Key Concepts of the French Revolution

These flashcards cover key concepts, events, and figures related to the French Revolution to assist in studying for the exam.

What was the Guillotine?

1. The Guillotine was an instrument of execution commonly used during the French Revolution.

What was the significance of the Guillotine during the French Revolution?

1. Designed for swift and relatively humane execution, it became a powerful symbol of revolutionary justice and, later, the Reign of Terror. Its efficiency in public executions reinforced the state's power and its commitment to eliminating perceived enemies of the revolution.

What was the Jacobin Club?

1. The Jacobin Club was a prominent political organization during the French Revolution.

What was the importance of the Jacobin Club?

1. Initially a meeting place for deputies, it evolved into a highly influential radical force. Through its extensive network of affiliated clubs across France, it mobilized public opinion, shaped revolutionary policy, and was instrumental in the rise of figures like Robespierre and the establishment of the First French Republic.

What was the Estates-General and its composition?

1. The Estates-General was a legislative and consultative assembly of the different classes of French subjects. It consisted of three hierarchical orders: the Clergy (First Estate), Nobility (Second Estate), and the Third Estate (commoners).

What was the significance of the Estates-General's convocation in 1789?

1. Historically summoned by the King in times of crisis, its convocation in 1789 after 175 years of dormancy highlighted the growing political and economic turmoil. The fundamental imbalance in its voting structure, which favored the First and Second Estates despite the Third Estate representing the vast majority of the population, became a critical catalyst for the Revolution.

What was the Third Estate?

1. The Third Estate was one of the three social orders in Old Regime France, comprising the vast majority of the population who were not clergy or nobility, including peasants, artisans, merchants, and professionals.

What was the significance of the Third Estate in the French Revolution?

1. Representing the vast majority of the French population, the Third Estate bore the brunt of taxation and lacked political power, making their grievances and eventual revolutionary actions central to the French Revolution and the dismantling of the Old Regime.

What did the Third Estate declare themselves in June 1789?

1. In June 1789, the deputies of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly.

What was the significance of the Third Estate declaring itself the National Assembly?

1. This act was a revolutionary assertion of popular sovereignty, claiming the right to represent the nation and legislate on its behalf, effectively dismantling the traditional power structure of the Estates-General. It marked a decisive break from the Old Regime and represented a foundational step towards the creation of a new, more representative political order in France.

What was the insurrection of August 10, 1792?

1. The insurrection of August 10, 1792, was a pivotal event in the French Revolution.

What was the significance and outcome of the August 10, 1792 insurrection?

1. It saw Parisian revolutionaries, led by the Sans-culottes, storm the Tuileries Palace, leading to the imprisonment of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. This event effectively marked the Fall of the Monarchy, suspended the King's powers, and ushered in a more radical phase of the Revolution, leading to new elections for a National Convention based on universal manhood suffrage.

Who was Olympe de Gouges and what did she author?

1. Olympe de Gouges was a French playwright and political activist. She authored the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen in 1791.

What was the significance of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen?

1. This document was a powerful response to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, highlighting its failure to address women's rights and advocating for gender equality in law, politics, and property. De Gouges' work challenged the revolutionary definition of citizenship and remains a foundational text in the history of feminism, exposing the limitations of revolutionary ideals for half of the population.

What is the meaning of the quote: « The principle of all sovereignty essentially resides in the Nation, which is only the union of Woman and Man: no body, no individual, can exercise authority that does not expressly emanate from it. »

1. This quote is from Article III of the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen authored by Olympe de Gouges in 1791.

What was the significance of Olympe de Gouges' quote on national sovereignty?

1. By explicitly adding 'which is only the union of Woman and Man' to the revolutionary principle of popular sovereignty, Olympe de Gouges directly challenged the patriarchal assumptions of the original Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, highlighting its exclusionary nature and asserting the equal political rights and partnership of women in the nation.

