1799 French Directory election

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1799 French Directory election
Flag of France (1794-1958).svg
  1798 9–16 April 1799 1815  

A third of the seats in the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Elders, as well as vacant seats
 First partySecond party
  Jean de Bry, by Jean Louis Laneuville.jpg AduC 290 Barthelemy (Francois, 1750-1830).JPG
Leader Jean Antoine Debry François-Marie Barthélemy
Party Montagnards Clichy Club
Seats before1060
Seats won240150
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 134Increase2.svg 150
Percentage48%30%

 Third partyFourth party
  Fabre de l'Aude, pair de France.jpg
Leader Jean-Claude Fabre de l'Aude unknown
Party Royalists Far-Left
Seats before00
Seats won8030
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 80Increase2.svg 30
Percentage16%6%

Assemblee nationale 1799.svg
Composition of the National Assembly

President of the Council of Five Hundred before election

Jean-Pierre Chazal
Clichy Club

Elected President of the Council of Five Hundred

Lucien Bonaparte

The French Directory election of 1799 was held between 9 and 16 April 1799 to elect one-third of the Council of Five Hundred in addition to the Council of Elders and any vacant seats.

Contents

Context

Following the Coup of 11 May 1798 (22 Floréal year VI in the Republican calendar), the small Jacobin minority led by Generals Jean-Antoine Marbot and Jean-Baptiste Jourdan harassed the Directory, with the occasional support of directorial deputies exasperated by the encroachments of the executive. The opposition to the Jacobins continues to grow with the deteriorating situation of the War of the Second Coalition. In messidor, they manage to form a small coalition government, forming a majority in the Council of the Five Hundred to refuse the Directory to complete the court of cessation, even if the Council of Elders voted in their prerogative. [1] [2]

After the loss of Italy, the Minister of War, Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer, was accused of (what would be considered corruption today) and was brought before a commission of inquiry. It was on this occasion that Lucien Bonaparte asserts himeself in the political scene and a leader of the opponents of the left, though not a devoted Jacobin. [1] [2]

In this context, the Director does not dare to organise and election under the same pressure it had felt in the 1798 election. If the council was to be seen as promoting the election of candidates of the government, the policy of appeasement and peace could continue. [1] [2]

Election

During the electoral processes, 27 departments experienced splits from the 25 in the 1798 election, and the assemblies were less troubled than the last election. Participation in the election however, fell to just 11.5% of the national vote, against 20% of the vote in 1798. In Alsace for instance, the vote fell from 30% to just 15%. Of the 79 members supported by the government, 43 are beaten. This also the case for the 39 of the 64 new official candidates for government. In addition, out of 44 candidates recommended by one or other directors, only 6 were elected. [1] [2]

Unlike the 1798 election, the Council validates majority assemblies in the departments which have experienced a split, except in Deux-Nèthes, where the elections are cancelled because the required turnout is not met. This "non-election" also occurs in Bouches-du-Rhône, where many irregularities are noted by the local assemblies. [1] [2]

Results

The 1799 election ended with a massive victory for the left-wing republican Montagnards. However, the Royalist parties, the Clichy Club (moderate constitutionalists) and Ultra-Royalists (absolute monarchists) won almost half of the seats within the council. The Extreme Left Group (Groupe de Extrême-Gauche) also won their first group of seats in the election.

The 1799 election would end up being the last parliamentary election in France until the May 1815 legislative election.

PartyLeader%Seats
  Montagnards Jean Antoine Debry 48%240
  Clichy Club François-Marie Barthélemy 25%150
  Ultra Royalists Jean-Claude Fabre de l'Aude 16%80
  Extreme Left Group unknown6%30
Total95%500

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Woronoff, pp. 207–208
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Suratteau & Soboul, pp. 300–306

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