The Radical Stage of the French Revolution

1791-1799

Term to Know: Sans-Culottes

The term “Sans-Culottes” refers to the poor and working poor of French cities. The term comes from their tendency to wear full-length trousers instead of the knee-high “culottes” of the rich.

The Sans-Culottes felt left out of the Revolution, feeling that it had been hijacked by the rich commoners (bourgeoise) and they had not benefitted at all.

They demanded a closing of the gap between rich and poor and a voice in the government.

Do they have a point?

The King FleesJune, 1791

Meanwhile, the Émigré Nobles finally wanted to spend money…on funding a European army planning to invade France and undo the Revolution.

Traveling in disguise, the King and Queen tried to flee the country, but were recognized and caught near the border--oops.

Louis XVI—The Prisoner KingJune, 1791

After the King was put under house-arrest in his palace, many French for the first time considered making France a republic—a nation without a hereditary monarch.

In any case, the King stopped opposing any laws the Assembly passed.

Also, it became clear that the idea that the King and the former Nobles were conspiring with other countries to undo the Revolution was real. War seemed unavoidable.

At the Assembly

The Legislative Assembly (formerly the National Assembly) was led by a group called the Girondins who:

Generally favored the upper classes and ignored the poor

Called for immediate war against Austria

Why War??? The Girondins’ Case for War

European kings were going to invade France anyway, so it would be better to:

Throw the first punchFight the war on foreign soil instead of in FranceGet some quick early victories to show other

countries that the French would be willing to die to protect the Revolution

War would unite the people in a common cause (and make the Girondins heroes).

The French had a duty to spread the ideals of the Revolution to other countries and lessen the powers of Kings, Nobles, and Priests across Europe.

A good idea?

Why would the King support the war and allow “his” army to fight?

He needed to get the French on his side again

-and-

He wanted the French to LOSE so that the other countries would restore him to maximum power

And the War Went…TerriblyApril, 1792

Reasons the Austrian troops found themselves right outside Paris:

2/3 of the top French officers stayed loyal to the king and refused to fight for the Revolution or had fled the country

The French Army was outmanned and outgunned as Louis XVI had neglected France’s military preparedness

The Revolutionary government had trouble organizing and getting food and supplies to the troops.

Side Effects of the War

Food prices shot up as food was needed for the soldiers,

Taxes went up on peasants (even higher than they were before the Revolution) to pay for the war and get food to the soldiers

The French economy worsened

Protesting both taxes and the Assembly’s attacks on the Church, peasants in the Vendee region had an armed uprising against the government that took troops away from the front lines. This was known as the Vendee Uprising, and it was led by former nobles and Priests

Was it right for the peasants to turn against the Revolution?

Paris Panics August, 1792

With the Austrian and Prussian armies entering France, the Sans-Culottes feared they would be slaughtered at the end of the war either by the king or the foreign armies.

In anger at the King and in the hope that if the royal family was dead the foreign armies would have nothing for which to fight, a mob of Sans-Culottes attacked the King’s palace and killed several hundred Swiss guards. Over 100 revolutionaries were killed. Too.

The September MassacresSeptember, 1792

With the foreign armies very close to Paris, crazy rumors spread in Paris that jailed Priests and former Nobles would break out of jail and fight the Revolution as Paris was being defended.

Driven by fear, patriotism and anger, another mob of Sans-Culottes broke into prisons and murdered more than a thousand prisoners—mostly common thieves. This was called the September Massacres

Understandable?

The War TurnsSeptember, 1792

Overstretched, the foreign armies were beaten at the Battle of Valmy right outside of Paris as everyday Parisians joined the fight.

Although the war would continue for another 20 years, Paris was no longer in danger and the Revolutionary government became more popular.

France Becomes a RepublicSeptember, 1792

In a close vote, the Assembly abolished the monarchy and made France a Republic.

In December, Louis Capet (formerly Louis XVI) was found guilty of treason and was beheaded. Marie Antionette was beheaded shortly thereafter.

Rise of the Jacobins

Rising in popularity was an alternative to the ruling Girondins called the Jacobins.

The Jacobins were the favorites of the Sans-Cullottes as, although their leaders were rich bourgeoisie, they favored programs and government aid to the poor.

The problem was, since the poor could not vote, the Jacobins could not gain the majority in the Assembly.

