The Defeat of the Liberal Revolution (1790-1792) Flashcards
the new political culture
formal institutions allowed only active citizens to participate in politics but the informal institutions of revolutionary political culture enabled even the passive citizens to take part in public affairs. three fundamental features were newspapers, political clubs and public festivals. periodicals created a sense of national community. clubs channeled and organized public’s participation in the politics. festivals provided a symbolic representation of the revolution’s achievements.
the king’s flight and the crisis of 1791
Religious conflict undermined the Assembly’s constitutional system as Louis XVI made an open break with it in June 1791. in June 20, 1791 the king tried to flee the situation and Paris. in Varennes the authorities stopped the convoy and escorted them back to Paris. supporters of the revolution became more convinced that France was better off without a monarch. however, the assembly aimed to maintain the monarchy. Barnave and his supporters prevailed in certain terms and split from the Jacobin’s which were left to Robespierre.
the end of the National Assembly
In August and September 1791 the assembly ‘revised’ the constitution. much threatened the liberal order but the deputies did accomplish something big; moving France out of a deadlock in which no reforms were possible.
early stages of revolution had a lot of positive advocates but also some very negative responses.
the Legislative Assembly
assembled for the first time in October 1, 1791. election procedures were unfamiliar and cumbersome so very few eligible voters actually voted. all the elected deputies were newcomers to politics and majority of them were bourgeois groups. the assembly had to deal with two rivalling sides of leftist sand rightists who tried to push their ideas through. completed the secularization of identity. marriage became a voluntary agreement as the terms for divorce were relaxed. they passed a law regulating inheritance. eliminated penalties for homosexual acts.
the revolt in Saint-Domingue and unrest at home
in October 1791 the news of the revolution in the colonies reached Paris. the colonial upheaval had immediate effects on trade.
at home poor grain harvest and high price of sugar led to some violence and uprisings.
in November 1791, the Assembly voted for laws against refractory priests. another law demanded the emigres to return by the end of 1791 or they would lose their property and be executed.
the move toward war
In April 20, 1792 the assembly declared war on Austria. the main aspect that led to such a decision was the situation with the emigres.
despite the promise of peace the new government pushed for the costly naval reform and insisted on keeping France safe. by this time other nations had realized that the revolution influenced their own situation as it question the absolute monarchy and social privilege. When in 1791, Leopold II and Frederick William II verbally supported Louis the revolutionaries realized that their cause may be under serious threat. radicals supported going to war. Louis even appointed pro-war minister; Roland’s husband became the interior minister and Dumouriez became the minister of foreign affairs.
the impact of war
revolutionary stakes were immediately raised. for the patriots any opposition to the revolution was treason and compromises became harder to achieve. it was also a further step in the political mobilization of the common people.
focus was shifted to the conditions of the army and navy. National Assembly’s military reforms had proved to be partially successful and morale was low at the beginning of the war.
the overthrow of the monarchy
the constitutional system was falling apart by the start of the war. sans-culottes and pro-revolutionary activists along with some women became increasingly opposed to the government. by the ‘92 summer activists had gained control over many Parisian districts. in June 20, 1792 an armed crowd invaded the royal palace to protest his actions. after the journee of 10 August, 1792, the Assembly suspended Louis XVI from his functionsand called for nationwide elections for a convention that would decide his faith. this market the beginning of the democratic and radical revolution.
emergency measures and the revolutionary government
during the revolutionary government period before te convention the control was shared between the Legislative Assembly and the municipal assembly called the Commune. the most visible figure during this period was Georges Danton. Revolutionary Tribunal was set up. in September 2, 1792sans-culottes militants surrounded the principal Paris prisons. they massacred many innocent people and this tainted the revolution’s reputation across Europe.
failure of the liberal revolution
the internal flaws of the constitution were not so serious as to make it unworkable. the french problems stemmed from the fact that they tried to enforce such a system with a king who was known to oppose it and with a legislature that was bent on enforcing controversial policies. due to the vocal counterrevolution and trying to keep political rights to certain groups made it all the more complicated.
decision to go to war greatly accelerated the move towards a radical revolution. many agree that the constitutional monarchy had little to no chances of success but there still is debate about the forces that destroyed it.
Massacre of the Champ-de-Mars
in 1791 largely peaceful protests took place against the Assembly’s decision to keep the monarch. Lafayette and Bailly took a minor incident of violence to bring in the troops and kill about 60 demonstrators. this led the Assembly to stand on shaky foundations with its constitution.
Feuillants
a moderate rival club to the Jacobins which was founded by Barnave and his supporters. dedicated to making the new constitutional system work. they had more supporters on the new Legislative Assembly.
Girondins
leaders of the pro-war faction in the Jacobin club. their main spokesman was Jacques-Pierre Brissot. behind the scenes they were influenced by madame Roland.
sans-culottes
the majority of the commoners who had been excluded from politics and became activists. they begun to mobilize against the king and the Assembly.
Revolutionary tribunal
set up in August 17, 1792 by the Legislative Assembly and its procedures superseded many of the guarantees of the declaration of rights of man.
