The Revolution Begins To Radicalise – The Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly to the Outbreak of War (October 1791 – April 1792)

Last time we met, the King had just ratified the Constitution of 1791, and a new Legislative Assembly took over. From the outset, the revolution under the Legislative Assembly was fraught with danger and Paris radicalised. The revolution radicalised for several reasons:

 Exponential growth of radical political clubs that appealed to the Parisian popular movement – the working class  The Parisian working class were increasingly self-aware. After the Champ de Mars incident, they realised that men of property and influence, despite being fellow revolutionaries, would fire upon them to protect their own interests. They adopted a new uniform and a new name – the sans culottes. This may sound insignificant, but in fact the adoption of a name is a landmark in the process of self-identification.  The election of tough new men in the Legislative Assembly.  A sense of fear and panic emanating from: 1. Belief that there are a growing number of enemies – refractory priests, émigré nobles and slaves (revolt in Saint Domingue – massacre, France believing that they’re losing control, can’t even keep colonies in order) 2. Suspicion that the King was plotting a coup d’etat with foreign powers esp. The Crowns of Austria and Prussia. 3. Threats from foreign powers esp. Padua Circular and Declaration of Pilnitz August 1791. 4. And not least, the outbreak of war in April 1792. Revolution has become endangered.

The aftermath of Flight to Varennes and the Champ de Mars

The Legislative Assembly October 1791‐September 1792

The National Assembly dissolved September 30th 1791 having written a Constitution. The King ratified the Constitution and spent widely to secure favour in the wake of the Flight to Varennes and Champ de Mars incidents. It was now time for new men to participate in political life. President of the Jacobin Club, Robespierre, proposed a self-denying ordinance which would prevent existing deputies from sitting in the new parliament (If you were in the NA, you couldn’t be in the LA – except for Sieyes). In October, the Legislative Assembly met for the first time.

The new Legislative Assembly consisted of 745 deputies. Once again, they tended to be wealthy or influential, yet few of them were noble. Another wave of nobles fled Paris in the wake of the King’s Flight to Varennes. There was also only 23 clergy serving on this new body. The previous Assembly had a considerable coalition of liberal nobles and priests. Many explosive and radical figures, such as Marat and Danton (deputy on EG, but not on NA) were elected to serve on the new Assembly. This new Assembly met in a paranoid atmosphere where there was constant talks of plots and threats. Marat is key in this because he runs the biggest newspaper in Paris (always addressing counter revolutionaries, completely paranoid, fuelling the citizen’s anticipation)

Ideological beliefs of the new deputies:

The Legislative Assembly started off by being dominated by the conservatives known as monarchiens. Many of these men were members of the Feuillants. The Feuillants were a political club that formed during the Champ de Mars incident because they wanted to save the King and constitution. Originally members of the Jacobin Club, the Feuillants and Jacobins splintered because they differed in their views regarding the place of monarchy in France. In late 1791, France was (still) sceptical of the idea of Republic despite a growing movement. It was a thoroughly discredited form of government that was thought to lead to nothing but anarchy and mob rule. A country was made prestigious by the presence of a King. Even the philosophes thought this – Rousseau stated that Republicanism could not work in a large country. This helps to explain why, floods of letters from Catholic provinces attacked Paris and the Cordeliers for the treatment of the King following the Champ de Mars Incident in July. This is in spite of the fact that Lafayette and the bourgeois National Guard fired upon the petitioners.

In one year, this would change. By August 1792, France would be a Republic.

1792 this would change. Increasingly, the most popular deputies – who also tended to be republican, sat on the left, and were affiliated with the popular Jacobin club led by Robespierre. Those trying to preserve Constitutional Monarchy, and preserve status quo, happened to sit on the right of the Assembly, thus the French Revolution at this time, gave birth to the political concept of left and right.

st The Legislative Assembly OCTOBER 1 , 1791 – Composition and Political Groupings.

RIGHT – Feuillants Also LEFT ‐ Republican MIDDLE known as monarchiens and ‘men of 1789’. Called the Unaligned deputies. Swinging MONTAGNARDS/Mountain deputies who swing between, 264 members depending who is stronger at 136 members the time. Lafayette and Bailly

Included Jacobins, Corderliers Uncommitted to a single Feared that equality and and a new club called the viewpoint, but gave into liberty were being taken too Girondins. threats. far.

Danton, Marat, Brissot and Wanted an end to the Robespierre possessed great revolution and a return to the

influence. ideals/moderation of 1789.

President of Assembly elected on a fortnightly basis.

From their first meeting, the issues of most concern to the new Legisaltive Assembly were:

1. Refractory Priests The greatest concerns ensued from the Clerical Oath and the numbers of priests who refused to take it. Alarming reports of resistance to the Clerical Oath flooded in from an area known as the Vendee in the West of France. In this region, 90% of the priests refused to take the oath. Action had to be taken against these counter-revolutionaries.

