The
French
Revolution
2016
French Revolution
The Chairs:
TARIQ KESSACI
DANIEL SHIFREN
Hi guys, I’m a junior at Edgemont High School.
This is my second year on Model UN. Our
committee is on the French Revolution, something I’ve always been very interested in and felt
connected to as a Frenchman myself. The French
Revolution was a complex series of events that
defined the course of history and has been the
source of much inspiration and insight for over
two centuries. There are so many perspectives
that can be addressed in exploring this topic, and
that makes this a committee with a lot of potential. I’m excited to see you all in committee!
Hi, I’m a junior at Edgemont High School. My
favorite food is a quality New York bagel and I
play soccer and tennis. This is my second year
on Model UN, and my second time staffing for
EdgeMUN. I have always loved history topics
throughout my experience on Model UN and
I hope you all enjoy your experience on the
French Revolution committee. It is essential that
you do enough outside research before the conference, because the more prepared you are for
the conference, the more fun the committee will
be. I can’t wait to see you all in committee!
Picture- http://www.history.com/news/the-french-revolution-fact-or-fiction
2
French Revolution
decades. The reason the French government couldn’t gain
Introduction
any money to pay off these debts was a direct result of their
The French Revolution is said by historians to be one
of the most influential events in modern history. This revolu-
taxation system. At the time, French society was divided into
tion was inspired by the success of the American Revolution
three estates. These estates were the equivalent of social class-
and the Enlightenment ideals of the time, mainly Rousseau’s
es; the first estate had 130,000 people, consisting of the upper
social contract and Locke’s political theories of natural rights
and lower clergy; about 0.5% of the population, the second
and right to revolution. However, these were not the main
estate held the nobility; about 2% of the population, and the
causes for the revolution, but only partial factors. Other caus-
third estate was everyone else, ranging from peasants to the
es included agricultural failure, social discrimination, a large
bourgeoisie; about 97.5% of the population2. The Second and
national debt, failing economic policies, new political ideas
Third estate, together 2.5% of the population, owned 30% of
and the poor choices of Louis XVI’s incompetent regime. It is
the land. The way the taxation system worked, the first and
important to understand all these causes to get a real grasp on
second estates were exempt from any taxes while the third
the French Revolution. The Revolution started with the call-
estate bore the burden of the taxes themselves, referenced in
ing of the estates General in 1789, which would lead the nation
the political cartoon above. The two heaviest taxes the third
down its radical path. Due to the fact that there were multiple
estate had to pay were the taille, which was the direct taxa-
government changeovers throughout the French Revolution,
tion, and the gabelle, or the salt tax, in addition the First es-
it is usually separated into four different stages: the Moderate
tate received a tithe from the Third estate1. However, not even
Phase (189-1792), the Radical Stage (1792-1793), the Directo-
this disproportionately heavy taxation could bring enough
ry (1795-1799) and the Napoleonic Era (1800-1815) .
revenue. To add to the issue, the tax collectors were also very
1
corrupt, took bribes and kept a portion of the taxes they collected for themselves, making tax collection very inefficient.
Committee
This committee takes place during the Radical Stage
The various finance ministers the King went through
in the interim government, the National Convention. The Na-
could not create an economic solution which didn’t involve
tional Convention has to take charge of a nation in the midst
taxing the nobility. Jacques Necker is the most well known
of the Reign of Terror and guide it through its major crises
of these ministers. He proposed reducing the tax exemptions
while also governing on its revolutionary principles. Each rev-
and borrowing money from abroad to lessen the debt, but
olutionary in the committee has different political ideas and
King Louis XVI disapproved and removed him from his posi-
opinions about the Revolution and where it’s going. It is the
tion3. The other two estates were not willing to give up their
job of these revolutionaries to decide the fate of the Ancien
exemptions and privileges, and the King needed the nobility’s
Regime, including the fate of Louis XVI, and establish an able
support.
replacement.
The food shortages from the poor harvests damaged the economy. The low grain supply increased the grain prices3. Many
peasants and working class wage-earners couldn’t afford the
Financial crisis
expensive dole because of their low wages. The food shortage
By 1789, France had a large debt and no way of
paying it. The nation had fought two costly wars, the Amer-
resulted from a failure to regulate the grain reserve and peas-
ican Revolution and the Seven Years War, in the preceding
ant riots would ensue.
