War, Revolt And Overthrow Of The Monarchy 1792-3 Flashcards
What did Leopoldo II think of the affairs in France?
Approved of many of the Liberal reforms of the Assembly
Was pleased at the collapse of French power
When was the Declaration of Pillnitz and which two nations wrote it?
27th August 1791
Austria and Prussia
What three groups wanted war?
Marie Antoinette and royalists
Army Commanders to increase their prestige (Lafayette)
Brissotins who wanted a republic
What were Brissots arguments for war? [3]
Success would rouse enthusiasm for the revolution
A war would allow the revolutionary ideas to spread abroad
French armies would have support of the enemies repressed subjects
Why was Robespierre opposed to external war? [3]
War was better fought against internal enemies
Foreign powers were only trying to intimidate not invade
Foreigners wouldn’t support the French armies
When did Austria and Prussia become allies?
7th February 1792
Where had the Prussians and Austrians previously conquered?
Prussia - United Provinces
Austria - Belgium in under 2 weeks
Why did Austro-Prussian forces expect little resistance from the French army? [3]
France was weak due to internal divisions
Mutinies in the army made the forces weaker
French finances would limit the purchase of weapons
When did the King dismiss his Feuillant ministers and who did he replace them with?
March 1792
More radical Girondin ministers that obeyed the Assembly
When did France declare war on Austria and when did the Prussians join?
20th April 1792
June
Why was the French army not prepared for war in 1792? [2]
Over half the army officers had emigrated
The volunteers were poorly trained and equipped
What happened when French forces invaded the Austrian Netherlands on 20th April 1792?
Retreated back to Lille where they killed their commander and deserted
What 3 laws did the King veto on 19th June 1792?
Deportation of refractory priests
Disbanded the Kings guard
Set up a camp for 20,000 federes
What happened on 13th June 1792?
The King dismissed his Girondin ministers, including Roland, when he protested against his refusal to approve the laws
How many demonstrators took part in the March on the Tuileries on 20th June 1792?
8000
The Assembly issued a ‘la Patrie en danger’ on 11th June. What did the Sans-culottes demand?
If they were to fight, they should be admitted to all sectional assemblies and be able to vote
What song did the federes sing marching from Marseille to Paris
La Marseillaise
In a speech to the Jacobin club on 29th June, what did Robespierre propose? [4]
Abandon the constitution of 1791
Overthrow of the monarchy
Establishment of the National Convention, elected by UMS
Purge the departments, which contained royalists
Why did the federes represent a strong pressure group?
They were very patriotic and were militant revolutionaries, republicans
When was the Brunswick manifesto and what did it say? [4]
1st August 1792
- Ensure the welfare of France, and not to invade
- Restore the liberty of Louis XVI
- Louis be set free from Paris immediately
- If Louis was hurt, an exemplary vengeance would be inflicted on Paris
What effect did the Brunswick manifesto have on the citizens of France?
Angered them and made them more republican. Those with some remaining royalist views were now against it
Who was Petion and what did he do on 3rd August?
Mayor of Paris. Demanded that the King be removed on behalf of 47 out of 48 Sections
When was the Attack on the Tuilleries and how many were killed?
10th August 1792. 600 Swiss mercenaries, 90 federes and 300 Parisians
What happened on the evening of the 9th August 1792?
Sans culottes took over the Hotel de Ville, expelled the city council and set up a revolutionary commune
After the attack on the Tuilleries, who controlled Paris
The revolutionary commune
Following the overthrow of Louis XVI, what happened in the Assembly?
The constitutional monarchists went into hiding, leaving the 300 Girondins in charge
Danton appointed as Minister of Justice
What radical measures did the Assembly pass in its last 6 weeks? [3]
Refractory priests deported to a French colony
Feudal dues abolished without compensation
Divorce legalised
When was the monarchy officially abolished?
22nd September 1792
When did the National Convention first meet?
20th September 1792
How many Girondins, Jacobins and Independents were in the Convention
180, 300, 250
What Group was known as the Plain in the convention?
The unattached members
What group in the convention were known as Montagnards?
The Jacobins
Montagnard meant the mountain
What two things sealed Louis’ fate?
- the incriminating Royal correspondence between the Austrians the King found in the armoire de fer
- Marats proposal of Appel nominal, the deputies publicly declaring their judgement
How many voted that Louis was innocent?
0
What did the vote in the reprieve show?
If the Appel nominal hadn’t of taken place the King may not have been executed
Give the vote breakdown in the sentencing of Louis and then in the reprieve
387 for death penalty, 288 for imprisonment
390 to 310
When was Louis executed?
21st January 1793
Which group gained an ascendency in the convention following Louis’ execution?
The Montagnards, as they branded the Girondins as royalists
What were the September massacres?
The murdering of all counter revolutionary prisoners in Paris from 2nd September for 5 days
How many prisoners were killed during the September massacres?
Between 1100 and 1400 of the 2600 prisoners
Why was nothing done to stop the September massacres?
It would have meant mobilising the National Guard which risked another Champ de Mars incident
Following the September massacres, what did the moderates regard the Montagnards and the sans-culottes as?
Blood thirsty savages
What happened in the Battle of Valmy?
52000 French troops defeated 34000 Prussians on 20th September 1792
Why were the sans-culottes soldiers conscripted effective
They were very passionate about the revolution so wanted to survive
In January 1793, where the French decide to expand to?
It’s natural borers: the Rhine, the Alps and the Pyrenees
What did the decree of Fraternity offer?
Support to those in foreign countries who wanted to overthrow their rulers and establish a political system
What three areas were annexed and when?
Avignon in 1791
Savoy in November 1792
Nice in January 1793
When did the Convention declare war on Britain and the Netherlands?
1st February 1793
Which three nations in Europe were France not at war with in early 1793
Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden
When did the First Coalition emerge?
Between March and September 1793
Why did the 1793 campaign start badly? [3]
Attack on the Netherlands failed in March
Dumouriez defected to the Austrians
Belgium was lost and so was the left bank of the Rhine - fighting was back on French land
What organisation did Lazare Carnot join in Summer 1793
Committee of Public Safety
What 3 things summarise Carnot’s contribution?
Reorganised the army
Reestablished the discipline
Led by example in military engagements
Where was Carnot successful on 16th October 1793
Battle of Wattignies
What triggered the Vendee rebellion of 11th March 1793
Conscription of 300 troops
Religious changes
Sale of Church lands
Why did the sale of Church lands anger those in the Vendee?
Bourgeois bought the land and put the rent up
What happened in the Vendee rebellion and how was it dealt with?
Constitutional priests and national guardsmen were massacred. 30000 men were withdrawn from the front to deal with the rising
Why did the Vendee rebellion not represent a threat?
The rebels were ill disciplined and only used guerrilla tactics
What economic issues arose as a result of the war in 1793
Price of the assignat fell as more were printed to fund it
By February 1793, how much had the power of the assignat fallen by?
50%
Why was there a shortage of grain in 1793 despite a good harvest?
It was better financially for the farmers to use the grain themselves rather than sell it
How was the Republic saves in summer 1793?
If Britain and Austria had joined forces, they would have crushed France.
Britain went west to conquer Dunkirk
Austria went east
