Revolution Brings Reform and Terror

The Assembly Reforms France  Old Regime (3 estate system) was dead  Equals  The Rights of Man  National Assembly adopted the Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen  “men are born and remain free and equal in rights”  “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression”

A State-Controlled Church  Assembly took over Church lands  Declared that Church officials and priests were to be elected and paid as officials  Catholic Church lost both its lands and political independence

Louis tries to Escape  Louis pondered his fate as a monarch  France unsafe?  June 1791 royal family tried to escape and go to the Austrian Netherlands  Captured and sent back to Paris under guard

Limited Monarchy  September 1791 – New Constitution Louis approved  Limited Constitutional Monarchy  Legislative Assembly – power to create laws  King – executive powers to enforce laws

Legislative Assembly  Radicals – opposed the idea of a monarchy and wanted sweeping changes in the way government was ran  Moderates – wanted some changes in gov’t but not as many as Radicals  Conservatives – upheld idea of a limited monarchy

Terms to know:  Emigres – nobles and others who fled France and wished for the Old Regime to be restored  Sans-culottes – wanted greater change, workers and small shopkeepers  “those without knew breeches”

War and Execution  Austria and Prussia urged France to restore Louis as an absolute monarch  Legislative Assembly declared war in April 1792

France at War  Began badly for the French  Prussia was entering Paris – threatened a take over  French troops stormed Tuileries and imprisoned Louis, Maris and their children

 Under pressure from Radicals the Legislative Assembly set aside the Constitution  Declared King deposed, dissolved the assembly, and called for the election of a new legislature

Guilty or Not Guilty?

GUILTY!

Marie on her way to the Guillotine

New Government  National Convention  Took office September 21, 1791  Abolished the monarchy  France = Republic  Adult male citizens held office and were granted the right to vote

Jacobins Take Control  Radical Political Organization – Jacobins  Jean-Paul Marat  King =common citizen and prisoner  Convention found him guilty  Sentenced to Death

War Continues  Austria and Prussia against France  France against – GB, Holland, Spain  Too many enemies – calls for a draft

Robespierre Assumes Control  Jacobin leader  Maximilien Robespierre  Slowly gained power  “republic of virtue”  Get rid of the past

Committee of Public Safety  Dictator  Reign of Terror  Death sentences  National Convention turns – Revolts  Executed in 1794

Third New Government  Directory  Upper middle class men  Two-house legislature and an executive body of five men  Picked Napoleon Bonaparte to command armies