Consensus Unravels – The Aftermath of Church Reforms.

In this reading:

 Recapping – The Reforms of the Church

 Recapping ‐ The King’s

 The formation of political clubs

 Massacre at Champ de Mars

a gang of godless men determined to decimate it. By July 1790, just one year after the Fall of Don’t forget, that many were clergy. However, the Bastille, the revolution seemed to be making some were freethinkers with enlightened good progress. In this hopeful atmosphere, the opinions on religion, others wanted to proceeded to another reform that have a free and independent Church. All were most people agreed was absolutely necessary – politically inexperienced. They made some the reform of the Church. This would prove to be dangerous assumptions – chiefly that the the revolution’s undoing. administration of the It is important to understand that ecclesiastical reform was not initially a destructive attack by a revolutionary government upon the Church. The did not set out to destroy the Figure 1 Attack on the Church – revolutionaries church and in no way was it an entrenched taking fat members of the clergy and putting them enemy of the revolution. It was however a part of through the press to make them more trim and the corporate society of the Old Regime, and one efficient. of the most extreme examples of unfair privilege. Many clergy had admitted that the church needed reforms in their Books of Grievances. In

June 1789, they left their order and crossed the floor of the Estates-General to join with the Third Church - how and who operates it, was not a Estate. The church were a key part of the spiritual matter. They firmly and genuinely reformist thought leading to the revolution. believed that the administration of the Church in France was the business of the French For some time, it was common to characterise the government; at the very most, they might inform men who conducted the reforms of the church as

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the Pope of reforms, but only as a polite A brief Introduction to the Pope for formality. dummies ( this isn’t an insult!) The Civil Constitution of the Clergy - The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church.[3] In the Catholic JULY Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint The first upset occurred in May 1790 when Peter, the Apostle. The office of the pope is known as French bishops suggested that if church reforms the papacy. The pope is also head of state of Vatican were to be made, a special church committee – City,[4] a sovereign city-state entirely enclaved within National council of the Church, should be able to the city of Rome. advise the NCA. The Assembly refused bluntly The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in because this council was suggestive of the Old the world and had a prominent part in human Regime, when the church was a privileged order. history.[5] The Popes in ancient times helped in the If the Assembly was the nation, it had the right to spread of Christianity and resolve various doctrinal proceed to reform on its own accord. disputes.[6] In the Middle Ages they played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often serving What were the reforms? as referees between the monarchs and averting several  The state guaranteed generous salaries for wars. Popes issued ordinances, signed treaties, all clergy (1200 for parish priests) commanded armies, and even had a few dissidents beheaded. Today's Swiss Guards represent the  Rationalisation of church organisations – vestigial remains of the papal military. Currently, in 83 bishops for the 83 departments addition to the expansion of the Christian faith and doctrine, the popes are dedicated to ecumenism and  Religious posts without care of a interreligious dialogue, charitable work, and the congregation (pluralism) abolished defence of human rights.[10][11]  Priests had to live among their community and administer to their needs. The Clergy’s response – October/November 1790 Two new measures however (issued July) proved By 30th October, opponents had found their voice. alarming. The first was that the appointment of Opponents to the Civil Constitution o f the clergy clergy was democratised; everyone from a bishop were branded as unpatriotic. Thirty bishops in down to a priest was now elected by meetings of the Assembly published a document – Explanation citizens. The clergy had no say over appointment of Principles, to justify their stand. The document and promotion: it was in the hands of citizens stated, quite reasonably, that significant changes who did not necessarily understand the Church, should be made after consultation with the Pope some of whom might be Protestants or Jews. The or an assembly of the Church. The bishops were second was the governments bullish attitude to not alone. In some departments, people went the spiritual head of the church. Although it ahead and elected their bishops, in other areas acknowledged the role of the Pope, it forbade local bishops were sacked for mounting criticisms French citizens from having any contact at all of the reforms. In the town of Nantes, all 104 with foreign church representatives. It also priests refused the reforms, and the department deprived the Pope of the power to appoint stopped their salaries. archbishops and bishops.