1- “French Revolution.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
2- “French Revolution.” - New World Encyclopedia. New World Encyclopedia, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
3- Furet, François. Interpreting the French Revolution. Trans. Elborg Forster. N.p.: U of Cambridge, 1981. Print.
3
French Revolution
Run up to the revolution
equally free; however, he believed that it becomes problematic
In the years leading up to calling of the estates Gen-
when certain members of society must forfeit more rights
eral, Louis XVI’s regime, known as the ancien regime faced a
than others4. The initial leaders of the French Revolution,
number of political and social conflicts. While many believe
namely Abbe Sièyes, were heavily influenced by the ideals of
that the revolution was led by the masses of lowest class,
the Enlightenment in their demands set forth to the estates
however; the revolution was led by the rising middle class, or
General.
bourgeoisie, a very small portion of the Third estate.
the third estate constituted the vast majority of the population
The heart of the revolution, the bourgeoisie, were
Abbe Sieyes argued, in What is the Third estate, that
heavily influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment. Phi-
and thus should be represented accordingly. He believed that
losophes during the Age of Enlightenment set a precedent
the first and second estates had formed an alliance and the
for the ideas of liberty, equality, and the limitation of gov-
resulting major in order to silence the third estate. . Sieyes
ernment. The most prominent philosophers included John
radically suggested that the third estate not only be represent-
Locke, Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu.
ed equally with the first and second estates but represented
based on their population. Since the third estate constituted
Montesquieu put forth the ideas of a limited gov-
ernment through separation of powers. He believed that by
over 90% of France’s population, the aforementioned method
separating the powers of government into distinct branches,
would heavily favor the third estate5. Sieyes’ argument was
no single branch would be able to overstep and infringe upon
very influential in the course of the revolution and united a
the rights of the people . Perhaps even more influential were
front ranging from the bourgeoisie to peasant farmers under
the works of John Locke. Locke submitted his ideas of a liber-
a common goal5.
alized and limited government, but more important were his
ideas of the Social Contract. Locke believed that each individ-
also energized the French. The American Revolution suc-
ual bound themselves to the betterment of the collective soci-
cessfully applied the ideals of the Enlightenment and set an
ety. Rousseau was equally influential in his proposition that if
example for the French. If the ragtag Americans successful-
everyone forfeits an equal amount of rights they would all be
ly forced the world’s largest empire out of the colonies, the
4
The Republican ideals of the American Revolution
French could possibly defeat Louis XVI’s regime.
Moderate stage
With no cards left on the table, Louis XVI was forced
to call the firvst estates General in centuries in 1789. Though
all three of the aforementioned estates were represented, history dictated that the Third estate would have no say. However in 1789, leaders of the Third estate were determined to
prove otherwise. By May 5th, 1789, the calling of the estates
General, members of the Third estate began demanding for
equal representations, fiscal reform, and the doing away of
noble exemptions6.
4- Conolly, Patrick J. “Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. IEP, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
5- Halsall, Paul. “Internet History Sourcebooks.” Internet History Sourcebooks. Fordham University, 1997. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
6- “French Revolution.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Picture- French Revolution. Digital image. Mentalfloss. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov 2015.
4
French Revolution
A month later, the First and Second estates still held
Constituent Assembly on August 27th, 17898. The document,
the conference in a stalemate. On June 17th, 1789, leaders of
heavily influenced by the philosophes of the Enlightenment
the Third estate declared the establishment of a National As-
and by the American Declaration of Independence, laid the
sembly. Three days later members of the Third estate enacted
foundation the French Revolution. The Declaration represent-
the famous Tennis Court Oath. Members pledged to never
ed the revolutionaries commitment to creating an equal and
leave the room (an indoor tennis court) until a Constitutional
just society.
reform was submitted. Soon thereafter members of both the
First and Second estate caved in and accepted to convene as
struggle to draft a constitution; the first Constitution was not
members of the national assembly. Louis XVI made this offi-
adopted until September of 1791. The drafted Constitution
cial by dissolving the estates General on June 27th and calling
set up a constitutional Monarchy with Louis XVI, and granted
all three estates into the National Assembly.
the King a number of rights. Among the most problematic of
these rights was the King’s ability to veto any measures. Rad-
As the founding fathers of France worked diligently
In the years to come the Constituent Assembly would
to produce a constitution, havoc wreaked the streets of Paris.
