Lesson Plan #7

World History 10th Grade

Theme/Topic: French Revolution

Goals: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their

understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning
points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a
variety of perspectives.

Objectives: By the end of the class students should be able to:

1. Describe the Thermidorian Reaction
2. Explain the Directory government that ruled France
3. Understand the rise of Napoleon

Skills: Note taking, Terminology

Materials needed: Chalk/White Board

Detailed Lesson Plan

Do Now: As the students come into the class pair them up with another
student. Using their notes from yesterday they have to come up with an

outline that they could use to teach a student who was absent from class
yesterday. This gets students to check how well they took notes and how well
they can organize the information. Have each group present their outline.
This could take ten to fifteen minutes

Since the do now covered most of the review from last class we can move
right into the information for today. The Thermidorian Reaction was a coup
within the French Revolution against the leaders of the Jacobin Club and the
Committee of Public Safety. It was triggered by the National Convention's
vote to execute Robespierre which put an end to the Terror and the most
radical phase of the revolution. However the regime that followed was very
unpopular and faced many rebellions after its execution of Robespierre and
his allies. This led to a very fragile situation in France. The hostility towards
the terror didn't vanish with the executions, instead the people decided to
blame anyone that was associated with Robespierre in any way. This was
mostly members of the Jacobin club, their supporters, individuals suspected
of being past revolutionaries and the violent suppression of the sansculottes. In April and May of 1795 protests and riots in support of the radicals
broke out culminating in an invasion of the Convention by an insurrectionist
mob on 20 May. On 22 May the Convention struck back, having
troops surround the rebels and force the capitulation of the armed rebels. In
May and June 1795, a "White Terror" raged in which Jacobins were victims
and the judges were bourgeois "Moderates". Throughout France the events of
the September Massacres were repeated, however this time the victims were
imprisoned officials of the Terror. In Paris, Royalist sentiments were openly
tolerated. Meanwhile, French armies overran the Netherlands and
established the Batavian Republic, occupied the left bank of the Rhine and
forced Spain, Prussia and several German States to sue for peace, enhancing
the prestige of the Convention. A new constitution called the Constitution of
the Year III was drawn up, which eased back some of the democratic
elements of the constitution of 1793, establishing an electoral college for the
election of officials, a bicameral legislature and other provisions designed to
protect the current holders of power. On 5 October, a revolt led by Royalists
challenged the Convention. It was put down by Napoleon with a whiff of
grapeshot. On 25 October the Convention declared itself dissolved and was
replaced by the French Directory on 2 November.

The Directory was the five-member committee which governed France after
the Thermidorian government fell. The Directory was continually at war with
foreign coalitions which included 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. Short
lived sister Republics were set up in the places that France conquered. The
cities that were conquered were required to send huge amounts of money to
France, as well as art which was used to fill the newly built Louvre in Paris.
The arm also captured Egypt and was able to defeat a royalist- led civil war.
However the French economy was in continual crisis during the Directory.
The treasury was empty at the start of the Directory's rule and the paper
money had fallen to a fraction of its value causing prices to soar. The
directory stopped printing paper money and restored the value of the money
but this only caused a new crisis. Prices and wages fell and economic activity
slowed to a standstill. In its first two years, the Directory concentrated on
ending the excesses of the Jacobin Reign of Terror; mass executions stopped,
and measures taken against exiled priests and royalists were relaxed. The
Jacobin political club was closed and the government crushed an armed
uprising planned by the Jacobins. However, following the discovery of a
royalist conspiracy the Jacobins took charge of the new Councils and
hardened the measures against the Church and migrs. The Jacobins took
two additional seats in the Directory, hopelessly dividing it. In 1799 after
countless defeats the Directory had lost support from all of the political
factions. From this Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris and carried out a
coup against the Directory. The coup abolished the Directory and in its place
the French Consulate led by Bonaparte was put in its place. Many agree that
this is where the French Revolution ends.
Activity: Split the students up into groups by giving each student a number
from one to three. After the groups have split up ask students to come up
with ways to solve the problems that the two governments faced after the
Reign of Terror. It should encompass economic as well as historical
knowledge. Have the groups share their answers with the class. This should
take about ten to fifteen minutes

Wrap Up: Neither of the governments that followed the Reign of Terror were
successful in restoring the glory of the first phase of the French Revolution.
The Thermidorian was unable to come to terms with the Reign of Terror and
paid the price for it with continued discord among the people. The Directory

faced a hopeless situation that they inherited from the previous

governments. Economic standstill combined with military defeat paved the
way for one of history's most well know leaders to take power in France. Next
class we will be discussing Napoleon Bonaparte.