Questions at the beginning of a paragraph

Question. What demands were put forward by representatives of the third estate, the advanced nobility, and all educated people of France on the eve of the revolution?

The third estate paid taxes and had limited political rights. Entrepreneurs tried to achieve the liberation of production and trade from medieval rules and prohibitions; they sought to acquire land and participate in politics. The poor state of agriculture created a shortage of food throughout the kingdom. The peasants wanted to own the land. For the development of agriculture it was necessary to abolish seigneurial orders.

Questions at the end of the paragraph

Question 1. Finish writing out the terms (see task 1 to § 25).

a) terms characterizing the political system of France: Directory

b) names of various political forces: Thermidorians

Question 2. Make a plan on the topic “Split among the Jacobins.” Think about the reasons for the split.

Reasons for the Jacobin split. The unity of the Jacobins was based on the need to fight against external and internal enemies. As soon as, after the victory on the fronts and the suppression of the revolts, the danger of counter-revolution diminished, internal contradictions immediately intensified among them. Some demanded further deepening of reforms, but entrepreneurs, even revolutionary-minded ones, did not need this.

2. Plan on the topic “Split among the Jacobins”:

a) contradictions between supporters of deepening reforms and opponents;

b) reprisals against the rabid, the “extreme” Jacobins;

c) split with Danton’s “moderate” Jacobins, Danton’s execution;

d) loss of support among the people;

e) execution of Robespierre and his supporters.

Question 3. Indicate the reasons for the death of the Jacobin dictatorship.

Reasons for the death of the Jacobin dictatorship:

The bloody terror could not continue for too long. No man could feel safe

Loss of support from the people, who saw the Jacobins as bloody tyrants

Many entrepreneurs got rich from supplies for the army, speculation, they saw the Jacobins as the main danger to their position

Question 4. Who are the Thermidorians? What significance did the coup of 9 Thermidor have for the development of the revolution and why did it become possible?

Thermidorians are people who came to power as a result of the coup of 9 Thermidor, when the Jacobin dictatorship was overthrown. They stood for a republic that would protect property and free enterprise.

The coup of 9 Thermidor became possible because in the bloody Jacobin dictatorship all segments of the population saw a danger to their very lives. The coup was of great importance for the development of the revolution. The Thermidorians hoped to return to the principles of 1789 and bring stability to the republic on the basis of a new constitution. At the same time, this was a reaction to the radicalism of the Jacobins and, consequently, a rollback. The new constitution established a republic in France, but abolished universal suffrage. Legislative power was vested in the bicameral Legislative Corps. Executive power was transferred to five directors. Hence the name of the executive branch - Directory. The Constitution consolidated all the gains of the revolution, and most importantly, the legality of the sale of lands of emigrants, the church and the crown. It was a constitution of property owners.

Question 5. Why do you think Napoleon Bonaparte came to power as a result of the coup of the 18th Brumaire?

The Directory regime did not enjoy authority both among the people and among the “new rich”. The newspapers rang out demands to “Establish a strong government!” A conspiracy was brewing against the government. The conspirators wanted to use Napoleon Bonaparte as a force with which they would seize power. However, as a result of the overthrow of the Directory and the transfer of power to three consuls, Napoleon himself was able to become first consul and concentrate all power in his hands. Bonaparte’s personal qualities play a role here primarily. He proved himself to be a talented, decisive military leader, organizer, and diplomat. He himself saw himself not as a simple general, but as a person called upon to influence the fate of the people.

Question 6. Make a plan in your notebook on the topic “The Significance of the Great French Revolution.”

The meaning of the Great French Revolution.

Socio-political changes in France

The influence of the revolution on European countries

Ideas of revolutionary France that became popular throughout the world

The beginning of modern society, democratic, secular, liberal.

Question 7. Complete the table “The main events of the Great French Revolution.”

August 1795 – new Constitution, formation of the Directory

1797 - Bonaparte forced Austria to sign peace and recognize the conquests of France.

Assignments for the paragraph

Question 1. How do you understand the expression: “The revolution... devours its own children”?

The expression: “The revolution... devours its own children” means that in the end those who started the revolution turn out to be not entirely true followers of the proclaimed ideas, and there will always be more radical ideological people who will begin to destroy the revolutionaries.

