About the French Bourgeois Revolution (Quick!!!!!!)

The French Revolution

The French Revolution was a revolution that occurred in France from 1789 to 1799. In this revolution, the Democrats representing the bourgeoisie and the Communists together overthrew the autocratic monarchy.

Cause

During the reign of Louis XV (1710-1774), the people were extremely dissatisfied with the king's rule and were constantly criticized in various ways. This formed the ideological enlightenment movement, and a large number of enlightened figures such as Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Diderot emerged. Ideas such as natural human rights, constitutional monarchy, and separation of powers came into being and became increasingly popular among the people. .

Before the revolution, the inhabitants of France were divided into 3 estates:

Catholic prelates

Feudal aristocracy

Bourgeoisie and peasants

The Revolution broke out

When Louis XVI ascended the throne in 1774, the Estates-General, representing the three estates in France, had not been convened for 160 years. On May 5, 1789, due to financial problems, Louis XVI convened a meeting of the Estates-General in the Palace of Versailles. The king hoped to discuss tax increases, restrictions on press and publication, and civil and criminal laws at the meeting, and ordered that no other issues be discussed. The representatives of the Third Estate did not agree with the tax increase and declared it illegal.

On June 17, representatives of the third estate announced the establishment of the National Assembly, and the king had no power to veto the resolutions of the National Assembly. So Louis XVI closed the National Assembly, declared it illegal, invalidated all its resolutions, and ordered the representatives of the three estates to meet separately.

On July 9, the National Assembly announced that it would be renamed the Constituent Assembly, demanding the formulation of a constitution to limit the royal power. Louis XVI realized that this was jeopardizing his rule and mobilized troops to dissolve Parliament. On July 12, Paris citizens held a massive demonstration in support of the Constituent Assembly. The next day, Paris church bells rang, and citizens fought against the king's mercenaries from Germany and Switzerland, taking control of most of Paris that night. On July 14, the masses conquered Basti Prison, a symbol of feudal rule, and released political prisoners, achieving an initial victory. This day later became France's Bastille Day.

The rule of the constitutional monarchists

Bourgeois representatives seized power in the Paris city government during the uprising and established the National Guard. The king had to surrender and recognized the legal status of the Constituent Assembly. At this time, the Constituent Assembly actually became the highest organ of state power.

The constitutional monarchy plays a major role in the parliament. The Constituent Assembly passed a decree declaring the abolition of the feudal system, canceling the privileges of the church and the nobility, and stipulating the abolition of feudal tribute in the form of redemption. The Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on August 26, declaring that "all people are born and always are free and equal." After the king's plan to use mercenaries to overthrow the Constituent Assembly failed again in October, the royal family was forced to move from Versailles to Paris, and the Constituent Assembly also moved there. A number of revolutionary groups emerged in Paris, among which the Jacobin Club and the Cordeliers Club played a huge role in the revolution.

In June 1790, the Constituent Assembly abolished the titles of princes, hereditary nobles, and knights, and redefined political districts. The Dali Yuan, the Supreme Court, and the jury system were established. The Constituent Assembly also confiscated church property and declared that the French church would be separated from the rule of the Roman Pope and placed under state management, thus achieving the separation of church and state.

On June 20, 1791, Louis XVI failed to escape in disguise. Some radical leaders and people demanded the abolition of the monarchy and the implementation of peace, but the constitutional monarchists advocated maintaining the status quo and retaining the monarchy. On July 16, the Constitutional Monarchists split from the Jacobins and formed the Feillan Club.

In September, the Constituent Assembly formulated a constitution that "all political power is generated by the whole people" and separates the three powers. It stipulates that executive power belongs to the king, legislative power belongs to the Legislative Assembly, and judicial power belongs to all levels. court. The Constituent Assembly was dissolved on September 30, and the Legislative Assembly convened on October 1. France became a constitutional monarchy.

