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The Terror Flashcards

1
Q

Declaration of the French Republic

A

22nd September 1792

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2
Q

Jacobin and Girondin shared beleifs

A

Supported republican government
Supported the war
Believed in the need for further enlightened reform to improve government, society and the economy

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3
Q

Jacobin features

A

Strong support-base in Paris
Supported centralisation of power
Favoured by the sans-culottes, and were ready to act on their demands (eg. price controls on food and wages)
Adopted a radical, militant approach to bring about change
Wanted to see the King put on trial and executed

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4
Q

Girondin features

A

Wide support-base on the provinces
Supported decentralisation of power
Suspicious of sans-culottes activism, and believed that economic controls would curb liberty
Adopted a moderated approach to bring about change
Hesitant to support the death penalty for the King

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5
Q

Prominent Jacobins

A

Robespierre
Marat
Danton

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6
Q

Prominent Girondins

A

Brissot

Roland

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7
Q

Domestic effects of the war

A

Growing inflation

Outbreak of sporadic peasant rioting (Chouan rebellion)

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8
Q

Robespierre on the execution of the King

A

‘Louis must die because the country must live’

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9
Q

Votes taken on the fate of the King

A

15th-17th January 1793
King found guilty
Proposal for referendum on issue rejected
Death penalty wins majority of votes (361/721)

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10
Q

Execution of the King

A

21st January 1793

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11
Q

Opponents in the War of the First Coalition

A

Britain
Austria
Prussia

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12
Q

War of the First Coalition

A

1792-1797

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13
Q

Catalyst of the rising in the Vendée

A

Levy for 300,000 men which was being carried out in Angers

March 1793

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14
Q

Events of the rising in the Vendée

A

Vendee army formed (14th March)
City of Cholet seized
Local officials, priests and National Guards massacred
Guerilla warfare spread through the countryside

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15
Q

Response of the Convention to the rising in the Vendée

A

Sent 30,000 men from the frontline to the Vendée in May in an attempt to control the rebellion
With rebels continuing to march towards Paris, Convention decrees the destruction of the Vendee in August

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16
Q

Defeat of the rising in the Vendée timeline

A

1793
September - 100,000 troops arrived at Nantes
October - Troops gain the upper hand
December - Core of Vendéean army had been destroyed

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17
Q

Repression in the Vendee following the Rising

A 
January - May 1794
Marseille, Lyon and Toulon crushed
Peasants killed
Crops burned and animals killed
Women raped and mutilated
2000 killed in Angers
8700 executed by revolutionary tribunal, over half the total during the whole Terror
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18
Q

Reasons for implementation of measures which led to the Terror

A

Help win internal and external wars
Reassure the sans-culottes that the deputies were responding to their needs
Strengthened Jacobins and weakened Girondins, as it centralised power

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19
Q

Formation of CGS

A

October 1792

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20
Q

CGS features

A

Policing and administration of justice
Made up of 12 deputies
Reported to the National Convention

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21
Q

Appointment of représentants-en-mission date

A

March 1793

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22
Q

Représentants-en-mission function

A

82 in total, worked in pairs, travelling across France
Ensured the loyalty and effective functioning of the departments, and saw that public order was maintained
Reported to the CPS and National Convention

