1795 French legislative election


Legislative elections were held in France between 12 and 21 October 1795 to elect one-third of the members of the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Ancients, the lower and upper houses of the legislature. The elections were held in accordance with the Constitution of the Year III and the first under the French Directory.

Background

During the summer of 1795, following the Thermidorian Reaction, members of the National Assembly began working on a new constitution that would not favour any certain party or group, while providing more support to centrists and moderates and avoiding any extreme use of power seen during the Reign of Terror of Maximilien Robespierre. Under the Constitution of the Year III, the Directory was established, which was a mix of the two former constitutions. The Directory was split into two branches, with a third executive. The new system is seen by many historians as imitating the British parliamentary system, while expanding on what is now known as the French system of a separate executive and assembly, which work in conjunction.
With the approaching election, the Royalists hope to take advantage of the elections and see a return to the monarchy and campaign together in many regions. Fearing a monarchist outcome, the Republicans passed a law, known as the two-thirds decree, which saw each of houses of the directory contain those many members from the convention. Following the 13 Vendémiaire royalist insurrection, the two-thirds principle became a hated law by members of the royalist and anti-radical parties.

Results

1795 began seeing a large swing in support of constitutional royalists, now known as Clichyens, named after the Clichy Club, especially following the Reign of Terror and failures of the government of the French Constitution of 1793. Although the Royalists disagreed on who they would want to see as the proper pretender to the throne, they in fact agreed that legally being elected would be the only means which they would re-establish the monarchy; they would then call for the dissolution of the Directory but see the recreation of the French Constitution of 1791 with a new National Assembly. The Royalists were also divided on the future, with the Absolutists preferring a return to the absolute ancien régime under Louis, Count of Provence, and supported the now two-year old Quiberon expedition. The Constitutionalists favoured a constitutional monarchy supporting individual rights and property in addition to freedoms and fair elections. The constitutionalists later began meeting at the Clichy Club, hence the new name, in addition to their nickname, the Clichyens.

Works cited

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