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The Clerical Oath, November 1790 The Papal Bulls The deputies, accustomed to general acclaim for From there, the situation became rapidly worse. their reforms, were bewildered. After two days On 10th March 1791, the Pope sent a private letter of feverish and bitter debate, they asserted their to the bishops who had refused, expressing his authority, requiring all priests to take an oath of opposition to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy. loyalty to the constitution. Since priests were On 13th April, the Pope urged all clergy to refuse now civil servants, they should assert some the oath, or if they had taken it, to deny it. The loyalty to the government that employed them. issue now became one of spiritual obedience. Tactically, the Assembly believed there would be Another 10% of clergy retracted the oath, little resistance. This strong-arm tactic was becoming enemies of the revolution. disastrous. It ignored the fact that many priests regarded this as a matter of conscience, no matter Louis’ dilemma what the price. More important, by forcing them There was another ominous development. The to take this oath, it forced them to accept or refuse King had sanctioned the CCC and the oath. He the revolution as a whole. Unwittingly, the had, however, been profoundly troubled by their assembly had created a large group of counter- implications, and had only agreed because the revolutionaries, where none had existed. French bishops had advised him to. He still considered himself a devout Christian, and The King tentatively sanctioned this decree on acknowledged the Pope’s spiritual authority. 26th December, 1790. The situation was now very When he learnt his own priest had taken the oath, acute: every priest in France was put in the he refused to see him again. He went instead to a position of having to make a final decision to refractory priest, sparking doubt as to whether he comply by January 4 1791. The Assembly was genuinely on the side of the revolution. thought that few would dare to refuse; if the When the royal family attempted to take their priests were not afraid of losing their salaries, usual Easter holidays at Saint Cloud, their they would at least be afraid of popular opinion. carriage was surrounded by a huge crowd who The oath taking began in the Assembly, where the discovered he had been taking communion from first oath was taken by Abbe Gregoire. But then a refractory. Louis was forced to retreat back into proceedings stalled. Only 44 bishops and 109 the Palace. He realised he truly was a prisoner of priests took the oath. By January and February this Godless capital. Since he could not safely co- 1791, the situation was becoming toxic. The exist with it, he would have to leave it all priests who refused to take the oath were quickly together. branded as refractory clergy. These refractories rapidly became the targets for intimidation from the revolutionary crowds. In Paris, market The King’s Flight to Varennes women publically caned a whole convent of nuns. Lafayette and his National Guards spent Making things tougher for Louis was the fact that much of the spring of 1791, rushing around Paris, was incessant in her demands dispersing anti-clerical demonstrations. Across for action against all the conspiring ‘tramps’ France as a whole, it was clear that the Assembly (National Assembly), and for her husband to was facing a disastrous backlash. The average protect her and her children. Furthermore, rate of refusal was a massive 50% of the clergy as Mirabeau died. Despite all, Mirabeau, the voice a whole. of the Third Estate, was a monarchien who had been keeping Louis informed of events in the new

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society. After his death, it was discovered that he much to contemplate. The country came to be had been plotting on behalf of the King. divided between those who wanted Louis tried Ministers, including Calonne, urged the King to and executed and those who sought to save him. make a dash toward Belgium, gather Austrian He could no longer be trusted, for he betrayed his troops and crush the revolution. They bargained own people. Said the Historian Matthews; ‘The that if he could just reach , his brother in failure of the escape proved a major turning law, Emperor Leopold 11 and other European point. To radicals it proved that the King could monarchs would be able to help him restore his not be trusted and that the revolution would position. enjoy no stability while he was on the throne. For the first time the idea of a republic began to

gather some popular support’. The psychological significance of the Flight to Varennes was even greater. If the King had meant to leave the country, it had to be because he hoped to meet with enemies of the revolution – perhaps Austrian troops or émigré nobles. There was this terrible sense of panic and doom. As we saw at the end of AOS1, fear is one of the great accelerators of a revolutionary movement.

On the night of 20th June, 1791, Louis and family disguised themselves (the King as servant, Marie as a governess, and the dauphine as a girl) and fled. The King left behind a letter stating that he would not return to Paris until a new constitution was written and the holy religion respected. The escape did not last. For one, the plan was to have two fast carriages. Marie Antoinette demanded a larger carriage which could only travel at 7 mph. Then a wheel broke. Finally, the family were Figure 2 Louis rides a Pig. Louis was subject to recognised by a postmaster and arrested at increasing derision after the Flight to Varennes - Varennes. They were brought back to Paris June DESACRILISATION 25th 1791. The crowd was eerily silent. No-one removed their hats, nor bowed their heads at the Foreign Hostility royal carriage. The political significance of the These fears were compounded 1 month later on escape was that the 1791 Constitution was 6th July 1791 with the Padua Circular and August potentially obsolete before it was even put to 27th with the Declaration of . The Padua effect. You cannot have a constitutional Circular was issued by Emperor Leopold of monarchy without a monarch. Louis brothers Austria (Marie Antoinettes brother) . It called on were in exile and his son too young to assume the heads of European states to form a union for throne. The majority of deputies in the national counsel and cooperation in case anything should assembly were moderate, and feared a France happen to Louis and warned of vengeance. The without a monarch. A radical republic was too theme of the counsel was to be self-preservation,

