Update French Revolution - part II - 2022

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Paragraph 5.3 - The French Revolution - II

What event ended the Ancien Regime?

1. The declaration of the Rights of Men and Citizen
2. La Nuit de Sacrifics

Explain why the March on Versailles is seen as one of the most significant events of the French Revolution?

Think, pair and share

1. A failed escape from Paris

In 1791, the French royal family tried to escape from Paris. With loyal troops they wanted to start a counter-revolution. However, the royals were caught in the township of Varennes after being recognised. They seemed to have forgotten that the king’s face was on every coin in France. The National Convention charged Louis XVI with ‘treason’ and classified him as an enemy to the nation. Despite his pleas of innocence, 387 members voted for the death penalty. The king was almost saved, because 334 people voted against his conviction. Eventually Louis XVI was executed on the Place de la Revolution in 1793.

2. Imagine that you're a member of the National Convention in 1791. Give one argument in favour of the death penalty for Louis XVI and one argument against it. 

Pair

1. Discuss your arguments with your partner

SHARE
Imagine that you're a member of the National Convention
in 1791. Give one argument in favour of the death penalty
for Louis XVI and one argument against it. Let one partner
fill the argument against and the other in favour
of the death penalty

The Reign of Terror

In 1792, the National Assembly officially ended the monarchy, which was replaced by the French Republic with a new government. This started a violent chapter in French history, known as the Reign of Terror. The leader of this movement was Maxime Robespierre. He was a lawyer working in the Estates- General, who was strongly influenced by the Enlightenment thinkers. This made Robespierre a strong opponent of the French monarchy.

Robespierre also believed that everyone who did not agree with the ideals of the revolution should be executed. His fanaticism did not make him very popular. Some people thought he was too extreme, and eventually they proved to be right. Robespierre was supported by a political group called the Jacobines. Soon they dominated the National Assembly and started their Reign of Terror. This led to the death of thousands of people. Still, Robespierre enjoyed great popularity among the people of France. He had a gift for public speaking and could convince people quite easily.

14 July 1789

17 June 1789

5 May 1789

5 October 1789

20 June 1791

21 January 1793

16 October 1793

28 July 1794

4/5 August 1789

La Nuit de Sacrifices

Execution of Robbespierre

Execution of Louis XXI

Women's March on Versailles 

National Assembly formed

Execution Marie- Antionette

Flight to Varennes 

Storming of the Bastille

Esates General

What was the main reason for the French to use the guillotine as an execution method?

1. The guillotine was the most painful method to execute ‘traitors’.
2. The guillotine was used so all the French people could see the execution very clear.
3. The guillotine used decapitation as a quick and painless method of execution.
4. The guillotine sent a message to the people what would happen if they didn’t listen.

A new constitution for France

The Reign of Terror ended in 1794 because people were done with all the bloodshed and demanded a more peaceful France. However, the French Revolution did not end peacefully. Maxime Robespierre was executed on the guillotine in 1794 because of his ‘dictatorial behaviour’.

With the death of Robespierre, the Jacobines lost their leader. The political influence of the Jaobines was even more diminished when they were replaced by people with more moderate views. This new group consisted of educated people like doctors and lawyers. Together they established a new constitution called the Directoire. For the first time in its history, France had a parliament. The members of the Parliament were chosen by people who paid taxes. The Parliament had two divisions: the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Ancients (250 members). These two councils were the legislative branch, where new laws for France were created. The 750 members appointed five directors: the executive branch.

The new constitution was inspired by...

1. Voltaire
2. Montesquieu
3. Locke
4. Smith

This idea was called...

1. the Trias Politica
2. the Three Branches
3. the Three Chambers
4. the Tri-Rule

In 1794, the Directoire was established in France. Is this an example of change or continuity?

Despite the establishment of the Directoire, the common people still 

had to face                 /                 bread prices and starvation. France seemed to be on the brink of a new revolution. Yet escalation was                      /                                because of the appearance of a new French leader: Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a general who returned to France in 1798 after he had won battles against Italy and Egypt, during the First Coalition War (1792-1797). This war was a                       /                    conflict between France and European countries that                /                  with the French Revolution. Countries like Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, Spain and the Dutch Republic                  /                      that the revolutionary ideas would affect them too. The people of France saw General Napoleon as a hero. It turned out he had big plans that would affect France in the decades to come.

low

high

caused

prevented

militairy

diplomatic

did

not

feared

hoped

Real change? 

