The events of the French Revolution stirred debate all over Europe. Some people applauded the reforms of the National Assembly. Rulers of other nations, however, denounced the French Revolution. Horror stories were told by émigrés who had fled France. Rulers of neighboring monarchies increased border patrols to stop the spread of the “French plague” of revolution.
In October 1791, the newly elected Legislative Assembly took office, but falling currency values, rising prices, and food shortages renewed turmoil. Working-class men and women, called sans-culottes, pushed the revolution in a more radical direction, and demanded a republic. The sans-culottes found support among other radicals, especially the Jacobins. The radicals soon held the upper hand in the Legislative Assembly. Eager to spread the revolution, they declared war against Austria and other European monarchies.
In 1793, the revolution entered a frightening and bloody phase. The war with Austria was not going well for France. Some felt the king was in league with France’s enemies. Others wanted to restore the king’s power. On August 10, 1792, a mob stormed the royal palace. Radicals then took control of the Assembly and called for the election of a new legislative body called the National Convention. Suffrage was to be extended to all male citizens, not just to those who owned property. The Convention that met in September 1792 was a more radical body than earlier assemblies. It voted to abolish the monarchy and establish the French Republic. Louis XVI and his queen were executed.
War with other European nations and internal rebellions concerned the government. The Convention created the Committee of Public Safety to deal with these issues. It had almost absolute power. Jacobin Maximilien Robespierre led the Committee. He was one of the chief architects of the Reign of Terror, which lasted from September 1793 to July 1794. During that time, courts conducted hasty trials for those suspected of resisting the revolution. Many people were the victims of false accusations. About 17,000 were executed by guillotine. In reaction to the Terror, the revolution entered a third stage, dominated by the bourgeoisie. It moved away from the excesses of the Convention, and moderates created the Constitution of 1795. This set up a five-man Directory to rule, and a two- house legislature. However, discontent grew because of corrupt leaders. Also, war continued with Austria and Britain. Politicians planned to use Napoleon Bonaparte, a popular military hero, to advance their goals.
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By 1799, the French Revolution had dramatically changed France. It had dislodged the old social order, overthrown the monarchy, and brought the Church under state control. Nationalism spread throughout France. From the city of Marseilles, troops marched to a rousing new song that would become the French national anthem. Revolutionaries also made social reforms. They set up systems to help the poor and abolished slavery in France’s Caribbean colonies. Review Questions
● How did France’s radical revolutionary leaders come to power?
● What was the outcome of the Reign of Terror on France’s social institutions?