Question 2. Assess the internal policies of the Thermidorian Convention and the Directory.

The internal policy of the Thermidorian Convention and Directory was reactionary. The Thermidorians destroyed the apparatus of the revolutionary democratic dictatorship. They deprived the Committee of Public Safety of its previous powers and functions and changed its composition. Along with the Paris Commune, the mass support of the revolutionary government - popular societies and revolutionary committees - was also liquidated. Ordinary people, who played a large role in the revolutionary bodies, were excluded from participation in political life. All restrictions imposed against speculation were lifted. Speculation ran rampant, prices rose many times over, and as a result, uprisings broke out several times.

Question 3. Write a story about the foreign policy of the Thermidorian Convention and the Directory.

Foreign policy of the Thermidorian Convention and Directory.

France continued to wage war against a coalition of European states. In 1795, she forced Spain and Prussia to sign a peace treaty. The Rhine and Italian armies fought against the enemies of the republic. The left bank of the Rhine and Belgium had already been annexed to France, and Holland was turned into a dependent republic. In the conquered lands, the French destroyed the old order: they abolished serfdom and seigneurial duties, expanded suffrage, and changed the system of government. In 1797, Bonaparte forced Austria to sign peace and recognize the conquests of France. Subsequently, several republics dependent on France were created on Italian territory. The same fate befell Switzerland.

Question 4. Think about the significance of the wars of the Directory for France and the countries it conquered.

The significance of the Directory Wars for France:

The growing influence of generals and the army. Strengthening the prestige of the army, which began to be seen as a force capable of solving internal political problems

Holland and Switzerland were turned into dependent republics, and several republics dependent on France were created on the territory of Italy.

The significance of wars for conquered countries:

In the conquered lands, the French destroyed the old order:

Serfdom and seigneurial duties were abolished;

They expanded the right to vote, changed the system of government;

Deprivation of the church's right to certain exactions;

New laws that were supposed to strengthen individual rights to some extent;

The created republics were dependent on France.

Question 5. Write an essay about Napoleon Bonaparte or prepare an oral report about him. Give a presentation of your work.

Napoleon I Bonaparte (August 15, 1769 - May 5, 1821) - Emperor of France in 1804-1815, French commander and statesman who laid the foundations of the modern French state. He began his professional military service in 1785 with the rank of junior lieutenant of artillery; advanced during the Great French Revolution, reaching the rank of brigade under the Directory (after the capture of Toulon on December 17, 1793, the appointment occurred on January 14, 1794), and then a division general and the position of commander of the military forces of the rear (after the defeat of the rebellion of the 13th of Vendémière, 1795). ), and then commander of the Italian Army (appointment occurred on February 23, 1796). In November 1799, he carried out a coup d'état, as a result of which he became first consul, thereby effectively concentrating all power in his hands. On May 18, 1804 he proclaimed himself emperor. Established a dictatorial regime. The victorious Napoleonic Wars, especially the first Austrian campaign of 1805, the Prussian campaign of 1806, and the Polish campaign of 1807, contributed to the emergence of France as a major power on the continent. However, Napoleon's unsuccessful rivalry with the “mistress of the seas” Great Britain did not allow this status to be fully consolidated. The defeat of the Grande Armée in the war of 1812 against Russia marked the beginning of the collapse of the empire of Napoleon I. After the “Battle of the Nations” near Leipzig, Napoleon could no longer resist the allies. The entry of anti-French coalition troops into Paris in 1814 forced Napoleon I to abdicate the throne. He was exiled to Fr. Elbe. Retook the French throne in March 1815 (One Hundred Days). After the defeat at Waterloo, he abdicated the throne for the second time (June 22, 1815). He spent the last years of his life on the island. St. Helena a prisoner of the British.

The collapse of the Jacobin dictatorship was the beginning of the bourgeois reaction in France. The big bourgeoisie came to power. The leading role in its ranks was played by the “new rich” who had amassed a fortune during the years of the revolution. Trembling every hour during the days of the Jacobin dictatorship for their heads, these greedy and predatory money-grubbers felt safe after Thermidor and, having seized power, hastened to secure it for themselves.

