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Chapter 20 Section 2
Main Idea: An extreme gov’t changed society and tried to eliminate it’s opponents.
A Radical Government -Factions -All members of National Convention supported Revolution -The Mountain (Montagnards) -Most radicals -Many were Jacobins -Supported by lower middle class and poor -Girondins -Moderates -Supported constitutional monarchy -Plain -Swing voters -Originally supported Montagards but switched to Girondins -Leaders -Jean-Paul Marat -Advocated violence, most radical -Georges-Jacque Danton -Violent early on, became compromiser -Maximilien Robespierre -Dedicated to Revolution -Became more and more radical -King executed -Louis XVI placed on trialàFound guilty -January 21, 1793àExecuted with guillotine -Other countries horrified -Committee on Public Safety -National Convention’s “army” -Drafted all unmarried men ages 18-45 -Revolutionary TribunalàTried conspirators -Tried to change society (“out with the old, in with the new) -National Convention tried to eliminate religion -Churches closed, clergy lost jobs -Metric system introduced -Adopted new (bad) calendar
Reign of Terror -People began questioning Revolution (was going too far) -Revolution leaders wanted to quash any hopes of a rebellion -Reign of Terror -Peasants resented Revolution -Got drafted, were Catholic -Rebelled against revolutionàcivil war -Revolutionary Tribunal started trying Girondists in court -Pretty soon anyone suspected of opposing was a target -Guillotine was preferred method of execution -Done in public -Sometimes hundreds in a day -Victims -Peasants, nobles, women, religious -Danton (leader) killed for suggested easing of Reign of Terror -Robespierre (leader of Reign of Terror) killed -About 17,000 executed -Reign of Terror was supposed to protect Revolutionàweakened it -People opposed to harshness -Post-terror politics -1795àReign of Terror ends -National Convention writes new constitution -Directory governed country -5 directors in charge -Directors weak, corrupt -Things not getting better |