Who was Jacques-Louis David during the French Revolution?

1. Jacques-Louis David was a prominent Neoclassical painter during the French Revolution.

What was the significance of Jacques-Louis David's role during the Revolution?

1. He became a fervent supporter of the Revolution and later of Napoleon, creating iconic works that glorified revolutionary figures and events, such as 'The Death of Marat' and 'The Oath of the Horatii.' His art served as powerful propaganda, shaping public perception and legitimizing the political elite, thus making him a key visual chronicler and ideological shaper of the era.

What was the 'Appeal to the People' during King Louis XVI's trial?

1. The 'Appeal to the People' was a position advocated primarily by the Girondin faction during the trial of King Louis XVI.

Why was the 'Appeal to the People' significant during King Louis XVI's trial?

1. Faced with the King's condemnation, the Girondins proposed that the judgment against Louis XVI should be submitted to a national referendum—an appeal to the people. This move reflected their desire to temper the radicalism of the Parisian sections and potentially mitigate the severity of the King's sentence, contrasting sharply with the Jacobins' demand for an immediate execution and highlighting the deep divisions within the revolutionary leadership.

Who was Maximilien Robespierre?

1. Maximilien Robespierre was a prominent lawyer, politician, and one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution.

What was the significance of Maximilien Robespierre's role in the French Revolution?

1. A leading member of the Jacobin Club and later the Committee of Public Safety, he became the architect and principal ideologist of the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), advocating for the doctrine that 'virtue must be combined with terror' to maintain a popular government during a revolution. His unyielding pursuit of a virtuous republic, through ruthless elimination of perceived enemies, ultimately led to his own downfall on 9th Thermidor, symbolizing the Revolution's internal contradictions and its descent into extremism.

What justification did Robespierre provide for Revolutionary Terror?

1. Maximilien Robespierre, a key leader of the Committee of Public Safety, provided the ideological justification for the Revolutionary Terror (1793-1794) with the statement: 'If virtue be the spring of a popular government in times of peace, the spring of that government during a revolution is virtue combined with terror: virtue, without which terror is destructive; terror, without which virtue is impotent. Terror is only justice prompt, severe and inflexible; it is then an emanation of virtue; it is less a distinct principle than a natural consequence of the general principle of democracy, applied to the most pressing wants of the country.'

What was the significance of Robespierre's ideological justification for the Revolutionary Terror?

1. Robespierre famously argued that 'virtue, without which terror is murderous; terror, without which virtue is powerless' were both necessary for the maintenance of a popular government during a revolution. In his view, terror was an instrument of swift and severe justice, deployed to defend the Republic against its internal and external enemies and to compel citizens to embody republican virtue, thus making it a morally justifiable, albeit brutal, means to achieve and preserve a truly virtuous society.

What were the Sections of Paris during the French Revolution?

1. The Sections were the 48 administrative divisions of Paris, established during the French Revolution in 1790.

What was the significance of the Sections in Paris during the Revolution?

1. These localized units evolved into crucial organs of revolutionary governance, particularly acting as radical centers of self-government. Each section had its own assembly and committees, enabling direct participation of sans-culottes and other citizens in political life, mobilizing them for insurrections, and exerting significant pressure on the National Convention and Commune, thereby embodying the principle of popular sovereignty at a local level.

Define popular sovereignty.

1. Popular sovereignty is a foundational principle of modern democratic thought. It refers to the idea that the ultimate authority and legitimacy of the state are derived from the will or consent of its people.

What was the significance of popular sovereignty during the French Revolution?

1. During the French Revolution, this concept was enshrined in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, stating that 'the principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation; no body, no individual can exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from it.' This meant that the king's divine right was rejected, and power was vested collectively in the citizenry, forming the ideological bedrock for revolutionary governmental structures and policies.

Who were the Sans-culottes during the French Revolution?

