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F L O M U N I

BACKGROUND GUIDE

J C C : J A C O B I N S C H A M B E R (1791)

*All territorial changes succeeding June 20th, 1791 do not apply*

Timeline governor is beheaded moments after exiting the fortress. ● 7 June 1788: Revolt against King ​ Louis XVI takes place in the southern ● 21 July - 1 August 1789: a series of ​ town of due to economic revolts start to take place nationwide ​ hardships, poor harvests, and the high in the cities of Strasbourg, Le Mans, cost of bread. Colmar, Alsace, and Hainaut.

● 8 August 1788: Royal treasury is ● 28 July 1789: newspaper Le Patriote ​ ​ ​ depleted and the de français begins to circulate around the ​ ​ declines to reform tax law or provide a country promoting the revolution. The loan for the Crown. A States-General, newspaper is controlled by a new consultative assembly, is scheduled political faction known as the for May 1789. . ​

● 27 April 1789: Riots break out in the ● 4 August 1789: the Assembly votes ​ ​ east of Paris’s suburb Faubourg for the abolishment of feudal rights. ​ Saint-Antoine. Reports suggest 25 ​ local workers died after clashes with ● 27 August 1789: the Assembly adopts ​ the police. the Declaration of the Rights of the Man and the Citizen establishing the ● May 1789: the States-General freedom and equality of all individuals ​ assembly begins with representatives before the law. from the First State (clergy), the Second State (nobility), and the Third ● 10 October 1789: Member of the ​ State (commoners) present. The latter Assembly, Dr. Joseph-Ignace was attempted to be separated from Guillotin, proposes a humane method the other parties. of execution, the , before the body, it is accepted. ● June 1789: the Third States decide to ​ host their own assembly and invite ● 2 November 1789: the Assembly ​ other States: the National Assembly is determines the property of the Church born. King Louis XVI orders the to be at the disposition of the country. closure of the Third States assembly hall, but the representatives gather in ● November 1789: the political club ​ an indoor tennis court where they Breton changes its name to the Society swear to provide France with a new of Friends of the Constitution and its Constitution. members commonly referred to as the . ● 14 July 1789: a large crowd besieges ​ the prison in Paris after ● January 1790: Riots across Paris ​ multiple hours of resistance by continue and social discontent among Bastille Governor de Launay. The commoners continue to rise. ● 29 March 1790: Pope Pius VI ​ condemns & opposes the Declaration ● 27 November 1790: Assembly ​ of the Rights of the Man and Citizen, instructs all Clergymen to swear their as the National Assembly continues allegiance to the new government, stripping powers away from the most of whom refuse to take the oath. church. ● 10 March 1791: the Civil ​ ● April 1790: populist political club Constitution of the French Clergy is ​ is founded with deep categorically condemned by Pope Pius ​ anti-elitism sentiment towards the VI. country’s nobility. ● 20 June 1791: King Louis XVI ​ ● 26 June 1790: Avignon, a city within alongside Queen and ​ France but under the direct rule of the other family members cannot be found Pope, requests to join France, giving in the of Paris. The the National Assembly a chance to Royal family’s whereabouts are directly oppose the pope. They opt not unknown. to accept the city’s request and avoid conflict. Meanwhile, diplomats from ● 21 June 1791: the Jacobins alongside ​ ​ ​ England, the , Austria, some members from the Cordeliers ​ and begin to convene to political club have left the National discuss potential military action Constituent Assembly to an against the French . undisclosed location to determine a course of action after the Royal ● 12 July 1790: Assembly adopts the Family’s disappearance. The ​ Civil Constitution of the French moderates, represented by the Clergy. Clergymen lose their special Girondins, have remained in the ​ status and are required to take an oath assembly. of allegiance to the government.

● 14 July 1790: the Fête de la ​ ​ Fédération is celebrated in Paris as an ​ anniversary of the beginning of the . The event marks the last time all factions of French society were together.

Current Situation

Cher députés de l'Assemblée nationale,

We have come a long way, to say the least. To think that, simply some years back, we would have never been regarded as a serious movement. As it stands, we have made bold assertions of our control and radical changes that no King would ever dare pass in their country. However, we have also made many enemies across the continent, including the Pope. As the number of sweeping reforms, we could pass decreases and we enter a new phase of our revolution, we must ask ourselves: What comes next?

The primary issue that the National Assembly faces is the vacancy of the royal family from the Palace of Tuileries. We do not know where they have gone, and it must be a first priority that we discover what they are attempting to do, whether it is an escape from France or worse, and apprehend them. Although the two main factions within the Assembly may disagree on what their punishment is, this must be the first priority for every member to resolve.

However, there are far more underlying issues that also need addressing. Currently, the National Assembly is being opposed by commoners and clergy alike. Resistance to the French Revolution is just as major internally as it is externally, and no solution has yet to be proposed to this. Moreover, there are worsening signs of a large coalition of major monarchies across Europe potentially assembling to snuff the flames of our great cause. This looming threat gives us limited time to either stabilize our country and assemble an even greater opposing force, or improve our standing with the other great powers of Europe, although the latter is looking less likely with every passing day.

