The French Revolution "Radical" Phase: 1793-1794

1. The French Revolution "Radical" Phase: 1793-1794

2. The “Second” French Revolution Radical Takeover – Theworkingclasspoor of Paris begintoexert more influenceovertherevolution and demand more drasticchangestoFrance’spolitical, social, and economicsystems • The National Convention (1792): • Girondin Rule: 1792-1793 • Jacobin Rule: 1793-1794[“Reign of Terror”] • Thermidorian Reaction: 1794-1795 • The Directory  1795-1799

3. Attitudes & actions of monarchy& court Fear ofCounter-Revolution Religiousdivisions The Causes of Instability in France1792 - 1795 EconomicCrises Politicaldivisions War

4. The Jacobins Jacobin Meeting House • They held their meetings in the library of a former Jacobin monastery in Paris. • Started as a debating society. • Membership mostly middle class. • Created a vast network of clubs.

5. The Sans-Culottes:The Parisian Working Class • Small shopkeepers. • Tradesmen. • Artisans. They shared many of the ideals of their middle class representatives in government.

6. The Sans-Culottes Depicted as Savages by a British Cartoonist.

7. The Storming of the Tuilieres:August 9-10, 1792 This was triggered in part by the publication in Paris of the August 3 Brunswick Manifesto, which confirmed popular suspicions concerning the king’s treason. King and Queen survived but were imprisoned afterwards by the Legislative Assembly.

8. The September Massacres, 1792(The dark side of the Revolution!) • Rumors that the anti-revolutionary political prisoners were plotting to break out & attack the revolutionary armies defending France, while the Prussians attacked from the front. • Revolutionaries open prisons and massacre suspected anti-revolutionaries - over 1000 killed! • It discredited the Revolution among its remaining sympathizers abroad.

9. The National Convention(1792-1795) • Its first act was the formal abolition of the monarchy on September 22, 1792. • The Decree of Fraternity • it offered French assistance to any subject peoples who wished to overthrow their governments. When France sneezes, all of Europe catches cold!

10. The National Convention and the Political Spectrum TODAY: 1790s: The Plain(swing votes) Montagnards(“The Mountain”) Girondists Monarchíen(Royalists) Jacobins

11. The Politics of the National Convention (1792-1795) The Mountain Girondists • Power base in Paris. • Main support from the sans-culottes. • Would adopt extreme measures to achieve their goals. • Saw Paris as the center of the Revolution. • More centralized [in Paris] approach to government. • Power base in the provinces. • Feared the influence of the sans-culottes. • Feared the dominance of Paris in national politics. • Supported more national government centralization [federalism]. (Jacobins)

12. ThreeMajor Radical (Jacobin) Leaders: • MaximilienRobespierre • Georges Danton • Jean-Paul Marat

13. Maximillian Robespierre “Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible.” “The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.” (1758 – 1794)

14. Georges Jacques Danton “At last I perceive that in revolutions the supreme power finally rests with the most abandoned.” (1759 – 1794)

15. Jean-Paul Marat(1744 – 1793) “Five or six hundred heads cut off would have assured your repose, freedom and happiness.” “Let us tax the rich to subsidize the poor”

16. Because of a debilitating illness, Marat was eventually forced to work from home. He was assassinated (in the tub while taking a medicinal bath) by Charlotte Corday, a Girondist sympathizer, in July, 1793. The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David

17. Louis XVI as a Pig • For the Mountain (and most Jacobins), the king was a traitor. • The Girondins felt that the Revolution had gone far enough and didn’t want to execute the king [maybe exile him].

18. Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793) • The trial of the king was speeded up by the discovery in a secret cupboard in Tuilieres Palace of 100s of private documents. • They proved conclusively Louis’ knowledge and encouragement of foreign intervention. • The National Convention voted387 to 334 to execute the monarchs.

19. Marie Antoinette as a Serpent

20. Marie Antoinette on the way to the Guillotine

21. Attempts to Controlthe Growing Crisis Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris made to try suspected counter-revolutionaries. • Representatives-on-Mission • sent to the provinces & to the army. • had wide powers to overseeconscription. B. Watch Committees [comité de surveillance] • keep an eye on foreigners & suspects. C. Sanctioned the trial & execution of rebels and émigrés, should they ever return to France.

22. Attempts to Controlthe Growing Crisis • The printing of more assignats to pay for the war (…leads to inflation). • Committee of Public Safety [CPS] • to oversee and speed up the work of the government during this crisis. • Committee of General Security [CGS] • responsible for the pursuit ofcounter-revolutionaries, thetreatment of suspects, & other internal security matters.

23. Committee for Public Safety (directs the “Reign of Terror”) • Revolutionary Tribunals. • 300,000 arrested. • 16,000 – 40,000 executed.