1. The Sans-culottes were the common people of the lower classes in late 18th-century France, particularly those from urban areas, who became radical and militant partisans of the French Revolution. Their name, meaning 'without breeches,' referred to their simple clothing as opposed to the knee-breeches (culottes) worn by the aristocracy and bourgeoisie.

What was the significance of the Sans-culottes' role in the French Revolution?

1. Identified primarily with the urban working class of Paris—artisans, shopkeepers, and laborers—they were a driving force behind many key revolutionary events, advocating for economic justice, direct democracy, and a more egalitarian society. Their street power and radical demands, often expressed through insurrections, profoundly influenced the direction of the Revolution, pushing it towards its most radical phases, including the overthrow of the monarchy and the Reign of Terror.

What distinction did Abbé Sieyès make between active and passive citizens?

1. Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (Abbé Sieyès), a prominent writer and political theorist during the French Revolution, in his 1789 pamphlet 'What is the Third Estate?', distinguished between active and passive citizens.

What was the significance of the distinction between active and passive citizens made by Abbé Sieyès?

1. Active citizens were defined as males over 25 who paid a certain amount in taxes (property qualification) and thus had the right to vote and hold office. Passive citizens, while enjoying civil rights, did not have political rights. This distinction, codified in the 1791 Constitution, reflected the bourgeois nature of the early Revolution, limiting political participation and contradicting the universalistic claims of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, demonstrating how revolutionary ideals were often selectively applied in practice.

Who was Jacques Pierre Brissot?

1. Jacques Pierre Brissot was a prominent journalist, writer, and a leading member of the Girondin faction during the French Revolution.

What did Brissot advocate during the Revolution, and what was its impact?

1. He became a strong advocate for declaring war against Austria and Prussia in 1792, believing war would expose counter-revolutionary elements, energize the Revolution, and spread its ideals across Europe. His persistent arguments for war, despite opposition from figures like Robespierre, ultimately led France into a prolonged conflict that profoundly shaped the course of the Revolution and European history, escalating tensions and radicalizing domestic politics.

What was the Cordelier Club and its key action in July 1791?

1. The Cordelier Club was a radical popular society during the French Revolution, known for its strong influence among the Parisian populace. In July 1791, they took a key action following King Louis XVI's attempted flight to Varennes.

What was the significance of the Cordelier Club's petition in July 1791?

1. Perceiving the King's flight as an act of treason and a definitive break of his oath to the nation, the Cordeliers drafted and sponsored a petition demanding the deposition of the king and the establishment of a republic. This act, culminating in the Champ de Mars Massacre, marked a significant acceleration of republican sentiment in Paris, deepened the divisions between monarchists and republicans, and demonstrated the Cordeliers' role as a vanguard of radical revolutionary demands.

What was the Old Regime (Ancien Régime) in France?

1. The Old Regime (Ancien Régime) refers to the traditional socio-political and economic system of France that existed before the French Revolution of 1789.

What factors made the Old Regime significant to the French Revolution?

1. This system was characterized by absolute monarchy, a rigid hierarchical society divided into three Estates (Clergy, Nobility, Commoners), and widespread aristocratic and ecclesiastic privileges, often at the expense of the Third Estate. Its inherent inequalities, economic inefficiencies, and the King's perceived despotism fueled public discontent and ultimately led to the revolutionary upheaval, making it the primary target for revolutionary reforms.

What was Le Père Duchesne during the French Revolution?

1. Le Père Duchesne was primarily the pseudonym used by radical journalist Jacques Hébert for his highly influential and vulgar newspaper during the French Revolution (1790-1794).

What was the significance and influence of Le Père Duchesne?

1. This newspaper, known for its coarse language and fiery rhetoric, directly addressed the sans-culottes, articulating their grievances and advocating for radical republican policies. Hébert, through Le Père Duchesne, became a leading voice of the Hébertists, a radical faction within the Parisian Commune, exerting significant pressure on the National Convention and exemplifying the fervent and often brutal journalism that characterized the more extreme phases of the Revolution.

