War, revolt and overthrow of the monarchy 1792-1793 Flashcards
(35 cards)
1
Q
Who were Europe’s major powers?
A
- UK - not bothered by French revolution. Glad it weakens France
- France - in revolution
- Russia & Prussia - less interested in what is happening in France because they are in dispute over control of Poland
- Austria - worried about the position of the monarchy in France. Won’t take on France alone
2
Q
What were the other monarchs in Europe worried about?
A
- They were increasingly worried by the events in France because they didn’t want a revolution to spread to their countries
3
Q
How big of a threat were the major powers intervening in France?
A
- The threat of the major powers intervening in France was not that serious
4
Q
Who were the supporters of war?
A
- Marie Antoinette
- Army commanders
- Brissotins
- The Assembly
5
Q
Who were the opponents of war?
A
-Some politicians outside the Assembly including Robespierre
6
Q
Why did Marie Antionette support war?
A
Hoped that France would lose so the King would have his old powers back
7
Q
Why did the Army Commanders support war?
A
Lafayette and Dumouriez - wanted the authority of the King to be strengthened. A short successful war against Austria would increase his prestige as a general and enable him to dictate his own terms to both the King and the Assembly
8
Q
Why did the Brissotins support war?
A
Wanted to show powers of the Revolution. Expose traitors, like the Royal Court - King, who opposed to the Revolution. They were also Republicans
9
Q
Why did the Assembly support war?
A
Strengthen the Revolution
10
Q
Why did some politicians outside the Assembly including Robespierre oppose war?
A
- Thinks they should be at war with their enemies in France, not elsewhere
- Argued that the real threat came from soldiers like Lafayette
- Believed that the aim of the European powers was to intimidate France not to invade
- This made him more unpopular as he was convinced that his opponents were plotting to betray the Revolution
11
Q
Who were the key members of the Girondins?
A
Brissot and Roland
12
Q
Who were the supporters of the Girondins?
A
- Their deputies were made up from the Bourgeoise, most of the newspapers in Paris favoured them and they enjoyed support from lots of the provinces outside of Paris
13
Q
What were the Girondins beliefs?
A
- Republicans, hated privilege, against the church, wanted a more liberal economic policy with minimal state interference, favoured federalism over centralisation
14
Q
How did France end up in war in April 1792?
A
- Within France the Girondins are pushing hard for a war
- Austrians and Prussians agree an alliance in February 1792. They are both confident about their chances in a war with France
- The growing threat from Austria forced Louis to appoint a more radical government made up of mostly Girondins
- In Austria, the Old Emperor Leopold 1 died. He was replaced by the younger and hot-headed Francis 2
- Rumours from France suggest Marie Antoinette is to be put on trial, Austria prepare for war
- On April 20th 1792, France declare war on Austria, Prussia join in June
15
Q
What events led to the execution of Louis?
A
- Military Crisis
- Royal Vetoes
- The rise of the sans culottes
- The federes
- The Brunswick Manifesto
16
Q
Military Crisis
A
- The French army was not well prepared
- Over half its 12,000 officers had emigrated
- There were 150,000 men under arms in 1791 comprising both regular and newly recruited volunteers
- However, a combination of decertation and revolutionary propaganda destroyed the discipline of the regular army, while the volunteers were poorly trained and equipped
- French forces were faced with determination opposition
- The army panicked and retreated to Lille
- They murdered their commander
- All 3 field commanders were advising that peace should be made immediately
- The allies counter-attacked and invaded northern France
- Treason and traitors were blamed for French defeats
- Marie Antoinette leaked details of French military plans to the Austrians
17
Q
The Rise of the Sans Culottes
A
- Leaders of the Paris Sections responded by holding an armed demo on 20th June, the anniversary of the Tennis Court Oath and of the flight to Varennes
- Their leaders came from the Cordeliers Club
- Louis behaved with dignity and was not intimidated
- This journee didn’t achieve its desired end; the King did not withdraw his veto or recall the Girondin ministers
- However, it did show clearly the weakness of the King and the Assembly and the growing sections
- The Assembly soon took steps which recognised the growing importance of the sans culottes but which also increased the likelihood of a rising
- 11th July the Assembly declared a state of emergency by issuing a decree ‘la patrie en danger’, which called Frenchmen to fight
- This titled the balance of power in favour of those who called for greater democracy
18
Q
Royal Vetoes
A
- Opposition from refactory priests and counter- revolutionaries who wanted to restore the authority of the Catholic Church and the monarchy
- Girondins had to satisfy demands for action against ‘traitors’
- 27 May, Assembly passed a law for the deportation of refactory priests
- Another law disbanded the King’s Guard and a third set up a camp for 20,000 National Guards
- They were to protect Paris from invasion and the government from
a coup by the generals, Lafayette - Louis refused to approve these
laws, dismissed those protesting - 19 June Louis vetoed the laws
- Robespierre gives speeches calling for the end of monarchy
19
Q
The fédérés
A
- They were militant revolutionaries and republicans
- By July 1792 5,000 in Paris
- Radical troops from the provinces, wanted the King removed
- They add more pressure on the calls for a republic
- Robespierre and other extremest increase calls for an end to monarchy
- The Girondins try to intervene on the
side of Louis - Robespierre also proposed the establishment of a National convention, elected by universal male
suffrage, to replace the legislative Assembly. And a purge of the departmental authorities, many
of which were royalist
20
Q
The Brunswick Manifesto
A
- Published on August 1st in Paris
- Main terms and threats:
• to ensure the welfare of France, and not to conquer any French territory
• to restore the liberty of Louis XVI and his family
• that the city of Paris set Louis free without delay, and make it responsible for the safety of the royal family
• if the Tuileries Palace was attacked and the royal family harmed then the joint Austrian-Prussian army
would inflict ‘an exemplary vengeance’ on the city and its citizens - this makes Louis look like he is working with France’s enemy
• 47 of the 48 Paris sections call for Louis to be removed
• Intended to help the King but did the opposite
21
Q
Who made up the National Convention, September 1792?
