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Weakening and downfall of constituent assembly - Coggle Diagram
Weakening and downfall of constituent assembly
The Political Clubs
Established bases in Paris to discuss issues, decide on their policies and produce pamphlets and papers to spread their ideas
Jacobins - (first known as the Bretons Club) (Left wing) - set up in Versailles May 1789 - Changed its name in January 1790 to friends of the Constitution - Met daily and by August 1790 had 152 affiliated "Jacobin" clubs across France - Expanded to over 1,000 members by 1790 - Members predominantly Bourgeois as membership fees high - OCOTBER 1791 fees reduced and artisans and shopkeepers joined in large numbers
However club adopted a more radical position in 1791 - Leading to some members breaking away and creating more moderate FEUILLANT CLUB in July 1791
THE CORDELIERS CLUB - *Left wing) (began as the society of the friends of the rights of man and the citizen) - Founded April 1790 - It Claimed to protect citizens rights and keep a watch on the activities of the Assembly - Entry fee minimal and membership was open to all including WOMEN ADN PASSIVE CITIZENS - GEORGE DANTON, CAMILLE DESMOULINS WERE FOUNDERS AND MARAT WAS A MEMBER - became a home of radical democratic and republican ideas
Society of 89 - founded by Sieyes - supporters of constitutional monarchy - met at Palais-Royal - charges high entry fee so members came form wealthy moderates - Like Lafayette and Mirabeau
THESE CLUBS provided a platform for Propaganda and often delivers their views in the form of petitions to the Assembly - Allowing them to influence decisions
The King and flight to Varennes
By June 1791 in a difficult position - 'Prisoner' in the Tuileries, CCC challenged his deepest convictions even though he accepted it in 1790 - radical politics - His go between Mirabeau who favored conditional monarchy had died - Royal family wanted action against revolution movement
What happened
King and Queen in contact with growing band of emigre nobles who wnated to assert Louis authority - Antoinette has assurances of her younger brother Leopold that he would help royal family and had troops along the border
Louis was hoping that a display of pressure would induce the revolutionaries to reach a settlement with him
Escape took place on night of 20/21 June - Louis rejected advisors choice of route and suggestion that royal family should travel separately - At SAINTE-MENEHOULD Louis was recognized by an old solider-turned postmaster called Drouet - Drouet able to ride to the next village of Varennes and stop the coach
King's younger brother escaped by going a different route - National Assembly representatives arrived to escort Louis back to Paris
Citizens who turned out onto the streets showed disrespect and a loss of authroity as they kept their hats on whilst Louis went back
Outcome
Showed doubt abouts the King's sincerity
King's attempt to justify his flight contained a list of complains about they way he had been treated since his return of the Tuileries such as his limited suspensory veto on legislation
NA debated on deposing Louis but decided on a suspensory veto 16 July 1791
Some saw it as Louis abdicating
Polarized soceity
Deepened political and social divisions
290 Assembly deputies abstained form voting to suspend the kings powers since they believed the measures went to far
Demands for a republic increased
Champ de Mars
Cordeliers Club and more extreme societys decided to organize a meeting at the Champ de Mars 17 July - where people could sign a PETITION calling for the Establishment of a REPUBLIC
on 14 Mars the Champ de Mars held the "feast of the federation" - Making it a fitting site for the petition
6,000 people attended - sparking fears of disorder
Assembly and moderate Paris commune chose to send Lafayette and the National Guard to ensure order
However had reverse effect as numbers built up and Lafayette moved in to disperse the mobs stone were thrown at the National Guard
Around 50 DEAD
TO THE RADICALS SEEN AS A BETRAYAL OF THE PEOPLE
BY THE MODERATES A "MASSACRE"
It completed the split that had already opened among those of the former third estate
Alarmed by potential power of the mobs some took the side of the moderates - One group including Lafayette broke with the Jacobins and set up their own moderate "Feuillant Club" - Felt they had to stop the revolution becoming more exstreme
Increased tension and anxiety - Drove extremist leaders underground
War
Origins
Failure of Louis flight Austrians felt they needed to make a gesture of support for the monarch - As they were scared of the revolution moving to their countries
Consequently - 27 August the Austrian Emperor Lepold 2nd and his ally, Frederick-William 3rd of Prussia, issued the DECLORATION OF PILLNITZ - It stated that the situation of the French King was of 'common interest' to all nations - the powers of the French Crown should be restored - They were ready to use force to bring about the restoration of royal powers
Declaration helped to add mistrust to those of those who had already lost their faith in the monarchy and the treat of emigres was worrying
End of 1791 an estimated 60% of all pre-revolutionary army officers were among these
Coblenz was a source of fear as both of Louis brothers were their intensifying suspicion and fear within France
9 November - A decree against the emigres which seized their property unless they returned to France before 1 January 1792
29 November - decree demanding that refractory priests take the oath or to be treated as traitors - Linked the 2 rebellious groups more closely in the patriots minds
February 1702, Austria and Prussia made a formal alliance in which Prussia promised 20,000 men in support of a war against France - Leopold dying on March 1792 and the lack of any response form his successor Francis 2nd to the French demands led to a French declaration of war on Austria on 20 April 1792