Define Seigneurial rights in Old Regime France.

1. Seigneurial rights were a complex system of feudal dues and obligations owed by peasants to their lords (seigneurs), primarily the nobility and the Church, under the Old Regime in France.

What was the significance of Seigneurial rights to the French Revolution?

1. These rights included various forms of taxation, labor services (corvée), and judicial authority, allowing landlords to extract wealth and control from the peasantry, often regardless of land ownership. They were deeply resented by the Third Estate as symbols of aristocratic privilege and economic exploitation, becoming a major grievance that fueled the revolutionary fervor and were ultimately abolished in August 1789, marking a fundamental shift in land tenure and social hierarchy.

What was the Great Fear (Grande Peur) in 1789?

1. The Great Fear (Grande Peur) was a widespread rural panic that swept through France from July to August 1789, shortly after the storming of the Bastille.

What caused the Great Fear and what was its significance?

1. This mass hysteria was primarily fueled by severe economic hardship (poor harvests, high bread prices) and rampant rumors of an aristocratic conspiracy to starve or repress the peasantry. Peasants, fearing attacks by brigands or vengeance from the nobility, armed themselves and often attacked seigneurial properties, destroying feudal records. The Great Fear significantly contributed to the dismantling of the feudal system, as the National Assembly, in response to the escalating violence, abolished seigneurial rights and feudal privileges in August 1789, drastically transforming the social and economic landscape of France.

Who was Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (Abbé Sieyès)?

1. Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (Abbé Sieyès) was a prominent French clergyman, writer, and political theorist who played a key role in the early stages of the French Revolution.

What was the significance of Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès' role in the French Revolution?

1. Known for his influential pamphlet 'What is the Third Estate?' and his articulation of the distinction between active and passive citizens, Sieyès provided crucial ideological groundwork for the Third Estate's assertion of national sovereignty and the establishment of a new constitutional order.

What influential pamphlet did Emmanuel Sieyès write in 1789?

1. In January 1789, Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (Abbé Sieyès) wrote the influential pamphlet Qu'est-ce que le tiers état? (What is the Third Estate?).

What was the significance of Sieyès' pamphlet 'What is the Third Estate?'

1. This powerful ideological document challenged the traditional social hierarchy, arguing that the Third Estate, despite being 'everything' (the entire productive force of the nation), had been 'nothing' in the political order. It asserted that the Third Estate alone constituted the true nation and therefore should possess full political power. The pamphlet galvanized public opinion, effectively articulated the grievances of the commoners, and provided a powerful ideological justification for the Third Estate's declaration of itself as the National Assembly, fundamentally shaping the early course of the Revolution.

What were the Cahiers de doléances?

1. The Cahiers de doléances (grievance notebooks) were lists of grievances drawn up by each of the three Estates in France in preparation for the convocation of the Estates-General in 1789.

What was the significance of the Cahiers de doléances?

1. Collected from thousands of local assemblies, these notebooks formally outlined the demands, complaints, and suggestions from various social orders – the clergy, nobility, and commoners, though predominantly the Third Estate. While varying in specifics, they revealed a widespread desire for fiscal reform, a more equitable tax system, and a greater voice in governance, exposing the deep-seated problems of the Old Regime and providing a critical insight into the widespread discontent that culminated in the French Revolution.

What was the Tennis Court Oath of June 20, 1789?

1. On June 20, 1789, the deputies of the Third Estate, finding their usual meeting hall locked, gathered at a nearby indoor tennis court in Versailles and took a collective pledge known as the Tennis Court Oath.

What was the significance of the Tennis Court Oath?

1. Led by figures like Abbé Sieyès and Mirabeau, they swore 'not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established.' This oath was a defiant act of revolutionary resolve, asserting the Assembly's authority to create a new constitution independent of royal approval, effectively challenging the King's absolute power and marking a crucial step towards national sovereignty and the irreversible onset of the French Revolution.

