Revolution Brings Reform and Terror

Section 2Revolution Brings Reform and Terror

Main Idea:The revolutionary government of France made reforms but also used terror and violence to retain power.

Why it matters now:Some governments that lack the support of a majority of their people use fear to control their citizens

Assembly Reforms FranceThe National Assembly adopts the

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Slogan, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

To pay debt Assembly seizes church landsTurns clergy into public officials

MEN (not women) are “Born and remain free and equal in rights”

“Natural rights of man; these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.”

Alarms peasants, who are devout CatholicsDrives a wedge between peasants and the Bourgeoisie

Louis XVI tries to flee FranceFears for his future

Revolutionaries catch him near Netherlands border

National Assembly establishes a limited Constitutional Monarchy

Louis only has executive powersLegislative Assembly has the power to create laws and approve or prevent any war the King may declare

Divisions develop

Within the Assembly 3 groups developRadicals- wanted sweeping changes

Moderates- wanted some changesConservatives- wanted few changes

Outside the legislature divisions deepenEmigres- nobles who fled France and

wanted to undo the revolutionParisian wage earners- wanted the revolution to expand

Known as Sans-Culottes

Major problems persist including debt and food shortages

War and ExecutionEuropean countries watched France

Didn’t want revolution to spreadAustria and Prussia urged France to restore Louis XVI

France responds by declaring warWar goes badly for France

Prussian forces threaten ParisParisian mob throws royal family in jailRumors spread jailed loyalists are planning to

escape and take overMob attacks jail and kills over 1,000 people

France becomes a RepublicAfraid of attack and Radicals Assembly dissolves itself and abolishes Monarchy

National Convention takes controland declares a republic

Jacobins convict Louis of treason and execute him

Radical Jacobins take controlJean-Paul Marat leader advocated the death of everyone who supported the king

Under new government Louis was just a common citizen

War expandsGreat Britain, Holland and Spain joined in

war against France

Jacobins amassed more enemiesPeasants horrified at execution of King, Priests, other political opponents

Maximilien Robespierre assumes controlSet out to build a “Republic of Virtue”Wanted to wipe out all traces of Monarchy and Nobility

Closed all the churches Created the Committee of Public Safety

Began the Reign of TerrorTo “protect” the Revolution from it’s enemies40,000 people killedMost former members of the Third Estate

Eventually he was arrested and executed

France tires of terrorMore moderate government takes over

Executive branch 5 person Directory

The End

Quiz A

1 - In order to pay off Frances’ huge debt, the Assembly sold church lands and attempted to make the church part of the state, but by doing this they offended conservative Catholics and drove a wedge between the peasants and whom?

2 - In the new French Constitutional Monarchy, what body had the power to create laws and to approve or prevent any war the King may declare?

3 - Due to the war with Austria and Prussia and the increasing threat from Radical Parisians, the Legislative Assembly set aside the Constitution, dissolved itself and elected a new governing body called what that abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic?

4 - As the Jacobins were trying to establish and defend the Republic by executing King Louis XVI, fighting foreign invaders and beheading anyone who would not accept government control, what leader gained power and set out to build a “republic of virtue” by trying to wipe out every trace of Frances’ past monarchy and nobility?

5 - On July 14, 1789, what Paris prison did revolutionaries take control of in order to secure the gunpowder and has since become a symbolic act of the Revolution?

6 - The Old Regime in France was a system of feudalism left over from the middle ages and contained a social class divided into three large social classes called what?

7 - The 3rd estate has approximately what percent of the population and was compromised of merchants, artisans, cooks, servants and peasants who began questioning long-standing notions about the structure of society, power and authority of government?