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I. The End of the Old Regime Aug. 4, 1789: nobles joined Nat’l Assembly  Abolished all remnants of feudalism  Repealed tithes & canceled feudal dues owed by peasants  Privileges of First & Second Estate abolished  OLD REGIME = DEAD!

Aug. 27, 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen  Men are born equal & remain equal before the law  Freedom 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 : 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 : 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)  Moderates  Conservatives (right wing) Old Regime died hard: many nobles fled to other countries  Emigres = 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 treason  Jan. 21, 1793: beheaded by guillotine Shocked Western world

B. Exporting the Revolution Fr. armies stopped invasion Invaded 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 Safety  Crush foreign armies  Revolutionary Tribunal—to try “enemies of the Rev.”  Conscription (the draft) Men of ALL classes fought

Jacobins controlled Nat’l Convention  Arrested 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 July 1794) Goal = protect the Rev. from “enemies”  Challenged leadership  Many executed on mere suspicion Spring 1794: Geoges Danton spoke out  Executed July 1794: Robespierre executed

VII. Work of the Nat’l Convention Made many reforms  Public education  Abolished slavery in colonies  Adopted metric system By 1795: citizen army drove out invaders  First 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.