AP European HistoryDecember 9-13 2019

Some of our discussion of the French Revolution this week. The notes below are carried over from last week.

Monday and Tuesday Examine the radical phase of the French Revolution (INT-7,10,11)(PP-10)(IS-6,9,10)(SP-3,4,5,6,7) Explain why this phase led to another round of war in Europe.

Materials Strategy/Formatppt and document Recap Lecture-discuss/Review

Introduction For the first time in its history, France had a constitution. Many feudal ideas were abolished which satisfied

many people. Yet there were already tensions developing. One of the ways that you can tell that the new Constitution was moderate was the way that it handled citizenship. There were two types: active and passive citizens. . Active citizenship was granted to men who were French, at least 25 years old, paid taxes equal to three days work, and could not be defined as servants. This meant that at the time of the Declaration only white, male, Christian, property owners held these rights. The deputies in the National Assembly (French Revolution) believed that only those who held tangible interests in the nation could make informed political decisions. This Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen as each of these rights is related to the right to vote and to participate actively in the government. There were less than 5 million who fell into this category out of about 30 million. Passive citizens had rights but not political powers. This was almost exactly how the U.S, originally handled citizenship. The Assembly replaced the historic provinces with 83 départements, (and Paris organized into districts called arrondisments) uniformly administered and approximately equal to one another in extent and population

Revolution brought about a massive shifting of powers from the Roman Catholic Church to the state. Under the Ancien Régime, the Church had been the largest landowner in the country. Legislation enacted in 1790 abolished the Church's authority to levy a tax on crops known as the dîme, cancelled special privileges for the clergy, and confiscated Church property. To no small extent, the Assembly addressed the financial

crisis by having the nation take over the property of the Church (while taking on the Church's expenses), through the law of December 2, 1789. In order to rapidly monetize such an enormous amount of property, the government introduced a new paper currency, assignats, backed by the confiscated church lands. Further legislation on 13 February 1790 abolished monastic vows. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy, passed on July 12, 1790 (although not signed by the King until December 26, 1790), turned the remaining clergy into employees of the State and required that they take an oath of loyalty to the constitution. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy also made the Catholic church an arm of the secular state

In response to this legislation, the archbishop of Aix and the bishop of Clermont led a walkout of clergy from the National Constituent Assembly. The papacy never accepted the new arrangement, and it led to a schism between those clergy who swore the required oath and accepted the new arrangement ("jurors" or "constitutional clergy") and the "non-jurors" or "refractory priests" who refused to do so. The ensuing years saw violent repression of the clergy, including the imprisonment and massacre of priests throughout France.

Another group that felt left out was women. They had already asserted their power. On October 5, 1789 the people of Paris, mainly working women, marched on Versailles in what was the Women's March on Versailles. The women were responding to their anger at the harsh economic situations they had to face such as bread shortages while the King and his court held banquets such as that for the royal guards on October 1, 1789. The King and his administration were forced to move to Paris in hopes for the poverty to be addressed. On October 6, 1789, followed by 20,000 National Guards, the King and the royal family moved from Versailles to Paris thus legitimizing the National Assembly. Oympe de Gouges, a playwright of some note in France at the time of the Revolution, spoke for not only herself but many of the women of France, when in 1791 she wrote and published the "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen." Modeled on the 1789 "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" by the National Assembly, de Gouges' Declaration echoed the same language and extended it to women. This was for France the origins of feminism but the demands did not go very far. As the Revolution turned violent Olympe de Gouges became an “enemy of the state”. For asserting this equality, and repeating the assertion publicly -- for refusing to be silent on the Rights of Woman -- and for associating with the wrong side, the Girondists (more on them below), as the Revolution became embroiled in new conflicts -- Olympe de Gouges was arrested in July 1793, four years after the Revolution. She was sent to the guillotine in November of that year.

The Factions in the National Assembly Within the National Assembly three basic factions developed. The royalists or monarchists generally

wanted to maintain the Bourbon dynasty in a position of power. Of course this did happen at first but as you will see below, Louis XIV squandered this good will. A second faction was called the Girondists or moderates. Generally, they were content to have Louis XVI in power to some degree but over time, they became less certain. The third and most radical group was called the Jacobins, named after debating societies. They mostly wanted to end the monarchy and some, as time passed believed that the king, if left alive would be a rallying point for the émigrés, nobles who left France but remained a threat. The most radical Jacobins and ultimately the rulers of France once the radical phase starts were called “the Mountain” or Montagnards.