ical members of the Constituent Assembly, such as Maximil-
On the 14th of July, France’s celebrated Independence Day,
ien de Robespierre, were quick to exploit this flaw within the
rioters stormed the Fortress of Bastille in an attempt to gather
Constitution, claiming that the King would still hold supreme
arms and ammunition. Bastille acted as the centerpiece of
power under such a Constitution.
royal authority in Paris thus, the siege of Bastille directly
undermined the royal institution. Simultaneously, a peasant
Different parties
insurrection was staged across France. In a time known as
La Grande Peur (The Great Fear) , peasants across agrarian
of the Jacobin party, advocated predominantly for less cen-
France ransacked noble holdings and forced many into exile.
tralized control and a liberalized economy9. The mass of its
The Great Fear not only foreshadowed the bloody social up-
support was found outside of Paris in the French countryside.
heaval that would follow, but also directly led to the abolish-
As a result, the Girondins struggled against the Montagnards
ment of feudalism in the summer of 1789.
who found their support right in Paris. While the Montag-
nard faction vehemently sought the execution of Louis XVI,
7
Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen, pri-
marily drafted by Marquis De Lafayette, was adopted by the
The Girondin Faction, a far more moderate faction
the Girondins were, for the most part, against his execution9.
The Montagnards were primarily composed of highly
radical leftist Jacobins and were backed by the san-culottes, a
radical faction in Paris. The sans-culottes and thus the Montagnards, appealed the the Parisian working class, who was
becoming increasingly oppressed. Montagnards argued for a
wholly egalitarian and Democratic nation. In order to achieve
such a society, Montagnards argued that Louis XVI should be
executed for his treasonous actions10.
7- “French Revolution.” - New World Encyclopedia. New World Encyclopedia, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
8- Furet, François. Interpreting the French Revolution. Trans. Elborg Forster. N.p.: U of Cambridge, 1981. Print.
9- “Girondin | Political Group, France.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
10- “Montagnard | French History.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Picture- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Prise_de_la_Bastille.jpg
5
French Revolution
Robespierre12. The Committee of Public Safety had no re-
Radical stages
The failures of the Constitutional Monarchy ignited
strictions on their affairs and dealt with any issues pertaining
to the safety of the French people, which led to an extreme
a radical feeling that would take charge of the revolutionary
abuse of power.
push for the next two years, 1793-1794. The radicals knew
the king was unwilling to accept the limitations on his power
nards successfully purged the masses of the Girondin party
and they learned he was conspiring with foreign powers to
in the summer of 1793, thus commencing the short lived
gain back his absolute power. The constitutional monarchy
radical rule of Maximilien de Robespierre. Robespierre ruled,
also failed to regulate the economy and the nation suffered
unofficially, until 1794 when the Montagnard faction was
massive inflation because of it, which made it even harder for
ousted during the Thermidorian Reaction. Robespierre’s rule
people to afford grain and resulted in an unsuccessful chang-
is perhaps the most remembered time period of the French
ing in the currency . Additionally, the government’s aboli-
Revolution. Robespierre enacted the infamous Committee of
tion of feudalism did not eliminate the payments the peasants
Public Safety
owed their lords, which angered the peasant class. Finally, the
city working classes — the sans-culottes — felt exploited be-
of Public Safety, was made possible by the invention of the
cause the bourgeoisie were reaping all the monetary benefits
guillotine in 1791. This was the weapon used to carry out the
of the revolution. The bourgeoisie were at the head of all the
mass executions that made the Reign of Terror so terrifying.
revolutionary movements up to this point and thus steered
the policies to their own advantage.
Third, 1792, when the National Convention unanimously
convicted the king of treason for his conspiracies with foreign
11
These revolutionary woes came to a head in the late
Following Louis XVI’s execution, radical Montag-
The Reign of Terror, orchestrated by the Committee
The Reign of Terror planted its roots on December
summer of 1792. On August 10, the revolutionary insurgents
powers and kept him and his family in jail. The members of
and militiamen massacred the king’s guard and imprisoned
this National Convention are responsible with determining
the royal family. The ensuing chaos would be known as the
his punishment; the decision will decide the fate of the French
September Massacres, in which cities executed prisoners and
Republic13.
