Chapter 2: Increasing Violence And Riots 1789-1793

Question 1

September Massacres

Answer 1

After 10th August 1792, power was hared between the deputies of LEGISLATIVE assembly, the REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNE who controlled Paris and a new body carted by them both, the PROVISIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUNAL set up in March 1793 to try those who had committed counter-revolutionary offences. SUCCEEDING EVENTS:

• General Lafayette, after trying to march as army on Paris to end the revolution, defected to the Austrians.
• It seems that Prussians would capture Paris within weeks. In response, the commune ordered the arrest of hundreds of suspected counter-revolutionaries.
• Rumour spread that they planned to escape from prison, massacre the people and surrender Paris to the advancing Prussians. Marat & other Jacobin extremists called for them to be killed.
• when news of the fall of the fortress of Verdun reached Paris, 2nd September, prisons were broken into = over next four days about 1300 prisoners murdered.

Question 2

Trial & Execution of the King

Answer 2

Revolution has now become more violent under strain of war and power was passing to new more radical groups.

• Girondins & Montagnards fought over King’s fate - radicals called for executed, moderates dared not refuse
  -Convention held trial and find the killing guilty in January 1793.
• The vote for the death penalty was one by 387 to 344, a victory for the radical Republicans and the Paris crowds in a heightened atmosphere of revolutionary success in war.
• The king was executed on 21 January 1793.
• Death of the king shocked European states = paved way for continued war.
• Major cause of civil war within France and the extension of political violence.

Question 3

The Convention

Answer 3

• Electorate widened to 5 million (not domestic servants, women or those living on charity)
• primary assemblies chose electors on 25 August & main election held in early September
• The new assembly, now called the Convention, was responsible for both government and lawmaking/main purpose as giving country a new Republican constitution.
• RADICALS (Jacobins, Cordeliers & those representing the Commune of Paris / radical provincial volunteers (fédérés)) were called MONTAGNARDS = sat on high left
• MODERATES sat in centre and called ‘the Plain’. Girondins sat on right of raised seating.
• INITIALLY not extreme (tho no royalists): Jacobins won 1/4 seats, previous deputies re-elected & half new Convention were lawyers.
• Girondins as leading group - from radicals of Legislative Assembly to conservative revolutionary party in Convention

Question 4

The Initial Actions of the Convention

Answer 4

• 21 September 1792, monarchy formally abolished and the new republic gave France a fresh start = declared that it was Year One rather than 1792AD.
• Old months renamed in a new Revolutionary Calendar adopted on 24th October 1793, but backdated to 22nd of September 1792 (Year One started on 1 Vendémiaire) = Harmless eccentricity, showed desire to break with the past radically.
• By 1793, most of Europe, turned against France and major risings in the south inspired by hostility to religious changes (see Vendée) = The Convention set up…
  > the Committee of Public Safety (CPS)
  > the Committee of General Security (CGS)
  > a political court in March 1793 which became the Revolutionary Tribunal in October

Question 5

The rising in the Vendée

Answer 5

March 1793, a major rising began in the western region of the VENDÉE = largely rural area, alienated by taxation and conscription and resented religious changes since the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and the execution of the king = attacks on constitutional priests & revolutionary officials

• Catholic/Royal army of 80,000 marched on major city of Nantes & into Normandy
• General Turreau led Republican response = carried out brutal destruction from June 1793
• Civil war lasted until 1796, over 200,000 killed = the TERROR was most violent in the suppression of internal revolt!!!

Question 6

Run- Up to the Fall of the Girondins

Answer 6

Girondins had 160 members in Convention in September = ruling party
- January 1793, disagreed with Jacobins on election of the KING = thought it should be to national vote but lost debate = appeared sympathy for Louis provoked hostility in Paris = lost control of Jacobin club, Paris Commune & elements of National Guard = more extremist support
- High bread prices & fall in value of assignants by 50% = grain price controls imposed by national Convention May 1793 = growth in black market for grain = grain supplies fell & food prices rose = making hoarding grain an offense didn’t work = extremists in paris (ENRAGÉS) called for higher taxes on rich, death for hoarders & arrest of political suspects

Question 7

How did the Fall of the Girondins happen?

Answer 7

IN March 1793, Girondins ruling committee arrested radicals Marat and Hérbert in order t control enemies = wave of condemnation.

• An unfortunate number of developments (desertion of former Girondin General Dumouriez to Austrians, Catholic rebel success in Vendée, Lyon royalist coup, acquittal of Marat 20 April then his murder on 13 July) = revolt on 31ST MAY by sans-culottes
• 2 JUNE 1793, 8000 National Guardsmen surrounded Convention under Hanriot = arrested leading Girondins = tried in October 1793 = 22 guillotined in 1/2 hour on 31 OCTOBER

Question 8

Significance of the Fall of the Girondins

Answer 8

• Suffered similar problems to King in facing the power of the Paris, mobs and being weakened by reversals of fortune in war and poor economic conditions.
• Led to the Terror and the dominance of Robespierre, so 31 May - 2 June 1793 were just as important as previous revolutionary ‘journées’ of 1789 & 10 August 1792