French History: Revolution, Empire, and Key Concepts
ITEM-3: Key Concepts in French History
Girondins
Members of a French revolutionary legislative group, the Assembly and the Convention. The Girondins came from the bourgeoisie, enriched by the commons. The name came from the fact that several members were from the Gironde district. They formed an ephemeral government, led by Dumouriez (March 1792), and constituted the moderate group of the Convention. They defended property rights, free trade, and the republic, and had the support of the people of Paris.
Napoleonic Empire
In May 1804, the Senate declared Napoleon Emperor of the French (the appointment was ratified in a plebiscite). He was crowned by Pope Pius VII in Paris. The Empire was hereditary, with a court similar to the old regime, but with a nobility formed by people loyal to the Emperor, based on wealth and talent (upper middle class). The Napoleonic regime was a mixture of tradition and modernity, balancing monarchy and respect for revolutionary conquests. In practice, it was a personal dictatorship: the Emperor controlled and decided everything, with the support of the police and censorship. Local authorities, appointed by the government, exercised absolute control and authority in their districts. The attempt to improve public finances was impossible due to the continuous increase in taxes needed to finance military expenditures.
Nation
A community linked by certain characteristics, primarily cultural and economic, with a common history. This shared identity gives a distinct and differentiated appearance and a desire for organization and self-projection. This ultimately leads to the desire for political institutions to become a state.
Nationalism
A political attitude that attributes high value to the nation or national identity in the ethno-political sphere.
Revolution
A profound, comprehensive, and drastic change in the social, political, and economic structures of a society.
According to Marxism, the institutions or structures of a society resist change over time through the application of successive reforms. Over time, these reforms sharpen the contradictions of the system and lead to a revolutionary situation, characterized by increased historical consciousness and major crises. In this sense, revolution opposes reform and development, representing a qualitative change in class struggle relationships. For example, the French Revolution represented the triumph of the bourgeoisie over the nobility.
Liberalism
A doctrine and system that supports political and economic freedom.
Liberalism begins with the recognition of freedom as a right for all men. However, the precise meaning of the word changes according to the specific area it refers to (political, economic, religious, etc.) and has changed considerably over time.
Declaration of Rights
Text voted by the French Constituent Assembly on August 26, 1789.
Constitution
The fundamental law of a State that establishes and guarantees the rights and duties of citizens and regulates the power system, defining bodies, their forms and functions, and the set of relationships.
Democracy
A political doctrine advocating for the intervention of the people in government and in the choice of rulers.
Jacobins
Created in 1789 at Versailles, the group had several names but became known as the Jacobins because they established their headquarters in a Dominican convent in Paris, popularly known as *Jacobins*. Initially a moderate parliamentary club, it became dominated by radical Republicans in 1792. Their political line advocated for a theory in France based on small independent producers, inspired by Rousseau’s principles of direct democracy.