priests who were suspected traitors11. The chaos ended on
September 20th, 1792, when the Convention, the new govern-
Louis XVI Offenses
ment, elected by universal manhood suffrage, abolished the
monarchy and declared a republic .
and kept the tax exemptions of the First and Second estates
intact. His motives for economic policy were to keep the
11
The Jacobins, a radical group who got their name
Louis refused to reform the French economic policies
from the church their clubs met in, and the sans-culottes
nobility in line, not wanting another nobility led rebellion like
had formed an alliance to overthrow the more moderate
the Fronde in 1653. He did not look to establish economic
Girondists who were in power at the time. The Jacobins used
equality among the estates because the lower classes had no
the mob power of the sans-culottes to bring their revolu-
political power or influence14.
tionary ideals to the forefront. They established The Law of
the Maximum which set a maximum for the food price and
constitutional monarchy supported by the majority of France,
a punishment for everyone who broke it. They then set up
Louis was not cooperating. When the National Constituent
a Committee of Public Safety to enforce this law, headed by
Assembly abolished feudalism on August 4th, 1789, Louis
By the time the Revolutionaries had established a
11- “The Radical Stage.” The History Guide. Steven Kreis, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
12-Furet, François. Interpreting the French Revolution. Trans. Elborg Forster. N.p.: U of Cambridge, 1981. Print.
13-”French Revolution.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
14-Jordan, David P. The King’s Trial (Louis XVI vs The French Revolution). 25th ed. N.p.: U of California, 1979. Print.
6
French Revolution
worked to delayed the abolition. He also did not recognize
at the age of twenty he gave to the throne the example
the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which established the
of character. He brought to the throne no wicked
rights of the French people14.
weaknesses, no corrupting passions. He was eco-
He fled the country from June 20-21, 1791 in an
nomical, just, severe. He showed himself always the
attempt to initiate a counter-revolution from the foreign
constant friend of the people. The people wanted the
powers, but he was caught in Varennes. These suspicions
abolition of servitude. He began by abolishing it on
were confirmed on August 27, 1791 with the Declaration
his own lands. The people asked for reforms in the
of Pillnitz. This document declared the support of Leopold
criminal law... he carried out these reforms. The peo
of Austria and Frederick the Great Elector for Louis XVI to
ple wanted liberty: he gave it to them. The people
restore his absolute power to the French throne. This was
themselves came before him in his sacrifices. Never
a clear attempt to undermine the Revolution by means of
theless, it is in the name of these very people that
foreign interference without knowledge of the French govern-
one today demands... Citizens, I cannot finish... I stop
ment, making it treason.
myself before History. Think how it will judge your
judgement, and that the judgement of him will be
judged by the centuries.17
Additionally, the king did not increase the military
size to one of formidable strength. He did not want the
French army to be able under the new government to enforce
any new policies or defend the revolutionary ideals against
Important Figures
conservative powers.
Prosecution Team:
Jean-Baptiste Robert Lindet
He attempted to bribe members of the Constituent
Assembly (to no avail)15. These actions exemplify his cor-
ruption as a politician as he was was working to gain support
later the National Convention. Being a member of the Giron-
against the Revolution through monetary persuasion.
dins, Lindet was very hostile to Louis XVI, and played a cru-
cial role in his prosecution. In December of 1792, He wrote
Please refer to the 33 Official Charges brought to
Louis XVI in the resources section.
Appointed deputy to the Legislative Assembly and
the “Rapport sur les crimes imputés”, also known as the 33
Charges, stating all of the King’s crimes and wrongdoings17.
Louis XVI Defenses
In midst of all the accusations put against him, Louis
Lindet played a major role in establishing the radical
Revolutionary Tribunal. The creation of the tribunal created
XVI put together a stellar defense team. The most pertinent
a schism within the Girondin Party as some radical leaders
arguments brought forth exploited the very system that rev-
such as Georges Danton supported while other more moder-
olutionaries established themselves. The defense claimed that
ate figures resisted and eventually led to the downfall of the
Louis XVI was immune from prosecution under the Con-
Girondins.
stitution of 1791, and claimed that the National Convention
Voted for Louis’s execution without appeal.
shouldn’t be allowed to stand as Judge and Jury of the trial, in
order to ensure a fair trial16. Desèze, leader of the Defense,
Bertrand Barère
put forth the following argument:
Louis ascended the throne at the age of twenty, and Elected to the National Convention in 1792, Barère
played a crucial role in the Committee of Public Safety begin-
14-Jordan, David P. The King’s Trial (Louis XVI vs The French Revolution). 25th ed. N.p.: U of California, 1979. Print.
