Thermidorian reaction Flashcards
Following the overthrow of Robespierre who now emerged to take control?
The plain
Who was the plain?
Men who had gained from buying biens nationaux
They were also regicides involved in trial and execution of Louis so didn’t want monarchy and were attached to republic
Who was the plain joined by?
Many Montagnards who rejected former views and values
What were the people who had helped overthrow Robespierre ?
Thermidorians - including ex terrorists ,deputies of the plain, members of CPS and CGS
When did the Convention start to dismantle the machinery of terror ?
Between end of July 1794 and May 1795
How did the Convention dismantle the terror ?
Abolished the revolutionary tribunal
Released all suspects from prison
Repealed law of prairial
Closed jacobin club
How did the Covention end the dictatorship of CPS?
It decreed that 25% of members of CPS and CGS had to be changed each month
Paris commune abolished
August 16 committees were set up to take over CGS and CPS
Local govt power was passed again to moderates
What did Thermidorians do in relation to religion?
Renounced the Constitutional Church
When did the Convention refuse to pay clerical salaries ?
September 1794
Brought about first time of separation of church and state
What did the government do on 21 February 1795?
Govt restorer freedom of worship for all religions and formally ended persecution of religions wages during terror
Cult of supreme being also ended officially
When were price controls abolished?
December 1794
Why was the price controls being abolished a bad thing for the economy?
This led to assignation value falling and mass inflation
Government had to buy war materials at market prices and therefore had to print more assignats leading to inflation
Why was 1794 significant for the economy ?
Poor harvest led to grain shortages and rise in price of bread
Winter of 1794 also very bad
Bad economy lead to misery and discontent
What was the rising of Germinal ?
First demonstration 10,000 unarmed people marched to Convention and gained access to it demanding bread and release of CPS and CGS members imprisone during Thermidor
When national guards appeared demonstrators withdrew
When was rising of Germinal ?
1st April 1795
What happened in the aftermath of Germinal?
Repression was light
But to emphasise authority Convention sentenced leaders of CPS to be deported to Guiana
What was the rising of Prairial ?
More serious armed rising large crowd of housewives and workers and some national guards marched to Convention demanding bread however on the chaos a deputy was killed and crowd became hostile
How did the Convention react to the crowd at rising of Prairial ?
It confronted the crowd and there was threat of shootings but Convention solved it by agreeing petition to set up food commission
That evening National Guards arrived and cleared the assembly
What happened on 3 Prairial 1795?
Convention took offensive and rebel suburbs were surrounded with 20,000 troops of regular army who forced them to give up arms and canon
What repression followed Prairial?
Severe
40 Montagnards arrested and six executed
6000 militants disarmed and arrested
When was Prairial ?
20-22 May 1795. 1-3 Prairial
Why did Prairial fail?
Workers were divided No institution like Paris commune to coordinate Political inexperience Army intervention Loss of support from radical bourgeoise
What was the white terror?
An attack on ex terrorists and those who had done well out of the revolution by those who had suffered
White was colour of bourbons so implies it was royalist reaction
Who were participants of white terror?
Most were not royalist and had no intention of restoring the Bourbons or ancient regime
They wanted revenge on those who had been members of CPS and CGS