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however, European monarchs didn’t really parties, rather, they were more like debating respond. The Padua Circular, however, did forge societies who played an ever-increasing part in cooperation between and Austria. The the revolution as they kept the public informed Declaration of Pillnitz, written by Leopold of on major issues of the day. The major clubs at this Austria and Frederick William of Prussia, was a point were: statement asking for cooperation and quick mobilisation of troops as required to save the THE King and Queen. The statement was a reaction to  Founded in April 1790. No membership pressures put on Leopold from the large numbers fee. of noble emigres who had been gathering in Austria. These threats were significant because  Radical – Left apart from causing fear in some quarters, enemies  Beliefs: Right to insurrection, universal of the King felt even more justified in their suffrage. Had the support of the working opposition to him. class

 Key members: Danton, Desmoullins, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY”S Herbert, Brissot, Marat RESPONSE TO THE FLIGHT THE  Became increasingly popular in 1791 despite their high membership fee. The National Constituent Assembly was thrown Was run by very talented men of into disarray. Some wanted Louis tried for action. treason. Influential conservatives wanted the Constitution to be saved. Barnave, Bailly, and  Strongly republican and to the radical Lafayette were among this group. Under their left. influence, the Assembly declared that Louis had not escaped, rather, he was kidnapped. Radical  Beliefs: Strong centralised government Paris would not accept this fiction. and economy

 Key figures: Robespierre, Danton, Herbert, Desmoullins, Brissot and Marat. Journee Number Three – The THE FEUILLANTS Massacre at Champ de Mars.  Founded in 1791 after a split with the Jacobins over the fate of the King

Right across Paris, symbols of monarchy were  Constitutional Monarchs who wanted to th destroyed. On Saturday 16 July 1791, a crowd of save the 1791 Constitution. Not all of up to 50,000 Parisians assembled at the Champ de them necessarily trusted the King after Mars demanding a referendum on the king’s fate. Varennes incident, but they believed in Angry crowds came to sign a petition demanding stability and end to revolution. the abdication of Louis. The petition had been drawn up by a radical club known as the  Conservative and to the right. Cordeliers. From May, 1789, a number of clubs  Key members: Lafayette and Bailly formed around Paris. They weren’t political

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Assembly, who met on Ist October 1791, was thus utterly inexperienced and very would prove very Over the course of the day, the crowd became tough. more agitated. It did not help that two spies were discovered trying frantically to write down all the names of the petitioners. The Cordeliers now The Historians sought help from the Jacobins who were calling for a Republic. The Jacobins spilt in two. Many Timothy Tackett – The Flight to Varennes resigned and formed a new club called the Feuillants. The large crowds assembled  “a turning point in the history of the Revolution and of the French monarchy” provoked fears of a riot. Consequently, Bailly  People started to consider a republic, instead of a declared martial law and Lafayette sent his constitutional monarchy National Guard to disperse the crowd. When the  Tackett connects Flight with Terror crowd ignored Lafayette’s request to leave, his ‘Louis XVI started to die on 21 June 1791.– François Furet troops fired. Fifty were shot and another 12 were injured. This incident marked the first occasion Review questions where revolutionaries fired upon fellow 1. Recap and add to your notes: How do revolutionaries. It is significant because it created historians regard the Civil Constitution of the and a gap between the moderates and radicals Clergy and the Clerical Oath? within the National Assembly and the Third Estate. It also demonstrated that the Feuillants 2. Why did the King flee France? were willing to use force to thwart the radical 3. Explain the significance of his flight. working classes. Violence eventually begets violence. 4. What is the significance of the Padua Circular and the declaration of Pillnitz? Reaction Interestingly, floods of letters from the Catholic 4. Why were the moderates within the National provinces reached the National Assembly in Constituent Assembly so eager to hide what the support of Bailly and Lafayette. The protestors King had done? were condemned. People like Danton and Marat 5. Explain the significance of the Champ de Mars went into hiding. In the short-term it seemed Massacre. like the conservatives had won. To regain popular favour, the King spent widely. Two 6. How do you explain the reaction of the months later, on 13 September, the King accepted provinces to the Champ de mars incident? the 1791 Constitution. This marked the end of the Tasks National Constituent Assembly. A new body now had to embark on legislating the new 1. The new society began in August 1789. Think society, thus a new Legislative Assembly was to back, list all the key dates and events that be elected. The very erudite and talented happened in 1789 (from August), 1790 and Robespierre posed a ‘self-denying ordinance’ 1791(to October meaning that no member of the previous assembly could be elected. The new Legislative 2. Fill in your A3 Chart

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