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National Convention
Assembly that governed France from September 20, 1792, until October 26, 1795, during the most critical period of the French Revolution. The National Convention was elected to provide a new constitution for the country after the overthrow of the monarchy
Georges Danton
(1759-1794) Newly appointed minister of justice, and first president of the Committee of Public Safety.
Sans-Culottes
A loose, leaderless faction composed of everyone from militant women, ex-actors, shopkeepers, rabble-rousers, demagogues, ex-aristocrats, dissident priests and real trouble-makers.
Jacobins
Shaped the course of the revolution between 1792 and 1794. They remained more moderate and supportive of constitutional monarchy until it split in July 1791.
Girondins
Perceived as intellectual, measured, cautious and faithful to the revolution. Politically, they were moderate republicans. They initiated a revolutionary war in April 1792, hoping to pre-empt foreign aggression, win public support.
Montagnards (Mountain)
Radical Jacobin deputies in the National Convention. Noted for their democratic outlook, the they controlled the government during the climax of the Revolution in 1793-94. They were so called because as deputies they sat on the higher benches of the assembly.
Vendee
Area of western France that did not recognize the authority of the national convention, and appealed for the old regime.
Committee of Public Safety
Created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793—formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror, a stage of the French Revolution.
universal mobilization
Decreed on August 23, 1793--this raised an army of over one million soldiers by 1794.
Nationalism
Phenomenon newly occurring during the French Revolution due to a "people's army" fighting to defend a "people's government."
total-war
All-out war that affects civilians at home as well as soldiers in combat
Reign or Terror
Revolutionary courts established to protect the revolutionary republic from internal enemies, which ended up "officially" guillotining 16,000 people.
dechristianization
An attempt by the National Convention to create a new social order in which the word saint was removed from street names, and cathedrals became houses of reason.
Republican Calender
The National Conventions new method of tracking time with three ten day weeks. Part of the deChristianization effort; it included eliminating all holidays as well as Sunday - the day of rest.-this faced intense popular opposition.
Toussaint L'Ouverture
Former slave who led a revolt of African slaves in Saint Domingue. Though he was captured, Haiti won its freedom in 1804.
Maximilien Robespierre
Exercised control over the Committee of Public Safety bent on purifying the body politic of all corruption. He was guillotined in July 1794 bringing an end to the radical phase of the Revolution.
Thermidorean Reaction
As a result, the Reign of Terror began to abate. The power of the Committee of Public Safety was curtailed, Jacobin clubs were shut down, and churches were allowed to reopen.
Constitution of 1795
Established a national legislative assembly consisting of two chambers chosen by electors who owned property worth between 100-200 days labor.
The Directory
5 members elected to have executive authority of the legislative assembly--noted by its stagnation, corruption, and graft.
unequal distribution of wealth
Although France experienced positive economic growth prior to 1789, not all segments of society enjoyed this impact.
First Estate
Social class in France that consisted of the clergy and numbered about 130,000 people, but were radically divided based on internal social standing and wealth.
Taille
France's chief tax, which the clergy and nobility was exempt from paying.
Second Estate
Social class in France consisting of the nobility with a population of about 350,000 who owned 25-30% of the land, but like the First estate divided on social and economic lines.
Third Estate
Social class in France that was "everybody else"--commoners made up 75-80% of the population. Like the other Estates, there was a wide range of economic diversity from peasants to wealthy merchants.
Peasents
While serfdom no longer existed, this group within the Third Estate had obligations to landlords such as fees to use a mill, and opening their lands for hunting.
Bourgeoisie
About 8% of the population or 2.3 million people making the French middle class, which included merchants, industrialists, and bankers.
Food Shortages
Bad harvests in 1787 and 1788 and a manufacturing depression led to rising prices and other necessities.
Parlements
Provincial appellate courts. In 1789, France had 13, the most important of which was in Paris. They held not only judicial power, but political power as well.
Estates General
In France under the Old Regime, a legislative and consultative assembly of the different classes of French subjects, which had not convened since 1614.
cahiers de doleances
A statement of local grievances that were drafted throughout the election of Estates-General that advocated regular constitutional government that would abolish privilege.
Abbe Sieyes
Member of the clergy who issued a pamphlet "What is the Third Estate?"
National Assembly
On June 17th, 1789 the Third Estate constituted itself as a separate political body.
Tennis Court Oath
After being locked out of their meeting place, the newly organized National Assembly vowed to meet until they had produced a constitution.
Storming of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, an urban uprising that spawned by the King's defensive measures to curb the momentum of the Revolution.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Adopted by the National Assembly on August 26, 1789, which reflected the ideas of the major philosophes of the Enlightenment.
Olympe de Gouges
Playwright and pamphleteer who refused to accept exclusions of women from the rights espoused in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
Women's March to Versailles (October, 1789)
On October 5, 1789 this group demanded bread and trekked to Versailles to confront King Louis XVI resulting in Louis's return to Paris.
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
In July 1790 a new law dictated that both bishops and priests of the Catholic church were to be elected by the people and paid by the state.
Varennes
During the night of 20-21 June 1791 King Louis XVI, his queen Marie Antoinette, and their immediate family unsuccessfully attempted to escape from Paris in order to initiate a counter-revolution.
Legislative Assembly
Newly elected government of France in 1791. The composition was greatly different than the National Assembly--clerics and nobility were largely gone, leaving the majority of lawyers.
Declaration of Pillnitz
Issued by Leopold II (Austria), and William II (Prussia) which was in favor of supporting and restoring the French monarchy.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Overthrew the French revolutionary government (The Directory) in 1799 and became emperor of France in 1804. Failed to defeat Great Britain and abdicated in 1814. Returned to power briefly in 1815 but was defeated and died in exile.
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