The Convention Flashcards
Start
2
20th September 1792.
New constitution set up to govern France after the abolition of the monarchy.
End
2
26th September 1795.
Replaced by the Directory a year after Robespierre’s death.
Structure
2
Made of 749 deputies.
All men over the age of 25 could vote.
First Act
2
Abolition of the Monarchy (21st September 1792) and the Trial of Louis XVI.
Louis was executed on 21st January 1793, Robespierre stated “Louis must die so the nation may live”
First Phase of the Convention
4
September 1792 - June 1793
Dominated by the power struggle between the Montagnards & the Girondins.
Montagnards - Favoured giving the poorer classes more political power.
Girondins - Favoured a Bourgeois republic & wanted to reduce the power of Paris
Purging of the Girondins
2
May 31st 1793.
After a failure in the war they promoted against the anti-revolutionary European coalition, the Girondins were purged from the Convention.
Second Phase of the Convention
The Montagnards controlled the Convention through the second phase.
Due to the war and internal rebellion, a Comittee of Public Safety was setup, led by Robespierre, and the Convention’s role was reduced to approving the CPS’ suggestions.
Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
September 1793 - July 1794 (Robespierre’s execution)
16,600 were suspected enemies of the state were executed, including Marie Antoniette
Laws were passed which meant up to 60 people were executed at any one time
Reasons for the Reign of Terror
3
Robespierre was heavily influenced by Montesquieu’s writing, in which he often talked of virtue. Robespierre believed that the virtue needed for any democratic government was extremely lacking in the French people. As a result, he decided to weed out those he believed could never possess this virtue.
France was losing heavily in the war and Austrio-Prussian forces headed towards Paris. While the French military had stabilized and was producing victories by the time the Reign of Terror officially began, the pressure to succeed acted as justification for the Terror. The threat of defeat and foreign invasion may have helped spur the origins of the Terror, but the timely coincidence of the Terror with French victories added justification to its growth.
The Sans-Culottes put heavy pressure on the Montagnards to fulfil their desires and measures to help the working class. They put on violent demonstrations and often wrote letters to the CPS
End of the Terror
Robespierre’s execution (July 27th 1794) was brought about by a combination of those who wanted the CPS to be more radical, and the moderates who were opposed to the Revolutionary Government.
5 new members of the CPS were introduced until the creation of the Directory in September 1795
