French Revolution: From Assembly to Consulate
National Constituent Assembly
The Constituent Assembly was led by the moderate bourgeoisie and lasted until the establishment of a constitution for France.
The king, fearing that the organization would grow and not be orderly, integrated the control of the clergy and nobility from within.
There was much despair and poverty in the popular sectors, so the king concentrated troops around Versailles. The people, to this extent, reacted and rose, storming the palace of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 (the symbolic day of the French Revolution).
The crowd continued to make riots, impoverished because of limited supplies.
In the field, uprisings emerged against feudal lords, burning castles and destroying documents of ownership of the masters.
The National Constituent Assembly abolished the tithe (August 4, 1789) and the rights of feudal lords.
Works of the National Constituent Assembly
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens, through the principles of national sovereignty, freedom, equality, and fraternity. Creation of the civil constitution of the clergy:
All priests are public officials and must swear allegiance to the constitution of the assembly.
Create the French national church, neglecting its dependence on Rome, and remaining under state control.
Confiscates church property in order to reduce the fiscal deficit.
Classifies sworn priests (favorable to change and revolution) and refractory priests (they refuse to change and revolution).
The ANC divided France administratively, creating 83 new departments with judges appointed by the State. It established freedom of enterprise and employment, thereby eliminating the guilds of the nobles who dominated trade. Constitution of 1791:
France is ruled by a constitutional monarchy (the king shares power with the assembly in accordance with the constitution).
Legally establishes the rights of man and citizens.
Establishes the principle of national sovereignty.
The Constitution establishes the division of state powers.
Poses a lessee voting system for voters (people who have economic power vote).
With the 1791 Constitution, the triumph of the moderate bourgeoisie was proclaimed with a moderate monarchy (it would only remove power from the King).
Legislative Assembly
The second institution of the Revolution.
At this stage, the king shares power with an assembly according to the Constitution of 1791. The Legislature and the King executed.
This Assembly is dominated by the Girondins (conservatives) and decided to declare war on Austria and Prussia as a way to spread the revolution beyond the borders of France.
Problems occur when the Girondins claim to moderate and regulate life within France through the constitution of 1791, opposing this approach or petty bourgeois radicals.
Louis XVI, in danger of losing monarchical power, colludes with powers (Austria and Prussia) and was also discovered by revolutionaries, temporarily suspended from his post.
There is much distrust of the model and a constitutional monarchy.
A republican system is established.
The setbacks of the war bring in the economic crisis and military rebellions; this does happen in Paris.
The Legislative Assembly ends with the dismissal of the king and the idea of electing a new organization through universal suffrage, thus proclaiming the Republic of France. In the military, the revolutionary forces detain enemies in Valmy.
National Convention
She was elected by universal suffrage, had 750 members, and was initially controlled by the Girondins (conservative right).
The National Convention was composed of Girondins (Ronald, Brissot, and Vergnaiaud), conservative Jacobins (Danton, Marat, and Robespierre), Radicals, and the Plain, who were in the middle of politics.
Conflicts began to arise between the Girondins and the Jacobins. The Jacobins voted for the execution of the king. Louis XVI died, guillotined, on January 21, 1793.
On the death of the King, rebels in the Vendée region of France rose for the monarchy and against the revolution. The Jacobins seized power in response to the Vendée rebellion and created a Committee on Public Health that marked the beginning of the period of Terror by Robespierre.
Time of Terror
It is a radical period, establishing the Public Health Committee, the head of which is Maximilien Robespierre. They pursue and kill those who are against the revolution. Marie Antoinette died, as did men simply because of suspicion, and Danton (supporter and friend of Robespierre, for the mere fact of saying they were committing excesses).
Directory
The Public Health Committee ends, and its role would be to restore peace after years of violent revolution.
It creates the Constitution of Year III (1795), which replaces the previous one.
The Board has executive power and consists of five people. There is a legislative power to help the Executive: in the first two chambers, the 500 who prepared the legislation, and the council of elders who approved them.
The Board is transformed into a republic that has to face realistic conservatives and leftist radicals or ex-Jacobins.
The Board does not meet the goal of peace in France, as the economic crisis continues (food prices continued to rise), political disputes (protesting poor social groups), and the war that France is tied with Austria and now a new enemy, England.
At the end of the board, Napoleon Bonaparte (Robespierre’s friend and supporter of revolutionary ideals) begins to stand out. He gives a coup and seizes power on 19 Brumaire of the Year VII (November 9, 1799).
The Consulate
Assumes the economic crisis then. Power is entrusted to 3 Consuls: Napoleon, Abbe Sieyes, and Ducos Rogers.
The achievements of the Consulate are to pacify France after long struggles, ensure the power of the bourgeoisie, have a friendly relationship with the Church, authorize self-exiles to return, and forgive those who rebelled in Vendée.