1. A new leader 

Despite the establishment of the Directoire, the common people still had to face high bread prices and starvation. France seemed to be on the brink of a new revolution. Yet escalation was prevented because of the appearance of a new French leader: Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a general who returned to France in 1798 after he had won battles against Italy and Egypt, during the First Coalition War (1792-1797). This war was a military conflict between France and European countries that did not agree with the French Revolution. Countries like Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, Spain and the Dutch Republic feared that the revolutionary ideas would affect them too. The people of France saw General Napoleon as a hero. It turned out he had big plans that would affect France in the decades to come 

2. Make a short note on two things that stayed the same after the Directoire came into power

3. Make a short note on two things that changed after the Directoire came to power. 

What stayed the same
and what changed after the
Directoire came to power?

Meanwhile in the Netherlands...

Deshima

• Conflicts with England cause downfall in trade
• No Dutch ships for years
• Fall of the VOC

Patriots vs. Orangists 

• Patriots: people who protested against the power of the stadtholder
• Demanded more influece of the people, supported the ideas of the Enlightenment 
• Orangists: supported the stadtholder  

Stadtholder Willem V and his wife  Wilhelmina of Pruissia flee to Nijmegen (1787)

But Wilhelmina travels back to The Hague, gets caught by the Patriots, returns to Nijmegen and advices her brother to act

Patriots flee and return

• After the arrival of the Prussian army, the Patriots flee to France
• During the French Revolution they side with the Revolutionaries
• 1795: return to the Dutch Republic with the French Revolutionary Army 

The Batavian Revolution 

1. Most of the Patriots fled to France. Their situation changed for the better when the French Revolution took place. The new government of France shared the ideals of the Patriots. In 1795 the Patriots joined the French army to conquer the Dutch Republic. France wanted to expand its influence in European countries to gain more power on the continent. The frightened stadtholder William V escaped to Great Britain with his family. After his departure, the Patriots were in charge: the Batavian Revolution took place. The Patriots changed the name of the Dutch Republic into Batavian Republic.

The Patriots influenced the Dutch Republic by establishing many ideas from the French document Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. For example, they established a uniform law, which meant that all people in the country became equal for the law. The Patriots also established a National Assembly in the Dutch Republic. Moderate Patriots as well as radical Patriots took place in this public meeting. However, these two groups of Patriots got into a conflict with each other about the question how the Dutch Republic should be governed. The radicals wanted to replace the Dutch provinces with departments and a central government for the Batavian Republic. The moderates did not see this as necessary because they had achieved their main goal: the departure of the stadtholder.

2. Name at least three similarities between the French Republic

and the Batavian Republic and at least one difference 

Give two similarities and
one difference between
the French and the Batavian Republic

End of the Batavian Republic

At the end of the 18th century radical Patriots committed a coup. Under their power the Dutch Republic developed into a Unitarian state. This meant that the provinces did not have any power anymore and that the Batavian Republic was governed centrally from The Hague. But in 1801 an authoritarian government replaced them. Emperor Napoleon of France saw this type of government as a threat to the power of the people in the Batavian Republic. He also thought that the Batavian Republic did not support France enough in its war against Great Britain. And thus Napoleon decided that it was necessary to intervene. In 1806 he replaced the authoritarian government with his own brother Louis as king of Holland. King Louis did not perform to Napoleon’s expectations; he tried to serve Dutch interests instead of his brother’s. The kingdom was dissolved in 1810 after it was annexed by France.

Lesson: Never invade Russia

Who

Grande Armee consisted of 500,000 men of which c.15,000 were Dutch conscripts

When

1812

Where

To Moskou and back

Why

More power!

Lesson: Send Napoleon farther away than Elba

Who

Napoleon

When

1815

Where

The island of Elba and France

Why

Being imprisoned close to the European main land is not his style

What is the most interesting fact you learned today?