The Jacobins Take PowerJune, 1793

Frustrated that once again the Sans-Cullottes had saved the Revolution (this time by rushing to the war at Valmy) and that the Girondin-led Assembly were only helping the middle class, a mob of 80,000 Sans-Culottes marched to the Assembly, and took prisoner some Girondin leaders they did not like.

This made the Jacobins the majority in the assembly. Understandably fearing for their lives, the Assembly and Paris accepted this turn of events.

Is this a morally acceptable action by the Sans-Culottes?

Problems Inherited by the Jacobins

The new Jacobin leaders immediately faced a bunch of problems:

They were seen as not being legitimate rulers,

The Vendee Uprising intensified in the countryside,

The war continued to drain France’s budget

Royalists (supporters of the royal family) and the bourgeoisie wanted to undo the Revolution

The Sans-Cullottes expected help in return for putting the Jacobins in power

Robespierre

The Jacobins were led by the “Incorruptible” Maximilien Robespierre.

Robespierre wanted to “create a better society founded on reason, good citizenship, and patriotism. In his ‘Republic of Virtue’ there would be no kings or Nobles, people would be free, equal and educated, and reason would be glorified and superstition ridiculed. There would be no extremes of wealth or poverty.” (Perry)

Always carrying one of Rousseau’s books with him, Robespierre thought he could channel France’s “General Will”

Life under Robespierre: Nationalism

In his “Republic of Virtue,” everyone was supposed to put selfish interests aside and work for the good of the nation:

“Young men will go to war, married men manufacture arms and transport supplies, women make tents and uniforms, children turn rags into bandages, and old people…stimulate the courage of warriors and preach the hatred of kings.”

Life Under Robespierre: The General Economy

Under the Law of the Maximum, bread and other essentials would have a maximum price so it could be affordable to all.

“Luxurious” white bread was banned, and people were expected to eat the rough, brown “bread of equality” of the poor.

Limits were set on the size of businesses and farms one could own in order to put more people in the “owners’” class

Land was taken from large farms and givento landless peasants.

Life under Robespierre:The War Economy

To make sure the war was won:

All unmarried males were subject to be conscripted (drafted) into the army,

Anyone caught hoarding food or selling it above the Law of the Maximum price would be hanged,

If needed, nonessential businesses would be required to produce what was needed. For instance, instead of fancy hats, a hat maker would make army caps. A paint factory might now make guns.

Shoes, horses, and winter clothes would be taken from the rich and given to the army

Food could be taken from peasants to give to the soldiers and the poor

Life under Robespierre:Society

To show solidarity between the classes, everyone was expected to dress no finer than a Sans-Culotte

Everyone was expected to call each other “citizen” instead of Monsieur or Madame

Titles of Nobility were abolished

The royal palace the Louvre became a museum…and still is

All entertainment had to promote values consistent with the “Republic of Virtue”

Activities of the rich such as operas and lavish balls were discouraged

Life under Robespierre: Reason

All of France adopted the reason-based Metric system

A new calendar was introduced (will be explained in class). 1792 was now Year I.

Education focused on reason, logic, and love of the Revolution

There were even plans for a ten-hour “metric clock” that were thankfully abandoned.

Life under Robespierre:Politics

Anyone opposing the ironically-named ruling “Committee of Public Safety” would be punished.

Almost all males could vote…in elections that were never held

Robespierre’s “Committee of Public Safety” had total control with no formal opposition.

Life under Robespierre:Religion

Catholicism was banned, and replaced with a new reason-based religion devised by the Jacobins called the “Cult of the Supreme Being” celebrating the God-given gift of reason

The Vatican quickly reminded France that all non-Catholics were hellbound

Priests had to uphold the new religion, and could show their dedication to it and renunciation of Catholicism by getting married.

The wealth of the Church was sold, and church bells were melted down to make bullets.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame was renamed the “Temple of Reason” and all Catholic imagery was removed.

Life under Robespierre:The Terror

To protect the Republic of Virtue from its enemies or from those too ignorant or brainwashed to understand the benefits of the “Republic of Virture”, enemies had to be destroyed in a Reign of Terror.

The majority of the 500,000 imprisoned or killed by the Jacobins were political opponents of the Jacobins, people desiring less central control of France by Paris, counterrevolutionary priests, nobles, and their peasant supporters, participants in the Vendee Uprising, and anyone profiteering in a way that hurt the Republic as a whole,

Life under Robespierre :The Terror

In Paris, public beheadings became a lunch-hour entertainment.

In the countryside, most were killed without a trial and were unceremoniously shot.