The internal politics of the Thermidorians

The Thermidorians destroyed the apparatus of the revolutionary democratic dictatorship. They deprived the Committee of Public Safety of its previous powers and functions and changed its composition. Along with the Paris Commune, the mass support of the revolutionary government - popular societies and revolutionary committees - was also liquidated. Ordinary people, who played a large role in the revolutionary bodies, were excluded from participation in political life.

Counter-revolutionaries imprisoned in prisons already in the fall of 1794 again received freedom and access to political activity. In December, the surviving Girondin deputies were released from prison and returned to the Convention.

At the same time, repressions against the Jacobins intensified. Gangs of bourgeois “golden youth”, who ruled the streets of Paris, destroyed the premises of the Jacobin club. In November 1794, the Jacobin club was closed by order of the Convention.

The Thermidorians hastened to eliminate the socio-economic legislation of the Jacobin Convention. All restrictions imposed against speculation were lifted. State price rationing was still nominally preserved for some time, but was increasingly violated in practice; in December 1794 the "maximum" law was officially repealed. As a result of the restoration of unlimited freedom of trade, workers, small artisans, and the urban and rural poor became victims of the arbitrariness of traders and speculators, who immediately inflated the prices of all products. The poorest sections of the French people were doomed to starvation. But nothing further hindered the bourgeoisie in its unbridled passion for profit.

Speculation, stock exchange hype, and fraud associated with the fall in the exchange rate have reached an unprecedented scale. The number of issued assignats increased from 8 billion livres in 1794 to 20 billion by October 1795. The rate of assignats fell rapidly. Prices for goods, especially consumer goods, increased accordingly. The purchase and resale of “national assets” and military supplies continued to serve as a source of quick enrichment for speculators and businessmen. Embezzlement and bribery have become an everyday occurrence. Prominent Thermidorians - Barras, Tallien, Rover, Freron and others - were the first to exemplify the predatory pursuit of profit. Revelations and orgies, crude ostentatious luxury, frivolous music - this is how the Thermidorian bourgeoisie, who seized power, amused themselves in days of national disaster.

Popular uprisings in Paris in April and May 1795

In the spring of 1795, driven to despair by cruel poverty and outraged by the reactionary policies of the Thermidorian rulers, the working people of Paris twice revolted. On April 1, the population of the working quarters of the capital took to the streets with weapons in their hands. The demonstrators forced the Thermidorian Convention to listen to their main demands: “Bread! Constitution of 1793! Liberation of patriots! But lacking leadership and a clear plan of action, the rebels failed to capitalize on their initial success. The Thermidorian government concentrated large armed forces in Paris and suppressed the uprising the next day.

About two months later, on May 20, the populace of Paris rose again. By this time, the situation of the capital's workers had become even worse. From April to May, bread prices increased 2-2.5 times. This extremely distressing situation of the plebeian masses gave the uprising in May wide scope and great strength. Several battalions of the National Guard went over to the side of the rebellious people. The rebels managed to capture the Convention building. But this time too the popular uprising failed. On May 24, after a fierce struggle, the uprising was suppressed by the armed forces of the Thermidorian Convention.

The Thermidorians brutally dealt with the working people of Paris. The working population of the Parisian suburbs was disarmed, several thousand people were arrested, and then convicted and exiled. The “last Montagnards”, Jacobin deputies Romm, Goujon, Subrani and three others, who supported the uprising and were sentenced to the guillotine, committed suicide with one dagger, which the dying man handed over to his comrade.

Foreign Policy of the Thermidorian Convention

In 1792-1794, especially during the Jacobin dictatorship, the French people “showed... gigantic revolutionary creativity, re-creating the entire system of strategy, tearing up all the old laws and customs of war and creating, instead of the old troops, a new, revolutionary, people's army and new conduct of war.” (V.I. Lenin, War and Revolution, Works, vol. 24, p. 364.) But the results of the enormous creative work were fully reflected only after its inspirers and organizers, the Jacobins, laid down their heads on the scaffold.

The decisive victory at Fleurus, won a month before the collapse of the Jacobin dictatorship, was only the beginning of subsequent major successes for the French armies. By the end of 1794 and the beginning of 1795, the French occupied Belgium and Holland, the entire left bank of the Rhine, from the sea to the Alps.

