Chapter 6The French Revolution and

Napoleon

Section 3Radical Days of the Revolution

The Monarchy is AbolishedAs the revolution continued, bad news about the war abroad increased tensions. The Prussian forces were beating the French and many French military officers were deserting the French army and joining the émigrés in the hopes of restoring royal control.

Tensions Lead to ViolenceOn August 10th, 1792 a crowd of Parisians who were angry about the French forces losing in battle, stormed the royal palace of the Tuileries and slaughtered the king’s guards. The royal family fled to the Legislative Assembly, escaping before the mob arrived.

A month later, citizens attacked prisons that held nobles and priests accused of political offenses. About 1,200 prisoners were killed.

Radicals Take Control and Execute the King- Backed by the Paris crowds, radicals took control of the Assembly. They called for the election of a new legislative body called the National Convention. Suffrage (the right to vote) was to be extended to all male citizens, not just to property owners.

In September of 1792, the new National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic (government that elects its officials into office). The radicals drew up a constitution for France. The Jacobins set out to erase all traces of the old order. They seized lands of nobles and abolished titles of nobility.

The National Convention also put King Louis XVI on trial as a traitor to France. The king was convicted by a single vote and sentenced to death. In October, Marie Antoinette was also executed. The radical newspapers celebrated her death.

Terror And Danger Grip FranceBy early 1793, danger threatened France on all sides. The country was at war with much of Europe (Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, Prussia). In Paris the National Convention was bitterly divided between the Jacobins and a rival group called the Girondins.

The Convention Creates a New Committee- To deal with the threats to France, the National Convention created the Committee of Public Safety. The 12-member committee issued a mass levy (tax) that require all citizens to contribute to the war effort. The committee also took charge of all trials and executions.

The French army slowly improved, winning battles and eventually taking over the Netherlands. They later invaded Italy. European monarchs were terrified as the revolutionaries spread their ideas into conquered lands.

Robespierre “the Incorruptible” At home France was dealing with their own conflicts. Maximilien Robespierre (lawyers & politician) quickly rose to the leadership of the Committee of Public Safety. His dedication to the revolution earned him the nickname “the Incorruptible”. Robespierre promoted religious toleration and wanted to abolish slavery. He was popular with the sans-culottes, who hated the old regime. He believed that France could achieve a republic only through the use of terror. He believed that death, violence, and threats were the only way to change France.

The Guillotine Defines the Reign of Terror – Robespierre was one of the leaders of the Reign of Terror, which lasted from September 1793 – July of 1794. Revolutionaries conducted quick and unfair trials and many were convicted and sentenced to death. About 300,000 were arrested during the Reign of Terror. 17,000 were executed. Many were victims of mistaken identity or were falsely accused by their neighbors. Many more were paced into hideous prisons, where death from disease were common.

Thousands of these deaths were performed by the guillotine. Its fast falling blade extinguished life instantly. It quickly became a symbol of horror.

Within a year, the Terror consumed those who initiated it. Afraid of the bloodshed and fearing for their own lives, members of the Convention turned on the Committee of Public Safety. On the night of July 27, 1794, Robespierre was arrested. The next day he was executed. After the heads of Robespierre and other radicals fell, executions slowed dramatically.

The Revolution Enters Its Third StageIn reaction to the Terror, moderates moved the revolution into its third stage by producing another constitution. The Constitution of 1795 set up a five-man Directory and a two-house legislature elected by male citizens of property. The middle class and professional people of the bourgeoisie were the dominant force during this stage of the French Revolution.

Unfortunately, the Directory faced major opposition. Many émigrés were returning to France and devout Catholics, who resented what the revolutionaries did to the Church were welcoming these émigrés back to France.

As chaos threatened, politicians turned to Napoleon Bonaparte, a popular military hero how had won a series of brilliant victories against the Austrians in Italy. The politicians planned to use him to advance their own goals. The politicians would eventually realize that they misjudged Napoleon who would eventually outwit them all to become ruler of France.

Revolution Brings ChangeBy 1799, the 10-year long French Revolution had dramatically changed France. It had dislodged the old social order, overthrown the monarchy, and brought the Church under state control. All people were recognized as citizens, the social classes evened out, and many titles and privileges were eliminated.

Nationalism Spreads – Revolution and war gave the French people a strong sense of identity. Nationalism (a strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one’s country) spread throughout France.

Revolutionaries Push for Social Reform – Revolutionaries pushed for social reform and religious toleration. They set up state schools to replace religious ones and organized systems to help the poor, old soldiers, and war widows. The government also abolished slavery in France’s Caribbean colonies.