What was the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

1. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen) was a foundational document of the French Revolution, adopted by the National Constituent Assembly in August 1789.

What was the significance and influence of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

1. Deeply influenced by Enlightenment ideals and American revolutionary principles, it outlined a set of universal natural rights, including liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression, and asserted the principles of popular sovereignty, equality before the law, and freedom of speech and religion. This document served as the preamble to the 1791 French Constitution and became a cornerstone of liberal democracy, profoundly influencing legal and political thought worldwide, despite its initial omissions regarding women's rights and slavery.

What were the October Days (Women's March on Versailles) in 1789?

1. The October Days, or the Women's March on Versailles, was a significant event that occurred from October 5-6, 1789.

What was the significance of the October Days (Women's March on Versailles)?

1. Driven by severe bread shortages and high prices in Paris, thousands of working-class women (and subsequently the National Guard) marched nearly 12 miles from Paris to Versailles, demanding bread and action from the King. They successfully stormed the palace, compelling Louis XVI and the royal family to return to Paris under popular escort. This event dramatically demonstrated the power of collective popular action, effectively forcing the monarchy to submit to the will of the people and ending their isolation in Versailles, bringing them physically closer to the revolutionary fervor of the capital.

What was the 9th Thermidor?

1. The 9th Thermidor (July 27, 1794) refers to the date in the French Republican Calendar when Maximilien Robespierre was overthrown.

What was the significance of the 9th Thermidor?

1. This pivotal event saw Robespierre, along with his closest associates, arrested and executed by guillotine a day later, ending his dominant role in the Committee of Public Safety and effectively bringing the Reign of Terror to a close. The 9th Thermidor marked a significant turning point in the French Revolution, leading to the Thermidorian Reaction, a period of conservative backlash against radicalism, a loosening of social restrictions, and the eventual dismantling of the revolutionary government's most extreme measures, steering the Revolution into a less radical, though still turbulent, direction.

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

1. The Committee of Public Safety was a powerful executive body established by the National Convention in April 1793, during the most radical phase of the French Revolution.

What was the significance of the Committee of Public Safety?

1. With vast powers to deal with internal and external threats, the Committee, dominated by figures like Maximilien Robespierre, effectively became the de facto government of France during the Reign of Terror, overseeing purges, mass conscription, and radical social reforms to protect the Republic from its enemies and instill revolutionary virtue.

Who was Camille Desmoulins?

1. Camille Desmoulins was a prominent journalist and revolutionary figure, initially a childhood friend of Robespierre, known for his eloquent and passionate speeches and writings that stirred public opinion during the French Revolution.

What was the significance of Camille Desmoulins' role in the Revolution?

1. His fiery calls to action, such as during the storming of the Bastille, were instrumental in mobilizing the Parisian populace. However, his later advocacy for clemency and an end to the Reign of Terror led to his execution alongside Danton, symbolizing the escalating extremism and internal purges of the Revolution.

Who was Jean-Paul Marat and what was L’Ami du peuple?

1. Jean-Paul Marat was a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution, best known for his incendiary newspaper L’Ami du peuple (The Friend of the People).

What was the significance of Marat and L’Ami du peuple?

1. Through L’Ami du peuple, Marat became a powerful voice for the Sans-culottes, vehemently attacking perceived enemies of the Revolution, advocating for radical measures, and fueling public paranoia. His influential writings and martyrdom after his assassination by Charlotte Corday solidified his status as a revolutionary icon, further radicalizing the masses.

What was the Fête de la fédération?

1. The Fête de la Fédération (Festival of the Federation) was a grand celebratory event held on July 14, 1790, in Paris, commemorating the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille.

What was the significance of the Fête de la fédération?

