Chapter 21 Section 3 The French Republic

The National Convention The National Convention was temporarily established to replace the king. Delegates were elected to the convention by {universal manhood suffrage- every adult male could vote} The delegates of the National Convention were divided into three groups: The Girondins- were republicans who feared the domination of France by Paris The Jacobins- were republicans who favored domination by Paris George-Jacques Danton & Maximilien Robespierre were two of the most powerful Jacobins Some of the Jacobins were extremists that wanted reforms that would benefit all classes of society. Jean-Paul Marat led the group of radicals The third group consisted of delegates who had no definite views {The National Convention also brought Louis XVI to trial, where he was found guilty of plotting against the security of the nation and sentenced to death} Louis XVI was beheaded by the guillotine on January 21, 1793

The execution of King Louis XVI

Exporting the Revolution Just before the kings execution, the French had defeated the invading armies of the Austrians and Prussians The French then decided to invade the Austrian Netherlands Fearing the French would try to overthrow other royalty outside of France, Britain, the Netherlands, Spain and Sardinia joined forces with Austria and Prussia and together they invaded France In 1793 the National Convention set up the Committee of Public Safety to direct the army and the Revolutionary Tribunal, a court to try enemies of the Revolution The Committee of Public Safety adopted the {conscription- or draft-} which stated all unmarried, able-bodied men between 18 and 25 were subject to military service As compensation it was made so that men from any class who proved their ability could become officers

Marie Antoinette being tried at the Revolutionary Tribunal

Opposition Some rebelled against the revolutionary government In western France the “Royal and Catholic” army fought the revolutionary army. Their actions are called {counterrevolutionary- meaning their actions were against the revolution. Most counterrevolutionary groups supported the Old Regime} At the time the Jacobins controlled the National Convention They began arresting Girondin delegates who opposed their policies. Meanwhile a young woman named Charlotte Corday, who was influenced by Girondin ideas, assassinated Marat. For which she was beheaded

While Marat was taking a bath, he heard an argument in the house. He called the owner of the house into the bathroom and asked what was going on. The woman replied that there was a woman there that was demanding to speak to him. Marat told the landlord to let the woman in. Charlotte Corday sat beside Marat and continued to give him names of Girondin opposition. At this time he began to make a list of all the names Corday had mentioned. Marat stated that “he would have them guillotined in Paris” At that Corday pulled a knife from her corset and stabbed him to death

The Reign of Terror Reign of Terror, which was headed up by Maximilien Robespierre} The National Convention suppressed all opposition and rebellion in what came to be known as the {Reign of Terror, which was headed up by Maximilien Robespierre} {During the Reign of Terror, from 1793 to 1794, the Jacobins began punishing anyone even suspected of disloyalty} Marie-Antoinette, Olympe de Gouges and many Girondins were sent to the guillotine during this time They also began executing peasants and bourgeoisie’s that were in favor of revolution as it would benefit them most of all. Clear reasoning other than suspicion of disloyalty was not given for the execution of these people

Maximilien Robespierre Olympe de Gouges Marie Antoinette

Continued…. By the spring of 1794 the French had gained the advantage in the war With the republic seemingly out of danger, Georges- Jacques Danton proposed the Reign of Terror had met its goal and should be relaxed a little His partner {Robespierre had gone a little power crazy with all of the “off with their head” business and accused Danton of disloyalty to the revolution and had him and all of him followers executed} Robespierre continued his brutality for several more months until in July 1794 a few members of the National Convention had him arrested and later beheaded The Jacobins lost power and because of all the unrest by this time many were in favor of a return to monarchy

Georges-Jacques Danton and his execution

Work of the National Convention Despite the negative aspects, the National Convention did positive things to shape French society It opened new schools and supported the idea of universal elementary education It established price and wage control to prevent inflation It abolished slavery and encouraged religious freedom It made the change from the monarchy’s system of weights and measures to the metric system Finally, by 1795 the French had driven the invaders out of France completely All this was done in addition to the government making it abundantly clear it would not tolerate any opposition

The Directory In 1795 the National Convention completed another constitution The government established by the National Convention’s new constitution, the Directory, took office in November 1795 The 500 member lower house proposed laws The smaller but more powerful 250 member upper house accepted or rejected the propositions The upper house also had the power to select the Directors- 5 individuals that made up an executive branch. The Directory only lasted 4 years because the five directors constantly were quarreling and the poor were still suffering Its failure paved the way for a military dictatorship in France

Napoleon Bonaparte Between 1795 and 1799 a young general named Napoleon Bonaparte was getting a lot of attention In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine de Beauharnais, a leader in French society. Two days after the marriage he was put in command of the French army Napoleon was considered one of the greatest generals of all time His genius lay in his ability to move troops quickly to the most vital points on the battlefield Napoleon gained support of the soldiers and boosted their morale by improving conditions for the troops

Continued…. In 1797, Napoleon forced Austria to sign a treaty that gave France control on all of northern Italy. Napoleon then went on to attack the British in Egypt to cut off British trade with Italy At first things went well in Egypt, but the military campaign went to disaster when the British destroyed the French fleet near Alexandria Napoleon left his army to fend for itself, returned to France where he hid the truth and exaggerated his victories As control over French territories in Italy slipped, Napoleon’s supporters plotted to overthrow the government and put Napoleon on the throne In 1799 a Coup D’etat took place in which armed troops surrounded the legislature and forced them to leave. Those who stayed, turned the government over to Napoleon and his supporters

Coup D’etat

Review Questions What does universal manhood suffrage mean? What group brought Louis XVI to trial, where he was found guilty of plotting against the security of the nation and sentenced to death? What does conscription mean? What does counterrevolutionary- mean Who did Most counterrevolutionary groups support? Who headed up the Reign of Terror? Who headed up the Reign of Terror? Who did Robespierre accuse of disloyalty to the revolution and had him and all of him followers executed?