| Thermidorians | |
| Native Name: | Thermidoriens |
| Leader: | Paul Barras |
| Split: | The Mountain |
| Headquarters: | Hôtel de Noailles, Paris |
| Ideology: | Anti-radicalism[1] Classical liberalism[2] Conservative liberalism Republicanism (factions) |
| Position: | Centre[3] |
| Country: | France |
The Thermidorians (French: Thermidoriens, named after the month of Thermidor)[4] were a political group during the First French Republic. They formed in 1794 and dominated the last year of the National Convention, which during this phase became known as the Thermidorian Convention (French: Convention thermidorienne), and the Directory government until the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte to power in 1799.
The group was named for the Thermidorian Reaction in 1794, when its members—led by Paul Barras, Jean-Lambert Tallien and Joseph Fouché — ousted Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Antoine de Saint-Just, who were executed with their supporters on 27 July 1794. The deputies that supported the Reaction were the following:
Over the following days, the Thermidorians took over the majority in the National Convention. In 1795 a new constitution was introduced, with the National Convention disestablished and the Directory becoming the new government. Like the constitution, the Thermidorians emphasised bourgeois values: conservative on social themes and liberal on economic themes.
After the election of 1795, the Thermidorians obtained the majority in the Council of Five Hundred, the new lower house. In Paris, the group created a headquarters in the Hôtel de Noailles and Paul Barras became its leader.
The Directory lasted until 1799, when the coup of 18 Brumaire brought Napoleon Bonaparte to power; the Directory was replaced with a Consulate with Bonaparte as First Consul. After the coup, the various parliamentary forces including the Thermidorians were disestablished.
| Council of Five Hundred | ||||||
| Election year | No. of overall votes | % of overall vote | No. of overall seats won | +/– | Leader | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1795 | 12,600 (1st) | 42.0 | ||||
| 1797 | Unknown (3rd) | Unknown | ||||
| 1798 | Unknown (2nd) | 29.3 | ||||