A
- 300 - The Jacobins (Montagnards, the left)
- 250 - The Plain
- 180 - The Girondins
22
Q
What is the plain?
A
Members of the convention not attached to either group. Aprox 250 members
23
Q
What were the factors that led to Loui’s execution?
A
- The incriminating royal correspondence between Louis and the Austrian Royal family discovered the armoire de fer documents
- Marat’s proposal that a decision should be reached by appeal nominal ‘so that traitors in this Assembly may be known’. In an Assembly of 749 deputies, no one voted that Louis was innocent, while 693 voted that he was guilty. They voted out loud
24
Q
How did the Girondins attempt to save Louis life?
A
- Suggested that the Kings fate should be decided by a referendum
- This was rejected and the King was founded guilty and sentenced to death, then they proposed a reprive
25
Who was Saint Just, what did he say and what did that mean?
- Saint Just is the leading member of the Jacobins
- when he said '...he was executed not for what he had done but for what he was: a menace to the republic' about Louis he meant that Louis was a symbol of the counter revolution
26
What position was France in at the beginning of 1793? x7
- The war against Austria and Prussia is going badly
- France is a republic
- France is governed by the National Convention
- The was is expensive and further damages France's economy
- Louis XVI has been executed
- There are numerous internal threats from the counter-revolution and an increasingly unhappy peasantry
- There is a power struggle between the Jacobins and Girondins
27
The Battle of Valmy
- 20th September 1792, 52,000 French troops defeated 34,000 Prussians - significant victory
- If the Prussians had won, it was likely that Paris would have fallen and the Revolution would have been brought to an end
- French troops - mainly sans culottes who were dedicated to the revolution
- Jemappes - in November Dumouriez defeated the Austrians and occupied most of Belgium
28
Who was France at war with by September 1793?
- Britain
- Netherlands
- Spain
- Portugal
- Prussia
- Austria
- Piedmont
- Naples
29
The September Massacres - Content
- France was on the verge of defeat by September 1792
- Lafayette has defected to the Austrians
- Prussian forces had entered French territory and Verdun, the last fortress on the road to Paris, was about to surrender. Crisis
- Thousands of Parisians volunteered to defend the capital and the Revolution
- Fear grew that enemies of the Revolution, priests and nobles, left behind in Paris prisons would rise up
30
The war of the First Coalition
- External threat
- The Great Powers were alarmed at the annexation of Nice and Savoy
- Britain was concerned at the threat France posed to the Austrian Netherlands (Belgium) - they possessed good ports from which to launch any potential invasion of Britain. When France reopened the River Scheldt to navigation it was seen as a direct challenge to British commerce
- Spanish royal family, related to the French Bourbons, expelled the French envoy. Spain was preparing to join an anti-French alliance, which led to the convention declaring war on its southern neighbour in March - with the exception of Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark, France was at war with most of Europe
- Both sides thought the was would be short and easy - Britain was the driving force binding the other powers
31
What does Annex mean?
To incorporate foreign territory into a state, usually forcibly and against the will of the local people
32
What are Natural Frontiers?
Barriers such as rivers, mountain ranges and the sea, that separate countries
33
What is the Decree of Fraternity?
The convention offered support to those in any state wishing to overthrow their rulers and establish democratic political systems
34
Internal threats to the survival of the Republic - The Vendée Rebellion
- ‘Anti-revolution' rather than a ‘counter revolution'
- Directed more against the Revolution and its demands rather than for the restoration of the ancien regime.
- Causes of the uprising were the expansion of war and the introduction of conscription
- Government ordered a levy of 300000 troops in February 1793 - triggered an
uprising on 11 March 1793
- Discontent had already been present:
• Peasants had to pay more in the new land tax than the ancien regime
• Civil constitution of the clergy
• Sale of church land was unpopular - bourgeoisie bought most of it and raised rents
35
Internal threats to the survival of the Republic - Economic issues
- More assignats were printed to pay for the war - reduced the value of those already in use
- By Feb 1793 assignat had fallen by 50%
- Harvest in 1792 was good but bread was scarce
- Farmers don't want to save money so
are most reluctant to sell their grain
- Caused riots against grain stores
- Demands from the sans-culottes for
price controls and requisitioning
