Internal and external war

Question 1

War in January 1793?

Answer 1

‘Army of North’ had been successful in Austrian Netherlands and ‘Army of Alps’ had seized Savoy and Nice

Question 2

War in March 1793?

Answer 2

Dumouriez pushed back by Austrians at Neerwinden (18th) and Leuven (21st).

Question 3

What happened in April 1793?

Answer 3

Dumouriez wanted to overthrow the Convention but his troops deserted so he defected to the Austrians in April - discredits Girondins

Question 4

When did the War of First Coalition begin?

Answer 4

20th April 1792 - France declared war on Austria and the First Coalition War began

Question 5

War in May 1793?

Answer 5

Besieging of French at Valenciennes (captured in July by Anglo-Austrian troops)

Question 6

What caused the rising in the Vendee?

Answer 6

Strong religious resentment, sale of church lands which brought in new bourgeoisie land owners who raised rent, inflation, poor food supplies

Question 7

How did the Vendee risings begin?

Answer 7

Protest against the revolutionary authorities in Paris, precipitated by the demand of the Convention on 24th February 1793 for conscription of 300,000 men

Question 8

How did the Convention respond?

Answer 8

They sent 30,000 men in May to control it, but massacres of local officers, juring priests, and National Guards, and the guerrilla warfare spread throughout the countryside. By June, they had seized bridges and towns and were heading to Paris

Question 9

When and why did the Convention decree the destruction of the Vendee?

Answer 9

1st August 1793 - the spread of the risings was in the same month as the Federalist Revolts

Question 10

What did the Convention do after this decree to destroy the Vendee?

Answer 10

Sent 100,000 men to Nantes on 6th September 1793 but failed to get the upper hand until October. Vendeean army mostly destroyed by December

Question 11

When was the CGS established?

Answer 11

October 1792. For policing and administration of justice and reported to the National Convention. Deputies reduced from 30 to 12 in 1793

Question 12

What measures were introduced in February 1793?

Answer 12

A draft of 300,000 men to be carried out in March. Voluntary if possible, otherwise by ballot

Question 13

What measures were introduced in March 1793?

Answer 13

82 representants-en-mission to travel across France to monitor departments (e.g. ensure food supplies), reported to National Convention.
Revolutionary Tribunal: 5 judges, prosecutor, jurymen elected by Convention to try counterrevolutionaries.
Comites de surveillance to be established by every commune to look out more suspicious behaviour

Question 14

What law was decreed on 19th March 1793?

Answer 14

Rebels bearing arms could be executed in 24 hours without appeal

Question 15

When was the CPS established and what were their powers?

Answer 15

April 1793 - responsible for conduct of war, diplomacy, control of army, authority over CGS. Had 9 members elected by the Convention each month. Meetings were in secret, given money for ‘secret expenses’

Question 16

What were Robespierre’s initial beliefs?

Answer 16

Republicanism, democracy, equality, ideas of Rousseau. Expressed opposition to slavery, excessive violence, capital punishment in his first months in the Convention

Question 17

Why were the sans-culottes becoming increasingly militant?

Answer 17

War going badly, assignats brought inflation, prices rising, their calls for price controls were blocked by the Convention e.g. bread prices rose from 8 sous in 1791 to 12 in 1793, food prices up by 90% whereas wages increased 80%

Question 18

How did Robespierre initially respond to the sans-culottes?

Answer 18

Showed little sympathy, but realised the political advantage in supporting the clamour against grain hoarders and realised he could discredit Girondins who were against price controls

Question 19

When and why did the Girondins produce an indictment for Marat’s arrest?

Answer 19

12th April 1793 - his articles in L’ami du Peuple blamed the Girondins for France’s problems and partly sparked a series of attacks on the Girondin printing press on 9th-10th March (he was acquitted though which delighted the sans-culottes)

Question 20

How did the sans-culottes achieve price controls?

Answer 20

3rd May 1793 - 8000 sans-culottes surrounded the Convention to demand price controls

Question 21

What was the result of the sans-culottes march on the Convention?

Answer 21

4th May 1793 - First Law of the Maximum - attempt to regulate food supplies and prices in France to placate the sans culottes. Jacobins did this to turn against the Girondins more formally and secure alliance between themselves and sans-culottes

Question 22

How did Robespierre initiate the fall of the Girondins?

Answer 22

26th May 1793 - he called for a rising against the ‘corrupt’ deputies and Girondins should be purged as they conspired with Dumouriez, wanted to bring back despotism, went against Paris with Law of General Maximum and therefore the revolution - branded them as counterrevolutionary

Question 23

How did the sans-culottes react to Robespierre’s call for a purge of the Girondins?

Answer 23

31st May - 2nd June 1793 - thousands of sans-culottes and National Guards besieged the Convention demanding that the Girondins were expelled

Question 24

How did the National Convention respond to the sans-culottes besieging them?

Answer 24

‘The Plain’ tried to resist the pressure but on 2nd June the crowds increased from 80,000 to 100,000 so they gave in - had to support Robespierre’s motion that 29 Girondin deputies would be expelled from the Convention along with radicals calling for fixed, low bread prices

Question 25

What was the impact of the attacks on the Girondins?

Answer 25

Propelled a revolt in the departments beyond Paris where the Girondin support was strong - Federalist Revolt

Question 26

What were the Federalist revolts?

Answer 26

Reaction against centralisation in Paris by Jacobins, branded as counterrevolutionary by them. 60/83 departments protested against Girondin expulsion, 8 were in serious revolt: posed a threat to Jacobin power and of civil war

Question 27

How did the Federalist revolt begin?

Answer 27

29th May 1793 - Jacobin leaders in Lyon forced out of office and followed at the beginning of June by the expulsion of Jacobins in Marseilles, Toulon, Bordeaux and Avignon

Question 28

When were most Federalist revolts put down by?

Answer 28

October 1793 - they never really had a coherent strategy

Question 29

What was the punishment for Federalist revolt?

Answer 29

A first tribunal carried out 106 executions by firing squad, a second, 79 by guillotine, a third tribunal carried out mass executions by firing cannon into crowds and killed 168 - overall 1,900 died

Question 30

What was the punishment for the Vendee rebels?

Answer 30

Autumn 1793 - 6,000 prisoners, Carrier was sent by the Convention to punish them: ‘les noyades’ killed up to 5,000 between Nov 1793 and Feb 1794, hired forty-man Red Guard and set up a secret police force, shootings to kill 10,000 people

Question 31

What was the Jacobin constituion and when was it produced?

Answer 31

24th June 1793 - all adult males had the right to vote, every man could express himself through direct political action and everyone was entitled to public assistance. Endorsed through 1794 plebiscite: 1,801,918 in favour, 11,610 against. Never put into practice due to war