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The French Revolution: Triumph of Reason or Reign of Terror?

Explore the excesses of the French Revolution, from the execution of Louis XVI to the establishment of the Cult of Reason and the remaking of the calendar. Discover how rational principles clashed with traditions and led to a period of brutality known as the Reign of Terror.

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The French Revolution: Triumph of Reason or Reign of Terror?

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  1. The execution of Louis XVI marked a turning point in the French Revolution, ushering in a new period of brutality known as the Reign of Terror. But the excesses of the Revolution could be seen as early as 1790, even before the first French Constitution.

  2. The French people viewed the Revolution as the triumph of reason over an illogical and unfair system of privilege that benefited the Catholic Church and old Feudal Lords.

  3. The National assembly wanted to sweep away all of the old, irrational traditions and remake the world according to logical, rational principles.

  4. In reaction to the irrational privileges of the First Estate, the new National Assembly confiscated the property of the Catholic Church and revoked the vows of monks and nuns.

  5. The National Assembly replaced the Catholic Church with a Cult of Reason, which they saw as opposed to the superstitions of Christianity. Cathedrals were turned into temples of Reason, and festivals were celebrated in honor of rationality.

  6. They abolished the old provinces of France, which were based on irrational Feudal privileges and tradition…

  7. And replaced them with new, rational departments of roughly equal size and population.

  8. They even rewrote the entire calendar to strip it of any vestiges of religious language – making it more “rational” – and making it difficult for people to remember when the old Christian holidays were. The year of Louis XVI’s beheading was renamed Year I, and all events were dated in relation to this historic event.

  9. * Autumn: o Vendémiaire (from Latin vindemia, "grape harvest") Starting Sept 22, 23 or 24 o Brumaire (from French brume, "fog") Starting Oct 22, 23 or 24 o Frimaire (From French frimas, "frost") Starting Nov 21, 22 or 23 * Winter: o Nivôse (from Latin nivosus, "snow") Starting Dec 21, 22 or 23 o Pluviôse (from Latin pluviosus, "rain") Starting Jan 20, 21 or 22 o Ventôse (from Latin ventosus, "wind") Starting Feb 19, 20 or 21 * Spring: o Germinal (from Latin germen, "germination") Starting Mar 20 or 21 o Floréal (from Latin flos, "flowering") Starting Apr 20 or 21 o Prairial (from French prairie, "pasture") Starting May 20 or 21 * Summer: o Messidor (from Latin messis, "harvest") Starting Jun 19 or 20 o Thermidor (or Fervidor) (from Greek thermos, "heat") Starting Jul 19 or 20 o Fructidor (from Latin fructus, "fruit") Starting Aug 18 or 19

  10. The month is divided into three décades or 'weeks' of ten days each, named simply: * primidi (first day) * duodi (second day) * tridi (third day) * quartidi (fourth day) * quintidi (fifth day) * sextidi (sixth day) * septidi (seventh day) * octidi (eighth day) * nonidi (ninth day) * décadi (tenth day)

  11. Instead of most days having a saint as in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, each day has an animal (days ending in 5), a tool (days ending in 0) or else a plant or mineral (all other days) associated with it. Vendémiaire (Sep 22 ~ Oct 21) 1. Raisin (Grape) 2. Safran (Saffron) 3. Châtaigne (Chestnut) 4. Colchique (Crocus) 5. Cheval (Horse) 6. Balsamine (Impatiens) 7. Carotte (Carrot) 8. Amarante (Amaranth) 9. Panais (Parsnip) 10. Cuve (Vat) 11. Pomme de terre (Potato) 12. Immortelle (Strawflower) 13. Potiron (Calabaza) 14. Réséda (Mignonette) 15. Âne (Donkey) 16. Belle de nuit (The four o'clock flower) 17. Citrouille (Pumpkin) 18. Sarrasin (Buckwheat) 19. Tournesol (Sunflower) 20. Pressoir (Wine-Press) 21. Chanvre (Hemp) 22. Pêche (Peach) 23. Navet (Turnip) 24. Amaryllis (Amaryllis) 25. Bœuf (Cow) 26. Aubergine (Eggplant) 27. Piment (Chili Pepper) 28. Tomate (Tomato) 29. Orge (Barley) 30. Tonneau (Barrel)

  12. leap years — were national holidays at the end of every year. These were originally known as les sans-culottides (after sans-culottes), but after year III (1795) as les jours complémentaires: * 1st Complementary Day: La Fête de la Vertu "Celebration of Virtue" on Sept 17 or 18 * 2nd Complementary Day: La Fête du Génie "Celebration of Talent" on Sept 18 or 19 * 3rd Complementary Day: La Fête du Travail "Celebration of Labour" on Sept 19 or 20 * 4th Complementary Day: La Fête de l'Opinion "Celebration of Convictions" on Sept 20 or 21 * 5th Complementary Day: La Fête des Récompenses "Celebration of Honors (Awards)" on Sept 21 or 22 * Revolution Day: La Fête de la Révolution "Celebration of the Revolution" on Sept 22 or 23 (Leap years) (WIKIPEDIA)

  13. In short, the Revolution was getting carried away with itself. After the execution of Louis XVI, a new government called the National Convention was elected by universal manhood suffrage. The Convention established a Committee of Public Safety to protect the French people from the absolute monarchies of Austria and Prussia. The committee quickly drafted every unmarried man between 18 and 25!

  14. Catholics, conservatives, and now even Girondists began to fight back against the radical measures of the Jacobins. After a well known Jacobin, Jean-Peal Marat, was assassinated by a Girondist, the Convention established a Revolutionary Tribunal to try and execute “enemies of the Revolution” known as counterrevolutionaries.

  15. At first Danton and Robespierre concentrated their efforts on the Girondists, Catholics and Monarchists. Robespierre said, “It is necessary to annihilate both the internal and external enemies of the republic or perish with its fall.”

  16. However, after an assassination attempt, Robespierre became more and more suspicious of everyone around him. Ultimately, he had even Danton guillotined.

  17. All told, between 15,000 and 40,000 people were killed for engaging in counterrevolutionary activities. What would each of the following philosophers have said about the Reign of Terror? Locke? Voltaire? Montesquieu? Rousseau? Hobbes?

  18. Does this picture make more sense now?

  19. What about this one?

  20. Ultimately, the French people rejected the strict “rationalism” and radical agenda of Robespierre and the Jacobins. Robespierre himself was guillotined in 1794. The bourgeoise became the most powerful group in France by 1795 and wrote another new Constitution, known as the Constitution of the Year III. Only male property owners could vote. This constitution had a bicameral legislature. The lower house was known as the Council of 500 and the 250 senators were known as the Council of Elders. Five directors were chosen by both houses of the legislature for one year terms. This government was known as the Directory.

  21. However, the five Directors often fought one another – not unlike the First and Second Triumvirates of the Roman Republic. Just like in the Roman Republic, the various leaders had to rely on the army to control the population and settle disputes between one another. This paved the way for powerful military leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte to come to power in a coup d’etat in 1799. Napoleon said, “I found the crown of France lying on the ground, and I picked it up with my sword.”

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