The anti-French coalition of European monarchies, torn apart by internal contradictions, collapsed under the blows of French troops. Of the major European powers, Prussia was the first to stop fighting. On April 5, 1795, a peace treaty was signed in Basel between France and Prussia, by virtue of which the latter recognized the transition of the left bank of the Rhine to France. In May of the same year, peace was concluded between France and Holland; Under this treaty, Holland pledged to take part in the war against England. In July 1795, Spain also signed peace with France.

However, other states that were part of the anti-French coalition continued to fight. England became increasingly intransigent, fearing French victories and the strengthening of its influence in Western Europe; Austria did not lay down its arms either; England and Austria were followed by small German and Italian states.

Constitution of the Year III

Ruthlessly suppressing the protests of the masses and at the same time striking blows at the royalists, the Thermidorian big bourgeoisie sought to legally formalize its political dominance. In August 1795, the Thermidorian Convention adopted a new constitution. This so-called constitution of the third year (according to the republican calendar) preserved the republic in France, but destroyed one of the main gains of the constitution of 1793 - universal suffrage. According to the new constitution, only men who paid poll or land taxes enjoyed the right to vote. Legislative power was vested in two chambers: the Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Elders. Executive power passed to the Directory consisting of five directors.

The Thermidorian Convention sought to eliminate the democratic gains of the Jacobin dictatorship, but also wanted to prevent a feudal restoration. The bourgeoisie and the propertied peasantry were especially afraid for the fate of the “national property” they had acquired, emigrant and church lands, which they would lose if the monarchy was restored. In addition, the Thermidorians, members of the Convention who had voted in the past for the execution of King Louis XVI, understood that the monarchists would not forgive them for this. Therefore, the Thermidorian Convention took measures against the possible return of the monarchists to power. Following the proclamation of the Constitution, he approved decrees according to which two-thirds of the new legislative bodies were to consist of former members of the Convention.

The royalists, who hoped that they would win a majority in the elections and liquidate the republic, were deceived in their calculations. On October 5, 1795, a rebellion organized by royalists broke out in the bourgeois quarters of Paris. The Thermidorians, led by Barras, managed to suppress it. General Napoleon Bonaparte played the main role in this pacification.

Directory

In November 1795, a new constitution came into force. Executive power in France passed into the hands of the Directory, which included Barras and other prominent Thermidorians.

The period of the Directory was a time of unlimited domination of the bourgeoisie. Marx wrote: “Under the Directory, the real life of bourgeois society rapidly breaks out and bursts into full swing.” (K. Marx and F. Engels, The Holy Family, or Critique of Critical Criticism, Works, vol. 2, ed. 2, p. 136.)

“The bourgeois orgy of the Directory” (Engels to V. Adler, December 4, 1889, K. Marx, F. Engels, Selected Letters, M. 1953) with its unbridled speculation and excitement provided huge profits for greedy bourgeois money-grubbers. But it entailed an increase in suffering, misfortune and need for the broad masses of working people. In the figurative expression of one contemporary, French society of the Directory era represented “a vile contrast between the most outrageous wealth and the most appalling poverty.”

On July 27, 1794 (9th Thermidor of the year II) a coup d'etat took place, during which the Jacobin dictatorship was overthrown, and with it Robespierre, and a new executive body came to power - the Thermidorian Convention. Robespierre was executed and the Jacobin Club was closed. The Committee of Public Safety was now entirely subordinate to the Convention.

In foreign policy, or more precisely, in the military operations of the French army throughout almost the entire 1794, there was success, and this inevitably led to the collapse of the anti-French coalition. Accordingly, the most important task of French diplomacy was to speed up this process and complete it. To achieve this goal, the diplomatic department and corps were again reorganized. Representatives of radical revolutionary groups, including the Jacobins, were expelled. In 1794, it was decided to restore the old system of diplomatic ranks and positions, the institution of ambassadors and attorneys. France was making a turn towards negotiations, and in these negotiations it acted from the position of the winner.

On April 1795, a peace treaty with Prussia was signed in Basel, according to which France received the entire left bank of the Rhine.

In the same city, on July 22 of the same year, a peace treaty was concluded with Spain. In May 1795, an agreement was signed with Holland, according to which the latter became the Batavian Republic, a state dependent on France. And Belgium was annexed to France on October 1, 1795. Thus, in 1795-96. France was at war with only two states: England and Austria.

