2 - experiment in constitutional monarchy

What significant event happened on May 5

1789, in Versailles?,1st session of estates-general

Who delivered speeches during the 1st session of estates-general in Versailles in 1789?

King + Necker

• need for tax + economic situation
• didn't address 3rd estates concerns

Where did all the deputies gather during the 1st session of estates-general in 1789?

Versailles

What event led to the formation of the National Assembly in France?

3rd estate refusing to verify elected officials' credentials until confirmation of voting per head

Who argued that the 3rd estate is the nation and could act alone to decide the future of France?

Abbé Sieyès

On what date did the 3rd estate vote to call itself the 'National Assembly'?

June 17th

Who joined the National Assembly after its formation?

Clergy (on June 19th) and some liberal nobles

Where did the National Assembly members take the Tennis Court Oath?

Royal tennis court as this was the nearest open space, after the king had locked them out

What did the National Assembly members swear during the Tennis Court Oath?

To not disband until France had a new constitution

What was the significance of the Tennis Court Oath?

It marked a pivotal moment in the French Revolution as the National Assembly asserted its power

When did the royal session take place?

23 June 1789

What did the king accept during the royal session?

New tax and fairer land tax

Why did the king bring 4

800 troops to Paris?,Due to the economic situation and the refusal of the new national assembly's demands

What happened on 27 June during the royal session?

The king recognized the national assembly and allowed voting by head

By 4 July

how many troops were in and around the capital?,30,000 troops, including many foreign mercenaries

Developments in Paris 1789

11 July Necker dismissed, replaced by Breteuil - conservative = fears king preventing reform

What were some influences on Parisians in 1789 related to literacy and information?

• high literacy rate
• thriving printing industry
• available pamphlets

What economic factors influenced Parisians in 1789?

• all food subject to octrois
• bad harvest in 1788 leading to high bread prices
• rumours of grain hoarding

What social and political factors influenced Parisians in 1789?

• rumours spread easily leading to common rioting
• troops surrounding Paris
• 1789 cahiers arousing politics

What events occurred during the breakdown of order in Paris on 12-13 July 1789

Raids on sword smiths and gun shops, destruction of customs ports, attacks on prisons, factories, and monasteries

What did the electors do at Hotel de Ville during the breakdown of order in Paris?

They set up a commune to take control, established a national guard of volunteers to police the city, restore order, and protect Paris from the king

What happened on 14 July

8,000 people descended on Les Invalides, found weapons, and heard rumors of gunpowder at the Bastille

What transpired during the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789

National Guard and commune accompanied the crowd to the Bastille, some forced their way into the courtyard, shots were fired, and the governor was decapitated

What did King Louis XVI announce on 17 July in Paris?

Reinstatement of Necker, acceptance of the National Assembly, Paris Commune, and National Guard

Developments in towns 1789

attacks of magistrates houses + royal officials who fled
town councils reformed or replace
National guard units set up to maintain citizens authority

developments in the country 1789

pesants refused to pay tax
attacks on landlords houses
they armed themselves, burn stuff
sought masters deeds of fuedal rights and records of sales

the great fear

summer 1789

what was the great fear 1789

A wave of in the countryside countryside after the storming of the Bastille in summer 1789
rumours of:

• brigands stealing grain and preparing to attack
• Nobles on way back with foreign armies
• people profiting from scarce grain

abolition of feudal eights

4 August 1789
National Assembly abolished feudal rights
Decrees over next days:

• feudal dues abolished
• segnural courts abolished
• tithes abolished
• venality abolished
• no payments to priests
• equal tax
• specific privileges abolished
• all eligible for positions

Decleration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

passed 26 August
Summed up revolutionary ideas and provide framework for constitution

causes of October days

to curb the kings power, assembly offered the king a suspensory veto
October he brought troops to paris
public outrage after king had held banquet for soldiers who swore oaths to king and desocrated the revoloutinary tricolore
women couldn't find bread for families

the october days 1789

6,000 women marched to Versailles
King promised more grain, accepted decrees + declaration
They forced the royal family and the National Assembly to return with them to Paris.

Attempts to establish a constitutional monarchy

1789-1791
National assembly devised a new constitution to curb power of monarchy and provide liberty and equality

Church Reforms by the National Assembly

Church lands were seized and sold to increase the state's revenues.
The church was formally brought under the control of the state.
The new Civil Constitution stated that bishops and priests were to be elected by the people, not appointed by the Pope and the Church heirarchy.

the oath of the civil constitution November 1790

• All clergy must swear to faithful to king, nation, law, constitution
• only 7 bishops swore
• only 55% of clergy took oath
  Pope suspended those taking oath
  Refectory priests declared counter revolutionaries

Impact of church reform

many clergy fled abroad
previous revolution supporters now against
destroyed national unity

Political reforms

• representative democracy
• 1 governing chamber
• king have suspensory veto
• King = king of french not france
• reduction of 20 livres of kings income
• elections every 2 years
• distinction between active and passive citizens
• assembly given legislative power, tax power
  accepted by Louis September 1791

Administrative reforms

November 1789
abolished old provinces
Created 83 equal departements
Each divided into districs and each district into communes
Commune- single town, parish or community
Decentralisation was a key revolutionary idea
Counclis made responsible for law and order, taxes etc

