French Revolution Timeline

National Assembly (1789-1791) Also called the Constituent Assembly August 4th, 1789: voted to abolish feudal rights and all fiscal privileges of nobles, clergy, and provinces. August 26th, 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen “The natural and imprescriptible rights of man to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” Abolished tax exemptions, equal rights for all men, and office based on talent. Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Female Citizen October 5th, 1789: Women’s March on Versailles July 1790: Civil Constitution of the Clergy

National Assembly (1789-1791) 1791: National Assembly completes new constitution Established limited constitutional monarchy Legislative Assembly Could review powers granted to the king Sat for two years and consisted of 745 reps chose by more or less an electoral college Only “active citizens” could vote (men over 25 that paid taxes equivalent to 3 days unskilled labor) “Active citizens” voted for electors (men who paid taxes = to 10 days unskilled labor) 50,000 electors chose the reps Instituted vast bureaucracy run by elected councils and officials Problems: Pretty much the work of wealthy bourgeoisie Angered clerics Angered lower classes and peasants (rise in the cost of living) Angered political clubs offering more radical solutions

Legislative Assembly October 1791: Holds first session Most reps were men of property (lawyers) Like the National Assembly, Louis attempted to work with the new Assembly. August 27th, 1791: Austria and Prussia invite all of Europe to invade France and restore the monarchy April 20th, 1792: Legislative Assembly declares war on Austria Reactionaries thought it would settle the revolution. A defeat might reinstate the old regime Leftists hoped it would export the revolution throughout all of Europe

The war Early defeats, economic strife, and fears of an Austrian invasion reignited the revolutionary spirit August 1792: Radical Paris political groups attacked the palace and the Assembly and forced them to suspend the monarchy Called for universal male suffrage to elect a new government Power now in the hands of the Paris Commune Mostly those who called themselves sans-culottes Fall 1792: Mass executions of believed traitors and prisoners September 1792: National Convention holds its 1st session as governing body of France Mostly property owners, distrustful of the king First step was to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic

First French Republic Two Most Important Factions Girondins Represented the provinces feared the radical mobs Leaned towards keeping the king alive The Mountain Represented Paris, power from the radical sections of the city Won out when the National Convention tried the king and found him guilty – he was sentenced to death January 21, 1793: Louis XVI executed Served only to exacerbate the factional disputes between the Girondins and the Mountain Paris Commune put pressure on the National Convention towards more radical positions

Domestic & Foreign Crisis June 1793: Paris Commune invades the National Convention and begins arresting and executing leading Girondins Power now falls to the Mountain Counter-revolutionary sentiment in by peasants (Vendee Rebellion) Marseilles and Lyons joined Early 1793: After the regicide of Louis XVI, most of Europe aligns against France in an informal coalition National Convention gives broad powers to an executive committee, the Committee of Public Safety Georges Danton & Maximilian Robespierre are 2 of the 12 prominent members 1st order of business for the Committee is to prepare France to defend itself

A Nation in Arms August 23, 1793: The Committee decrees a universal mobilization of the nation. In only a year the French revolutionary gov’t had an army of over a million The largest Europe had ever seen It begins pushing the allied forces back across the Rhine The making of modern nationalism occurs at this point in the French Revolution Why do you think the French revolutionary army was so successful?

The Committee and the reign of terror Why would the new war lead the revolutionary government to engage in something like the reign of terror? Courts are convened to try “enemies of the revolution.” Royalists Girondins Thousands of peasants Olympe de Gouges (oh-LAMP duh GOOZH) Most executions took place in the Vendee, Lyons, and Marseilles All places where open revolt against the National Convention had been taking place. The radical revolution also affected women adversely Society for Revolutionary Republican Women

Reaction and the Directory July 28, 1794: Robespierre is executed What has the National Convention and the Committee of Public Safety accomplished? Created a nation in arms Preserved the Revolution Prevented it from being destroyed by foreign invasion Saved the Revolution from counter-revolution Thermidorean Reaction National Convention beings to quell the power of the Committee Jacobin Clubs were shut down Churched were allowed to reopen Laissez-faire policies instituted August 1795: New constitution reflecting the more conservative values of the reaction

Constitution of 1795 National Legislative Assembly (bicameral): Council of 500 (Lower House) Initiate legislation Council of Elders (upper house of 250) Ratified or vetoed legislation More stringent property qualifications put on voting Electors All males over 21 who paid taxes The Directory Five directors elected by the Council of Elders from a list compiled by the Council of the 500 The aristocratic nature of the new constitution caused insurrections in Paris The Directory used the military to put down the Parisian mobs under the generalship of Napoleon Bonaparte

The Age of Napoleon Which aspects of the French Revolution did Napoleon preserve, and which did he destroy? Freedom Equality Fraternity 1799: Coup that brought an end to the Directory Power now rested in the hands of three consuls, much like the Roman Triumvirates. Though “the decision of the First Consul shall suffice.” 1802: Napoleon named consul for life 1804: Napoleon crowns himself Emperor Napoleon I, return France to a monarchy.

Domestic Policies of Napoleon The Catholic Church Concordat: an agreement or treaty, especially one between the Vatican and a secular government relating to matters of mutual interest. 1801: Napoleon signs a concordat with Pope Pius VII Church can depose French bishops; France could nominate bishops Church could hold processions and reopen seminaries Pope agreed not to raise the issue of confiscated Church lands All clergy would be paid by the state Catholics and Protestants Catholicism is not reestablished as the religion of the state

Domestic Policies of Napoleon Laws in France Never a uniform set of laws Attempts were made during the Revolution, but never lasted because of the political turmoil Napoleon and the Law Civil Code: known as the Code Napoleon, preserved most of the gains from the Revolution Recognized the principle of equality before the law The right of individuals to choose their professions Religious toleration Abolition of serfdom and feudalism Property rights were protected Outlawed strikes and unions

Domestic Policies of Napoleon Napoleon and the Law Undid most of the gains of equality of gender from the Revolution Put almost of the power back into the hands of the father, seen as the head of the household. Specifically divorce Bureaucracy Kept the department system, but replaced the elected assemblies with appointed prefects Responsible for supervising all aspects of the local governments Tax collection became more efficient No tax exemptions for any reason (birth, status, or special arrangement) Crated a new aristocracy based on merit and service to the state