1. Intended to symbolize national unity and the new constitutional monarchy, representatives from all parts of France (federates) gathered to swear an oath to the nation, the law, and the King. While a moment of fleeting unity and hope, its symbolic nature masked deepening divisions that would soon erupt, serving as a poignant reminder of the early, more consensual phase of the Revolution.

Who were The Enragés?

1. The Enragés (meaning 'the enraged ones') were a small but influential group of radical revolutionaries during the French Revolution, active primarily in 1793.

What was the significance of The Enragés?

1. Led by figures like Jacques Roux, they advocated for extreme economic measures to benefit the poor, such as price controls on food, severe repression of hoarders, and the abolition of private property. Their populist demands pushed the National Convention further left, influencing the Committee of Public Safety's economic policies during the Terror but ultimately leading to their suppression by the Montagnards, who viewed their extremism as destabilizing.

Who was Louis XVI?

1. Louis XVI was the last King of France before the French Revolution, reigning from 1774 until his deposition in 1792.

What was the significance of Louis XVI's role in the French Revolution?

1. His ineffective leadership, resistance to reform, perceived extravagance, and eventual attempt to flee the country deeply alienated the French populace. His execution in January 1793 marked a definitive end to monarchical rule in France and symbolized the radicalization of the Revolution, establishing a republic.

What was the Bastille?

1. The Bastille was a medieval fortress in Paris, primarily used as a state prison, that symbolized the oppressive rule of the Bourbon monarchy in France.

What was the significance of the Bastille?

1. Its storming on July 14, 1789, by an angry Parisian mob, seeking gunpowder and arms, was a momentous event that symbolized the beginning of the French Revolution and the collapse of royal authority. Though it held few prisoners at the time, its fall was a powerful symbolic act of rebellion against tyranny and became a rallying cry for revolutionaries across France.

Who were the Feuillants?

1. The Feuillants were a moderate-royalist political faction that emerged during the French Revolution, formed in July 1791 by deputies who split from the Jacobin Club.

What was the significance of the Feuillants?

1. They advocated for a constitutional monarchy, striving to preserve a limited role for King Louis XVI while upholding the 1791 Constitution. Their influence waned significantly after the King's flight to Varennes and the increasing radicalization of the Revolution, ultimately leading to their suppression and many members being guillotined during the Reign of Terror, illustrating the struggle between moderates and radicals.

What was the National Guard?

1. The National Guard was a citizen militia formed in Paris in July 1789, in response to the growing revolutionary unrest, primarily composed of bourgeois citizens.

What was the significance of the National Guard?

1. Initially formed to maintain order and protect property during the early days of the Revolution, under the command of Lafayette, it played a crucial role in suppressing riots and protecting the National Assembly. Its existence symbolized the shift of military power away from royal control towards a more national, citizen-based force, acting as a key instrument in the early stages of enforcing revolutionary will and order.

What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

1. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed by the National Constituent Assembly on July 12, 1790, that placed the Catholic Church in France under state control.

What was the significance of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

1. It fundamentally reorganized the French Catholic Church, making bishops and priests elected by the people and requiring clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state rather than the Pope. This contentious measure profoundly divided French society, creating a schism between 'juring' (oath-taking) and 'non-juring' clergy, alienating many devout Catholics, and becoming a major source of counter-revolutionary sentiment.

Who were the Girondins?

1. The Girondins were a moderate republican political faction during the French Revolution, active from 1791 to 1793, often associated with the region of Gironde.

What was the significance of the Girondins?

1. Initially proponents of declaring war on Austria, they eventually clashed with the more radical Montagnards (Jacobins) over the fate of the King, the role of federalism, and the direction of the Revolution. Their efforts to curb the power of the Parisian Sans-culottes and their opposition to the centralization of power led to their downfall and purge during the Reign of Terror, making them symbols of the moderates who were swept away by revolutionary extremism.

What was the Republican Calendar?

1. The French Republican Calendar (or French Revolutionary Calendar) was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, adopted in October 1793.

