Doctrinaires facts for kids

The Doctrinals (called Doctrinaires in French) were a group of French royalists who lived during a time of big changes in France. This was between 1814 and 1848, during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy. They wanted to find a way for the old system of kings (monarchy) to work with the new ideas from the French Revolution. They also wanted to balance power with freedom.

Led by Pierre Paul Royer-Collard, these royalists believed in a constitutional monarchy. This means a king would rule, but his power would be limited by a set of rules, like a constitution. However, they thought only a few people should be allowed to vote. For example, when Louis XVIII became king again, he gave France a "Charter" (a kind of constitution). This charter allowed only about 100,000 French men to vote.

The Doctrinals were seen as a centrist group, meaning they were in the middle of political ideas. They were also conservative-liberal, which meant they liked some new ideas but also wanted to keep some old traditions. During their time, "liberal" was often seen as being on the political left, so the Doctrinals were considered a centre-left group.

Later, during the July Monarchy, the Doctrinals became an important group within the Resistance Party. Leaders like the Duke of Broglie and François Guizot held powerful jobs. Both Broglie (1835–1836) and Guizot (1847–1848) even became Prime Ministers of France. Guizot and the Doctrinals were very influential in politics, especially when Marshal Jean-de-Dieu Soult was Prime Minister from 1840 to 1847.

How the Doctrinals Started

Early Days and Challenges

In 1816, the Doctrinals first worked with Louis XVIII. The king was worried about the extreme actions of the Ultra-royalists in the parliament of 1815. However, the Ultra-royalists soon returned to power, led by the comte de Villèle. The Doctrinals then became an opposition group, but they still had some connections to the government, especially with Decazes. The Doctrinals faced opposition from republicans and liberals on one side, and from the Ultra-royalists on the other.

Eventually, the Doctrinals were weakened by Charles X, Louis XVIII's brother, who had very traditional views. Charles appointed the Ultra-royalist prince de Polignac as his minister. This decision helped cause the 1830 July Revolution. After this revolution, the Doctrinals joined with the Orléanists. The Orléanists became a new type of right-wing political group in France, different from the very traditional Legitimists (who were the Ultra-royalists after the revolution).

The Name "Doctrinaires"

The name "Doctrinaires" was first used as a joke or an insult by their enemies. In 1816, a French newspaper published in Brussels, called Nain jaune réfugié, started calling Royer-Collard a "doctrinaire." This name came from his studies with a religious group founded in 1592, who were also called "doctrinaires."

The newspaper chose this nickname well, because Royer-Collard was indeed a person who liked to teach and preach his political ideas. The name quickly became popular and was used for all of Royer-Collard's friends and colleagues. These people came from different backgrounds. For example, the duc de Richelieu and Hercule de Serre had been royalists who left France during the French Revolution.

Goals: Making Monarchy and France Work Together

Royer-Collard himself, along with others like Jean Maximilien Lamarque and Maine de Biran, had been part of the revolutionary assemblies. Other members, like Pasquier, the comte de Beugnot, the baron de Barante, Georges Cuvier, Mounier, Guizot, and Decazes, had worked for Napoleon's government.

Despite their different pasts, they all shared similar political beliefs and ways of thinking. Many of them, especially Guizot, were thinkers who wrote about how government should work. They were known for having clear and consistent ideas. Their main goal, as described by the future duc Decazes, was to "nationalize the monarchy and to royalize France." This meant they wanted the monarchy to be more connected to the French nation and for France to embrace the idea of a king.

This idea was shown when the king changed from being "king of France" (meaning he owned the country) to "king of the French" (meaning he ruled the people). This change showed that power no longer came from God (divine right of kings) but from the people (national sovereignty).

The Doctrinals believed they could achieve their goals by following the Charter given by Louis XVIII. They wanted the king to work with them to defeat the Ultra-royalists. The Ultra-royalists were a group who wanted to completely undo all the changes brought by the French Revolution.

The Doctrinals were okay with the king choosing his own ministers and guiding national policy. They did not believe that ministers should be removed just because parliament voted against them. Their perfect government would have a king who accepted the changes from the Revolution and ruled in a liberal way. This king would get advice from a parliament elected by a small group of voters, mostly wealthy and educated people. This ideal king was finally found in Louis-Philippe during the July Monarchy.

Guizot explained the Doctrinals' ideas in his 1816 book, Du gouvernement représentatif et de l'état actuel de la France. Their main newspapers were the Indépendant (later called the Constitutionnel) and the Journal des Débats. The Doctrinals were mostly supported by former government officials who believed in a monarchy but remembered Napoleon's strict rule and disliked the old system. They also had support from merchants, factory owners, and professionals like lawyers.

What "Doctrinaire" Means Today

The word "doctrinaire" is now used in English. It often describes someone who is very focused on theories and ideas, rather than being practical. It can sometimes be used in a slightly negative way.

Important Members of the Doctrinals

• The Baron of Barante
• Jacques Claude Beugnot
• Louis Becquey
• Maine de Biran
• The Duke of Broglie
• Pierre Paul Royer-Collard
• Benjamin Constant
• Victor Cousin
• Georges Cuvier
• Élie Decazes
• The Marquis Dessolles
• Tanneguy Duchâtel
• François Guizot
• Prosper Duvergier de Hauranne
• Hippolyte François Jaubert
• Camille Jordan
• Théodore Simon Jouffroy
• The Marquis of Lafayette
• Jean Maximilien Lamarque
• Étienne-Denis Pasquier
• The Count of Rémusat
• The Duke of Richelieu
• Hercule de Serre
• Charles Maurice de Talleyrand
• Abel-François Villemain
• Chateaubriand, a traditional conservative, sometimes joined the liberal-Doctrinaire opposition against the Ultra-royalist minister Villèle.

Election Results

Chamber of Deputies
Election year	Number of overall votes	% of overall vote	Number of overall seats won	+/–	Leader
1815	5,200 (2nd)	12.5	50 / 400	New	Pierre Paul Royer-Collard
1816	49,820 (1st)	52.7	136 / 258	86	Pierre Paul Royer-Collard
1820	42,300 (1st)	44.7	194 / 434	58	Élie Decazes
1824	3,760 (2nd)	4.0	17 / 430	177	Pierre Paul Royer-Collard
1827	37,600 (2nd)	39.5	170 / 430	163	The Marquis of Lafayette
1830	46,060 (2nd)	49.3	274 / 378	204	The Marquis of Lafayette
1831	76,805 (1st)	61.4	282 / 459	8	Casimir Périer

See also

• Modification of political parties under the Restoration