3. The “Second” French Revolution  The National Convention (1792):  Girondin Rule: 1792-1793  Jacobin Rule: 1793-1794 [“Reign of Terror”] Thermidorian Reaction: 1794-1795  The Directory  1795-1799 Radical Takeover – The working class poor of Paris begin to exert more influence over the revolution and demand more drastic changes to France’s political, social, and economic systems

4. Attitudes & actions of monarchy & court Fear of Counter- Revolution Religious divisions Political divisions War Economic Crises The Causes of Instability in France 1792 - 1795

5. The Jacobins Jacobin Meeting House  They held their meetings in the library of a former Jacobin monastery in Paris.  Started as a debating society.  Membership mostly middle class.  Created a vast network of clubs.

6. The Sans-Culottes: The Parisian Working Class  Small shopkeepers.  Tradesmen.  Artisans. They shared many of the ideals of their middle class representatives in government.

7. The Sans-Culottes Depicted as Savages by a British Cartoonist.

8. The Storming of the Tuilieres: August 9-10, 1792 This was triggered in part by the publication in Paris of the August 3 Brunswick Manifesto, which confirmed popular suspicions concerning the king’s treason. King and Queen survived but were imprisoned afterwards by the Legislative Assembly.

9. The September Massacres, 1792 (The dark side of the Revolution!)  Rumors that the anti-revolutionary political prisoners were plotting to break out & attack the revolutionary armies defending France, while the Prussians attacked from the front.  Revolutionaries open prisons and massacre suspected anti-revolutionaries - over 1000 killed!  It discredited the Revolution among its remaining sympathizers abroad.

10. The National Convention (1792-1795)  Its first act was the formal abolition of the monarchy on September 22, 1792.  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!

11. The National Convention and the Political Spectrum Jacobins Montagnards (“The Mountain”) Girondists Monarchíen (Royalists) 1790s: The Plain (swing votes) TODAY:

12. The Politics of the National Convention (1792-1795) The MountainGirondists  Power base in Paris.  Main support from the sans-culottes.  Would adopt extreme measures to achieve their goals.  Saw Paris as the center of the Revolution.  More centralized [in Paris] approach to government.  Power base in the provinces.  Feared the influence of the sans-culottes.  Feared the dominance of Paris in national politics.  Supported more national government centralization [federalism]. (Jacobins)

13. Three Major Radical (Jacobin) Leaders: 1.Maximilien Robespierre 2.Georges Danton 3.Jean-Paul Marat

14. Maximillian Robespierre (1758 – 1794) “Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible.” “The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.”

15. Georges Jacques Danton (1759 – 1794) “At last I perceive that in revolutions the supreme power finally rests with the most abandoned.”

16. Jean-Paul Marat (1744 – 1793) “Five or six hundred heads cut off would have assured your repose, freedom and happiness.” “Let us tax the rich to subsidize the poor”

17. Because of a debilitating illness, Marat was eventually forced to work from home. He was assassinated (in the tub while taking a medicinal bath) by Charlotte Corday, a Girondist sympathizer, in July, 1793. The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David

18. Louis XVI as a Pig c For the Mountain (and most Jacobins), the king was a traitor. c The Girondins felt that the Revolution had gone far enough and didn’t want to execute the king [maybe exile him].

19. Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793) - The trial of the king was speeded up by the discovery in a secret cupboard in Tuilieres Palace of 100s of private documents. - They proved conclusively Louis’ knowledge and encouragement of foreign intervention. - The National Convention voted 387 to 334 to execute the monarchs.

20. Marie Antoinette as a Serpent

21. Marie Antoinette on the way to the Guillotine Marie Antoinette on the way to the Guillotine

22. Attempts to Control the Growing Crisis 1.Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris  made to try suspected counter-revolutionaries. A.Representatives-on-Mission esent to the provinces & to the army. ehad wide powers to oversee conscription. B. Watch Committees [comité de surveillance] ekeep an eye on foreigners & suspects. C. Sanctioned the trial & execution of rebels and émigrés, should they ever return to France.

23. Attempts to Control the Growing Crisis 2.T he printing of more assignats to pay for the war (…leads to inflation). 3.C ommittee of Public Safety [CPS] eteteteto oversee and speed up the work of the government during this crisis. 4.C ommittee of General Security [CGS] ererereresponsible for the pursuit of counter-revolutionaries, the treatment of suspects, & other internal security matters.

24. Committee for Public Safety (directs the “Reign of Terror”)  Revolutionary Tribunals.  300,000 arrested.  16,000 – 40,000 executed.