In 1795, a new government was established in France - the Directory, a body consisting of five people. The Directory controlled the army, appointed ministers, and administered taxes. In military terms, during 1795-97. The French army won brilliant victories over the coalition, both in Italy and Germany. The main foreign policy goal was the further development of military successes, the creation of a belt of dependent buffer states along the eastern and northern borders. Bonaparte's brilliant Italian campaign forced Austria out of the war. It is interesting that, in fact, during the time of the Directory, diplomacy was in the hands of military leaders, who concluded treaties, made proposals, etc. On October 18, 1797, the Peace of Campo-Formian was signed, according to which the natural borders of France became its borders: the Rhine , Alps, Atlantic, Pyrenees, Mediterranean Sea. The Cisalpine Republic, a vassal state of France, was created, as well as the Ligurian Republic. France received the Ionian Islands. In addition, Austria ceded the Austrian Netherlands and the left bank of the Rhine to France. Thus, the War of the First Coalition ends with the triumph of revolutionary France, which significantly expanded its possessions, managed to prevent foreign interference in internal political processes and managed to gain authority and recognition among the great European powers.

The activities of Charles Talleyrand as Minister of Foreign Affairs during this period deserve special mention. Talleyrand made many important changes to the operating principle of the department. For example, the institution of consuls now worked in the interests of trade, which significantly improved its development. A school of translators was also created to train personnel for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During 1797-98. France pursued a fairly aggressive expansionist foreign policy, which included the capture of Malta and Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, as well as the strengthening of French positions in Europe (the creation of the Helvetic and Roman republics controlled by France). All this led to the formation of the Second Coalition, which included England, Austria, Russia and the Ottoman Empire. Military operations took place in Italy, the Middle East, Holland, Germany and at sea. Despite the significant successes of the allies in Italy and, in general, the lack of significant results from the Egyptian campaign, due to contradictions within the anti-French coalition and inconsistency in the actions of its participants, the coalition began to disintegrate in 1800-01. In 1801 Russia left it. In addition, the Directory, unable to cope with such a number and scale of both external and internal political tasks, was overthrown by Bonaparte in 1799, as a result of the coup of the 18th Brumaire in France, the dictatorship of Napoleon was actually established, who became the 1st Consul - the sole ruler. The Treaty of Luneville was concluded with Austria in 1801, which confirmed the provisions of the Campo-Formian Peace, and also secured Austria's recognition of the Helvetic and Batavian Republics. In fact, all of Italy, the left bank of the Rhine, came under French control. In 1802, the Peace of Amiens was concluded with England, according to which the parties pledged to withdraw troops and fleets from occupied areas and ports. In addition, England pledged not to interfere in continental politics, and the English king pledged to remove the lilies from his coat of arms and renounced the title of the French king. Thus, it can be argued that the War of the Second Coalition ended with the victory of France, which retained its previous conquests and received some other territories, as well as international authority.

When the threat from the troops of European monarchies and royalists within the country seemed real, the harsh measures of the Jacobins were perceived by the population as partly justified. Large and small owners of the city and village feared that they would be deprived of the acquired land and property taken from the lords and the church. The peasants were frightened by the possible return of feudal duties. However, with the disappearance of the threat of restoration of the old order of price regulation and requisition of food in the villages, mass repressions began to cause discontent.

Through terror, the Jacobins created a political vacuum around themselves.

Along with the royalists and moderate members of the Convention, their opponents were the radical Cordilleras - the “mad” and their successors - the left-wing Jacobins, who were called Héberists after the name of their leader their J. Hebert (1757-1794). They had great influence in the Paris Commune. Reflecting the mood of the urban lower classes, the Héberists reproached the Jacobins for inconsistency. They drew attention to the fact that, with the connivance of the leaders and commissars of the Jacobins, some of the owners associated with military supplies and the distribution of property of “enemies of the people” were quickly enriching themselves. The Eberists advocated the abolition of wage restrictions, tough measures against the propertied sections of the population, and greater determination in the fight against the influence of the church. The leaders of the “mad” and then the Héberists, who organized demonstrations by Parisians in support of their demands, were arrested and executed.