Judicial reform 1789 - 90

Judges + courts + JPs elected
Judges paid salaries to avoid corruption

New legal rights 1789 - 90

fairer judgement, cheaper, accessible, most enlightened system in Europe

Fiscal change 1789-90

little tax + growing expenditure
new church income
gabelle + aides abolished
Sep 1789 ordered 1 off patriotic contribution of 25% of income over 2 years for those with big incomes
liability for tax dated back

Economic restructuring 1790

Wasn't enough
1790 Replaced taille + vingiteme with land, property/poll and commercial tax
Difficult to asses, no individual difference, but fairer

Economic policies 1789 - 90

• Tread freed from restrictions
• internal tariffs removed
• grain deregulated
• more profitable farming by new landowning bougoise
• peasants lost out
• capatalist class instead of nobility

Society changes 1789 - 90

• titles, venality, privilidge abolished
• social equality
• divisions of wealth, gender, office replaced those of birth however
• wealthy men had most rights
• bourgoise benefited the most as interests dominated in assembly

Noble faction - political club

royalists
published royal publications and pamphlets

Société de 89 - political club

founded by Siéyés
supported constitutional monarchy
high entry fee
wealthy moderates
Lafayette, Bailley, Mirebau

Jacobins - political club

left wing
heirs of breton club
bougoise
high membership fee
1791 became more radical:
fee reduced
more joined

Cordeliers - political club

radical left wing
protect citizens rights, keep watch on assembly
Danton, demoulions, Marat
minimal fee
open to all

Fragmentation of power in France 1791

royal authority undermined by assembly (divided)
Lafayette (leader of NG), Bailley (Paris mayor) both influential in Paris
Paris commune influential
Disorder across country

Cause of the King's flight to Varennes

• authority questioned
• divine rights challenged
• lost support of army
• subjects showing decreased disrespect
• prisoner in Tuilieres
• increasing radical ideas
  situation intelorable

The King's flight to Varennes

King + advisors decided to flee Paris on 20th June 1791
troops left late, without protection
he was recognised
National Assembly representatives escorted him back to Paris

Outcome of the failed flight to Varennes

he didn't understand the popularity of the revolution
He was temporarily suspended in July until constitution ready and he swore and signed to uphold it
Deepened political divisions

date the demonstration at the champ de mars

17 July 1791

the demonstration at the champ de mars

plan to meet to sign petitions for republic
6,000 people
Assembly + paris commune sent Lafayette and NG to restore order
Fired into crowd, 50 killed

Impact of the demonstration at the champ de mars

Radicals = betrayal of people
Moderates = massacre
Worsened divisions
Closure of patriotic clubs, newspapers + extremist leaders went underground
Increased tension + anxiety

Decleration of Pillnitz (August 1791)

Austria + prussia
Stated the situation of the French King was of common interest to all nations
powers of crown should be restored
they were ready to use force to restore royal prerogative

Impact of decleration of Pillnitz

Increased distrust of monarchy
Threat of émigrés, by 1791 60% of pre-revoloutinary army officers were among these

New Legislative Assembly

As the old Legislative Assembly had put a law in acting that they could not draft the next parts of the Constitution a new legislative assembly was formed
first met October 1791

First decrees of the legislative assembly

• émigrés banished + property siezed unless returned by jan
• refactory priests to take oath or be treated as traitors
  Due to concern of Prussia + Austria planned war
• to unite French
• to expose counter - reveloutinaries
• demonstrate strength of revolution

Impact of plan for war

• little opposition except Robespierre
• Brissot (Girondin) storngly in favour
  Feb 1972 Austria+ Prussia make formal alliance
  French delcare war 20 April 1792

Beggining of war 1792

numerically superior but divided
lack of experienced officers led to French reverse

The sans culottes

Working class
radical

Journeé of 20 June 1792

8000 sans culottes and some NG march to Tuilieres
Demanded Louis to withdraw vetos + reinstate pro-war ministers
Louis appeared wearing bonnet rouge + drank toast to nation
Satisfied and withdrew

Brunswick manifesto

Arrives August 1st
Any NG captured by Austrians would be killed
Paris would suffer vengance if any harm came to King
Fuelled argument to get rid of monarchy

Journeé 10 August 1792

2nd sans-culottes march to Tuileres
20,000 sans-culottes
200 fédérés + NG
2hr battle, palace set on fire
1,000 sans culottees/fédérés killed or wounded

Impact of 2nd Journee

Paris commune put royal family in Prison
King removed + tempoarily suspended
Decree ending active/passive citizen discrimination
New elected convention promised
Danton set up comittee to take executive power in meantime
All laws vetoed by King put into action
Refactory priests given 2wks to leave country or face deportation

Cause of the september massacres

Reported Brunswick to reach Paris in 2 weeks
Royalist rising in Vendee, 200 killed
Danton tried to reduce panic:
authorised house searches for weapons
launched leveé enforced conscription

September Massacres (1792)

5 days of killing over 1,000 prisoners in Paris
mostly by sans-culottes
encouraged by commune + NG

Outcome of September massacres

-Girondins blamed Jacobins - incr split

• power of assemblies + authorities = weak
• increased popularity of radical leaders e.g. Danton + Robespierre
• it coincided with elections for a new national convention

Elections for a new national convention

Girondins exploit need for stability, but non were elected in Paris
Robespierre then Danton, Marat, Desmoulins chosen by Paris
Voter turnout low
Jacobin + Girondin members most popular