The French Revolution caused unrest in neighboring countries, and Prussia and Austria formed a coalition to attack France. Because Marie Antoinette, the queen of Louis XVI and the sister of the Austrian Emperor, leaked military secrets to the coalition forces, the French army was defeated and the coalition forces invaded France. On July 11, 1792, the Legislative Assembly declared that the motherland was in danger. The people of Paris, with the sans-culottes as the main body, once again set off an upsurge of revolution and movement. Jacobin leaders Robespierre, Marat, and Danton led the anti-monarchy movement. On August 10, they captured the Tuileries Palace, the king's residence, and detained the king and queen. They overthrew the Bourbon dynasty and overthrew the constitutionalists. rule.

The rule of the Girondins

The uprising on August 10 brought the Girondins to power, forcing the Legislative Assembly to abolish the 1791 constitution, the king to abdicate, and to implement universal suffrage. At the same time, the French army and volunteers organized in various places defeated foreign coalition forces at the Battle of Valmy on September 20.

On September 21, the National Convention, elected by universal suffrage, opened, and on September 22, the First French Republic was established. On January 21, 1793, the National Convention executed Louis XVI for treason after a trial.

After the Girondins came to power, they used their main force to oppose the Jacobins, the Paris Commune and the Paris Sans-culottes.

From the autumn of 1792, people were dissatisfied with their moderate policies and demanded crackdowns on speculators and price controls. Civilian revolutionaries, represented by the extremists, demanded severe punishment of speculators and comprehensive price limits on daily necessities. The Girondins, however, issued decrees to suppress the movement.

At the same time, the French army had already fought abroad after October 1792. European countries were very afraid. In February 1793, Prussia, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Sardinia, Hanover, and the United Kingdom established an anti-French alliance to carry out armed intervention in France. However, the Girondins were unable to resist foreign troops. The people of Paris launched the third uprising from May 31 to June 2, overthrowing the rule of the Girondins and establishing the Jacobin dictatorship.

The Jacobin Dictatorship

After the Jacobin dictatorship, he put down the armed rebellions instigated by the overthrown Girondins in many areas. From June 3 to July 17, three land decrees were promulgated, allowing a large number of farmers to obtain land. The 1793 Constitution was announced on June 24. This was France's first peaceful democratic constitution, but it was not implemented due to the war. In July, the National Salvation Committee as a provisional government agency was reorganized and strengthened, and speculators were executed. At the end of October, they beheaded the Girondins and their supporters, including Brissot, Madame Roland, and Corday. The American revolutionary Thomas Paine was also imprisoned. From the end of 1793 to the beginning of 1794, all foreign intervention forces were driven out of the country, and the domestic rebellion was basically suppressed.

From March to April 1794, fierce struggles began within the Jacobins. Marat was assassinated, and Robespierre executed Danton, Hébert and others among the Jacobins who had political disagreements with him on charges of conspiracy. This caused the Jacobins to become isolated and the people began to oppose the policy of terror.

In July, the anti-Robespierre dictatorship forces in the National Union formed the Thermidor Party, which launched the Thermidor Coup on July 27 (the 9th of Thermidor of the New Calendar and the Second Year of the French Calendar). Overthrow Robespierre and behead him.

The Thermidor Party's rule

The Thermidorians dissolved the National Convention in October and established a new government agency, the Directory. The period of terror is over, but political instability remains. From 1796 to 1797, the Directory sent Napoleon Bonaparte on an expedition to Italy and achieved a major victory, and the military power began to rise. In the legislative elections of 1797, many royalists were elected. In order to combat the influence of the royal party, the Directory declared the election invalid. In the legislative election of 1798, a large number of remnants of the Jacobins were elected, and the Directory once again declared the election invalid. This policy is historically known as swing policy.

In 1799, Britain formed the second anti-French alliance. The right-wing forces headed by Sieyès demanded the use of military force to control the situation. On November 9 (the 18th of November 18th and the eighth year of the Brumaire), Napoleon Bonaparte launched the Brumaire Coup, ending the rule of the Directory, establishing a provisional executive government, and assuming power by himself. The French Revolution ended hastily.

Ending

After Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Louis XVIII restored the Bourbon dynasty under the protection of foreign troops. The king's rights were restored and the revolutionaries were massacred with blood. In July 1830, the people of Paris launched the July Revolution. After three days of fighting, the palace was captured. King Charles X fled to England and established the July Dynasty headed by Louis Philippe. This ended the French Revolution.