Chapter 5 - Political pressures on government Flashcards
When was a republic first declared in France?
September 1792
When did the French Revolution begin with the storming of the Bastille?
14th July 1789
When did Edmund Burke publish ‘Reflection of the Revolution in France’?
1790
Who published ‘The Rights of Man’?
Tom Paine
When was ‘The Rights of Man’ published?
1791
When was the Society of the Friends of the People founded by a group of reformists?
1792
When was Thomas Hardy’s London Corresponding Society formed?
1792
When in the 1790s was Habeas Corpus suspended?
1794
When were the Treasonable Practices Act and Seditious Meetings Act introduced?
1795
Where were there Naval mutinies in 1797?
Spithead and Nore
Who was there a revival of political activity from in Britain following the French Revolution?
Middle class radicals
What was the main argument that Asa Briggs made about the effects of the French Revolution in Britain?
That its main effect was to make the government take a step backwards from reform and switch towards repression
What 3 reasons did Asa Briggs give for British reformists failing following the French Revolution?
- The feelings of the majority outweighed the influence of the radicals
- Events in France upset decent minded people and made them fear reform
- Supporters of the established order were well organised and, through their own societies, able to convince the public that radical activities were against the country’s best interests
What was the reaction of Pitt when he first heard of the French Revolution?
That it would preoccupy the French so that they couldn’t go to war- he was cautious, but not alarmed
What was the reaction of Fox and the Whigs when they heard of the French Revolution?
They hailed it as a victory for democracy and freedom, and viewed it as a French version of Britain’s 1688 Glorious Revolution
Why did Protestant dissenters welcome the French Revolution?
They believed that it might open the way to more religious tolerance and end the discrimination against themselves
What did Edmund Burke warn of in 1790?
That the revolution would end in bloodshed
What party did Edmund Burke belong to?
Whigs
What was the initial reaction to Burke’s warning in 1790?
Whilst some aristocrats agreed with him, they were a minority and most mocked Burke for a perceived overreaction
What did Paine say in ‘The Rights of Man’?
He rebuffed Burke, saying that the Revolution was a triumph for the ordinary man
Called for: political reform, a reduction in the influence and privileges of the aristocracy, meritocratic system of advancement and a government welfare system
What was an example of a political reform which Paine called for in ‘The Rights of Man’?
Universal male suffrage
Who were Paine’s most eager audience?
The self-educated, skilled artisan class
What did members of corresponding societies in the 1790s generally want?
Political reform and lower taxes
Why did Paine flee to France?
He was charged with seditious libel for republican views in ‘The Rights of Man’
When and why were the Friends of France attacked in Birmingham?
July 1791, possibly due to government agents provocateurs stirring up a mob
What were the September Massacres of 1792?
The deaths of thousands of prisoners in Paris who were suspected of being counter-revolutionaries
What was the general reaction to the September massacres in Britain?
Revulsion, except among radicals and convicted reformers
What did the Edict of Fraternity of November 1792 promise?
French assistance to any nation which rose against their sovereign
Who did France invade in November 1792?
The Austrian Netherlands
When were King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed?
January 1793
When did Britain first declare war on France in the 1790s?
January 1793
What and when was Pitt’s first repressive policy?
In May 1792 he issued an order against ‘seditious writings’
What followed the order against seditious writings in 1792?
The extension of magistrates’ powers and the arrest and punishment of reformers
What type of government did the French Revolution initially set up?
A constitutional monarchy