It is a great truism that the demise of the Directory was self-inflicted. The Directory refers to the fourth revolutionary government that came into power with the mandate of directing the course of the French revolution back to the founding principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.
Napoleon Bonaparte’s personality greatly contributed to his rise to power. On one hand, Napoleon Bonaparte had deep-rooted charisma, brilliant military credentials, outstanding oratory skills as well as ability to overthrow the Directory which necessitated his rise to power while on the other hand, Napoleon Bonaparte’s capitalization
The statement that it was more the weaknesses of the Directory than the power and ability of Napoleon that led to his rise to power does not hold much water. The Directory refers to the forth revolutionary government in France which ruled from 1795 to 1799. On one hand, the weaknesses of this government which include corruption and failure to revive France’s economy paved way for the surfacing of Napoleon while on the other hand, the military prowess, oratory skills as well as the opportunistic nature of Napoleon led to his rise to power.
The best way to study the course of the French Revolution is to consider each revolutionary government as an entity. A wholesale coverage of the ten-year period, apart from confusing, might leave out some very important aspects of the period. Candidates are expected to undertake an in-depth study of each revolutionary government, analyzing the achievements and indeed the failures of each revolutionary government. The four revolutionary governments include the National Assembly (1789 – 1791), the Legislative Assembly (1791 – 1792), the National Convention (1792 – 1794) and finally the Directory (1795 – 1799).
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