Why did the Jacobins rise to dominance? Flashcards
Give 5 reasons why did the Jacobins rise to dominance?
(1) External threats
• war of 1st coalition was major contributor to changing political environment
(2) Impact of Vendee revolt
• 1793 major uprising and created poss. of monarchy being restored. 10,000 rebels attacked and
revolutionary forces overwhelmed by numbers
(3) Economic pressures and sans culottes discontent
(4) Girondins support decreased (because ..)
• open support of war initially helped them but went downhill after war failures and were blamed for
failure
• open culture of paranoia of counter rev activity eg vendee revolt
• failure to engage with pop. feeling eg condemning protests of people and resisting price regulation
reforms led to their 1793 trial and execution
(5) Power of sans culottes and Paris commune
• jacobins sided with sans culottes in 2nd half of 1793
EXTENT OF JACOBIN POWER SEEN IN?
- Committee of Public safety 1793
* Brutal revenge enacted on towns and cities that rose in federal revolt
Due to the march 1793 France faced a major defeat by the Austrians at the battle of ………… (fill in the gap) resulted in..
(EXTERNAL FACTORS)
battle of Neerwinden
Following the defeat - Dumouriez defected to the Austrians = Questioned the loyalty of Girondins
with what did the republican convention pose a threat to the European monarch?
(EXTERNAL FACTORS)
republican convention posed a threat to the European monarch with its DECREE OF FRATERITY
Decree of fraterity - set out the intentions of the convention to support those of any state who wished to overthrow their rulers and establish a democratic political system.
When was the vendee revolt
INTERNAL THREAT OF CIVIL WAR
1793 march- uprising
what possibility did the vendee create?
INTERNAL THREAT OF CIVIL WAR
Of the monarch being restored
How many rebels were there and how many national guards were there?
(INTERNAL THREAT OF CIVIL WAR) - vendee revolt
1,300 member of the national guard.
Over 10,000 rebels attacked.
Triggers of Vendée revolt?
Convention ordered levy of 300,000 conscripts for war - objection. (Also opposition to Civil Constitution of Clergy - 3/4 priests refused - and cost of feudal dues added to leases of land) = 10,000 rebels overran French town Chólet, overwhelmed National Guard (1,300)
Impact of Vendée Revolt?
Resulted in creation of Committee of Public Safety (6th April 1793)
What powers did CPS have: FP? Commanders? Arrests and decrees ?
Determine Foreign Policy. Appoint and remove commanders and issue arrest warrants and sanction decrees.
Reasons for fall of Girondins
Damaged by French failings in war (e.g. Dumouriez), attacked by Marat’s ‘L’Ami du Peuple’, Robespierre accused leading members (e.g. Brissot) of corrupt criminal conspiracy
Sans-culottes discontent?
War worsened economic situation - inflation, scarce bread supplies, damage of overseas trade due to English naval blockade of French ports = radical press encouraged insurrection
Sans-culottes discontent in February 1793
Bread riots - National Guard deployed
what did Paris Commune pressure Convention into doing? Girondins views? What happened on May 1st: Brissot’s paper condemned? What did Jacobins do and when?
Introduced by Paris Commune yet resisted by Girondins (continued free trade) = 8,000 sans-culottes surrounded Convention to force action (May 1793) resulting in alliance between Jacobins and sans-culottes (law passed 4th May)
Journée 2 June 1793?
Sans-culottes called to insurrection against Girondins by Robespierre - 80,000 army surround Convention = arrest of 29 Girondin deputies (power of Girondins broken) also demanded maximum price cap on all goods, establishment of sans-culottes army to deal with bread hoarders and state-run arms factories (demands not met)
