French Revolution Role Play Scenarios - CP Vive La Revolution! French Revolution Role Play Scenarios - CP

1789 - The peasants are rebelling, but the bourgeoisie cannot control them. The peasants think that their right to freedom means they can do whatever they want since now they are free from the control of the king. They don’t know what good rights or bad rights are and have no understanding of the “social contract”. This is looking more like the state of nature. What should you do?

Questions to Answer: How should the bourgeoisie (educated members of the Third Estate who formed the National Assembly) control the peasants? Can the bourgeoisie control the peasants?

What Actually Happened? The Great Fear spread throughout France and peasants went wild throughout the summer of 1789. The National Assembly created the Declaration of the Rights of Man a new constitution for France that limited the King’s power and gave more rights to the people.

1792 – The bourgeoisie leaders of the revolution are keeping King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette alive. The National Assembly wrote a Constitution that made France a constitutional monarchy (where a King exists and has power to veto (cancel) laws) and set the voting age at 25, for men only, who own property (so if you don’t own land, you can’t vote). Many new leaders come to power, like the radical Maximilien Robespierre who wants to give more men the right to vote. The National Assembly keeps trying to pass new laws, but the king keeps vetoing them. The king and queen also tried to escape. Some people (like Maximilien Robespierre) think it is a good idea to just get rid of the king and queen, but this could cause problems with the queen’s family in Austria. What should you do?

Questions to Answer Should Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette be kept in power? Is it worth the risk of problems with Austria to get rid of the king and queen? Should there be more changes made to the constitution and/or the government? Are the changes made by the Declaration of the Rights of Man enough, or should everyone listen to Maximilien Robespierre and make more?

What Actually Happened (Part 1)? Maximilien Robespierre a radical member of the bourgeoisie gains power and gets rid of the National Assembly and the constitution. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI are killed by guillotine.

What Actually Happened (Part 2)? Maximilien Robespierre forms the Committee of Public Safety that he says will fix the problems in France (such as high prices), but eliminated “enemies of the state” and making France safer for democracy.

1793 – The Committee for Public Safety has been killing thousands of Frenchmen (including King Louis XVI) because they were supposedly “enemies of the Revolution”. Maximilien Robespierre is controlling everything and people are afraid to question him. People are calling this a “Reign of Terror” because everyone is afraid of being caught by spies or accused of being an enemy and executed by guillotine. Maximilien Robespierre is killing anyone he suspects of being his enemy with little or no evidence. To make matters worse Austria has declared war on France for killing Marie Antoinette. What should you do?

Questions to Answer What should the other members of the Committee of Public Safety do about Maximilien Robespierre? Austria and some other countries in Europe are now at war with France because Robespierre executed Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Should you try to make peace with them or fight them?

What Actually Happened (Part 1)? The time period that Maximilien Robespierre controlled the Committee of Public Safety became known as the Reign of Terror because so many people were killed based on his suspicions that they were enemies of his or loyal to the king. Robespierre did not solve the food shortages or lower prices.

What Actually Happened (Part 2)? Robespierre drafted people to serve in the military and fight Austria. Robespierre became so unpopular that the Committee of Public Safety had him executed by guillotine for crimes against the state.

1795 – Robespierre has been killed, and the “Reign of Terror” is over 1795 – Robespierre has been killed, and the “Reign of Terror” is over. Now the “Directory” is the new government of France – the executive branch is just 5 men who enforce the new Constitution. Robespierre’s policy of letting all men vote is replaced with only allowing men who own property to vote. The men who can vote eliminate price controls (to keep costs down) and begin printing money for themselves. As a result of all the new money, prices rise, and there are riots in Paris. What should they do?

How can the Directory deal with the riots in Paris (related to money)? Questions to Answer How can the Directory deal with the riots in Paris (related to money)? What changes (if any) should the Directory make to their new constitution?

What Actually Happened? The Directory (a group of five men that rule the government together) are very corrupt and unpopular with the people. They appoint a young military general named Napoleon Bonaparte to restore order in Paris. Napoleon successfully restores order and then goes to fix the other problems France is having in Europe.

1799 – The Directory is out of control – they are not pleasing anybody 1799 – The Directory is out of control – they are not pleasing anybody. There are still people who support the monarchy who want Louis XVI’s oldest son to become the King of France under a constitutional monarchy, and there are more extreme people who see France becoming like Great Britain – where the wealthy businessmen and bourgeoisie have the real power because prices are rising and people have fewer and fewer jobs. The Directory also has to keep fighting the wars that the Committee for Public Safety under Maximilien Robespierre’s control started, which are being won by a strong and popular General named Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon wins a battle and gets some more land for France, the Directory sends unemployed people to go and live on that land, so Napoleon is one of the only successful parts of the French government. What should they do?

Questions to Answer Should the Directory put a monarch back in power or should they make more changes to France so they can be like Britain? How can the Directory use Napoleon’s successes to help the government or make changes?

What Actually Happened? When Napoleon returns to France from fighting wars he realizes how bad things have gotten under the Directory. Napoleon is very popular with the French people, so he decides to overthrow the Directory and create his own government.