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23
Q

Establishment of Revolutionary Tribunal

A

March 1793

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24
Q

Revolutionary Tribunal function

A

Tried counter-revolutionaries

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25
Comités de surveillance established
March 1793
26
Comités de surveillance function
Looked out for suspicious behaviour | Established in every commune or section
27
When was the CPS set up?
April 1793
28
CPS responsibilities
War Diplomacy Application of revolutionary laws Had authority over the CGS, other ministers and government agencies
29
CPS features
Made up of nine men who were to be elected monthly by the National Convention. Reported weekly to the National Convention
30
Jacobins siding with the sans-culottes
Criticised grain-hoarders and profiteers Blamed the Girondins for France's problems, portraying them as enemies of the Republic Established price controls on wheat and flour following sans-culottes demonstration outside the Convention (May 1793)
31
Fall of the Girondins
26th May - 2nd June
32
What did Robespierre do on the 26th May 1793 to initiate the overthrow of the Girondins
Invited 'the people to place themselves in insurrection agains the corrupt Girondin deputies'
33
2nd June 1793
80,000 National Guardsmen aim cannon at the Convention, demanding the expulsion of the Girondins from the Assembly and a maximum price imposed on all essential goods Prevent the deputies from leaving until concessions guaranteed First time armed force was used against an elected assembly Convention agreed to arrest 29 Girondin deputies and 2 Girondin ministers
34
What was the Federalist Revolt?
Retaliation of Girondin suporters in the departments following the expulsion of Girondins deputies from the Convention
35
Events of the Federalist Revolt
Jacobins forced out of office in cities (Lyon / Marseilles) Protests in 60/83 departements Toulon appealed for help from the Anglo-Spanish fleet and proclaimed Louis XVII as King, but were defeated by Napoleon
36
When was the Federalist Revolt?
May - August 1793
37
Constitution of 1793 (Year I) date
24th June
38
Features of the Constitution of 1793
Endorsed by national plebiscite Never put into practise because of the wartime situation Aggressively egalitarian, stressing that society was more important than the individual Concession to the sans-culottes
39
Decrees of the Constitution of 1793
All adult males had the right to vote Every man had the right to express himself through direct political action Everyone was entitled to state welfare if needed
40
When did the CPS decree for a levée en masse?
23rd August 1793
41
What did the levée en masse do?
Called up all single men aged between 18 and 25 Married men had to hand in their weapons Women were to serve in hospitals Helped the French war effort sigmificantly
42
Who was in charge of carrying out changes to the army?
Carnot | Saint-Just
43
Old general of the Ancien Regime executed by Carnot and Saint-Just
Custine Led the French forces to the Rhine Accused of passing secrets to the enemy
44
New general implemented by Carnot and Saint-Just
Pichegru | Appointed commander of the division of the Upper Rhine
45
Military successes following changes to the army made by Carnot and Saint-Just
Siege of Dunkirk lifted (September) | Defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Wattignies (October)
46
Key members of the CPS
Robespierre Saint-Just - Laws of Ventose (property could be seized and re-distributed amongst the poor) Carnot
47
Period when the CPS governed France virtually unchallenged
September 1793 - July 1794
48
What were the armées revolutionnaries, and why did the Convention establish them?
Sans-culottes paramilitary forces To attack grain hoarders To force farmers to surrender their grain
49
When did the Convention establish armées revolutionnaries?
September 1793
50
Jacobin concessions to the sans-culottes
Constitution of 1793 Levee en masse Economic concessions - fixed prices and made grain hoarding a capital offence
51
The Law of Suspects
September 1793 Created a new definition of a suspect, making it easier to arrest someone 500,000 arrested Symbolised the Terror at the local level
52
The Law of the General Maximum
September 1793 Laid down a maximum price for certain goods Imposed wage regulations
53
How many victims of the Terror were there between 1792 and 1794?
40,000 | Roughly 17,000 guillotined
54
When was the popular Terror?
September - December 1793
55
Evidence of escalation of the Terror in 1793
Revolutionary Tribunal heard 260 cases between March and September Revolutionary Tribunal heard 500,000 cases between September and December
56
Famous show trials
Marie-Antoinette | 21 Girondin leaders
57
Saint-Just on the CPS
'The provisional government of France in revolutionary until there is peace'
58
Features of CPS campaign across the départements
comités de surveillance Armées révolutionnaires Représentants-en-mission
59
Evidence of Dechristianisation campaign waged by Hébert on behalf of the CPS
Religious statues removed Church property stolen Notre Dame Cathedral converted into the 'Temple of Reason'
60
Law of 14 Frimaire II
December 1793 Gave the CPS more power Limited sans-culottes influence by closing down societies
61
Hérbertists
Followers of the popular radical leader Jacques Hérbert Complained that Robespierre was setting up a dictatorship Called on the sans-culottes to rise against the CPS
62
Indulgents
Danton / Desmoulins Popular in Paris Beleived that the Terror should be scaled back
63
Enemies of the CPS
Hébertists | Indulgents
64
Execution of Hébertists
March 1794
65
Execution of Indulgents
April 1794
66
The Festival of the Supreme Being
8th June 1794 High point of patriotic fervour and Robespierre's ascendancy Pleased no-one - Weak Catholicism and first steps towards reintroduction of Roman Catholicism
67
Law of 22 Prairial
10th June 1794 All those accused on political crimes were to be taken before the Parisian Revolutionary Tribunals (provincial revolutionary tribunals had been closed down in May) No witnesses or defence allowed Acquittal or death only possible verdicts Deputies could now be prosecuted Initiated the Great Terror
68
The Great Terror victim composition
35% nobles 25% clergy 40% bourgeoise Most class-bound phase of the Terror
69
Reasons for tension between CPS and CGS in the Summer of 1794
Promotion of the Cult of the Supreme Being angered atheists CGS not consulted over the Law of 22 Prairial Robespierre and Saint-Just set up a separate surveillance and police network to hunt for counter-revolutionaries, infringing upon CGS powers
70
Dissension within the CPS
Saint-Just v Carnot over military tactics
71
Factors contributing towards the weakening of Robespierre's position
CPS v CGS Dissension within the CPS 'The Plain' fearing that Robespierre was becoming a dictator Breakdown of local government because of overload of work and atmosphere of fear
72
Robespierre last speech to the National Convention
8 Thermidor (26th July) Accused different committees and groups of conspiring against 'public liberty' Suggested the more purges were needed
73
Events of 9 Thermidor (27th July)
Decree to arrest Robespierre and other members of the CPS passed unanimously Commune managed to free them, but prisoners were retaken
74
Execution of Robespierre
10 Thermidor (28th July)
75
March 1793
Representants-en-mission Revolutionary Tribunal Comites de surveillance
76
September 1793
Armees revolutionnaires The Law of Suspects The Law of the General Maximum
77
The Great Terror
Centred on Paris 10th June - 27th July 1794 1594 executed
78
Barere in September 1793
'Let us make Terror the order of the day!'
79
Factors behind Robespierre's decreasing popularity amongst the sans-culottes
Execution of the Herbertistes Raising of the Maximum on prices in March 1794 - caused inflation and the fall in the assignat to 36% of its original value

French Revolution (7 decks)

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