1. Phases of the French Revolution
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…
-- Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities
Epoch- a period of time in a persons life, often where significant events happen

2. Ancien Regime
Everyone was a subject of the king of France as well as a member of an estate and province. All rights and status flowed from the social institutions, divided into three orders: clergy, nobility, and others (the Third Estate). There was no national citizenship.

3. Moderate Stage Review 1789-1792
Cashiers De Doleances
Tennis Court Oath
Goal was to draft a constitution
Soaring price of bread
1788 bread was 50% of a workers income
1789 bread was 80% of a workers income
Fall of the Bastille
The Great Fear
Rumor of aristocrats forming an army to kill the peasants

4. Moderate Stage Review 1789-1792
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Gospel of the new French social order
October Days
King Louis tries to get help from foreign powers
King Louis tries to escape France
Revolutionaries form a constitution

5. The Sans-Culottes: The Parisian Working Class
Small shopkeepers.
Tradesmen.
Artisans.
“Privilege of wealth taking the place of the privilege of birth. The Bourgeoisie taking the place of the aristocracy.”

6. The Radical Stage
Thomas Paine- “The best form of government was the one that governed the least”
The San-Culottes had a vision of the nation as one of small shopkeepers and small farmers. Not a nation of the wealthy.

7. The Causes of Instability in France 1792 - 1795
Attitudes & actions of monarchy & court
Fear of Counter-Revolution
Religious divisions
The Causes of Instability in France
Political divisions:
Jacobins v
Girondins
Economic Crises:
Assignat inflation
War

8. Flight to Varennes
King, Queen and their immediate family tried to escape France
They were recognized by an innkeeper from Louis’s picture on an assignat.
Captured and returned to Paris, imprisoned at Tuileries Palace.
Made many mistakes, delays, and Louis did not realize how disliked he was throughout the countryside.

9. The Storming of the Tuilieres: August 9-10, 1792
The capture, imprisonment and eventual execution of King Louis XVI

10. Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793)
The trial of the king was hastened by the discovery in a secret cupboard in the Tuilieres of a cache of documents.
They proved conclusively Louis’ knowledge and encouragement of foreign intervention.
The National Convention voted 387 to 334 to execute the monarchs.

11. The September Massacres, 1792 (The dark side of the Revolution!)
Rumors that the anti-revolutionary political prisoners were plotting to break out & attack from the rear the armies defending France, while the Prussians attacked from the front.
Estimates are as high as 1,400 people killed in the streets of Paris for being traitors or spys.
It discredited the Revolution among its remaining sympathizers abroad.

12. The National Convention (September, 1792)
Its first act was the formal abolition of the monarchy on September 22, 1792.
The Year I of the French Republic.
The Decree of Fraternity
it offered French assistance to any subject peoples who wished to overthrow their governments.
When France sneezes, all of Europe catches cold!

13. The proof necessary to convict the enemies of the people is every kind of evidence, either material or moral or verbal or written Every citizen has the right to seize conspirators and counter-revolutionaries and to arraign them before magistrates. He is required to denounce them when he knows of them.
Law of 22 Prairial Year II (June 10, 1794)

14. Attempts to Control the Growing Crisis
Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris  5 Judges, 12 man Jury and a prosecutor.
Goal was to try and prevent bloodshed as seen in the September Massacres
The number of executions ordered by the Paris Tribunal was moderate: in its 25 months of operation approximately 2750 people were executed, though 2250 were also acquitted.

15. Attempts to Control the Growing Crisis
The printing of more assignats to pay for the war.
Committee of Public Safety [CPS]
to oversee and speed up the work of the government during this crisis.
Committee of General Security [CGS]
responsible for the pursuit of counter-revolutionaries, the treatment of suspects, & other internal security matters.

