Did protest drive change in 1792?
The Paris Commune 1789-94:
Why were the sans culottes significant in the revolution?
Originally set up as an illegal municipal
10th August 1792: 20,000 sans culottes, 2000 fédérés + National Guard
councilgo to Tuileries
when King threatened Paris w
King persuaded to hide, 2000-3000 loyal to king defend the palace (inc. 700-800
troops 1789; became Swiss elected body in
Guards) 1790 w 144 delegates chosen by active
Some of National Guard defending king turn against him, allow crowds
citizensinto palace
In the mélée a shot was fired which provoked the battle July 1789-Sept 1791 its members were
2-hour battle- 1000 of crowd killed/wounded, nearly all Swiss Guard
mainly + gentlemen-at-arms
Feuillants (bourgeois
defending king were massacred; palace set on fire constitutional monarchists)
Paris Commune put royal family in Temple prison + Assembly, avoiding
Sept 1791-any Aug
proclamation to
1792 its members
depose the King/ establish a republic, temporarily suspended himwere mainly Girondins (bourgeois
Outcomes: republicans)
After journée 10th Aug, old commune
Assembly abolish distinction between active + passive citizens, promise
replaceda bynew Convention
a new ‘insurrectionary
elected by all men over 25 Commune’ w a Jacobin majority
Danton made Minister of Justice; all laws vetoed by king to immediately
From Nov come
1792into
thisforce
became an
th
17 August: court to prosecute traitors established important revolutionary body during
26th August: priests faced deportation to French Guyana unless they left within 2 weeks
the Terror
To reduce agitation of peasants, all compensation to former seigneurs cancelled
19th August: Lafayette defected from National Guard, fled + defected to Austrians; replaced
by Dumouriez + other military appointments followed as his associates were removed
Why was this journée more successful?
Done one before so knew what to improve, experience
So many more people (8000 before)
More support from soldiers, use of violence showing their force
Changes actually came about
How significant were the changes made/promised after the journée?
Voting increase- massive increase in size of electorate
Very as these things had been issues for so long- turning point against the king
Appointment of Danton pushes focus to radicals + sans culottes + not to advantage of
bourgeoisie
Did the changes free the oppressed or introduce more oppression?
Expansion of the franchise frees oppressed (passive citizens)
Court to prosecute traitors could increase oppression as France becomes more paranoid
people could be unfairly accused, similarly priests being deported v extreme
Measures being used with violence is arguably a worrying oppressive precedent
Passive citizens + lower orders benefit most from these changes
Assess the value of this source to a historian studying the role of the Sans Culottes in the
radicalisation of the revolution between April and September 1792:
Michel Azema , a deputy in the Legislative Assembly, wrote this letter on 10 August 1792:
[Back in the assembly hall,] brave sans-culottes had appeared at the rail and were promptly heard from. They explained to us
that the sovereign people, making use of that sovereignty, had charged them to assure us of its respect, to affirm obedience to
our decrees . . . and that we were the only constituted authority and there was no other in existence.
They concluded by asking us to "Swear in the Nation's name to maintain liberty and equality with all your power or to die at
your post." Seeing this declaration to be our only means of our salvation, all the deputies shouted eagerly and in a single voice:
"I so swear!" The roll was called at once, and on the rostrum each deputy in turn pronounced the words indicated by the sans-
culottes and the proposal was considered to be adopted. Our co-deputies, who had fled the hall earlier fearing for their lives,
The Paris Commune 1789-94:
Why were the sans culottes significant in the revolution?
Originally set up as an illegal municipal
10th August 1792: 20,000 sans culottes, 2000 fédérés + National Guard
councilgo to Tuileries
when King threatened Paris w
King persuaded to hide, 2000-3000 loyal to king defend the palace (inc. 700-800
troops 1789; became Swiss elected body in
Guards) 1790 w 144 delegates chosen by active
Some of National Guard defending king turn against him, allow crowds
citizensinto palace
In the mélée a shot was fired which provoked the battle July 1789-Sept 1791 its members were
2-hour battle- 1000 of crowd killed/wounded, nearly all Swiss Guard
mainly + gentlemen-at-arms
Feuillants (bourgeois
defending king were massacred; palace set on fire constitutional monarchists)
Paris Commune put royal family in Temple prison + Assembly, avoiding
Sept 1791-any Aug
proclamation to
1792 its members
depose the King/ establish a republic, temporarily suspended himwere mainly Girondins (bourgeois
Outcomes: republicans)
After journée 10th Aug, old commune
Assembly abolish distinction between active + passive citizens, promise
replaceda bynew Convention
a new ‘insurrectionary
elected by all men over 25 Commune’ w a Jacobin majority
Danton made Minister of Justice; all laws vetoed by king to immediately
From Nov come
1792into
thisforce
became an
th
17 August: court to prosecute traitors established important revolutionary body during
26th August: priests faced deportation to French Guyana unless they left within 2 weeks
the Terror
To reduce agitation of peasants, all compensation to former seigneurs cancelled
19th August: Lafayette defected from National Guard, fled + defected to Austrians; replaced
by Dumouriez + other military appointments followed as his associates were removed
Why was this journée more successful?
Done one before so knew what to improve, experience
So many more people (8000 before)
More support from soldiers, use of violence showing their force
Changes actually came about
How significant were the changes made/promised after the journée?
Voting increase- massive increase in size of electorate
Very as these things had been issues for so long- turning point against the king
Appointment of Danton pushes focus to radicals + sans culottes + not to advantage of
bourgeoisie
Did the changes free the oppressed or introduce more oppression?
Expansion of the franchise frees oppressed (passive citizens)
Court to prosecute traitors could increase oppression as France becomes more paranoid
people could be unfairly accused, similarly priests being deported v extreme
Measures being used with violence is arguably a worrying oppressive precedent
Passive citizens + lower orders benefit most from these changes
Assess the value of this source to a historian studying the role of the Sans Culottes in the
radicalisation of the revolution between April and September 1792:
Michel Azema , a deputy in the Legislative Assembly, wrote this letter on 10 August 1792:
[Back in the assembly hall,] brave sans-culottes had appeared at the rail and were promptly heard from. They explained to us
that the sovereign people, making use of that sovereignty, had charged them to assure us of its respect, to affirm obedience to
our decrees . . . and that we were the only constituted authority and there was no other in existence.
They concluded by asking us to "Swear in the Nation's name to maintain liberty and equality with all your power or to die at
your post." Seeing this declaration to be our only means of our salvation, all the deputies shouted eagerly and in a single voice:
"I so swear!" The roll was called at once, and on the rostrum each deputy in turn pronounced the words indicated by the sans-
culottes and the proposal was considered to be adopted. Our co-deputies, who had fled the hall earlier fearing for their lives,
