Chapter 9 - Establishment of the Republic

The Successive Legislative Assemblies of the Revolution 

National (Constituent) Assembly 1789 - September 1791
Legislative Assembly October 1791 - September 1792 
National Convention September 1792 - October 1795

Problems and Policies 

• The republic founded in September 1792 is known as the First Republic and it lasted until Napoleon's declaration of Empire in 1804, although the form of government changed several times during this period.
• The 749 new deputies of the National Convention were mostly lawyers, professional men and property owners.
• Numbers of nobles and clergy were lower than ever, but for the first time there were a few artisans.
• Their first decision was a unaminous vote to abolish monarchy.

Girondins versus Jacobins / Montagnards 

• There was a clear division among the deputies.
• From the beginning the Girondins and Montagnards fought political battles over the conduct of the war, how to deal with the king and over their personal antagonisms.
• The girondins accused the montagnards of wanting to impose political distatorship and of being responsible for the September Massacres.
• They were also hostile to the popular radicalism of the Sans-Culottes, who stood with the Montagnards.

1 November - A committe was set up to consider the legal problems concerning the trial. 

20 November - Discovery fo the Armoire de fer ~ showing the Kings counter-revolutionary activities  

4 December - a decision was made to try Louis. The Convention decided that it would act as both judge and jury. There was no provision in the constitution for the legislative body to act as a court. 

11 December - The indicment was read to Louis at the Convention. His conduct from the first meeting of the Estates-General was questioned and the case put that, particulary his involvement with the Austrian enemy, he was a threat the the Republic. 

26 December -  Louis' defense was presented at the Convention, they argued not guilty but this was rejected.  

27 December - The Girondins wanted to appeal to the people, this was dismissed because it was felt that it would undermine their status as elected delegates.  

15-17 January 1793 - 286 ~ for imprisonment // 361 ~ for death

The debate on the fate of the King

• With the monarchy abolished, the next issue was what to do with the King.
• The Girondins wanted a trial and to hold Louis as a hotsage for possible use in negotiations with the Austrians and Prussians and feared for a civil war breakout
• The Montagnards viewed him as already guilty of treason and wanted him punished. 
• The Girondins won the argument and persuaded the deputies f the National Convention to agree to try Louis. 
• The verdict was already determined, especially after the discovary of the armoire de fer, which revealed the King's secret dealings. 
• The safe contained correspondence between Louis and the Austrians, alongisde other compromsing documents.
• The two factions clashed.
• Robespierre anf the Montagnards clashed when deciding for or against the death penalty, while the Girondins wanted the sentence to be subject to a referndum of the people. 
• They believed that the people of the provinces wouldn't want Louis' death unlike the Parisians. 
• At Marat's suggestion there was a public declaration. Louis was found guilty. 387 voted for death and on 21st January 11793 he was guillotined. 

The Execution of the King 

• The verdict was deicded and read to Louis on the 20th of January and he was executed the next day. 
• Thousands of soldiers lined the streets as the King was taken on his last journey from the the Temple to the 'Palce de la Revolution' 
• 'Long Live the Republic' was declared at his execution 

S U M M A R Y

The coming of the National Convention in Septemebr 1972 heralded the next 'radical' stage of the revolution. The newlt-elected body was split between the more moderate Girondinand radical Jacobin factions and although both sides agreed to declare France a republic, they were divided over what to do with the ex-king. The sans-culottes remained restless as the external war exacerbated economic problems at home, while difficulties of control were made worse by the peasent 'Chouan rioting in the west of France. Both the decision to send Louis to the guillotine and the need for stronger central control played into the hands of the Jacobins.