16. Maximillian Robespierre (1758 – 1794)
Radical revolutionary that was elected leader of the Committee of Public Safety. Under his reign the committee became more and more powerful and he “ruled” France, but only for a year…

17. Georges Jacques Danton (1759 – 1794)
Chief force in the overthrow of the monarchy, but was “moderate” by French revolution terms.

18. The Assassination of Marat by Charlotte Corday
David Marat- Radical Jacobin newspaper editor. He had a skin condition that forced him to spend a lot of time in a bath where he would write and edit for his paper. He is credited with organizing the September Massacre’s.
Charlotte Corday- Girondin supporter, wanted to stop the radicalness of the revolution.

19. The Assassination of Marat by Charlotte Corday
What impression do you get from this painting?
Can you provide a bias/POV statement?
Jean Paul Marat was a radical newspaper editor who was killed in his bath by a conservative Girondin woman.

20. What about this one? What impression do you get from this painting?
Can you write a bias/POV statement?
“Corday, pictured as sweet and beautiful, someone who could not be guilty of murder for no good reason.”

21. Review- Warm-Up
After the trial and execution of Louis XVI, the leaders of the revolution had no choice but to move forward.
WHY
The new National Assembly faced massive problems, which were?
Inflation
Food shortages
Peasant rebellions
Foreign War

22. Brink of Civil War
Girondins: Moderate reformers who favored decentralized government, and little government involvement in the economy
Let the various provinces govern their own affairs
Jacobins: Radical reformers who wanted a centralized government, to make Paris the capital, and full government control of the economy
Won support of the Sans-Culottes
The Jacobins were the more militarized, well disciplined and better trained. They captured the National Assembly by force and took over the government

23. Goal of the Jacobins
Republic of Virtue: “to do all the good one can to one’s neighbor and to behave with justice towards all men”
To promote and defend the general will
This could not become a reality without removing the threat of civil and foreign war
Thus the need to temporarily take control and flush out all counter-revolutionaries

24. Legislation Passed by the National Convention
Law of General Maximum
September 5, 1793.
Limited prices of grain & other essentials to 1/3 above the 1790 prices & wages to ½ of 1790 figures.
Prices would be strictly enforced.
Hoarders rooted out and punished.
Food supplies would be secured by the army!
Law of Suspects
September 17, 1793.
This law was so widely drawn that almost anyone not expressing enthusiastic support for the republic could be placed under arrest!

25. Warm-Up: Primary Source Reading- Robespierre Speech
What does Robespierre means when he argues that terror flows from virtue?
Arguing Both Sides:
How does the use of terror support the essence of the revolution
How does the use of terror defy the essence of the revolution
How can this speech be interpreted as an Enlightenment attack on the Ancien Regime carried to its logical conclusion?

26. Let terror be the order of the day!- Video
The Reign of Terror
Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible. -- Robespierre
Let terror be the order of the day!- Video
The Revolutionary Tribunal of Paris alone executed 2,639 victims in 15 months.
The total number of victims nationwide was over 20,000!

27. Religious Terror: De-Christianization (1793-1794)
The Catholic Church was linked with real or potential counter-revolution.
WHY?
Religion was associated with the Ancien Régime and superstitious practices.
Very popular among the sans-culottes.
Therefore, religion had no place in a rational, secular republic!

28. Warm-Up What is the purpose of the Terror?
What is Civic Virtue?

29. The De-Christianization Program
The adoption of a new Republican Calendar:
abolished Sundays & religious holidays.
months named after seasonal features.
7-day weeks replaced by 10-day decades.
the yearly calendar was dated from the creation of the Republic [Sept. 22, 1792]
The Convention symbolically divorced the state from the Church!!

