Revolution and the Reign of Terror

Looking at the French Revolution, it can be divided into international and domestic discord.

            - To briefly touch upon the international aspect, France was basically fighting against all other major European nations at some point during this revolutionary period. This ranged from Prussia to Austria to Spain.


However, the revolution inside the French borders is what really demands attention at this time.

- After Louis XVI is deposed , the National Assembly takes control of the government, deeming it a republic. Just as this change is announced, Louis XVI is executed using the new and improved guillotine.

- All these changes are extremely radical for a country that had a monarch just years before. Further, the French people proved divided on whether or not they even wanted a republic/ an executed monarch. For example, the National Assembly itself had a small margin of supporters of  killing  Louis XVI.

-->Also, the peasants were still in need of that bread they staged numerous uprisings for. So, these changes did little to bring content to the country.

Speaking of the discontented French people, let's get a little more specific...

                 - Aside from the nobles and clergy, the third estate has an internal hierarchy of its own.

                       Top: Lawyers, merchants --> basically all those who were rich/profitable
                       Middle : Sans-Culottes
                    
-   who are the people that make up this group ?  
                 - Sans-Culottes =urban workers
        
                  Bottom : Peasants
                              - Those who work the land/are involved with agriculture

     So , what makes the sans-culottes different than the peasants?

- The peasants have to do with rural areas and agriculture. Contrasting this, the sans-culottes are associated with that which is urban, or jobs in larger towns or cities.

- This difference brings a key point that the desire of the people of the countryside and the people in the city do not match up all that often.

- It is important to remember that the division between urban and rural peoples is a pervading theme for the entire French Revolution.

- In fact, the separation between the two introduced a major divide between the wants of Paris and the rest of the country for the rest of the 19th century.



With these groups in mind, we can go back to the factions that existed inside the National Assembly at this time (and how the sans-culottes ended up having a part in this) :

 - The National Assembly was full of members of the Jacobian club. This club can be thought of as being radical and ruthless in their political actions/plans. (Note: the name "Jacobian" was the blanket name that included the following factions)

                      - Really, there were two main/rival factions within this group in the National Assembly:

 1. the Mountain - can be seen as more radical/ calculating when it came to later involvement with the Reign of Terror and Robespierre

2. the Girondists

- Of these two groups, which ones did the sans-culottes like more?

          -The sans-culottes favored the Mountain over the Girondists because the Mountain seemed more sympathetic to their demands for political action.

- Appearing more sympathetic, the Mountain used the sans-culottes to their political advantage. If they appeased the demands of the urban worker, then they could gain their support and favor over the Girondist group.

- Commencing the Reign of Terror under Robespierre : who was the "enemy"?

                - During the Terror, the enemy included anyone who might oppose the revolutionary government. Therefore, anyone was subject to the guillotine if they challenged Robespierre or his Committee.
                           
- Another revolutionary changes as a result of the National Assembly in charge at this time is exemplified in the Therimidorian response.

- The first term in the phrase, "thermidor" = the name of a month in reference to the revolutionary calendar.
--> The revolutionary calendar was part of the Assembly's attempt to reorganize/ restart the year by changing the length of days and taking out religious holidays.

-->Secular festivals replaced the Sabbath in order to bolster nationalism. This calendar illustrates the ways that the Assembly tried to take away power from the church in the lives of the citizens.