Flight to Varennes Louis XVI, opposed to the course of the Revolution, but rejecting the potentially treacherous aid of the

other monarchs of Europe, cast his lot with General Bouillé, who condemned both the emigration and the assembly, and promised him refuge and support in his camp at Montmédy. On the night of June 20, 1791, the royal family fled the Tuileries wearing the clothes of servants, while their servants dressed as nobles. However, the next day the King was recognized and arrested at Varennes. He and his family were paraded back to Paris under guard, in the same disguises they wore in their escape. When they reached Paris, the crowd remained silent. The Assembly provisionally suspended the King. He and Queen Marie Antoinette remained held under guard.

The Declaration of Pillnitz

On August 27 1791, was a statement issued by the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and Frederick William II of Prussia. The statement amounted to a threat against the National Assembly. Calling on European powers to intervene if Louis XVI of France was threatened, this declaration was intended to serve as a warning to the French revolutionaries not to infringe further on the rights of Louis XVI and to allow his restoration to power. The statement helped begin the French Revolutionary Wars. This was probably the death warrant for the monarchy.

By the Spring of 1792 the National Assembly decided to declare war on Austria. Prussia, it was understood would side with Austria in light of the Pillnitz Declaration. Not surprisingly the expectation was that the French would be largely unprepared to fight due to the shape of the economy and the divisions in society. The King outwardly supported the decision of the assembly to declare war. He hoped for a French defeat because he felt that this would result in his restoration to the throne. When rumors spread that he had invite a contingent of Swiss mercenaries to liberate he and family, this was the final straw. On January 20, 1793, the National Convention condemned Louis XVI to death, his execution scheduled for the next day. Louis spent that evening saying goodbye to his wife and children. The following day dawned cold and wet. Louis arose at five. At eight o'clock a guard of 1,200 horsemen arrived to escort the former king on a two-hour carriage ride to his place of execution. His manner was calm and it seemed to freak out some of his guards a bit. They had always been told that the king was a weakling and yet to see him so composed left them admiring his bravery. Ascending the scaffold to the guillotine he turned to the crowd saying "I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge; I Pardon those who have occasioned my death; and I pray to God that the blood you are going to shed may never be visited on France." Drums were ordered to drown out the king and with that he was beheaded.The Reign of Terror 1793

The war against Austria and her allies was not going well. The new French government, the Convention, led by Danton demanded 300,000 men to join the French army. This was called the levèe en masse (essentially a military draft) The first revolts bloomed in the country, especially in Vendee where the peasants denounced the authority of the Convention and the idea of the Revolution. They asked for the reestablishment of the Monarchy. A real civil war took place in the French countryside, between the Vendeen and the Republican Guards. From March to September 1793, more than 100,000 people died from this opposition.

On April 6th, 1793 the Convention created the Committee for Public Safety (Comite de Salut Public). This new government, led by Robespierre took urgent measures to stop a rebellion in the Vendèe region and the French military defeats in Belgium. A few weeks later, the Girondists, were held responsible for the military crisis. 22 representatives of the Girondins were guillotined. The original revolutionary system was breaking apart.

Another major event of the French Revolution was the death of one of its most radical figures, Jean Paul Marat. Marat, friend of Robespierre, Jacobin deputy to the Convention, and editor-in-chief of L'Ami du Peuple,(The Friend of the People) was a fiery orator; he was also a violent man, quick to take offense. Some saw him as an intransigent patriot; for others he was merely a hateful demagogue. On July 13, 1793, a young Royalist from Caen, Charlotte Corday, managed, by a clever subterfuge, to gain entry into his apartment. She claimed to have a list of enemies of the revolution knowing that Marat would love to see it.

In September 1793, the "Reign of Terror" spread all over the country. This was a cruel period when France was killing its people by hundreds in a frightening movement of rage and decadence. People were arrested and executed without trial if they were accused of being enemies of the revolution. It is estimated that about 40,000 people died during this 15 month period. Marie Antoinette was executed in October 1793. She died because she represented the King's heritage and was the perfect illustration of the fear that reigned at this time.

Blaming the war and Vendee insurrection, the Declaration of the Rights of Man was suspended. Robespierre became a tyrant, who thought anything was justified when it came to the revolution's rights. He changed his views on the death penalty, saying it was justified against enemies of the Republic (He said "to make an omelet one must break a few eggs"). He reinstalled censorship, especially in the press and acted for a secular state. To this effect, he changed the calendar and in November 24th, 1793 he set the Revolutionary calendar as the new benchmark. It was once said that "a revolution always eats its young."Quickly, Danton himself became the victim of the Terror at the order of Robespiere. He was considered "too moderate" and then, arrested and executed in April 1794The Great Terror

One of the darkest periods in French history soon ensued. The Great Terror began in June 1794. Robespierre and the Comittee of Public Safety launched a new wave of executions. He was strongly supported by the Montagnards and the Sans-Culottes. Robespierre was in a mission against the counter revolutionaries and against the Church. Thousands of people who were suspected to be anti-revolutionists were executed savagely. A campaign of de-Christianization took place all over the country.

