Class notes and activities

was a leading revolutionary radical

was associated with the left-wing Jacobins

wanted to establish a new “Republic of Virtue”

was influenced by Rousseau and other Enlightenment thinkers

GIRONDINS

A moderate group from southern France

Did not want to extend political rights to working class (“sans culottes”)

JACOBINS

Embraced radical reform Advocated the use of harsh

measures to bring about change

PRIOR TO 1792

Revolution was marked by a legalistic desire for an end to social privilege.

The Revolution respected for the law.

AFTER 1792

Legalism broke down. State terrorism by the

Committee of Public Safety took its place.

Those who disagreed with policies were brought before revolutionary tribunals and were either forced into submission or executed.

Privacy = secrecy and anti-revolutionary activities

Those expressing private interests = working against the “general will” of the republic

Those working against the state = enemies of the republic

Absolutist governments in continental Europe were worried about the Revolution’s influence.

Both the Austrian emperor and the Prussian king threatened retribution if the royal family of France was harmed.

Francis II, Marie Antoinette’s brother, took the Austrian throne in 1792.

After an Austrian ultimatum, France declared war on Austria.

Other countries joined the war against France. Britain

Holland

Spain France became more nationalistic in

response. France also became more expansionist. Series of wars lasted until the defeat of

Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo.

In September 1792, Jacobins, who became more prominent, engineered a massacre of prisoners which resulted in more than 1,200 murdered and/or mutilated.

“Mob courts” decided the fates of prisoners, though the judges were often the killers themselves.

The royal family was becoming more unpopular during the war with Austria.

The monarchy was abolished in September 1792.

The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and the Convention convened.

The former king, Louis XVI, was put on trial and sentenced to death, despite the efforts of the Girondins to save him.

Louis XVI was decapitated by the “humane” Guillotine in January of 1793.

All signs of the ancien regime were replaced. These included:

1400 street names

Place Louis XV became Place de la Revolution

The Church of Saint-Laurent became the Temple of Marriage and Fidelity

The Notre Dame cathedral became the Temple of Reason

Le Roy became La Loi, Leveque became Liberte

The metric system was introduced. The 12-month calendar now featured 3 10-day

weeks. The name of the days of the week were changed

(primidi, duodi, tridi,…, decadi). The names of the months were changed

(January became Nivose, the month of snow). The fall of the monarchy was used as a reference

point for the start of time (Year One).

Leaders in Paris used violence against the enemies of the Republic.

Revolutionary tribunals tried individuals charged with crimes; many were sentenced to death.

Period # of executions

March 1793-June 1794 1,251

June 10-27, 1794 1,376

40,000 people died a violent death during the Terror

6.5 % were priests 8.5 % were nobles the rest were commoners

Activity: Read Robespierre’s justification of the use of terror.

How would you respond to Robespierre’s arguments?