15- “The Radical Stage.” The History Guide. Steven Kreis, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
16-”French Revolution.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
17-Walzer, Michael. Regicide and Revolution; Speeches at the Trial of Louis XVI. London: Cambridge UP, 1974. Print.
7
French Revolution
ning in 1793. Barère was the presiding officer of the National
Convention and thus led the questioning of Louis XVI.
Voted for Louis’s execution without appeal.
Defense Team:
Gui-Jean-Baptiste Target
Worked with a committee in the ancien régime to
reform civil and criminal law. He was a major contributor to
the Edict of Versailles which granted non-persecution to all
religions and was signed by Louis XVI in 1787. Target was
a revolutionary figure from the start, representing the Third
estate at Paris in 1789. He went on to help draft the cahiers de
doléances, the suspensive veto and the Civil Constitution of
the Clergy. He served in the National Constituent Assembly
for the year of 1790, but worried the revolution was shifting
too radically. In the face of Louis XVI’s trial, he drafted a
defense discussing the King’s constitutional actions18.
Raymond Deséze
Deséze was a prestigious lawyer by the time of the
Revolution. He was called to Louis XVI’s defense on account
of this reputation and is said to have presented the most
eloquent argument of all the defense lawyers. In his argument, he questioned the Convention’s right to judge the King’s
crimes and argued the King never violated the constitution of
179119.
François Denis Tronchet
In 1789, Tronchet represented the Third estate at the
estates General. He then served in the National Assembly and
was chosen to interrogate the King after the Flight to Varennes. Louis XVI surprisingly selected him to be part of his
defense team in his trial19. Tronchet defended King Louis on
grounds that he never violated the constitution of 1791.
Radical Leaders:
Maximilien de Robespierre
A Jacobin and an influential member of the National
Convention. Robespierre would go on to play a major role under the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
Robespierre asserted that Louis XVI could not protect himself
with the constitution that he violated himself. He argued that
keeping Louis XVI only serves as a threat to the liberty of
France and provides no benefits20.
Voted for Louis’s execution without appeal.
Camille Desmoulins
Elected as deputy to National Convention representing Paris.
Desmoulin’s views were closely aligned with those of Robespierre and Danton; however, he had affiliations with Montagnards21.
Voted for Louis’s Execution.
Georges Danton
Danton boasted he had been responsible for the King’s overthrow. After largely exaggerated his involvement, Danton was
elected to the Legislative Assembly as Minister of Justice. As a
member of the Public Safety, Danton, along with Desmoulins,
attempted to distance himself from the violent aspects of the
French Revolution22.
Voted for the Execution of Louis XVI.
18-Jordan, David P. The King’s Trial (Louis XVI vs The French Revolution). 25th ed. N.p.: U of California, 1979. Print.
19-Walzer, Michael. Regicide and Revolution; Speeches at the Trial of Louis XVI. London: Cambridge UP, 1974. Print.
20-Linton, Marisa. “Robespierre and the Terror.” History Today. History Today, Aug. 2006. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
21-”Camille Desmoulins Biography.” Camille Desmoulins Biography. French Revolution Biographies, 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
22-Duhaime, Lloyd. “Danton, Georges Jacques.” Duhaime.org. Permalink, June 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Picture- “The French Revolution - Explained with a Few Questions.” A Few Good Things. N.p., 17 July 2015. Web. 23 Jan. 2016.
8
French Revolution
deputation from the Constituent Assembly, when you
told it that you wished to enlighten its counsels and
never to separate yourself from it.
5. At the federation of 14 July you took an oath which
you have not kept. Soon you attempted to corrupt the
public mind with the aid of Talon, who acted in Paris,
and of Mirabeau, who was to impart a counter-revolutionary movement to the provinces. You disbursed
millions to accomplish such corruption, and you even
wished to make popularity a means of enslaving the
people. These facts derive from a memoir of Talon,
postscript by your own hand, and from a letter written
to you by Laporte on 19 April, and in which, reporting
a conversation that he had had with Rivarol, he told
you that the millions pledged to you for distribution
had produced nothing.
