FRENCH REVOLUTION 



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FRENCH REVOLUTION 



content with declaring France a republic, the 

 Convention in December, 1792, brought the 

 unfortunate king to trial, and early in the next 

 year he was beheaded. So while the nations 

 of Europe were becoming more and more 

 united against France, disunion was growing 

 within the country. In the Convention two 

 parties, the moderate Girondists and the rad- 

 ical Jacobins, contended for supremacy, the 

 latter gaining step by step until by June, 1793, 

 they were strong enough to expel the leaders 

 of the Girondists and put them under arrest. 



Reign of Terror. With the rise to power of 

 the extreme Jacobins the Revolution entered 

 upon its most terrible stage the so-called 

 Reign of Terror. The virtual dictators of the 

 nation were the Committee of Public Safety, 

 composed of the most radical members of the 

 Convention, under the leadership of Danton 

 (which see). It must not be assumed that 

 this Committee performed its dreadful work 

 merely because it was bloodthirsty; if France 

 were to be saved from the aggression of out- 

 side nations, all wavering must cease, all the- 

 orists and mere orators must be removed from 

 control of affairs, and death could secure the 

 only safe and sure method of removal. Marie 

 Antoinette, Philip Egalite, of the House of Or- 

 leans, Madame Roland these were but a few 

 of the hundreds upon hundreds of victims who 

 were sent to the guillotine because they had 

 aroused the suspicion of some member of the 

 Committee. Actual guilt was not necessary, 

 for the trials were but mock affairs. Paris 

 became accustomed to the sound of the carts 

 as they lumbered through the streets, carrying 

 people, distinguished or insignificant, all on 

 their way to one common fate. Round about 

 the guillotine gathered the terrible "knitting 

 women" of whom Dickens tells in his Tale of 

 Two Cities, who stopped in their counting of 

 stitches only long enough to check up the 

 heads as they fell. 



Every phase of the Revolution had its 

 leader, and the leader of this stage was Robes- 

 pierre. If a man were too radical in his de- 

 mands, as was Hebert, at the will of Robes- 

 pierre he was sent to the guillotine, with his 

 followers; if a man were not radical enough, 

 and ventured to suggest that the Terror was 

 passing all bounds, as did Danton, he, too, was 

 put out of the way. However, he who ruled 

 by the Terror was to perish by the Terror, and 

 in July, 1794, a plot against Robespierre suc- 

 ceeded and he was beheaded. With his death 

 ended the Reign of Terror. 



The Rise of Bonaparte. Now moderation 

 came to the fore. The Girondists who had 

 been expelled from the Convention were 

 brought back, the Jacobin Club was closed, 

 and in 1795 a new constitution, drawn up by 

 the Convention, established a new govern- 

 ment. This consisted of a Directory of five 

 persons, and two legislative houses, the Coun- 

 cil of Ancients and the Council of Five Hun- 

 dred. However, Paris was riot disposed to 

 accept this constitution quietly, and in October 

 a violent mob-outbreak occurred. With the 

 quelling of this a young Corsican, Napoleon 

 Bonaparte, had much to do, and from this 

 time on he was one of the most prominent 

 figures in France, gradually becoming the dom- 

 inant man of the world. 



During the latter part of the Convention 

 government France's arms had been fortunate 

 abroad, and under the Directory these suc- 

 cesses bade fair to continue. Bonaparte won 

 victories in Italy and other generals held back 

 the Austrians, but conditions changed when 

 Bonaparte went to Egypt. Then Austrian 

 armies invaded Italy and several times de- 

 feated the French, while England and Russia 

 renewed their aggressions. The Directory was 

 no better able to cope with conditions at home. 

 Financial affairs were hopelessly involved, and 

 the general weakness of the government was 

 all too apparent. A strong central govern- 

 ment was what France needed, and wanted; 

 and there was considerable talk of restoring 

 the monarchy; but some of the wisest men 

 of the time saw that there was another solu- 

 tion possible, and that the "Little Corsican" 

 then absent in Egypt was the only man who 

 could furnish it. At their invitation Bonaparte 

 returned to Paris, overthrew the Directory and 

 put himself at the head of affairs. For the 

 next fifteen years the history of France was 

 the history of Napoleon all the threads of the 

 Revolution had met in him. How he used his 

 opportunity the article on NAPOLEON I makes 

 clear. E.D.F. 



Consult Farmer's Short History of the French 

 Revolution. A great novel which deals with the 

 subject is Dickens' Tale of Two Cities. 



Related Subjects. The Revolution and his- 

 tory of the period will be better understood by 

 reference to the following articles. 

 Bastille . Mirabeau 



Emigrfis Napoleon I 



France, History Robespierre 



Girondists Roland de la Platiere 



Jacobins States-General 



Louis XVI Tuileries 



Marie Antoinette Versailles 



