Topic 3 National Convention, Jacobins, Terror Flashcards
(17 cards)
When was Marie Antoinette’s execution?
16 October 1793
What were the 5 factors that lead to the Terror state?
-War
-Revolt
-Economic pressure and sans-culottes
-Political pressure
-The Federalist Revolt
How did war lead to the Terror?
-End of 1792, wars against foreign powers were going well, but the success was short lived.
-After a major defeat at the battle of Neerwinden, leading Girondin figure Dumoriez defected
—-This lead to the radical Jacobins gaining more power, as the Girondins could not be trusted
How did revolts lead to the Terror?
The Vendee had an uprising March 1793 against a levy en masse which called for 300,00 troops to fight in the first coalition war.
The people where dissatisfied with the revolution so armed themselves against the government.
There was only 1300 National Guard to defend against the unrest, with 10,000 rebels, they were able to force the government troops to withdraw
When was the Committee of Public Safety created?
6 April 1793
What was the role of the Committee of Public safety?
They could determine foreign policy, appoint and dismiss commanders and issue arrest warrants
It had 9 members, seven from the plain and 2 who were more radical (one of which was Danton)
How did economic pressure and the sans-culottes lead to the Terror?
-The war had worsened the economic problems faces by the poor in France
-In February 1793, the National Guard was deployed in Paris to bring bread rioting under control
—-The Jacobins said nothing while the Girondins attacked the sans-culottes
-8,000 sans-culottes surrounded the Convention to force them to introduce a maximum bread price, 1 May 1793
-Jacobins supported the sans-culottes and a limit was passed 4 May
How did political pressure lead to the Terror?
-The power struggle between the Jacobins and the Girondins became more intense
-The Jacobins pointed towards defecting leader Dumouriez as a sign Girondins couldn’t be trusted
-Jacobins demanded the dismissal of the Girondins who voted against the execution of Louis
–The Girondins put Marat on trial where he was found guilty
-On 26 May 1793, sans-culottes rise up against the Girondins after being encouraged by Robespierre
– 2nd June 1793, 80,000 National guard and sans culottes surround the National Convention
How did the federalist revolt lead to the Terror?
On 13 July 1793 Charlotte Corday stabbed and killed Marat
-Following his death, there were days of public mourning
-A series of riots broke out across France against the Jacobins (the federalist revolt)
-August 1793, Toulon removed the local Jacobin club so had their food supplies cut off
-Lyon threatened to raise an army to march to Paris but only 2500 men showed up
–After 2 months without food the city surrendered Oct 1793 but the CPS was sent in, destroying 600 homes and killing 2000
Approximately how many peasants were killed without trial by the ‘infernal columns’?
250,000
What were the ‘infernal columns’?
Soldiers who were sent to kill any remaining rebels who burned crops and killed anyone they met
When was the law of General Maximum passed? What was it?
September 1793, it fixed the price of bread as to what it was in 1790 and fixed wages at 50% of what they were in 1790
When was the terror movement ‘De-Christianisation’? What was it and who was it lead by?
Late 1793 and early 1794
-Lead by the sans-culottes and Revolutionary armies
-The festival of reason was organised November 1793 in which local churches were turned into ‘Temples of Reason’
When was the Law of Frimaire? What was it?
December 1793
-Established a ‘Revolutionary Government which gave the CPS and CGS executive power
-CPS was given more extensive powers
-Robespierre justified this by saying a dictatorship was necessary until the enemies of the revolution were distroyed
When was the Law of Prairial? What was it and what did it result in?
June 10 1794
-It removed fair trials so sped up the process of revolutionary justice
-It resulted in the Revolutionary Tribunal sentencing more than 40,000 people to death in Paris June-July 1794
When was the execution of Desmoulins and Danton?
April 5 1794
When was the law of suspects passed? What was it?
September 17, 1793
-Give wide powers of arrest to ruling committees
-Made ‘suspects’ and ‘enemies of the revolution’ extremely vague (anyone could be a suspect)