25. Reign of Terror: (Sept. 5, 1793 - July 27, 1794) Despite military successes, the Convention continued to face problems domestically Danton and his Jacobin political party came to dominate French politics Committee of Public Safety –Headed by Danton (and later Robespierre) –Those accused of treason were tried by the Committee’s Revolutionary Tribunal Guillotine became known as the “National Razor” Including innovative thinkers like Olympe de Gouges and Madame Jeanne Roland

27. The Guillotine: An “Enlightenment Tool”? Oh, thou charming guillotine, You shorten kings and queens; By your influence divine, We have re-conquered our rights. Come to aid of the Country And let your superb instrument Become forever permanent To destroy the impious sect. Sharpen your razor for Pitt and his agents Fill your divine sack with heads of tyrants. (Invented as a quick and painless way too execute someone, but was also very efficient, and was used to kill thousands)

28. Different Social Classes Executed 28% 31% 25% 8% 7%

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

30. The Terror Intensified: March to July, 1794 ÔLaw 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!) Ô1,500 executed between June & July. Danton & the “Indulgents” Jacques Hébert & the Hérbetists Executed in April, 1794 Executed in March, 1794

31. End of the Reign of Terror (1794) Members of the Girondist political party tried to end the Reign of Terror initiated by the Jacobin political party –This opposition to the Committee of Public Safety caused many Girondists to be tried and executed for treason Eventually, even Georges Danton wanted to end the executions –This resulted in Danton being tried and executed for treason Maximilien Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety –He continued the executions –Convention came to blame Robespierre for the Reign of Terror Thermidorean Reaction –July 27, 1794 – ended the Reign of Terror –Convention sent Robespierre and other members of the Committee of Public Safety to the guillotine Robespierre was guillotined on July 28, 1794

32. The “Thermidorean Reaction,” 1794 July 26  Robespierre gives a speech illustrating new plots & conspiracies.  he alienates more and more members of the National Convention  many felt threatened by his implications. July 27  the Convention arrests Robespierre. July 28  Robespierre is tried & guillotined! END OF THE “RADICAL PHASE” OF THE REVOLUTION

33. The Arrest of Robespierre

34. 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.

35. “Saturn Devouring his Son” By Francisco Goya (circa 1820)

36. Parting Reforms Passed by the Convention Adopted the metric system Fully ended feudalism by abolishing primogeniture (the system where the oldest son inherited all of his father’s estate) Drew up a comprehensive system of laws Ended debt imprisonment Ended slavery in France’s colonies Established a nationwide system of public education

37. The “Cultural Revolution”Brought About by the Convention  It was premised upon Enlightenment principles of rationality.  The metric system of weights and measures  Was defined by the French Academy of Sciences in 1791 and enforced in 1793.  It replaced weights and measures that had their origins in the Middle Ages.  The abolition of slavery within France in 1791 and throughout the French colonies in 1794.  The Convention legalized divorce and enacted shared inheritance laws [even for illegitimate offspring] in an attempt to eradicate inequalities.

38. REMINDER All this time, the French Revolutionaries are fighting a war against foreign coalition of European Monarchies

39. The Levee en Masse: An Entire Nation at Arms! – 500,000 Soldiers An army based on merit, not birth!

40. Growing Foreign Coalition against the French Revolution Convention drafted Frenchmen into the army to defeat the foreign Coalition –These troops were led by General Carnot –The people supported military operations because they did not want the country back under the Old Regime Rouget de Lisle wrote the “Marseillaise” (listen)listen –Became the French national anthem –Inspired troops as they were led into battle After two years (1793-1795) –Coalition was defeated –France had gained, rather than lost, territory

42. Constitution of the Year III of the Republic (1795) With the foreign invaders defeated and the Reign of Terror at an end, the Convention inaugurated its new constitution Constitution of the Year III of the Republic (1795) created the Directory the proletariat loses influence

43. Government under the Directory 5 directors appointed by the Legislature Executive Lower house (500 members) proposed laws Upper house (250 members) voted on these laws 2/3 of the Legislature would initially be filled by members of the Convention Legislature Girondists (middle-class party) had defeated the Jacobins (working- and peasant-class party) Girondists’ constitution stated that suffrage (the right to vote), as well as the right to hold office, were limited to property owners Qualifications

44. Directory (1795-1799) The Directory suffered from corruption and poor administration. The people of France grew poorer and more frustrated with their government. Despite, or perhaps because of, these struggles, the French developed a strong feeling of nationalism – they were proud of their country and devoted to it. National pride was fueled by military successes. It would be a military leader – Napoleon Bonaparte, coming to power through a coup d’ état – who would end the ten-year period (1789-1799) known as the French Revolution.

46. Review Questions 1. Name and describe the two political parties that competed for power in revolutionary France. 2. What was the Committee of Public Safety and why was it formed? 3. Describe the Reign of Terror and explain how it eventually came to an end. 4. What were the positive accomplishments of the National Convention 8. Were the “excesses” of the French Revolution justifiable? Why or why not? 9. Looking back at the first half of 1789, could the French Revolution have been avoided? If so, how?

47. Bibliographic Resources  “Hist210—Europe in the Age of Revolutions.” http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/courses/europe1/ chron/rch5.htm http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/courses/europe1/ chron/rch5.htm http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/courses/europe1/ chron/rch5.htm  “Liberty, Fraternity, Equality: Exploring the French Revolution.” http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/ http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/  Matthews, Andrew. Revolution and Reaction: Europe, 1789-1849. Cambridge University Press, 2001.  “The Napoleonic Guide.” http://www.napoleonguide.com/index.htm http://www.napoleonguide.com/index.htm