A blow was also dealt to the moderate wing of the Jacobins, whose influential leaders, in particular Danton, believed that conditions made it possible to abandon revolutionary terror and make peace with the coalition. On April 2, 1794, Danton and his supporters were arrested, and on April 5, they were guillotined.

The majority of the members of the Convention, who had previously obediently supported Robespierre, were aware that repression could fall on their heads at any moment. On July 27, 1794 (9 Thermidor of the 2nd year according to the new style), at a meeting of the Convention, Robespierre and his closest associates were outlawed and arrested. The Paris Commune split; some of its sections supported the Convention. On July 28, the Jacobin leaders, as well as many leaders of the Commune, were executed.

After the coup, called the Thermidorian coup, political prisoners were released from prison. In the capital alone, about 11 thousand people awaiting execution were released. Jacobin clubs in Paris and other cities were destroyed. Spontaneous reprisals against the previously all-powerful supporters of Robespierre swept across the country. The “maximum” laws were repealed to the satisfaction of the peasants and bourgeoisie. This caused a sharp rise in prices and led to uprisings of the Parisian poor, which were suppressed. The actions of the royalists, who mistakenly believed that conditions were favorable for the restoration of the monarchy, also failed.

France's position under the Thermidorian regime strengthened. In 1795, peace was concluded with Prussia, Spain and Holland, which became the Batavian Republic, friendly to France. In 1796, the French army under the leadership of General Bonaparte moved into Italy and, having forced the kingdom of Piedmont and the Duchy of Parma to capitulate, attacked the Austrian possessions. Having won a series of brilliant victories, Napoleon persuaded Austria to conclude peace.

England remained France's only belligerent enemy. Bonaparte's plan was to surprise her by capturing Egypt and threatening British possessions in India. In 1798, French troops landed in Egypt and entered Cairo and Alexandria.

The victories of the French troops and the huge indemnities received in Italy contributed to the temporary stabilization of the economy. The convention adopted a new constitution, which gave the right to vote to men who paid taxes. Legislative power was vested in a bicameral parliament, and executive power was vested in the Directory, consisting of five members.

Stability in the country, however, was not ensured. The rapid growth of large fortunes, which allowed their owners to buy up the lands, estates and palaces of the aristocracy, contrasted with the poverty of workers and residents of the city suburbs. Growing discontent led to a conspiracy of supporters of the equal distribution of property, led by G. Babeuf (1760-1797). He took the name Gracha in memory of the tribunes of Ancient Rome who defended the interests of the plebs. The attempted coup, which went down in history as a “conspiracy in the name of equality,” failed. Babeuf and his associates were executed. However, this did not bring peace. A royalist conspiracy immediately followed.

With the coming to power of the Directory regime, the time of brilliant orators capable of calling crowds of Parisian poor people, artisans, workers and shopkeepers to action was over. The townspeople are tired of terror and violence, disillusioned with leaders who use their support but are unable to fulfill their promises. The nouveau riche, who had enriched themselves by acquiring the lands of the church and aristocracy, and the peasants, who had thrown off feudal taxes, feared the restoration of the monarchy. They wanted firm guarantees of their position. However, they had doubts about the ability of the Directory regime to ensure sustainable order.

QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

1. Describe the historical conditions in France at the end of the 18th century. Fill the table.

Causes of the revolution in France

2. For what purpose did the king convene the Estates General? How did the conflict between the king and the deputies develop?

3. Highlight the main stages of the Great French Revolution and describe them.

4. What was the significance of the adoption of the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen”? What ideas formed its basis?

5. Why did the reforms of the first stage of the revolution not remove the contradictions in French society?

6. Indicate the internal and external factors that contributed to the deepening of revolutionary processes.

7. Assess the policies of the Jacobin dictatorship. What methods did the Jacobins use to overcome economic and political difficulties?

8. Describe the internal and external policies of the Directory. Why did the Thermidorian regime lose its support in the country?

The eleventh month of the French Republican calendar (1793-1806) is called Thermidor. Therefore, the Thermidorian coup is also often called this short term, meaning the destruction of the Jacobin dictatorship and the beginning of a conservative turn.

Termination of revolutionary activities

It is believed that the Great French Revolution ended as a result of the Brumaire coup of 1799, when the Directory was overthrown and Napoleon Bonaparte came to power.