30. The New Republican Calendar
Vendemaire
(Vintage)
22 September-21 October
Brumaire
(Fog)
22 October-20 November
Frimaire
(Frost)
21 November-20 December
Nivose
(Snow)
21 December-19 January
Pluviose
(Rain)
20 January-18 February
Ventose
(Wind)
19 February-20 March
Germinal
(Budding)
21 March-19 April
Floreal
(Flowers)
20 April-19 May
Prairial
(Meadows)
20 May-18 June
Messidor
(Harvest)
19 June-18 July
Thermidor
(Heat)
19 July-17 August
Fructidor
(Fruit)
18 August-21 September
The New Republican Calendar
New Name
Meaning
Time Period
Vendemaire
Vintage
September 22 – October 21
Brumaire
Fog
October 22 – November 20
Frimaire
Frost
November 21 – December 20
Nivose
Snow
December 21 – January 19
Pluviose
Rain
January 20 – February 18
Ventose
Wind
February 19 – March 20
Germinal
Budding
March 21 – April 19
Floreal
Flowers
April 20 – May 19
Prairial
Meadow
May 20 – June 18
Messidor
Harvest
June 19 – July 18
Thermidor
Heat
July 19 – August 17
Fructidor
Fruit
August 18 – September 21
The Gregorian System returned in 1806.

31. A New Republican Calendar Year
Vendemaire
(Vintage)
22 September-21 October
Brumaire
(Fog)
22 October-20 November
Frimaire
(Frost)
21 November-20 December
Nivose
(Snow)
21 December-19 January
Pluviose
(Rain)
20 January-18 February
Ventose
(Wind)
19 February-20 March
Germinal
(Budding)
21 March-19 April
Floreal
(Flowers)
20 April-19 May
Prairial
(Meadows)
20 May-18 June
Messidor
(Harvest)
19 June-18 July
Thermidor
(Heat)
19 July-17 August
Fructidor
(Fruit)
18 August-21 September
A New Republican Calendar Year I
1792 – 1793 II
1793 – 1794
III
1794 – 1795 IV
1795 – 1796 V
1796 – 1797 VI
1797 – 1798
VII
1798 – 1799
VIII
1799 – 1800 IX
1800 – 1801 X
1801 – 1802 XI
1802 – 1803
XII
1803 – 1804
XIII
1804 – 1805
XIV
1805
The Gregorian System returned in 1806.

32. The De-Christianization Program
The public exercise of religion was banned.
The Paris Commune supported the:
destruction of religious & royal statues.
ban on clerical dress.
encouragement of the clergy to give up their vocations.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was turned into the “Temple of Reason.”

33. The “Temple of Reason”
Come, holy Liberty, inhabit this temple, Become the goddess of the French people.

34. No God! No Religion! No King! No Constitution!
The Radical’s Arms:
No God! No Religion! No King! No Constitution!

35. The Terror Intensified: March to July, 1794
Jacques Hébert & the Hérbetists
Danton & the “Indulgents”
Executed in March, 1794
Executed in April, 1794
Law of 22 Prairial [June 10, 1794].
Trials were now limited to deciding only on liberty OR death, with defendants having no rights.
Were you an “enemy of the people?” (the law was so broadly written that almost anyone could fall within its definition!)
1,500 executed between June & July.

36. Different Social Classes Executed7% 8%
28%
25%
31%

37. French Victory at Fleurus
June 26, 1794.
France defeated Austria.
This opened the way to the reoccupation of Belgium!

38. The “Monster” Guillotine
The last guillotine execution in France was in 1939!

39. The “Thermidorean Reaction,” 1794
July 26  Robespierre gives a speech illustrating new plots & conspiracies.
he alienated members of the CPS & CGS.
many felt threatened by his implications.
July 27  the Convention arrests Robespierre.
July 28  Robespierre is tried & guillotined in one day!

40. The Arrest of Robespierre
Video-

41. The Revolution Consumes Its Own Children!
Danton Awaits Execution, 1793
Robespierre Lies Wounded Before the Revolutionary Tribunal that will order him to be guillotined, 1794.

42. 10 Minute Quick Write
Would you consider the French Revolution a successful revolution under Robespierre? Why or why not?
Make sure you cite elements of before and after to justify your answer.
Goal- 3/4th of a page