The Second Phase of The French Revolution

Question 1

When did the war of the First Coalition start?

Answer 1

-February 1793

Question 2

Explain the problems the National Convention faced during the war of the First Coalition

Answer 2

• March 1793–> Dumouriez defects
  
  • Ruined Girondins reputation (had backed him after Lafayette’s defection)
• French defeated in two battles against Dutch and Austrian forces
• French lost Belgium + left bank of the Rhine
• Fighting on French soil
  
  • fear rose

Question 3

Explain the problems France faced dude to the the First Coalition

Answer 3

• Much of Europe was fighting against France
  
  • Decree of Fraternity posed a threat to European monarchies
    
    • Britiain, Austria,Prussia, Spain,Holland,Russia

Question 4

Explain the Vendee Uprising

Answer 4

• Causes: expansion of war + conscription
  - Had monarchist sympathies
• Tax burden had increased
• 30,000 soldiers recalled from war
• March 1793

Question 5

Explain the economic issues of the National Convention

Answer 5

• War created financial burden
  
  • 2 pay printed out assignats
    
    • By February 1793–> purchasing power had fallen by 50 percent
• Farmers reluctant to sell grain for low value assignats
  
  • Bread shortages

Question 6

Explain what the CGS was

Answer 6

• Commitee of General Security

- Role: to identify + monitor those suspected of being CRS

Question 7

Explain what the CPS was

Answer 7

• Committee of Public Safety
• Role: speed up the work of the ministers
  
  • superseded the authority of the ministers
• Renewed powers each month (not dictatorial)

Question 8

Describe the Overthrow of the Girondins

Answer 8

• Jacobins were defeated by the Girondin in Lyon (1st June)
• 80,000 National Guardsmen surround the Convention and:
  
  • demand the expulsion of the G.
  • maximum price imposed on all essential goods
• 2 avoid seizure of power by revolutionary commune
  
  • ->Convention was compelled to agree

Question 9

Describe the Summary Execution Decree

Answer 9

• allowed for trial and execution within 24 hours

- allowed for trial without jury

Question 10

Describe the Levee en Masse

Answer 10

• August 1793
• Forced the conscription of men:
  
  • aged 18-25
  • unmarried
    
    • 500,000

Question 11

What was the armee revolutionaire

Answer 11

• armed forces of sans culottes

- purpose: to confront counter-revolutionary activity

Question 12

Describe the Law of Suspects

Answer 12

• 17th of September 1793
• National Convention passes some power to local revolutionary councils
  
  • consisted of Montagnards
  • spread radicalisation/terror
• 1/2 a million suspects arrested

Question 13

Describe the Law of the Maximum

Answer 13

• 29th September 1793
• Fixes the price of food,commodities and wages
• Led to conflicts between the sans cullotes and peasants

Question 14

How many executions were carried out officially during the Terror?

Answer 14

-16,000

(mostly in the Vendee and ‘rebellious regions’)

Question 15

Summarise Robespierre and his role in the “Great Terror”

Answer 15

-Role in the terror:

-

Question 16

Describe the Law of the Prarial

Answer 16

• removed national convention’s oversight over the revolutionary tribunals
  
  • allowed them to work more swiftly

Question 17

Explain why Robespierre fell from power

Answer 17

• Loss of support from the Catholics
  
  • introduced the Cult of The Supreme Being
  • ignored Catholic traditions + the pope
• Loss of support from the Sans Cullotes
  
  • Executed the Herbertistes
    
    • political extremists whom Rob did not agree with
      
      • wanted the execution of more hoarders + property redistributed
      • popular amongst Sans-Culottes
        
        • guillotined
  • the raising of the Maximum on Prices
  • inflation–> assignat value reduced to only 36% of its original value
  • the imposing of the maximum on wages
• Falling out of the CPS and CGS
  
  • Robespierre set up own police force within the CPS (Robespierre in charge)
• Loss of support in the CPS
  
  • those associated with Hebert felt threatened
  • suspsicious of him due to CSB
• Execution of Danton