6. For a long time you contemplated flight: on 23 February a memoir was sent to you indicating the means
therefore, and you approved it. On the 28th a multitude of nobles and officers distributed themselves
throughout your apartments at the Tuileries Palace
to facilitate such flight. On 18 April you wished to
leave Paris to go to St. Cloud, but the resistance of
the citizens showed you that opposition was great;
you sought to dissipate it by communicating to the
Constituent Assembly a letter that you were sending
to the agents of the nation in foreign countries, to
announce to them that you had freely accepted the
constitutional articles presented to you, but on 21 June
you made your escape with a false passport; you left a
declaration against those same constitutional articles;
you ordered the ministers not to sign any documents
emanating from National Assembly, and you forbade
the Minister of Justice to deliver the Seals of State. The
people’s money was wasted in achieving the success
of this treason, and the public force was to protect it
under the orders of Bouillé, who but lately had been
charged with directing the massacre of Nancy, and to
whom you had written concerning that event to attest
to his popularity because he might be useful to you.
These facts are proven by the memoir of 23 February,
postscript in your own hand; by your declaration of 20
June, entirely in your handwriting; by your letter of 24
September 1790, to Bouillé, and by a note from him in
which he gave you an accounting of the use of 983,000
livres provided by you and employed in part in the
corrupting of the troops which were to be your escort.
The 33 charges - Drafted by
Jean-Baptiste Robert Lindet
Louis, the French people accuse you of having
committed a multitude of crimes in order to establish your
tyranny by destroying its liberty.
1. On 20 June 1789, you attacked the sovereignty of the
people by suspending the assemblies of its representatives and by driving them by violence from the place
of their sessions. Proof thereof exists in the procès-verbal drafted at the Tennis Court of Versailles by the
members of the Constituent Assembly.
2. On 23 June you wished to dictate the laws to the nation; you surrounded its representatives with troops;
you presented them with two royal declarations,
subversive of every liberty, and you ordered them to
separate. Your declarations and the minutes of the
Assembly established these outrages undeniably.
3. You caused an army to march against the citizens of
Paris; your satellites caused their blood to flow, and
you withdrew this army only when the capture of the
Bastille and the general insurrection apprised you
that the people were victorious. The speeches that you
gave on 9, 12, and 14 July to various deputations from
the Constituent Assembly indicated your intentions,
and the massacres of the Tuileries stood as evidence
against you.
4. After said events, and in spite of the promises you
made on the 15th in the Constituent Assembly, and on
the 17th at the Paris City Hall, you persisted in your
designs against national liberty. For a long time you
evaded executing the decrees of 11 August concerning
the abolition of personal servitude, the feudal regime,
and the tithe. For a long time you refused to acknowledge the Declaration of the Rights of Man. You doubled the number of your bodyguards and summoned
the Flanders Regiment to Versailles. In orgies held before your very eyes your permitted the national cockade to be trampled under foot, the white cockade to be
raised, and the nation blasphemed; finally, you occasioned a new insurrection, caused the death of several
citizens, and only after the defeat of your guards did
you change your language and renew your perfidious
promises. The proofs of these facts are present in foot
your observations of 18 September on the decrees of
11 August, in the minutes of the Constituent Assembly, in the events of 5 and 6 October at Versailles, and
in the discourse that you gave on the same day to a
9
French Revolution
7. After your arrest at Varennes, the exercise of the executive power was for a time taken from your hands;
and still you conspired. On 17 July the blood of citizens was shed at the Champ-de-Mars. A letter in your
handwriting, written in 1790 to Lafayette, proves that
a criminal coalition existed between you and him,
and that Mirabeau had acceded thereto. Revision
began under these cruel auspices; all kinds of corruption were employed you paid for libels, pamphlets,
newspapers intended to pervert public opinion, to
discredit the assignats, and to uphold the cause of the
émigrés. The registers of Septeuil show that enormous
sums were spent in these liberticide stratagems. On
14 September you apparently accepted the Constitution; your speeches announced a desire to maintain
it, and you worked to overthrow it before it even was
achieved.
8. An agreement was made at Pillnitz, on 24 July, between Leopold of Austria and Frederick William of
Brandenburg, who pledged themselves to restore to
France the throne of the absolute monarchy; and you
were silent on that agreement up to the time when it
was known to all Europe.