2. Emigré Nobles Since the fall of the Bastille, the flood of nobles leaving France for Austria turned into a virtual exodus after the King’s Flight to Varennes. Many of the nobles who fled were army officers. After the King’s Flight to Varennes, another 6000 officers left France, depleting the French army of 60% of its expertise. (and then they declare total war…. And compensate for this loss of military by making all urban workers fight)

3. Slave Uprising In addition, to these two concerns, there was a bloody slave uprising in France’s richest colony – Saint Domingue. 1000 plantation owners were murdered. There were fears the revolution was slipping and that France was losing control.1

1 In the fall of 1792, the French government sent two agents to Saint Domingue to take charge of the suppression of the slave revolt. In order to gain their freedom, rebel slaves now made pacts with the British and Spanish in the area. The British and Spanish promised freedom to those slaves who would join their armies, even though they had no intention of abolishing slavery in their own colonies. They simply wanted to benefit from France's problems. Faced with the threat of both British and Spanish invasions aimed at taking over the colony with the aid of the rebel slaves, the French government agents abolished slavery in the colony (August–October 1793). Consequences A Jacobin called Isnard proposed that the ‘poisonous’ refractories needed to be exiled. The Assembly agreed that priests should be granted their last opportunities to swear the clerical oath. Should the priests refuse once, they would be deprived of income. Should they refuse twice, they should be kept under police surveillance and eventually deported.

As for the nobles, a man named Brissot suggested that firm action needed to be taken immediately. Brissot was a member of a new political club originally called the Brissotins and then more commonly known as the Girondins – the Gironde was a wealthy department in France where many merchants (rich!) lived. The Girondins saw themselves as moderate left-wing republicans who represented the interests of the provinces (known as Federalism) The Girondins were concerned that too much power was or potentially could be exercised from Paris for Paris alone.

Brissot made a rousing speech at the Assembly warning that France had too many internal and external enemies who were threatening the glorious revolution. France needed to maintain its liberty, preserve equality, and demonstrate fraternity in its brotherly duty to spread these ideals around the world.

The Assembly thus made the following decisions:

 Confiscate the property of émigré nobles including the King’s brothers, for the State revenue.  Publically declare any noble who remained abroad without good reason an enemy of the revolution.  Issued an order for nobles to return to France by 1st January 1792, or face capital punishment.

Louis gets tough The radical laws against priests and nobles were too much. Louis vetoed them. This incensed right-wing deputies, and there was an increasing divide between the left and right.

Revolutionary War After these proposals, Brissot and the Girondins proposed the idea of a revolutionary war to deal with internal and external enemies. They saw three benefits:

1. Foremost, they genuinely believed in the ideal of bringing revolutionary freedoms to other oppressed peoples in Europe. (To spread the ideas of liberty etc.)

2. (You can see that the revolution has radicalised) War would force people to choose which side of the revolution they were on for once and for all. The true allegiance of priests, nobles and the King would be exposed and the revolutionaries would know at least who they had to fear. Exposed true allegiance of whether you’re with or against the revolution.

3. War is an emotive spectacle that takes peoples’ minds off political divisions and unites people in shared patriotism. The Girondins hoped that the appeal of war would win over the independent deputies and win them more favour and influence.

Responses to War Reactions to the proposal for war were unexpected.

The King’s Response The King, Queen and the conservatives welcomed the proposal of war. On December 14th, 1791, The King issued (to look like a patriot, supporter) an ultimatum to ‘German princes who were supporting traitorous French nobles’. The reception to this in the Legislative Assembly was thunderous. At last, they thought, – the King is on our side! Disappointment settled in when indeed, Germany did obey Louis’ ultimatum, and handed over several nobles and war was at least temporarily averted. Had the assembly known Louis’ true motive, they would not have been so happy with him… In reality, the King believed France was too weak to win a war (60% military expertise overseas). It was his desire that foreign armies invade France, crush the revolution and restore him to his throne in Versailles. In the event that France won the war, at least he would be viewed as a patriot and survive another day (win - win situation)

Robespierre Robespierre, the popular Jacobin, argued tirelessly against the proposal. If the French won the war, constitutional monarchists like Lafayette would gain power, respect and influence. If France lost, foreigners would destroy the revolution. He argued that France must concentrate on dangerous enemies at home. As for the argument about spreading revolutionary liberties to other oppressed peoples, he argued that it was nonsense – “nobody’, he said sharply, ‘likes armed missionaries’ Despite his arguments, the Legislative Assembly almost unanimously voted in favour of war.

Threat from the Austrian Emperor On 21st December, 1791, the Austrian Emperor declared his outrage that the German princes had been threatened. When news arrived that in February 1792, Austria had signed a military treaty with Prussia, it was clear war was on the agenda. By March, the King, who still retained the power to appoint ministers, placed the Girondins in control the War Ministry and preparations began.

On 20th April, 1792, Louis walked into the Assembly and announced the declaration of war on Austria. France accused Austria of granting protection to French traitors. Austrian and Prussian troops headed toward France. Review Questions

1. Explain Robespierre’s Self-Denying Ordinance and the consequences this would ultimately have.

2. a. Outline both the social make-up and the practical skills of the new Assembly. b. Why does this new social make-up place the Feuillants in a precarious position?

3. Why did the Legislative Assembly have concerns about: a. Refractory priests? b. Nobles?

5. Why was the growing political club, The Brissotins (Girondins) significant?

6. Which laws did the King veto? What impact would this have?

7. Who supported calls for revolutionary war and why?

8. Who did not support the war?