The Age of Napoleon Podcast Episode 37: Breaking the Pendulum
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Nov 7, 2018 French politics during Napoleon's campaign in Italy oscillated dangerously between left and right. The establishment and dominance of the directory system of government, the rise of the left-wing movement, threats to the directory, and the ideological divide shaped the political landscape. The majority faction uncovers a royalist plot, leading to a political shift to the right and the rise of the Charles-Pecia Group. Napoleon expresses his dissatisfaction and announces his political ambitions in a tense letter exchange.
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The Political Pendulum Fueled Chronic Instability
- France's political life acted like a pendulum swinging between left and right after Thermidor.
- Repression of one side repeatedly empowered the other, producing chronic instability instead of moderation.
Babeuf's Society Of Equals Gained Sympathy
- Gracchus Babeuf founded the Society of Equals and wrote the popular song "Dying of Hunger, Dying of Cold" in hard winter of 1795–96.
- His radical program for abolishing economic inequality drew sympathies from workers, civil servants, and soldiers harmed by inflation.
Repression Broke The Left Before The Vote
- The Directory's secret police infiltrated Babeuf's movement and arrested nearly every member before the planned uprising.
- Trials and publicity weakened the left further, removing activists and shutting down their clubs and presses.