Reimagining Politics after the Terror: The Republican Origins of French Liberalism (review)

In this ambitious and wide-ranging book Andrew Jainchill's detailed analysis of the political culture of post-Terror France rests on the conviction that the years 1794 to 1804 represent a watershed in the transition from classical to modern republicanism and that modern liberalism arose out of this transition. He argues that while throughout the Revolution the lessons of republican antiquity, in particular those taken from republican Rome, had served as a source of political wisdom and had profoundly influenced revolutionaries' attitudes, a modern liberal republicanism emerged after the Terror. In response to the repeated crises of the Directory and the growing despotism of Bonaparte during the Consulate, a new political culture came into existence. At its core was a commitment to the legal protection of the individual pursuit of happiness, and precedence was given to civil liberties and social well-being over political organisation. This political philosophy contained what would later constitute the kernel of one form of French liberalism, which Jainchill sees as best understood as a synthesis of classical republican and liberal political languages. The post-Terror years, however, also paved the way for the constitution of 1799, which enshrined a 'liberal authoritarianism', predicated on the principle that freedom to pursue personal ends is most easily protected by a strong central authority which restricts general political activity. Despite the fact that the constitution laid the foundations for Bonaparte's rule, Jainchill is careful to make the crucial point that liberal authoritarianism was true to a second strand of modern liberalism, as articulated in the works of Guizot, Royer-Collard and the Doctrinaires. Throughout the book his constant point of reference is 'the republican centre', the loose-knit group of politicians and intellectuals who were at or near the hub of power during the period, and he illustrates key questions through their ideas and through extensive analyses of the works of certain individuals, with particular emphasis on Pierre-Louis Roederer, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, Jean-Baptiste Say, Mme de Staёl, Benjamin Constant and the hitherto neglected Charles-Guillaume Théremin. In dealing with complex material within a rapidly changing context, Jainchill addresses a broad range of themes with skill and finesse. He treats with assurance such matters as the search for ways to end the Revolution after the fall of Robespierre, the inculcation of republican values, the drafting of the constitutions of 1795 and 1799, foreign policy and the international order, debates surrounding the promotion of a civic religion, and the strengths and weaknesses of representative government. Jainchill's sophisticated and nuanced arguments demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the political intricacies of the period. His study introduces a wealth of detail (further shown by the large number of footnotes, which does not entirely compensate for the regrettable absence of a bibliography) and provides a stimulating analysis of a decade too often hastily passed over by other political historians.