In this regard, to the question whether the revolution ended or continued after the Thermidorian coup, one can answer that the activity that began after and the slogan of which was “Liberty, equality, fraternity” certainly ended in July 1794. Conservatives came to power, against whom Maximilian Robespierre, who was executed by them, fought.

Destroying even the memory of the revolution

The Jacobin revolutionaries were guillotined without trial, and within two days about 100 people, the main functionaries of the Commune, were executed. In the entire bloody history of the Great French, there was the most massive execution. The Thermidorian coup marked the beginning of the reaction; in 1795 the Commune was abolished, as were the rest of the revolutionary committees, including the Revolutionary Tribunal. The word "revolutionary" was generally banned as a symbol of the Jacobin period. A moderate group of the Convention came to power, reflecting the interests of the bourgeoisie.

New constitution

They were no longer revolutionaries, but were deputies of the Convention and were classified as “regicides”, since they participated in the trial of the king. Because of their convictions, they were ardent opponents of the monarchy, but implacable enemies of the revolutionaries. And although at first the system of state bodies created by the Jacobins was used by them, it was gradually destroyed, some of its institutions, such as the Committee of People's Salvation, were abolished as unnecessary.

The Thermidorian coup meant a rejection of the revolution, and in order to destroy the still existing associations with these traditions, the Thermidorians decide to return to the constitutional system. But the Jacobin constitution, which never came into force, did not suit them even with the amendments made. Seeing in it “organized anarchy,” the Thermidorians began to write their main document, which is known in history as the Constitution of the Third Year of the Republic.

End of the era of terror

The Thermidorian coup is not only an important stage of the French Revolution, but also its most interesting moment, because it was supported by the people, although it was directed against democracy. How did the Jacobins manage to revolutionize the consciousness of the French in just the period from September 1793 to July 1794? This time is designated in history as the “era of terror,” which, in fact, is the answer to the question.

Based on everything said above, the Thermidorian coup can be briefly described as an attempt to stop the bloodshed in the first place. The first step was the transfer of power from the National Salvation Committee to the National Convention - the repressive body was eliminated.

Achievements of the Jacobin dictatorship

Initially, the Jacobin dictatorship relied on very broad sections of the population, in particular wage workers and the petty bourgeoisie. In addition, the revolutionaries created effective government bodies - the legislative body of the Convention, the government in the form of the Committee of Public Safety. The judicial body was subordinate to the Convention - an army was created, controlled by the Commissioners of the Convention. And none of the above, which was quite effective, could protect the dictatorship, despite its certain merits. The Jacobins introduced a maximum on prices for the general population in parallel with the successful fight against counter-revolutionary elements within the country. The dictatorship managed to defend France, successfully fighting almost all of Europe.

Disastrous Miscalculations

And literally in two days everything was reassigned to the new group, which carried out, in essence, a counter-revolutionary shift of power on July 27-28. What happened? What are the causes and consequences of the Thermidorian coup?

The Jacobins made irreparable mistakes, the first of which was the confiscation of grain from the peasants. Concern only for revolutionary-minded city residents led to discontent among the peasants, which resulted in the Vendée (southern France) uprising, brutally suppressed by the Dictatorship. They caused dissatisfaction among hired workers in the cities by establishing a maximum wage. As Robespierre and his supporters were taken to the place of execution, the crowd of Parisians chanted: “Down with the maximum!”

Deadly mistake

But the most important mistake of the Jacobins was the bloody terror they carried out. 44 thousand committees throughout France caught and executed dozens of “suspicious” people every day. The Jacobins had their own executioners, who went down in history because of their terrible atrocities. One of the most brutal commissioners of the Convention, Jean-Baptiste Carrier, who crushed the uprising in the Vendée, was known for his “drownings,” the first of which was the killing of 90 priests in this way.

The executions of this fanatic were no less terrible. As a result of the Thermidorian coup, the era of terror was put to an end, during which more than 16 thousand French people, mainly representatives of the third estate, were killed. Only with the suppression of the Lyon uprising, and strong unrest occurred in Marseille and Bordeaux, killed about 2,000 residents of the city, and the Convention decided to wipe Lyon off the face of the earth.

