End of the Old Regime in France

The Abolition of the Old Regime

The decrees of the Constituent Assembly and the Constitution of 1791 ended the Old Regime and the privileges in France. The king wanted to oppose reforms. The war against European powers eventually led to the disappearance of the monarchy and the proclamation of the republic.

The Work of the Constituent Assembly (1789-1791)

The objective of the Constituent Assembly was to dismantle the Ancien Régime in France and write a constitution. To end the Ancien Régime, on 4 August 1789, the Decree on the Abolition of Feudal Rights was passed.

It abolished the tithe, the jurisdiction of the privileged, and allowed everyone access to any position. On August 26th, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was issued, which recognized and guaranteed personal freedoms, equality before the law, and property.

These two orders represent the end of absolutism and the triumph of the liberal revolution. The constitution, enacted in September 1791, was the culmination of the revolutionary process.

Design of the 1791 Constitution

The constitution designed a system with the following characteristics:

• Parliamentary Monarchy: Recognizing national sovereignty and the fundamental rights of citizens.
• Division of Powers: Legislative power was in the hands of the National Assembly. The assembly would be chosen by censitary suffrage; voters had to be 25 years old and have a certain income or property.
• Decentralization of Administration: France was divided into 83 departments, and the importance of municipalities increased.

Opposition to Legislation and Reforms (1791-1792)

The Constitution of 1791 meant the triumph of the approaches of the gentry who wanted to end the revolution. However, it caused dissatisfaction among the sans-culottes who sought deeper changes in society and property. Neither the king nor the privileged accepted a predominance of moderates. A decree was passed against the property of émigrés and another for the expulsion of the clergy who refused to swear allegiance to the constitution. The king vetoed both ordinances, so his position was becoming more difficult.

War and the End of the Monarchy

The royal family of France attempted to flee in June 1791 but were arrested in Varennes and taken prisoner to Paris. On August 10, 1792, the popular response to the threat was to storm the Tuileries Palace, the residence of the kings who took refuge in the National Assembly. This marked the end of the monarchy and the establishment of the republic.