Chapter 18 The French Revolution & Napoleon 1789 - 1815
The French RepublicKey Terms and People: Maximilien Robespierre,
guillotine, counter-revolution, Reign of Terror, Revolutionary
Tribunal, Committee for Public Safety, nationalismGuiding
Questions: What changes did the radical government make in French
society and politics? What was the Reign of Terror, and how did it
end?Main Idea: An extreme government changed French society and
tried through harsh means to eliminate its critics within
France.Where we left offSeptember Massacres: -War between Austria
and the Legislative Assembly-not going well due to
counter-revolutionary (people against the revolution) movement.-War
between revolutionaries and those loyal to the king.-Royal family
is in jail.The Fate of the King2/3 of the people were under the age
of 45Most distrusted the king.First step was to abolish the
monarchy and establish a republic (remember the Legislative
Assembly tried to establish a constitutional monarchy).The
Execution of Louis XVILouis was put on trial for his crimes. Of
course he is guilty, but do they kill him or not?They voted for his
execution. On January 23, 1793 Louis went to the guillotine in the
Place de la Concorde, where a statue of his predecessor, Louis XV,
once stood. At the scaffold he said "I forgive those who are guilty
of my death."
The Reign of TerrorAfter the death of Louis in 1793, the Reign
of Terror began. Marie Antoinette tries to befriend the people with
a parade of people headed to their death. The guillotine-execution
machine, the new instrument of justice, was put to work. Public
executions were considered educational. Women were encouraged to
sit and knit during trials and executions.
http://www.metaphor.dk/guillotine/Media/Plast.jpg
The Reign of TerrorLed by Maximilien Robespierre, wanted to
prevent counter-revolution from spreading and established the
Committee for Public Safety to do this.Most of the people rounded
up were ordinary people who were accused of saying something
critical of the revolutionary government.Watch
Committees-neighborhood undercover enforcement who kept detailed
journals are encouraged to arrest suspicious people.Revolutionary
Tribunal-court established during the French Republic to try and
execute those guilty of being against the revolution. More than
30,000 were killed in 18 months following Louis XVIs death.
Suspension of Civil LibertiesCivil liberties were suspended.
People were not given a fair trial (arrested, tried, and killed on
suspicion alone)The promises of the Declaration of the Rights of
Man were forgotten. Terror was the order of the day. In the words
of Maximilien Robespierre, "Softness to traitors will destroy us
all."
"Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe,
inflexible" The Republic of Virtue(do not write)Tried to model
France after Ancient Rome.De-Christianize country; Cult of the
Supreme BeingNotre Dame was designated a temple of reasonThey
adopted a new calendar-12 months made up of 3 10 day weeks.-Months
renamed based on nature.-10th day (Sunday) was a day of rest.-Each
day was made up of 10 hours.-Each hour was made up of 100 minutes.
(144 actual minutes)-Each minute was 100 seconds. (86.4 regular
seconds)
The Festival of the Supreme Being
A Nation in ArmsThe Committee of Public Safety-raised a huge
army of over one million in less than a year.The invading forces
were pushed back.Rise in French nationalism.Wars became the peoples
war
The DirectoryRobespierre called for a new purge in 1794, his own
friends felt threatened and wanted Robespierre stopped.Robespierre
was arrested and sent to the guillotine and was the last victim of
the Reign of Terror.People were tired of radicalism, and by 1785
the republic was gone, France was ruled by 5 men called The
Directory.The Directory was conservative, corrupt, and
ineffectual.In 1799, a Coup detat, a sudden overthrow of the
government, led by the successful and popular general Napoleon
Bonaparte, toppled the Directory by a plebiscite vote. Napoleon
seized power
Note CheckWhat changes did the radical government make in French
society and politics? What was the Reign of Terror, and how did it
end?