Assembly concerned that Prussia and Austria were supporting the emigres and stirring up counter revolution within France
Consequently the deputies began to talk of a war against these states to unite French people in a patriotic cause and expose the counter-revolutionaries in France and defend the honor of the revolution against its enemies
Brissot - a Parisian deputy - headed up the Brissotins (soon known as the Girodins) --> Argued strongly in favor of war as they claimed it would be easily won since the oppressed subjects of their enemies would welcome the French solders as 'men of liberty'
Very little opposition to war within the assembly since the far left has failed to get any seats in the elections - Even in the Jacobins club, Robespierre ALONE opposed war --> Suggesting that the revolutionaries first priority should be to establish the revolution firmly at home (his voice had little impact)
Royal family wanted war to reassert his power with Marie writing to Leopold for help as bough sourt armed interventions to bring about the restoration of power
Louis appointed several Girondin ministers, sympathetic to Brissot in an attempt to please the assembly
Impacts
Brissots predictions of an easy victory were rapidly dissolved as although numerically superior the French troops were divided
The blues largely made up of volunteers and national guards of active citizens did not trust the "whites" who were men from the old royal army nor did they fully trust their commanders (who were appointed by Louis XVI) such as Lafayette whose reputation as tarnished by the events of Champ de Mars in 1791
Lack of experienced officers also contributed to a series of French reverses
Including a setback at Lille on 28 April when the French troops retreated on sight of the enemy and massacred one of their own officers whom they unfairly accused of treason
The initial surge of patriotism was rapidly followed by bitter disillusionment in which 'counter-revolutionaries' became the scapegoat
27 May - Assembly voted for the deportation of refractory priests on the grounds that they were "provoking disturbances"
29 May - Assembly ordered the disbanding of the King's guard (1200 cavalry soldiers and 600 foot soldiers) which had appeared to celebrate the military set backs. The head of the guard was put on trial
8 June - the Assembly passed a decree to set up a federe camp of 20,000 volunteer soldiers from all over France. The new Federe recruits were to expand the force of "National Guardsmen" and change its character
Louis used his suspensory veto against all 3 decrees and when one of his Brissotin minister (Roland) tried to plead with him to give way he promptly dismissed his entire ministry on 13 June
Gov was in disarray
Lafayyete 1/3 general leading the army was accused of planning counter-revolution
General Dumouriez appointed minister of war following kings actions on 13 June - resigned and left Paris to go to fight
Radical agitators stirred up unrest and the provincial volunteers began marching northwards regardless of the king's disapproval
The Sans Culottes
Working class - Left wing - Idolized their own heroes such as danton and marat and met in the cordeliers club - supported polices far more radical than those proposed by the moderate member sin the assembly
They were artisans, craftsmen and small shopkeepers, seamstresses and laundry women - At the lower end of the social scale but were not low enough to have lost their aspirations
Not a cohesive group but shared a hatred of the "selfish wealth" of the bourgeoisie and aristocratic elites - Sans Culottes by their hands and life was to revolved around the rice of bread with the sliest imbalance between wage and the cost of living could cause serious problems for them
Formed the mobs of demonstrators and rioters who played an increasingly major role in the development of the revolution from 1792
Journee of June 20 and August 10
20 June
Context - Occurs in the shadow of a war - poor economy, defeats, patriotism and paranoia over losing the revolution
Causes - Economic discontent (bread prices rising during the war) Louis actions, rabble-rousers, the events of the war
Louis caused it by Usage of his suspensive veto (ON 19 JUNE 1792): Vetoes law for the deportation of refractory priests, law disbanding the King's Guard (army) and law setting up federes camps of 20,000 volunteer soldiers. Louis dismisses his pro-war Girodin ministers (13 JUNE 1792) including Roland who is loved by the sans-culottes. This undermines the war effort
The fact that legislative assembly was forced to set up federe camp shows the revolution was a threat as they did it to protect Paris
Danton and Coredliers are political agitators for spreading Louis actions
War is going badly as 1/2 of France's military officers had emigrated, inexperienced volunteers- radicalises the sans-culottes
La Patrie en danger decree on 11 July - Calls on all men to fight the war, suspends Louis' authority allowing the vetoed legislation to be passed leaving France a constitutional monarchy in name only
legislative assembly make this decree following Journee
Fatherland in danger removed the active passive distinction as - The LA couldn't ask all men to fight without giving them the right to vote, so the active/passive distinction is removed and all men over 25 can vote-the sans-culottes have political power
20th June shows the power of sans culottes as - They were able to force Louis XVI to change his actions, they were able to force the 'Fatherland in Danger' decree and they now have political power
What does the 'Fatherland in Danger' decree mean for the sans-culottes political and military participation?