On May 8th, 1794 the Assembly introduced the "Culte de l'Être Supreme" (The cult of Supreme Being), as form of deism. On June 8th, 1794 Robespierre, the so called "President" of the Convention and ordered the establishment of a new civic religion called the Cult of the Supreme Being. He then ordered a suspension in executions to celebrate a new holiday "Fête de l'Etre Supreme" (Supreme Being celebration) in Paris. However, these celebrations were mocked by the Parisians and Robespierre lost his credibility when he appeared before the crowd on top of a paper machè mountain wearing a Roman toga.Conclusion: Robespierre's Demise July 1794.

A major turn of events took place in July 1794. Robespierre was now set to launch yet again another wave of attacks and many in the room felt that they themselves would be the next victims. He was accused of dictatorship and tyranny and evicted from the Convention. The members voted for his simultaneous eviction and execution, without allowing him to defend himself. Robespierre and several associates were arrested but he actually attempted to kill himself but succeeded in only blowing off his own jaw! Robespierre was beheaded to an ovation by the people of Paris. His death was the symbol of the Reign of Terror's end. However as we will see it also marked the end of the democratic movement.Conclusion: The Formation of the Directory 1795-1799

The Directory became France's executive power between 1795 and 1799. There were five members, or directors, and each was elected by the Council of Ancients (les Anciens) and the Five Hundred (Cinq-Cents). Those of you who have taken world history might recognize that this is similar to the format of early Athenian democracy. This, I think hammers home the notion of neo-classicalism and its influence upon this period in France.

Following the turmoil of the Reign of Terror it seems obvious that the majority of French people were ready to take a somewhat conservative step backwards. It was somewhat effective in its first years, but then corruption and self-service set in. Internal bickering and in-fighting increasingly destabilized the country and, in 1799, two of its members - Paul Barras and Abbe Sieyes - plotted with Napoleon Bonaparte to overthrow their colleagues. The Coup of Brumaire succeeded and the Directory was dissolved. It was replaced by the Consulate led by Napoleon Bonaparte.

HomeworkStudy your notes for a short answer format quiz covering the moderate and radical phases of the French Revolution. Be sure that you study b/c lots of time has passed since we started our discussion. Some of the questions will be document based.

WEDNESDAY Quiz on the Moderate and Radical Phases of the French Revolution (INT-7,10,11) (PP-10)(IS-6,9,10)(SP-

3,4,5,6,7)

Materials Strategy/Format

Quiz forms/docs Assessment and Review

InstructionsToday's quiz will take most of the period and will feature both stimulus and formative based questions. This is a closed-note quiz and must be completed during the class period.

HomeworkRead pp: 640 - 645 (omit the Individuals in Society section). This can be an open note quiz. Here's your strategy: as you read jot down some notes. You CANNOT photocopy the text nor can you share notes. Your notes cannot be on a computer. Taking notes is not a requirement and I will not be taking them up.

THURSDAY (Textbook Needed) Reading quiz on the Haitian Revolution and its importance (INT-7,10,11)(PP-10)(IS-6,9,10)(SP-3,4,5,6,7) Mid-term review activity (individual)

Materials Strategy/FormatQuiz forms/docs Assessment and Review/Text docs

Instructions Hopefully you made a few notes on this reading as it was a bit complex. The reading quiz will not take the

entire period as we have a review activity to follow this assignment. You will need to answer the quiz and submit it before you start the review activity (so obviously this will

be on 2 separate sheets The Review activity will be part of an old practice test and it will be multiple choice. This will be a good

preview of the midterm. This time you CANNOT work together. The review does count as a grade and materials can be used (but the problem is that you will not have much time).

HomeworkComplete the following review (formative-based format). This is for all students even if you are exempt (due

Monday December 16 7am Euro Mid Term Review

http://www.quia.com/quiz/5601340.html

FRIDAY Examine the Thermodorian Reaction and the Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte (PP-10) (SP-3,13,16,17) (IS-

6,7,9)Materials Strategy/FormatPPT and Video Lecture-discussion

Introduction: The Thermodorian Reaction 1794-95 Last week we discussed the death of Robespierre and the conclusion of the Reign of Terror and the so-

called Great Terror. The expression, “Revolutions always eat their young” saw its fruition. Most of the radical Jacobin leaders were now dead. Murat, Danton, and Robespierre all meet the guillotine that they so fervently advocated.

