Explain the Impact of the French Revolution, 1789

Question 1

Impact within Parliament (part one)

Answer 1

• Early stages of French rev were welcomed by some Whigs e.g. Whig leader Fox
• It was thought the revolution would establish a constitutional monarch as in Britain
• Small group of opposition Whigs made plans for Parliamentary Reform in Britain
• However, events in France became more extreme and a republic was declared, the political elite in Britain became hostile to the Revolution

Question 2

Impact within Parliament (part two)

Answer 2

• Whigs supporting the French republic were a very small and isolated minority
• Parliamentary reform became abandoned as reform became associated with radicalism which was associated with the Revolutionaries in France and as such deemed to be unpatriotic after start of war against revolutionary France in 1793.

Question 3

Impact outside of Parliament

Answer 3

• French Revolution gave momentum to radicalism in Britain
• Formation of radical groups and societies e.g. LCS
• Extent of mass support and geographical distribution can be questioned.
• Radical societies demanded Parliamentary Reform, Universal Male Suffrage, Annual Elections and Re-distribution of seats

Question 4

Pitt’s Reign of Terror

Answer 4

• Fear of a similar revolution in Britain led Pitt to change his policies c.1790 from Reform to Repression
• Pitt introduced his ‘Reign of Terror’ e.g. Intimidation e.g. harsh punishments; Legislation e.g. Two Acts after attack on King’s coach and suspension of Habeas corpus; and propaganda e.g. The Oracle, True Briton and The Sun

Question 5

Revolutionary Underground

Answer 5

• As a result of Pitt’s ‘Reign of Terror’ many radical groups went ‘underground’
• Rumours of actual or perceived radical groups existed groups existed e.g. Black Lamp, Despard Conspiracy, Naval Mutiny, Attack on the ing’s Coach

Question 6

Impact on Political Writing

Answer 6

• Edmund Burke: wrote Reflections on the Revolution in France(1790) which attacked and criticised the French Revolution. It was a response to some Whig’s support for the Revolution in France
• In response Thomas Paine wrote: The Rights of Man (1791-2). By 1793 it had sold 200,000 copies and was read by corresponding societies, and radical and revolutionary groups in Britain