King Louis XVI and the French Revolution

King Louis XVI and the French Revolution

• King Louis XVI and his family were forced to live in the Tuileries Palace in Paris.
• The revolutionary government stripped away his power, and he had to appease them to stay safe.
• The government demanded Louis support the revolution and stripped him of his privileges like his ability to hold lavish parties and pay for them with tax money.
• Louis was forced to wear a revolutionary bonnet by a mob and was forced to pretend to support the revolution.
• Louis and his family attempted to flee to the Austrian Netherlands in 1791, disguised as servants but were apprehended and returned to Paris.
• This escape attempt further damaged Louis's standing with the revolutionaries, and they formalized his position as a constitutional monarch.
• Radicals, like those of the Jacobin Club, did not want Louis as a mere figurehead and staged a protest on the Champ de Mars, demanding his removal.
• This led to the massacre of revolutionaries by the National Guard, exposing the internal divisions within the revolution.
• In order to create equality in the revolution, the guillotine was introduced as the new form of execution in 1791.
• The reign of terror was marked by increased violence, especially towards those suspected of working against the revolution, like members of the nobility and clergy.
• The revolutionaries sought to replace the Catholic Church with the Cult of Reason and destroyed religious treasures in churches like Notre Dame.
• French aristocrats fled the country to escape the revolution and sought refuge in other European countries.
• This prompted the Legislative Assembly to declare war on Austria which they immediately lost and the Prussian Duke of Brunswick threatened to burn Paris to the ground if harm came to Louis. The Duke's threat only enraged the Parisian mob further.
• In 1792, a mob stormed the palace and killed many of the king's Swiss guards. The National Convention voted to suspend the monarchy, and Louis was imprisoned.
• The National Convention declared France a republic, and the new government implemented ideas of democracy and equality.
• The new government sought to remove any lingering elements of the monarchy and targeted the church.
• Priests who refused to take an oath to the revolution were arrested or deported.
• Along with the new state-sponsored atheistic religion, the revolutionaries introduced a new revolutionary calendar.
• The Parisian government began rounding up suspected enemies of the revolution and imprisoning them.
• The revolutionaries were fearful of a counter-revolution and held their prisoners in crowded prisons.
• As enemy armies drew closer, the people of Paris panicked and, led by Marat, attacked the prisons and massacred many of the prisoners.
• The September Massacres resulted in the deaths of over 1,600 people and drew condemnation from across Europe.
• King Louis XVI was put on trial for treason, found guilty, and executed by guillotine in 1793.
• After Louis's execution, Marie Antoinette was put on trial and executed by guillotine as well.
• Despite defeat in war, France managed to push back against its enemies.
• The National Convention introduced a conscription law, forcing people to join the army, but this angered those outside of Paris who were less invested or less sympathetic to the revolution.
• Counter-revolutionary uprisings erupted, with the longest being the Chouanary uprising, which lasted until 1800 in the Northwest of France.
• The southern city of Toulon invited the British Navy to occupy the city.
• The French sent a young and relatively unknown captain named Napoleon Bonaparte to siege the city which was successful.
• The Vendee region was the site of a major counter-revolution, where revolutionary forces and loyalists clashed.
• General Jean Baptist Carrier committed cruel atrocities during the suppression of this uprising, including the sinking of ships filled with prisoners.
• Carrier was later found guilty of war crimes and executed.
• The French government underwent several shifts as the war continued, revolts spread, and the economy deteriorated.
• The more radical elements of the revolution led by Robespierre began to clash with moderates.
• Robespierre had 29 of the moderates, known as Girondins, arrested and the moderates ceased to be a political force.
• Charlotte Corday wanted to bring peace to France and believed Marat to be the root of the revolution's violence.
• She travelled to Paris and killed Marat with a knife.
• Marat's death led to him becoming a martyr, further fueling the revolution.
• The radical faction of the revolutionaries, led by Robespierre, seized control of the government.
• Robespierre established the Committee of Public Safety, a twelve-man dictatorship with Robespierre at the head.
• The Revolutionary Tribunal was established to streamline the process trying suspected enemies and delivering pronouncements of death.
• Terror became official government policy in September 1793, and spies and secret police watched the population closely.
• The smallest offense could get you executed.
• All across France, approximately 40,000 people were killed for crimes against liberty.
• Marie Antoinette was found guilty of treason and executed by guillotine in 1793.
• The reign of terror under Robespierre was largely successful in suppressing opposition and stabilizing the country.
• However, Robespierre grew more extreme and even executed those closest to him who disagreed with his policies.
• He alienating himself from the rest of the convention by creating a new deistic religion called the Cult of the Supreme Being.
• Robespierre lost control of the convention after he announced he had a new list of enemies to be executed, and that some of the convention members were on it.
• Robespierre was arrested and executed by guillotine on the 28th of July, 1794.
• The revolution officially continued for another five years after the execution of Robespierre.
• After Robespierre's death, the Thermidorians took control of the convention.
• They sought to restore stability and suppress the remaining radical elements.
• The Thermidorians created a new constitution and a new governing body called the Directory, to prevent the concentration of power in one individual.