The Convention at this point was still the government of France and one of the major steps of the Thermodorian Reaction was the dismantling of the oppressive committees (CPS and CGS). In addition to this the Jacobin Clubs were all outlawed and most political prisoners (most of whom were awaiting their deaths) were released from jails. The Convention then set about drafting a new constitution for France.Constitution of the Year III (1795)

When you look at the new constitution one can see a slight return to conservatism but generally speaking the new document can be considered more liberal in some respects than the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen 1789a. Citizenship: The old document created two types of citizenship. Active citizens were those with

property or the equivalent of three days provable wages. No women were active citizens. The number

of active citizens did rise and church lands were redistributed and sold. But generally the power in France was narrowly distributed relative to the population. Now, all males over 21 were eligible to vote for electors if they paid taxes. Women still were shut out of the process.

b. Organization of the government: The 1789 Constitution had created separate branches with legislative and the king as the executive branch. Then, following the deposition of the king, executive power was in theory, dismantled and the National Convention ruled the nation. Of course as the war intensified the Reign of Terror had created committees that acted above the law. The Constitution of the Year III allowed the popularly elected “electors” to form a bicameral government (the Assembly of 500 and the Assembly of Ancients). An executive branch was returned, known as the Directory but it was strictly separated from the legislature. The Directory was a five man executive council chosen by the Assembly of 500. Each branch had veto powers on certain levels.

c. In the matter of religion, a return to more conservative values is evident. Under the old Civil Constitution of the Clergy, the church was an organ of the government and priest were state paid employees. Then of course during the de-Christianization process there was an attempt to remove priests from society as a whole. Under the new government a separation of Church and State were once again instituted.

Problems Develop The new government of France almost immediately ran into trouble. One might say that there was too

much democracy because there were elections each year of the whole government. The high turnover rate, while it might sound good as a way to limit corruption, also limited continuity. The government was rather unpopular also because they strictly controlled local government in a stringent federal republican system. Also, the Convention dissolved in 1795 with most power resting the hands of largely incapable Directors. This is the last phase of revolutionary governments. Henceforth this usually just known as the Directory.

In the fall of 1795 a rebellion once again erupted in Paris led by Gracchus Babeuf. He claimed that the government was headed toward dictatorship. Babeuf’s revolt was one of the first examples of the Paris Commune and it is seen as one of the seed germs of socialism and communism. The rebellion and subsequent demonstration was largely quelled due to the swift response of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Two more years of disquiet occurred despite the fact that France was doing well militarily. Spain signed a treaty with France (Treaty of San Ildefonso which by the way gave Spain control of Louisiana Territory). Britain was unable to aid its allies on the continent and Northern Italy fell to Napoleon and was made independent of Austria (though basically a client state of France).

The 18th of Fructitor was a coup d’état against the Convention (September 1797). This resulted in a state of military dictatorship. For the next two years attempts to restore republican rule failed largely due to corruption. Another major area of concern was the seeming return to influence of the Jacobins, some of whom had been implicated with the Reign of Terror.

The 18th of Brumair (November 1799) saw the final act of the French Revolution. The Directory and the French Revolution itself came to an end with the coup d'état of 18th of Brumaire (9 November 1799) in which General Napoleon overthrew the Directory and replaced it with the Consulate.

In November 1799, France was suffering the effects of military reverses brought on by Bonaparte's adventurism in the Middle East. The looming threat of opportunistic invasion by the 2nd Coalition had provoked internal unrest, with Bonaparte stuck in Egypt. A return to Jacobin ideas seemed possible.

The coup was first prepared by the Abbe Sieyes (yep, the same guy from 1789), then one of the five Directors. Bonaparte returned from Egypt a hero to the public despite his reverses. Sieyès believed he had found the general indispensable to his coup. However, Bonaparte promptly began a coup within the coup. Ultimately, the coup brought to power Bonaparte, not Sieyès.

Conclusion While some believe that the French Revolution did not end with Napoleon because he extended values and ideas born of the revolution, truly the new Consulate government created in 1799-1800 was no more than a military dictatorship with Napoleon at the reigns. He would continue to use the term First Consul but next unit we will see that this was merely an illusion.

HomeworkStudy for Mid-term exam unless exempt