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Constitution of the Year III

When
1794–1795
Where
National Convention, Paris; Convention debates, Paris; France, proclaimed from Paris
Episodes
5

The Constitution of the Year III, drafted by an eleven-member Convention commission, was adopted by the National Convention on 5 Fructidor Year III (22 August 1795) together with the two-thirds decree, then approved by plebiscite and proclaimed accepted on 23 September 1795.

Episodes

  1. 27 July 1794 · National Convention, ParisThermidorian Convention rejects the 1793 Constitution

    After Robespierre's fall, the Convention refused to apply the Constitution of June 1793, prompting the drafting of a replacement.

  2. 23 April 1795 · National Convention, ParisCommission of eleven delegates entrusted with drafting

    On 23 April 1795 the Convention delegated drafting a new constitution to a commission of eleven of its members.

  3. June 1795 · Convention debates, ParisSieyès's Constitutional Jury proposal fails

    Sieyès proposed a Constitutional Jury to review the constitutionality of laws; it was rejected but later inspired the Conservative Senate.

  4. 22 August 1795 · National Convention, ParisConvention adopts the constitution and two-thirds decree

    On 22 August 1795 the Convention adopted the Constitution of the Year III together with the two-thirds decree.

  5. 6–23 September 1795 · France, proclaimed from ParisPlebiscite approval and proclamation of acceptance

    The decree and constitution were approved by plebiscite on 6 September 1795 on low turnout, and proclaimed accepted by decree on 23 September 1795.

Background and detail

Background. After the fall of Robespierre and the overthrow of the Revolutionary Government on 9 Thermidor Year II (27 July 1794), the Thermidorian Convention refused to apply the Constitution of June 1793. On 4 Floréal Year III (23 April 1795) it delegated drafting a new constitution to a commission of eleven members, including Boissy d'Anglas, Cambacérès, Daunou, Merlin de Douai, and the Abbé Sieyès.

Drafting Debates. During discussion of the project, Sieyès proposed a "Constitutional Jury" to control the constitutionality of laws. Though he defended the idea in June 1795, it was not implemented, but it later became the basis of the Conservative Senate of the Consulate.

Adoption and Ratification. The Convention adopted the constitution on 5 Fructidor Year III (22 August 1795), alongside the two-thirds decree justified by the fall of the Constituent Assembly's precedent. More conservative than the unimplemented democratic Constitution of 1793, it established the Directory and was approved by plebiscite on a low turnout, proclaimed accepted on 23 September 1795.

People involved

Sources

  1. Constitution of the Year III Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-15

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.