Editing French Directory (section)

== Leadership and composition ==
The Directory was officially led by a president, as stipulated by Article 141 of the [[Constitution of the Year III]]. An entirely ceremonial post, the first presidency was held by Rewbell who was chosen by lot on 2 November 1795. The directors conducted their elections privately, and appointed a new president every three months.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/france/directory_1795_99/ |title=France: Presidents of the Executive Directory: 1795–1799 |author=Cheynet, Pierre-Dominique |year=2013 |publisher=Archontology.org |access-date=16 November 2013 }}</ref> The last president was Gohier, who resigned during Brumaire after his arrest by troops under the Bonapartist general [[Jean Victor Marie Moreau]].<ref name=LS199>Lefebvre & Soboul, p. 199.</ref>

The following table displays all ''Directeurs'' and their dates of service:<ref name=ArchonMembers>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archontology.org/nations/france/directory_1795_99/01_directoire_member.php |title=France: Members of the Executive Directory: 1795–1799 |author=Cheynet, Pierre-Dominique |year=2013 |publisher=Archontology.org |access-date=16 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013225719/http://www.archontology.org/nations/france/directory_1795_99/01_directoire_member.php |archive-date=13 October 2013  }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable alternance" style="text-align:center;" width=100%
|+Evolution of the Directory's Composition
|-
!colspan=10|{{legend2|{{party color|Thermidorians}}|Centre ([[Thermidorians]])|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{legend2|{{party color|Miscellaneous right}}|Right-wing ([[Conservatism|Conservative]]s-[[Clichy Club|Clichyens]])|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{legend2|{{party color|The Mountain}}|Left-wing ([[The Mountain|Radical republicans]])|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}{{nb5}}{{legend2|{{party color|The Plain}}|Other (''[[The Plain|Maraisards]]'')|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
|-
|colspan=10|The five directors appointed on 10 Brumaire year IV (1 November 1795):
|-
|rowspan=6 style="background:{{party color|Thermidorians}};"|
|width=20% rowspan=6|'''[[Paul Barras]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">2 November 1795</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">9 November 1799</span>
|rowspan=5 style="background:{{party color|Thermidorians}};"|
|width=20% rowspan=5 |'''[[Louis-Marie de La Révellière-Lépeaux|Louis-Marie<br/>de la Révellière]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">2 November 1795</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">18 June 1799</span>
|rowspan=4 style="background:{{party color|Thermidorians}};"|
|width=20% rowspan=4 |'''[[Jean-François Rewbell]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">2 November 1795</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">16 May 1799</span>
|rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|Miscellaneous right}};"|
|width=20% rowspan=2 |'''[[Lazare Carnot]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">2 November 1795</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">4 September 1797</span>
|style="background:{{party color|The Plain}};"|
|width=20%|'''[[Étienne-François Letourneur]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">2 November 1795</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">20 May 1797</span>
|-
|style="background:{{party color|Miscellaneous right}};"|
|'''[[François Barthélemy]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">20 May</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">4 September 1797</span>
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background:{{party color|Thermidorians}};"|
|rowspan=3 | '''[[Philippe-Antoine Merlin de Douai|Philippe Antoine Merlin]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">4 September 1797</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">18 June 1799</span>
|style="background:{{party color|The Plain}};"|
|'''[[François de Neufchâteau]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">4 September 1797</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">15 May 1798</span>
|-
|rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|The Plain}};"|
|rowspan=2 | '''[[Jean-Baptiste Treilhard]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">15 May 1798</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">17 June 1799</span>
|-
|rowspan=2 style="background:{{party color|The Plain}};"|
|rowspan=2 | '''[[Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">16 May</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">9 November 1799</span>
|-
|style="background:{{party color|Thermidorians}};"|
|'''[[Roger Ducos]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">18 June</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">9 November 1799</span>
|style="background:{{party color|The Mountain}};"|
|'''[[Jean-François-Auguste Moulin|Jean-François Moulin]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">18 June</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">10 November 1799</span>
|style="background:{{party color|The Mountain}};"|
|'''[[Louis-Jérôme Gohier]]'''<br><span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">17 June</span> &ndash; <span class="date" style="white-space:nowrap;">10 November 1799</span>
|-
|colspan=10|After the [[Coup of 18 Brumaire]] (9 November 1799), Barras, Ducos and Sieyès resigned.<br>Moulin and Gohier, refusing to resign, were arrested by General [[Jean Victor Marie Moreau|Moreau]].
|}