What was the significance of the Republican Calendar?

1. Designed to de-Christianize and de-royalize time, it aimed to symbolize the break with the Old Regime and establish a new rational, secular, and republican order. It featured 12 months of 30 days each, with three 10-day weeks (décades), and five or six supplementary 'sansculottides' days. Though short-lived, its adoption reflected the revolutionary ambition to reshape every aspect of society and culture.

What was the Speech on the Silver Mark?

1. The 'Speech on the Silver Mark' was delivered by Maximilien Robespierre in April 1791, denouncing a property qualification (the 'silver mark') that restricted an individual's right to vote and stand for election.

What was the significance of the Speech on the Silver Mark?

1. In this speech, Robespierre ardently argued for universal manhood suffrage, condemning property-based voting rights as unjust and contrary to the principles of equality enshrined in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It marked him as a champion of democratic ideals and the popular classes, distinguishing him from more bourgeois revolutionaries who supported such qualifications.

Who was Louis Antoine de Saint-Just?

1. Louis Antoine de Saint-Just was a radical revolutionary and close associate of Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution, known as the 'Archangel of Terror' for his unwavering commitment to republican virtue.

What was the significance of Saint-Just's role in the Revolution?

1. As a leading member of the Committee of Public Safety, Saint-Just played a crucial role in drafting legislation, prosecuting Girondins, and consolidating the Terror. His uncompromising rhetoric and dedication to establishing a 'Republic of Virtue' through extreme measures made him one of the most feared and influential figures of the Montagnard government, and he was executed alongside Robespierre on 9th Thermidor.

What were the Decrees of August 4th, 1789?

1. The Decrees of August 4th, 1789, refer to a series of decrees passed by the National Constituent Assembly in response to the Great Fear.

What was the significance of the August 4th Decrees?

1. In a dramatic all-night session, the Assembly formally abolished the feudal system, seigneurial rights, tithes, venality of office, and special privileges for the nobility and clergy. These decrees, though later subject to conditions, represented a fundamental dismantling of the Old Regime's social and economic structures, effectively ending centuries of aristocratic privilege and laying the groundwork for a more egalitarian society.

What was the Massacre at the Champ de Mars?

1. The Massacre at the Champ de Mars occurred on July 17, 1791, when the National Guard fired upon a crowd gathered to sign a petition demanding the abolition of the monarchy.

What was the significance of the Massacre at the Champ de Mars?

1. This event, following King Louis XVI's attempted flight to Varennes, dramatically demonstrated the growing division between moderate revolutionaries (like Lafayette and the National Assembly) who sought to preserve a constitutional monarchy, and radical republicans (like the Cordeliers and Sans-culottes). It intensified republican sentiment and highlighted the willingness of the state to use force against popular protest, further escalating revolutionary tensions.

What was the Pillnitz Declaration?

1. The Declaration of Pillnitz was a joint statement issued on August 27, 1791, by Emperor Leopold II of Austria and King Frederick William II of Prussia.

What was the significance of the Pillnitz Declaration?

1. While cautiously worded and intended more as a deterrent, it was interpreted by French revolutionaries as a serious threat of foreign intervention, fueling fears of counter-revolution, consolidating radical sentiment, and ultimately contributing significantly to France's declaration of war in 1792.

What were the September Massacres?

1. The September Massacres were a series of killings of prisoners in Parisian jails that took place from September 2-6, 1792, amidst widespread panic following the Brunswick Manifesto and the Prussian army's advance.

What was the significance of the September Massacres?

1. Fueled by fears that imprisoned 'enemies' would escape and join invading foreign armies or internal counter-revolutionaries, Sans-culottes and other radicals indiscriminately slaughtered hundreds of prisoners, including priests, nobles, and common criminals. This brutal event shocked Europe and deeply stained the Revolution's image, demonstrating the extreme violence and paranoia that could grip the populace and the revolutionary government's inability or unwillingness to control it.