Political Reforms of the French Revolution

Brandon ChungChris Chin

Fanghua LouJason Pymento

The National Assembly

• Formed from the third estate (peasant class)

• Created a limited constitutional monarchy after gaining power

• Completed the new constitution and gave power to the Legislative Assembly

• The Legislative Assemble was responsible for war and creating laws

National Assembly (cont.)

•The revolution leaders split into 3 groups: –Radicals (opposed monarchy)–Moderates (wanted some changes)–Conservatives (upheld limited monarchy)

•War with Austria and Prussia caused Parisan radicals to take the law into their own hands

•The Assembly was dissolved

The Convention

• The Convention would abolish the monarchy and proclaim France a republic

• Levée en mass (mass levy) was imposed by the convention to draft citizens to join the army

• Often used the guillotine for executions

• Robespierre and the Jacobin party unleashed a campaign of terror

Reign of Terror

• The revolution peaked when Maximilien Robespierre of the Jacobin party took control of the Convention.

• He came to control the Committee of Public Safety: the executive authority of the Republic.

• With radical ideas, they sought to eliminate the influence of Christianity forcefully, replacing them with secular beliefs.

• They rearranged the calendars, gave more rights to women, and avidly used the guillotine. 40,000 people are said to have died by the guillotine

• This all created political and social anarchy, and the instability of revolutionary leadership eventually undermined confidence in the regime itself.

The Directory

• The Convention was undermined and conservatives gained power as the Directory.

• They tried to find a middle ground between the revolutionary principles and the old regime.

• It ended in November 1799 when Napoleon came to power.