The Rise of Napoleon

• The French Revolution underwent a pivotal change with the creation of the Directory, a new government.
• Royalists, seeking the restoration of the monarchy, launched an insurrection in Paris, clashing with the National Guard.
• Napoleon Bonaparte's timely presence in Paris allowed him to quell the uprising, solidifying his position as a military leader.
• The Directory's reign proved ineffective, marred by corruption and financial instability, ultimately failing to garner widespread support.
• Napoleon's crucial role in suppressing the royalist uprising led to his appointment as a general and his subsequent mission to command French forces in Italy.

Napoleon's Military Victories and Rise to Power

• The Directory's efforts to maintain stability were hindered by ongoing wars.
• France seized control of the Netherlands, establishing a puppet state.
• Negotiations with Prussia and Spain resulted in their withdrawal from the war.
• A British attempt to land French royalists in the West to fuel rebellion was defeated.
• Napoleon, leading a three-pronged attack against Austria, spearheaded the southern army to a series of decisive victories in Italy.
• Napoleon's military prowess forced Austria to negotiate a peace treaty, effectively removing them from the war.
• Despite his remarkable achievements, Napoleon continued to pursue further ambitions, venturing to Egypt where he encountered significant historical artifacts.
• Napoleon's Egyptian expedition was met with setbacks as the British destroyed his fleet and trapped his forces.

The Coup d'état and Napoleon's Dictatorship

• Upon returning to Paris, Napoleon's popularity soared, contrasting with the government's widespread unpopularity.
• Napoleon's political ambitions were fueled by his growing popularity and the Directory's waning influence.
• A politician named Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes appealed to Napoleon to participate in a coup d'état, hoping to leverage Napoleon's public appeal for their own gains.
• Napoleon's brother, also a politician, joined the endeavor, and together they orchestrated a coup d'état.
• The coup involved a confrontation with the existing government, culminating in the intimidation of the council, leading to its dissolution and the establishment of a new constitution.
• The new constitution effectively positioned Napoleon as a dictator, marking a significant shift in the French political landscape.

Napoleon's Rule

• Napoleon focused on stabilizing French society, introducing reforms such as the restoration of the Catholic Church and the abolition of the revolutionary calendar.
• Despite his achievements in restoring order, Napoleon's ambitions remained boundless, his sights set on expanding his power and influence beyond France.
• These expansionist aspirations, intertwined with ongoing conflicts in Europe, eventually propelled the continent into a major war.

Explore the turbulent life of King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. This quiz covers his forced living conditions, struggles for power, attempts to flee, and the radical changes brought about by revolutionary forces. Test your knowledge of this critical period in history!