The Directory (also called Directorate; French: le Directoire [diʁɛktwaʁ] ) was the system of government established by the French Constitution of 1795. It takes its name from the committee of five men vested with executive power. The Directory governed the French First Republic from 26 October 1795 (4 Brumaire an IV) until 9 November 1799, when it was overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte in the Coup of 18 Brumaire and replaced by the Consulate. The Directory was continually at war with foreign coalitions, including Britain, Austria, Prussia, the Kingdom of Naples, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. It annexed Belgium and the left bank of the Rhine, while Bonaparte conquered a large part of Italy. The Directory established 29 short-lived sister republics in Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
French army under Pichegru occupies Utrecht, Netherlands
The Directory (also called Directorate; French: le Directoire [diʁɛktwaʁ] ) was the system of government established by the French Constitution of 1795.
Historical Significance
The Directory (also called Directorate; French: le Directoire [diʁɛktwaʁ] ) was the system of government established by the French Constitution of 1795.
Events Before
Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin, revolutionizing the cotton industry in the southern US states [1]
Eli Whitney Jr. (December 8, 1765 – January 8, 1825) was an American inventor, widely known for inventing the cotton gin in 1793, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution that shaped...
Naval Act of 1794 is signed by President George Washington, authorizing the building of six frigates and establishing a
Naval Act of 1794 is signed by President George Washington, authorizing the building of six frigates and establishing a permanent US Navy
Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coa
Battle of Fleurus: Major victory by forces of the First French Republic under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan over the Coalition Army (Great Britain, Hanover, Dutch Republic, and Habsburgs) with the first use of a reconnaissance balloon
French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of "the Terror" are guillotined to thunderous ch
French Revolutionary figure Maximilien Robespierre and 22 other leaders of "the Terror" are guillotined to thunderous cheers in Paris
4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia
4th US President James Madison (43) weds Dolley Madison (26) in Jefferson County, West Virginia
Events After
Napoléon Bonaparte is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the French Army in Italy
The Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1801) were a series of conflicts fought principally in Northern Italy between the French Revolutionary Army and a Coalition of Austria,…
Napoléon Bonaparte (26) marries his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais (32), changing her name from Rose
Napoléon Bonaparte (26) marries his first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais (32), changing her name from Rose
English country doctor Edward Jenner administers his revolutionary cowpox-based vaccine for smallpox in Berkeley, Glouce
English country doctor Edward Jenner administers his revolutionary cowpox-based vaccine for smallpox in Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Armand-Gaston Camus becomes chairman of the Council of 500
Armand-Gaston Camus becomes chairman of the Council of 500
The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York
York was a town and the second capital of the colony of Upper Canada. It is the predecessor to the old city of Toronto (1834–1998).
More from the 1790s
Albany replaces New York City as the capital of New York
Albany ( AWL-bə-nee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York. It is also the county seat of, and the most populous city in, Albany County.
Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books
Russia appoints first Jewish censor to censor Hebrew books
First US President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address
The 1790 State of the Union Address was the inaugural State of the Union address, delivered by President George Washington to the United States Congress on January 8, 1790, at the Senate Chamber of…
French King Louis XVI sentenced to death by the National Convention during the French Revolution
Louis XVI was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on January 16, 1795?
- The Directory (also called Directorate; French: le Directoire [diʁɛktwaʁ] ) was the system of government established by the French Constitution of 1795. It takes its name from the committee of five men vested with executive power. The Directory governed the French First Republic from 26 October 1795 (4 Brumaire an IV) until 9 November 1799, when it was overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte in the Coup of 18 Brumaire and replaced by the Consulate.
- Why is French army under Pichegru occupies Utrecht, Netherlands significant?
- The Directory (also called Directorate; French: le Directoire [diʁɛktwaʁ] ) was the system of government established by the French Constitution of 1795.