Reform & Terror of Revolution

Aug. 1789: peasants targeted upper classes

I. The End of the Old Regime

Aug. 4, 1789: nobles joined Nat’l Assembly Abolished all remnants of feudalism Repealed tithes & canceled feudal dues owed by

peasants Privileges of First & Second Estate abolishedOLD REGIME = DEAD!

Aug. 27, 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen Men are born equal & remain equal before the lawFreedom of speech, press, religion All citizens had equal right to public office Slogan of Fr. Rev. = “liberty, equality, fraternity”

Women excluded Olympe de Gouges: Declaration of Women and

Citizenesses (rejected by Nat’l Assembly)

II. Reforms in Govt.

1789-1791: passed many laws correcting abuses, set up new govt.

Divided Fr. into 83 districts (departments)1789: assumed national debt

Seized Church lands (offered to public) –pay off debt!1790: Civil Constitution of the Clergy

PEOPLE in the parishes would elect clergy Church lost both lands & political independence

Many peasants opposed assembly’s reforms

A. Louis Tries to Escape

June 20-21, 1791: royal fam. tried to escape to Austrian Netherlands Apprehended at border & returned to Paris

III. The Constitution of 1791

1791: Nat’l Assembly finished Constitution Limited authority of king & est. govt. into 3

branches king could not proclaim laws or block laws passed by

legislature

Legislative Assembly: create laws

A. Factions Split France

Food shortages & debt remained Legislative Assembly split

Radicals (left wing)ModeratesConservatives (right wing)

Old Regime died hard: many nobles fled to other countriesEmigres = restore Old Regime

sans-culottes (“those w/out knee breeches”)

IV. The End of the Monarchy

Neighboring countries feared Fr. fate Austria & Prussia wanted Louis reinstated

Issued the Declaration of Pillnitz April 1792: Legislative Assembly declared war

Invaded Fr. Radicals seized control of Paris (the Commune)

ABOLISH MONARCHY!Aug. 10, 1792: office of king suspended

Louis & family taken from Tuileries Palace to the Temple Commune ruled Paris, Leg. Assem. governed Fr.

Fr. needed a new const. Leg. Assem. voted itself out of existence Needed a Nat’l Convention

V. The French Republic

Delegates elected by universal manhood suffrage

A. The Nat’l Convention

Sept. 1792: first meeting Divided into 3 groups (no support for king)

1. Girondists –republicans, middle-class, feared domination by Paris

2. Jacobins—extreme radicals republicans, favored domination by Paris Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximilien Robespierre, Jean-Paul

Marat

3. group that had no definite views

Nat’l Convention governed 3 yrs. End of monarchy, beginning of republic Create new constitution, suppress disorder at home,

fight foreign invaders

Louis XVI tried for treasonJan. 21, 1793: beheaded by guillotine

Shocked Western world

B. Exporting the Revolution

Fr. armies stopped invasionInvaded Austrian Netherlands

SPREAD IDEAS OF REVOLUTION! Brit., Netherlands, Spain, & Sardinia joined Austria & Prussia to

form alliance (the First Coalition) Invaded Fr.

1793: Committee of Public SafetyCrush foreign armies Revolutionary Tribunal—to try “enemies of the Rev.”Conscription (the draft)

Men of ALL classes fought

Jacobins controlled Nat’l ConventionArrested Girondists

Charlotte Corday assassinated Jean-Paul Marat (1793)

VI. The Reign of Terror

Nat’l Convention suppressed all opposition 1793: Maximilien Robespierre gained power

Build a “republic of virtue” Redrew calendars to eliminate Sunday (religion) Leader of the Committee of Public Safety (dictator)Prd. = the Reign of Terror (Sept. 1793-July 1794)

Goal = protect the Rev. from “enemies” Challenged leadershipMany executed on mere suspicion

Spring 1794: Geoges Danton spoke outExecuted

July 1794: Robespierre executed

VII. Work of the Nat’l Convention

Made many reformsPublic education Abolished slavery in coloniesAdopted metric system

By 1795: citizen army drove out invadersFirst Coalition broke up Crushed uprising in Paris

A. The Directory

1795: another Const. Universal manhood suffrage disappeared Wealthy controlled the govt. Est. an executive branch (5 directors)

Governed Fr. (4 yrs) Economic situation worsened Unpopular

Under Robespierre blood was spilled & we had bread. Now blood is no longer spilled, & we have no bread. Perhaps we must spill some blood in order to have bread.