They were friends against Robespierre

The terror took place against the backdrop of the massive impoverishment of the French. There were those dissatisfied with Robespierre's policies in the Convention. The threat of their own arrest and destruction allowed all the warring factions in the Convention to reconcile within one night and act as a united front against Robespierre, who was interfering with both the extreme “left” and the extreme “right” in the legislative body. Thus, among the leaders of the Thermidorians, the “right” included: Jean-Lambert Tallien, Paul Barras. The conspiracy was led by the Mentagniars, supporters of the executed Danton, who thirsted for revenge and rightly feared for their lives.

Joseph Boucher stood out among them, known for his massacres of the rebels of Lyon. On the part of the “left,” the counter-revolutionary coup was led by: Collot d’Herbois, J. Billot-Varenne and Marc Vadier. And against them, however, without naming specific names, Robespierre spoke out on the 27th, declaring them counter-revolutionaries and corrupt officials. Everyone understood everything perfectly. So not only political considerations, but also personal safety are significant reasons for the Thermidorian coup.

Root Causes of the Coup

In the history of the Great French Revolution, the Thermidorian coup is the counter-revolutionary project that led to the fall of the Jacobin dictatorship and the establishment of the Directory. Of course, there were deeper reasons for the defeat of democracy. Thus, the mode of production based on private property was not affected. The Jacobins carried out only the strictest regulation of the sphere of distribution. Always, in times of any state upheaval, a certain class profits from speculation.

During the Great French Revolution it was the big bourgeoisie and the wealthy peasantry. For some time, they were forced to endure the dictatorship by the fear of the return of feudalism and the restoration of the monarchy. In addition, the people's army managed to preserve the integrity of France and repel external enemies. When all threats were eliminated by the Jacobins, their dictatorship became incompatible with the goals of the bourgeoisie, which had gained strength and was striving for power.

The people came to the defense of the leader

The question of what event meant the Thermidorian coup can be answered - the speech Robespierre delivered at the Convention on July 26, 1793 and repeated at the Jacobin Club a few hours later. In it, he spoke about the existence of a conspiracy, which prompted those convicted to take specific actions.

The arrest of Robespierre and his supporters did not go smoothly. The poorest strata rose to his defense. Quite quickly, more than 3,000 people, supported by the police, gathered; the head of the prison refused to accept those arrested. The national army also joined the defenders of the leaders of the revolution. The sans-culottes (revolutionary-minded representatives of the third estate) recaptured the arrested and escorted them to the town hall.

A crowd without a leader is nothing

And all this suddenly turned against the Jacobins, because the crowd, the police and the army lost their leaders. The Jacobins who remained free, holed up in their club, were only signing their next appeals to the people. And the conspirators quickly got their bearings and moved on to active action. As soon as Robespierre and his supporters were outlawed, the crowd dispersed, and most of the deputies of the Convention went over to the winning side. Together with Robespierre, Saint-Just was also beheaded, who in the eyes of most French people was the personification of terror and received the nicknames “Angel of Death” and “Mad Dog”. Thus, with the execution of the Jacobin leaders, the revolution was beheaded. And the crowd that demolished the Bastille tried to recapture Robespierre at the time of his arrest. As with the guillotining of all previous leaders of the French Revolution, she shouted: “Death to the tyrant!”

Nouveau riche

The French historian F. Furet stated that Thermidor brought to power people who had enriched themselves during the revolution and who with all their hearts wanted to take advantage of the benefits obtained, and not try to build a new history of mankind. Immediately after the execution of Robespierre's supporters, the Commune was dissolved and the Jacobin Club was closed. Paris was transformed - it was cleared of garbage, the lights were turned on, order was established and maintained. After Thermidor, trade resumed, which led to increased speculation and prices.

The rich got richer, the poor got poorer

In the spring of 1795, two uprisings broke out, which, especially the second, were suppressed by the new government with demonstrative cruelty. These were the last popular unrest in the entire history of the Great French Revolution, which, in the dying words of Georges-Jacques Danton, “devoured its children.”

After the Thermidorian Revolution in Paris, as throughout France, the gap between the poor and the rich, who staged a defiant display of luxury, was so great that, according to one journalist, the population of Paris seemed to consist of two nations, completely different from each other in clothing , language, morals and feelings.