24. Reign of Terror:(Sept. 5, 1793 - July 27, 1794) Despite military successes, the Convention continued to face problems domestically Danton and his Jacobin political party came to dominate French politics Committee of Public Safety Headed by Danton (and later Robespierre) Those accused of treason were tried by the Committee’s Revolutionary Tribunal Guillotine became known as the “National Razor” Including innovative thinkers like Olympe de Gouges and Madame Jeanne Roland

26. The Guillotine:An “Enlightenment Tool”? Oh, thou charming guillotine, You shorten kings and queens;By your influence divine,We have re-conquered our rights.Come to aid of the CountryAnd let your superb instrumentBecome forever permanentTo destroy the impious sect.Sharpen your razor for Pitt and his agentsFill your divine sack with heads of tyrants. (Invented as a quick and painless way too execute someone, but was also very efficient, and was used to kill thousands)

27. Different Social Classes Executed 7% 8% 28% 25% 31%

28. The “Monster” Guillotine The last guillotine execution in France was in 1939!

29. The Terror Intensified:March to July, 1794 Jacques Hébert & theHérbetists Danton & the“Indulgents” Executed in March, 1794 Executed in April, 1794 • Law of 22 Prairial [June 10, 1794]. • Trials were now limited to deciding only on liberty OR death, with defendants having no rights. • Were you an “enemy of the people?” (the law was so broadly written that almost anyone could fall within its definition!) • 1,500 executed between June & July.

30. End of the Reign of Terror (1794) Members of the Girondist political party tried to end the Reign of Terror initiated by the Jacobin political party This opposition to the Committee of Public Safetycaused many Girondiststo be tried and executed for treason Eventually, even Georges Dantonwanted to end the executions This resulted in Danton being tried and executed for treason Maximilien Robespierrebecame leader of the Committee of Public Safety He continued the executions Convention came to blame Robespierre for the Reign of Terror Thermidorean Reaction July 27, 1794 – ended the Reign of Terror Convention sent Robespierre and other members of the Committee of Public Safety to the guillotine Robespierre was guillotined on July 28, 1794

31. The “Thermidorean Reaction,” 1794 July 26 Robespierre gives a speech illustrating new plots & conspiracies. • he alienates more and more members of the National Convention • many felt threatened by his implications. July 27  the Convention arrests Robespierre. July 28  Robespierre is tried & guillotined! END OF THE “RADICAL PHASE” OF THE REVOLUTION

32. The Arrest of Robespierre

33. The Revolution ConsumesIts Own Children! Robespierre Lies WoundedBefore the Revolutionary Tribunal that will order him to be guillotined, 1794. Danton Awaits Execution, 1793

34. “Saturn Devouring his Son” By Francisco Goya (circa 1820)

35. Parting ReformsPassed by the Convention

36. The “Cultural Revolution”Brought About by the Convention • It was premised upon Enlightenment principles of rationality. • The metric system of weights and measures • Was defined by the French Academy of Sciences in 1791 and enforced in 1793. • It replaced weights and measures that had their origins in the Middle Ages. • The abolition of slavery within France in 1791 and throughout the French colonies in 1794. • The Convention legalized divorce and enacted shared inheritance laws [even for illegitimate offspring] in an attempt to eradicate inequalities.

37. REMINDER Allthis time, the French Revolutionaries are fighting a waragainstforeigncoalition of EuropeanMonarchies

38. The Levee en Masse:An Entire Nation at Arms! – 500,000 Soldiers An army based on merit, not birth!

39. Growing Foreign Coalition against the French Revolution Convention drafted Frenchmen into the army to defeat the foreign Coalition These troops were led by General Carnot The people supported military operations because they did not want the country back under the Old Regime Rouget de Lisle wrote the “Marseillaise” (listen) Became the French national anthem Inspired troops as they were led into battle After two years (1793-1795) Coalition was defeated France had gained, rather than lost, territory

41. Constitution of the Year III of the Republic (1795) With the foreign invaders defeated and the Reign of Terror at an end, the Convention inaugurated its new constitution Constitution of the Year III of the Republic (1795) created theDirectory the proletariat loses influence

42. Government under the Directory

43. Directory (1795-1799)

45. Review Questions

46. Bibliographic Resources • “Hist210—Europe in the Age of Revolutions.”http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/courses/europe1/chron/rch5.htm • “Liberty, Fraternity, Equality: Exploring the French Revolution.”http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/ • Matthews, Andrew. Revolution and Reaction: Europe, 1789-1849. CambridgeUniversity Press, 2001. • “The Napoleonic Guide.” http://www.napoleonguide.com/index.htm