The Great French Revolution, 1789-1793

Chapter 69 : Conclusion
When one sees that terrible and powerful Convention wrecking itself in 1794-1795, that proud and strong Republic disappearing, and France, after the demoralizing régime of the Directory, falling under the military yoke of a Bonaparte, one is impelled to ask: "What was the good of the Revolution if the nation had to fall back again under despotism?" In the course of the nineteenth century, this question has been constantly put, and the timid and conservative have worn it threadbare as an argument against revolutions in general. The preceding pages supply the answer. Those who have seen in the Revolution only a change in the Government, those who are ignorant of its economic as well as its educational work, those alone could put such a question. The France we see during the last days of the eighteenth century, at the moment of the coup d'etat on the 18th Brumaire, is not the France that existed before 1789. Would it have been possible fo... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

Chapter 68 : The 9th Thermidor--Triumph of Reaction
Causes of overthrow of Robespierre -- Evils of transfer of land--Republican successes abroad -- Terror continues -- Dantonists, Girondins and "Marsh" unite to overthrow Robespierre -- Unpopularity of Committee of Public Welfare -- Robespierre attacks Barère and Fouché -- His speech in Convention -- Effect of speech -- 9th Thermidor -- Arrest of Robespierre and his associates -- Efforts of Commune -- Capture of Hôtel de Ville -- Execution of Robespierre and Terrorists -- End of Revolution -- Reactionaries continue executions -- Attempted rising of workers -- Execution of last of Montagnards -- Triumph of middle classes -- Royalist manifestations -- Massacres of revolutionists -- Reaction succeeded by Directory -- Final effort of revolutionists -- Napoleon proclaims himself Emperor If Robespierre had many admirers, who adored him, he had also quite as many enemies, who utterly detested him and lost no opportunity of... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

Chapter 67 : The Terror
Steps taken by committees to increase their power -- War with England--Condition of provinces -- Burning of Bedouin -- Special commission formed to deal with arrested citizens -- Robespierre's law of 22nd Prairial -- Effect of law -- Aim of Robespierre -- Attempts on his life -- Arrests and executions -- Terror -- Hatred of Jacobin government After the downfall of their enemies of the Left and of the Right, the committees continued to concentrate more and more power in their own hands. Up to that time there had been six Government departments, which were indirectly subordinate to the Committee of Public Welfare through the intermediary of the Executive Committee composed of six ministers. On the 12th Germinal (April 1) the State departments were suppressed and their place taken by twelve Executive Commissions, each of them under the supervision of a section of the committee.1 Furthermore, the Committee of Public Welfare obta... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

Chapter 66 : Robespierre and his Group
Position and influence of Robespierre -- Causes of his power -- His incorruptibility -- His fanaticism -- His accusation against Fabre -- His character and policy Robespierre has been often mentioned as a dictator; his enemies in the Convention called him "the tyrant," and it is true that as the Revolution drew to a close Robespierre acquired so much influence that he came to be regarded both in France and abroad as the most important person in the Republic. It would, however, be incorrect to represent Robespierre as a dictator, though certainly many of his admirers desired a dictatorship for him.1 We know, indeed, that Cambon exercised considerable authority within his special domain, the Committee of Finance, and that Carnot wielded extensive powers in matters concerning the war, despite the ill-will borne him by Robespierre and Saint-Just. But the Committee of Public Safety was too jealous of its controll... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

Chapter 65 : Fall of the Hebertists--Danton Executed
Struggle between revolutionists and counter-revolutionists continues -- Robespierre and commissioners of Convention -- Triumph of Hébertists -- Great speech of Saint-Just -- He advocates Terrorism -- His attack on Dantonists -- Action of Cordeliers -- Arrest of Hébertist leaders -- Further arrests of Chaumette, Pache, Clootz and Leclerc -- Success of the Government -- Execution of Hébertists and others -- Royalist rejoicing -- End of struggle between committees and Commune -- Committees arrest Danton, Desmoulins, Phélippeaux and Lacroix -- They are executed -- Effect of executions on Paris -- End of Revolution in sight The winter thus passed in veiled struggles between the revolutionists and the counter-revolutionists, who every day lifted their heads higher and more boldly. In the beginning of February, Robespierre made himself the mouthpiece of a movement against certain commissioners, of the C... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

