1797 French legislative election

1797 French Directory election

21 March–2 April 1797
A third of the seats in the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Elders, as well as vacant seats
First party Second party Third party   Leader Mathieu Dumas Lazare Carnot Paul Nicolas Vicomte of Barras Party Clichy Club Maraisards Thermidorians Seats before 54 0 63 Seats won 105 44 28 Seat change 51 44 35 Percentage 59.32 24.86% 15.82%
Composition of the National Assembly
President of the Council of Five Hundred before election Pierre-Antoine Lalloy Thermidorians Elected President of the Council of Five Hundred Jean-Charles Pichegru Clichy Club

The French Directory election of 1797 was held between 21 March and 2 April 1797 to elect a third of the Legislative Body of the Directory, that is to say 2/3rds of the lower house, the Council of Five Hundred and the upper house, the Council of Ancients. The 1797 election marks the beginning of the 1/3rds vote of its type. An election occurs each year with a 1/3 of the deputies up for election.

Context

Following the events of the Conspiracy of Equals, the Jacobins and Montagnards lose their majority in the house simply by supporting François-Noël Babeuf. These leads to a massive pro-Royalist push in the country and even more so following the end of the impending end to the War of the First Coalition in site.

Though the Royalists disagreed on who they would want to see as the proper pretender to the throne, they did in-fact agree that legally being elected would be the only means which they would re-establish the monarchy. Then, they would call for the dissolution of the Directory, but see the recreation of the Constitution of 1791 with a new National Assembly. The Royalists were also divided on the future however, with the Absolutists (later known as the Ultra Royalists) preferring a return to the absolute Ancien Régime under Louis, Count of Provence (future Louis XVIII) and supported the now two-year old Quiberon Expedition. The 'Constitutionalists' (later known as the Liberals or Doctrinaires) favoured a constitutional monarchy in addition to 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'.

Results

Following the election, the Royalists gained a supermajority, and an even larger one than what was expected. The Directory now comprised 182 new deputies of pro-constitutional monarchy, 44 ultra-royalists, and 34 republicans. Among the later included two new Jacobins, Joseph Bonaparte and Jean-Baptiste Jourdan. In addition to the nearly 200 new seats taken by the Royalists, there were around 100 other royalist deputies already present and more than 130 other deputies likely to accept a constitutional monarchy.

Less than six months after the election, fearing a return to the monarchy, the Coup of 18 Fructidor is carried out. The coup removes all those accused of being "pro-Monarchist" or those who had supported those deputies. According to most historians, the coup marks the beginning of the 'Second Directory period' which is described as the 'Authoritarian Directory'.

Seats up for election
Party		Leader	Seats	%
	Clichy Club	Mathieu Dumas	105	59.32%
	Maraisards	Lazare Carnot	44	24.86%
	Thermidorians	Paul Barras, Vicomte de Barras	28	15.82%
Total			177	100%

References

• Woronoff, Denis (2004). La République bourgeoise de Thermidor à Brumaire 1794-1799. France: Éditions du Seuil. ISBN 978-2757846704. OCLC 1191043797.
• Tulard, Jean (1991). Le Directory et le Consulat. History of Socialism in France. France: Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN 978-2130439806. OCLC 802676216.
• le Bozec, Christine (2014). La Première République, 1792 – 1799. Paris, France: Éditions Perrin. ISBN 978-2262040918. OCLC 871312113.