place to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution of 1795, also known as the Constitution of the Year III, was a French constitution established during the Thermidorian Reaction in the French Revolution.
The Constitution of 1795 was written in 1795 and was adopted on September 23, 1795.
The Constitution of 1795 established a liberal republic with a franchise based on the payment of taxes, a bicameral legislature to slow down the legislative process, and a five-man Directory. The central government retained significant power, including emergency powers to curb freedom of the press and freedom of association.
By mid-1795, there was widespread dissatisfaction with the extra-constitutional nature of the government in France. The Constitution of 1795 was prepared by the Thermidorian Convention to address these concerns and ensure a moderate continuation of the Revolution.