The Fifth and Sixth of October 1789
King refuses to sanction Declaration -- Middle classes and people in opposition to royalty -- Influence of people on upper classes -- Power of King's veto during Revolution -- Assembly refuse King the veto, but grant him the suspensive veto -- Weakness of Assembly -- Scarcity of food in Paris -- Accusations against royal family and people at Court -- Danger of national bankruptcy -- Plans for King's escape -- Influence of history of Charles I. on Louis XVI -- His terror of Revolution -- Plotting continues -- Preparations for march on Versailles -- Precautions of King -- Outbreak of insurrection -- March on Versailles -- Queen chief object of people's animosity -- Entry of women into Versailles -- King sanctions Declaration of Rights of Man ... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

Struggle Against the Hebertists
Robespierre foretells end of Revolution -- Causes of its termination -- Hébert -- Chaumette and Hébertists -- Increased power of Committees of Public Welfare and Public Safety -- The struggle for power -- Robespierre and Danton -- Camille Desmoulins -- Robespierre attacks Cloots -- State of insurrection in Southern France -- Fabre d'Eglantine and Bourdon -- Attempt to rouse Convention against Committee of Public Welfare -- Fabre d'Eglantine demands arrest of three Hébertists -- Cordeliers side with Hébertists -- Toulon recaptured -- Series of republican successes -- Authority of Committee of Public Welfare restored -- Arrest of Fabre d'Eglantine -- False accusations against him -- He is executed -- Struggle betwe... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

The Insurrection of May 31 and June 2
Preparations for rising -- Activity of sections -- Commission of Twelve -- Want of union among revolutionists -- Les Enragés -- New class of middle-class property-owners -- May 31 -- Failure of insurrection -- Preparations for fresh revolt -- June 2 -- News of rising at Lyons -- Fury against Gironde -- Letter to Convention -- Speech of Marat to Jacobin Club -- Girondins join counter-revolutionists -- Convention outlaws Girondins Once more the people, in their sections, got ready for insurrection as on August 10. Danton, Robespierre and Marat held frequent consultations with each other during those days; but still they hesitated, and again action came from the "unknown ones," who constituted an insurrectionary club at the Bishop's Pal... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

Riots in Paris and its Environs
Activity in Paris -- "Réveillon Affair" -- First conflict between people of Paris and rich -- "English gold"-Paris becomes center of Revolution Under such conditions it is easy to imagine that Paris could not remain quiet. Famine had set its grip upon the rural districts in the neighborhood of the great city, as elsewhere. Provisions were as scarce in Paris as in the other large towns, and those who came in search of work could do nothing more than simply increase the multitude of the poor, especially in prospect of the great events which every one felt were on the way. Towards the end of winter--in March and April--some hunger-riots and pillagings of corn are mentioned in the reports of the Governors of the provinces at Orléa... (From : Anarchy Archives.)

The Tenth of August: Its Immediate Consequences
Peasants ignore feudal system -- Change in state of France -- Royalist plans -- Administration -- Army -- Lafayette -- Feudal laws -- King and Germans -- Revolutionists fear popular risings -- Robespierre -- Revolutionary leaders at length join hands -- People prepare to strike -- New '"commune" springs up -- August 10 -- Royalists anticipate victory -- Indecision of Assemble -- Abolition of royalty -- Triumph of popular revolution -- Decrees passed under compulsion by Assembly -- Feudal laws -- Lands of emigres -- Proposal of Maihe-Legislative Assembly dissolves -- Commune of Paris We have seen what was the condition of France during the summer of 1792. For three years the country had been in open revolution and a return to the old state o... (From : Anarchy Archives.)