9. Arles raised the standard of revolt; you favored it by
sending three civil commissioners, who concerned
themselves, not with repressing the counter-revolutionaries, but with justifying their attacks.
10.Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin were joined to
France; and you did not have the decree executed
until a month had elapsed; and during that time civil
war desolated that territory. The commissioners you
successively sent their completed the work of devastation.
11.Nîmes, Montauban, and Jalès experienced great disturbances from the first days of counter-revolution,
up to the time when the conspiracy of Dussaillant
manifested itself.
12.You sent twenty-two battalions against the people of
Marseilles who were marching to subdue the counter-revolutionaries of Arles.
13.You gave the command of the South to Wittgenstein,
who wrote to you on 21 April 1792, after he had been
recalled; “A little throne thousands of Frenchmen
who have again become worthy of the vows you are
making for their welfare.”
14.You paid your former bodyguards at Coblentz; the
registers of Septeuil stand proof thereof, and several
orders signed by you show that you had considerable
sums passed on to Boullé, Rochefort, La Vauguyon,
Choiseul-Beaupré, Hamilton, and Mme. Polignac.
15.Your brothers, enemies of the state, have rallied the
émigrés under their colors; they have raised regiments, borrowed money, and contracted alliances in
your name; you disavowed them only when you were
quite certain that you could not harm their plans.
Your understanding with them is proved by a letter
written in the handwriting of Louis-Stanislas-Xavier,
signed by your two brothers, and worded as follows:
“I wrote to you, but it was by post and I could say
nothing. We are here two persons acting as one, with
the same sentiments, the same principles the same
ardor to serve you. We are maintaining silence; but
that is because, by breaking it too soon, we might
compromise you; but we shall speak as soon as we are
sure of general support, and that moment is near. If
we are addressed on the part of those people, we shall
listen to nothing; if it is on your behalf, we shall heed;
but we shall go straight along our way; so, if they
want you to make us say something, do not worry. Be
at ease about your safety; we live only to serve you; we
are working ardently for that purpose, and all is going
well; even our enemies take too great an interest in
your presentation to commit a useless crime which
would complete their destruction. Farewell. L.-S. –
Xavier and Charles-Philippe.”
16.The army of the line, which should have been brought
to a war footing, was only 100,000 strong at the end
of December; you thus neglected to provide for the
external security of the State. Narbonne, your agent,
requested a levy of 50,000 men; but he stopped the
recruiting at 26,000, giving assurance that everything
was ready. Nothing, however, was ready. After him,
Servan proposed the formation of a camp of 20,000
men in the vicinity of Paris; the Legislative Assembly
so decreed; you refused your sanction. An outburst
of enthusiasm caused citizens to set out from all sides
for Paris; you issued a proclamation which tended to
stop them. However, our armies were lacking in sol-
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French Revolution
a sufficient indications that your hand conducted this
plot.
24.The interior of the State was disturbed by fanatics,
and you declared yourself their protector by manifesting the obvious intention of recovering your former
power through them.
25.On 29 September the Legislative Body issued a decree
against rebellious priests; you suspended the execution thereof.
26.Disturbances increased; the minister declared that,
under existing laws, he knew of no means of prosecuting the guilty parties. The Legislative Body issued
a new decree; you suspended its execution also.
27.The lack of patriotism on the part of the guards
whom the Constitution had given you necessitated
their disbanding. The next day you wrote them a
letter of satisfaction; you continued to pay them. This
fact is proved by the accounts of the treasurer of the
Civil List
28.You kept the Swiss Guards with you; the Constitution forbade them, and the Legislative Assembly had
expressly ordered their departure.
29.In Paris you had special companies charged with carrying on activities useful to your counter-revolutionary plans. D’Anglemont and Gilles were two of your
agents; they were on the payroll of the Civil List. The
receipts of Gilles, charged with the organization of a
company of sixty men, will be presented to you.
30.You tried to bribe, with considerable sums, several
members of the Constituent and Legislative Assemblies; letters form Dufresne Saint-Léon and several
others, which will be presented to you, establish this
fact.
31.You allowed the French nation to be disgraced in
Germany, in Italy, and in Spain, since you did nothing to exact reparation for the ill treatment which the
French experienced in those countries.
32.On 10 August you reviewed the Swiss Guards at five
o’clock in the morning; and the Swiss Guards fired
first on the citizens.