They can become members of the National Guard and the Paris Commune- these institutions become increasingly radical. Also universal male suffrage
Main events of the 20th June - 8000 sans-culottes encouraged by the Cordeliers and Girodins march on Tuileries Palace to demand Louis withdraw his veto and reinstate the Girodin ministers. Louis wears the bonnet rouge and toasts the revolution
Louis appears weak and vulnerable - proves he is a liability in the war - shows power of sans culottes
Political Consequence: Robespierre's speech in the Legislative Assembly following 20th June 1792
On the 29th July 1792 Robespierre gives a speech calling for a republic as all faith has been lost in a constitutional monarchy
10 August
2nd time the Sans culottes march to the Tuilieries palace - 20,000 Sans culottes accompanied by 2,000 federes and national guards from more revolutionary Paris sections
King persuaded to seek sanctuary in the National assembly - as it was well planned and heavily armied the journee - DEFENCE UNITS HE HAD IN PLACE CONSIST OF
detachments of national guard loyal to monarchy, Swiss guards and gentleman at arms took positions to defend the palace - (2,000-3,000 men in all 700-800 of them swiss guards)
The Mob upon arrival surged along with defected national guard members (who were supposed to be defending) into the courtyard and the first building
Causing a 2 hour battle - Palace set on fire - nearly 1,000 Sans Culottess and federes killed or wounded - Swiss guard and gentlemen at arms nearly all massacred
IMMEDIATE EFFECTS
Dictated by the radicals
The assembly was
careful to avoid any proclamation to dispose king or establish a republic
declared him as temporarily suspended
decree to end distinction between passive and active citizens
Danton became Minister of Justice - Set up a committee of ministers taking executive power until new elections could be held
For laws that the KING vetoed they all IMMEDIATELY CAME INTO FORCE
17 August tribunal courts with juries and judges elected by the sections to prosecute traitors
26th August - refractory priests had 2 weeks to leave country or face deportation to French Guyana
Agitation of peasants reduced
By compensation to former seigneurs demanded after august decrees was cancelled
how did Lafayette respond to all of this?
fled on august 19th and defected to the Austrians
Lafayette was replaced by Dumouriez
September massacres
25 August news reached Paris that Longwy had fallen 2 days prior to the enemy - 1 September Vedrun the last fortress blocking the way to the capital was under siege - suggested that the Duke of Brunswick would reach Paris in 2 weeks - Also a royalist uprising at Vendee where 200 where killed in a conflict between the Vendeeans and the patriots
Danton reduced the panic by - 30 August authorized house-searches for weapons hidden by the 'ill-disposed'. Over the next 2 days all houses were searched and 3,000 people prisoned - 2 September - He launched a levee (call-up) enforcing conscription on pain of death
The sounding of the tocsin unleashed 5 days of frenzied killing as between 1,000 and 1,500 prisoners in the Parisian gaols were massacred in an orgy of blood-letting
2 September first attacks led by federes were on refractory priests being taken to or held in prison - Following days went to political prisoners and ordinary criminals as well as munks, nuns and priests - These attacks largely carried out by the sans-culottes were mostly spontaneous although encouraged by members of the commune and NG and individuals such as Marat
Legislative assembly did nothing to stop them and similar action took place in the provinces
Outcome - Fear abroad of the danger from the popular revolution were confirmed - Girodins blamed the Jacobins for inciting this violence behavior increasing the split already underway - power of assembly and authorities was shows to be weak whilst popularity of radical leaders such as Danton and Robespieerre (Who allowed attacks to take place) increased