Our odds may look slim, but that was the case for our fellow revolutionaries in the United States, too. Perhaps we can replicate their success here, and even do better. We must stay determined as they had, and rise up to the odds, no matter how tall & fearsome they are. Perhaps you may be the one to rise up to the challenge and give the National Assembly the ​ ​ stature, authority, and power it needs to usher in a new era for not only France but for Europe and beyond.

Bien sincèrement, ​ Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès President of the National Constituent Assembly

Jacobins

Commonly known as the “Jacobins,” the group is the more extremist of the two parties in the ​ ​ National Assembly. Pushing for more radical changes to occur during the French Revolution, they are in constant opposition with the more moderate Girondin club, although both are still unified in terms of maintaining the monarchy.

The Jacobins, alongside members of the Cordeliers, had left the Assembly after a split with the Girondins over the fate of the royal family once they were captured. The Jacobins sought to execute the family as soon as possible, standing in direct contrast to the Girondins. In their current position, the Jacobins have lost their legitimacy by leaving the National Assembly, but are still a major force of contention and have many followers to support their objectives, regardless of whether they remained within the Assembly or not. With the power to potentially overthrow the Girondins, the Jacobins must decide what their next course of action will be before the Moderates begin to diminish their power.

Character List:

1. Pierre-Antoine Antonelle: President of the Club in 1791, journalist and ​ ​ . Also, mayor of Arles from 1790-1791. Antonelle comes from an Aristocratic family but despite that, is clearly a very strong supporter of the Revolution.

2. : Founder of the Jacobin Club and president from ​ ​ March-June 1790. A lawyer, and statesmen, and one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution.

3. Louis de Saint-Just: Jacobin leader and Robespierre’s most trusted ally. ​ ​ Legislator and military commissar and achieved the reputation as the face of the .

4. Pierre Verginaud: French Lawyer and statesman and deputy to the Assembly ​ ​ ​ ​ from Bordeaux. Supporter of Jacques Pierre Brissot and the Girondins faction.

5. Jacques Pierre Brissot: Leader member of the Girondins and founder of the ​ ​ abolitionist Society of the Friends of the Blacks.

6. Claude Fauchet: French bishop and curate of the church at St Roch, Paris. He ​ ​ was also one of the leaders of the attack on the Bastille.

7. Maximin Isnard: French revolutionary and perfume dealer. In 1791, he was ​ ​ elected as a member of the legislative assembly and in 1792, member of the .

8. Jean-Marie Roland: French inspector of manufactures in Lyon and eventual ​ ​ leader of the Girondist faction. Served as Minister of the Interior under King Louis XVI in 1792.

9. George Danton: As a leading Revolutionary figure who fought in the Storming ​ ​ of the Bastille, Danton is also one of the most important figures in the Jacobin Club. Due to his major involvement in the recent Champs de Mars massacre on the Republican’s side, he is laying low from authorities but still has his hand in politics.

10. : Barnave is a French politician and one of the most influential ​ ​ orators of the French Revolution. Noted for his correspondence with Marie Antoinette and sympathy for the monarchy, Barnave has taken an interest in founding his own political club, deviating from the two major groups.

11. Bonaparte: An artillery officer for the French Royal , the ​ ​ officer’s skills have been acclaimed and have resulted in a fast and rapid rise in both power and rank.

12. Charles de Calonne: King Louis XVI’s latest controller general of finance after ​ ​ was forced out of office in 1781. He advocated for a heavier tax on the wealthy that the nobility refused to pay.

13. : Appointed by the Committee Of Public Safety to help ​ ​ ​ reorganize the failing war effort against Austria and Prussia, appointed as member of the directory later on.

14. Marquis de Lafayette: A liberal nobleman known for leading French forces ​ ​ assisting in the . Favorably seen by the common people as one dedicated to liberty and the revolution, he’s gradually become more hesitant about the revolution's radical nature.

15. Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès: A liberal member of the clergy, supporter of the Third ​ ​ Estate, and author of the fiery 1789 pamphlet “What Is the Third Estate?” Sieyès served as a one of the primary leaders for the Third Estate’s effort at political and economic reform in France.

16. Jacques Necker: A Liberal royalist who served as controller general of finance ​ ​ until his forced removal from office in 1781.

17. Guillaume Marie Anne Brune: A pro-Jacobin Political journalist, turned ​ ​ appointed general and soon to be the Marshal of France; highly despised by French royalists.

18. Joseph Fouché: A Jacobin deputy known for his strong anti-clericalism, a main ​ ​ ​ ​ ambition for him in regards to the French Revolution is to dechristianize France.

19. Jean-Paul Marat: One of the most influential Radical journalists of the French ​ ​ Revolution. Known for his publication, L’ami du Peuple (Friend of the People) which regularly attacked conservative leaders.

20. Henri Grégoire: A Revolutionary priest, known for his support for the Civil ​ ​ Constitution of the Clergy created during the revolution. He largely advocated for the support of universal suffrage and end of .