33.You caused the blood of Frenchmen to flow.23
diers; Dumouriez, Servant’s successor, declared that
the nation had neither arms, munitions, nor provisions, and that the positions were not defendable.
17.You were issued an order to the commanders of the
troops to disorganize the army, to drive entire regiments to desertion, and to have them cross the Rhine
in order to place them at the disposal of your brothers
and Leopold of Austria; this fact is proved by a letter
from Toulon Geon, commander of Franche-Comté.
18.You charged your diplomatic agents with favoring the
coalition of foreign powers and your brothers against
France; and particularly to strengthen peace between
Turkey and Austria, in order to excuse the latter from
supplying its frontiers on the Turkish boundary and
thereby to procure for it a greater number of troops
against France. A letter from Choiseul-Gouffier, former ambassador to Constantinople, establishes this
fact.
19.You waited to be actuated by a requisition made to
Minister Lajard, whom the Legislative Assembly was
asking to indicate his means of providing for the
external security of the State, before proposing by a
message the levy of forty-two battalions.
20.The Prussians were advancing on our frontiers.
Your minister was called upon, on 8 July, to give an
account of the state of our political relations with
Prussia; on the 10th you replied that 50,000 Prussians
were marching against us, and that you were advising the Legislative Body officially of these imminent
hostilities, as required by the Constitution.
21.You entrusted the Department of War to D’abancourt,
nephew of Calonne; and such was the success of your
conspiracy, that the positions of Longwy and Verdun
were surrendered as soon as the enemy appeared.
22.You destroyed our navy. Many officers of that body
were émigrés; hardly any remained to perform the
service of the ports: however, Bertrand always granted passports; when the Legislative Body exposed his
guilt to you, on 8 March, you replied that you were
satisfied with his services.
23.You favored the maintenances of absolute government in the colonies; throughout them, your agents
fomented disorder and counter-revolution, which
took place at the same time that it occurred in France,
23-“Trial of Louis XVI.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2016.
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French Revolution
Questions to Consider:
1. What charges should be brought against or what defenses should be brought up in favor of Louis
XVI?
2. What failures is Louis XVI responsible for?
3. What would be a feasible replacement for the Ancien Regime?
4. What are your individual’s personal ambitions and goals in the revolution?
Additional Readings:
1. Declaration of Rights of Man (pdf attached):
http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/ddunits/downloads/pdf/dec_of_rights.pdf
2. https://books.google.com/books?id=0sigPXBq4IEC&pg=PA265&lpg=PA265&dq=Danton+Louis+X VI+trial&
source=bl&ots=s-vXuXsy6b&sig=ALICv937XfFKRY1qkyBJYVr6DpE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX19-Ojrn
JAhXKaD4KHfd1Ab0Q6AEIOTAE#v=onepage&q&f=false
3. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rLFxhlSHNDYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=French+Revolu
tion+and+its+causes&ots=P9KOWOL05R&sig=qZKW4wadmlna9K5YFfg7JNI6uUs#v=onepage&q=French%20Rev
olution%20and%20its%20 causes &f=false
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=2DerOCz4HRIC&pg=PT396#v=onepage&q&f=false
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French Revolution
Works Cited
“Camille Desmoulins Biography.” Camille Desmoulins Biography. French Revolution Biographies,
2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Conolly, Patrick J. “Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. IEP,
n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Duhaime, Lloyd. “Danton, Georges Jacques.” Duhaime.org. Permalink, June 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
“French Revolution.” - New World Encyclopedia. New World Encyclopedia, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
“French Revolution.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Furet, François. Interpreting the French Revolution. Trans. Elborg Forster. N.p.: U of Cambridge, 1981.
Print.
“Girondin | Political Group, France.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.
Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
Jordan, David P. The King’s Trial (Louis XVI vs The French Revolution). 25th ed. N.p.: U of California,
1979. Print.
Linton, Marisa. “Robespierre and the Terror.” History Today. History Today, Aug. 2006. Web. 21 Nov.
2015.
“Montagnard | French History.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web.
21 Nov. 2015.
“The Radical Stage.” The History Guide. Steven Kreis, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
“Target, Gui Jean Baptiste.” Wikisource. Encyclopædia Britannica, 1911. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
“Trial of Louis XVI.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2016.
Walzer, Michael. Regicide and Revolution; Speeches at the Trial of Louis XVI. London: Cambridge UP,
1974. Print.
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