The National Convention and the French Republic 1792-1795

The National Convention: 1792-1795

On September 20, 1792, the revolutionary army achieved its first victory against the absolute monarchies of Europe. The first measure of the National Convention was to abolish the monarchy and proclaim the French Republic.

The Struggle Between Girondins and Jacobins

The Girondins adopted moderate positions that eventually disgusted the popular masses. They faced the Montagnards (Jacobins) in a struggle to become the voice of the revolution. While the Girondins wanted to punish Louis XVI without a trial to end the war, the Jacobins insisted on a prosecution. Under popular pressure, the King was judged and executed by guillotine; Marie Antoinette was also punished later. This execution prompted a European coalition and internal counter-revolutionary divisions.

Crisis and the Jacobin Rise to Power

The situation worsened with a peasant insurrection in the Vendée, provoked by hunger and new military levies. The Sans-culottes demanded economic and social reforms to combat food shortages and speculation. Following a Jacobin coup in May and June 1793, the Girondins were arrested, opening a more radical stage of the revolution.

The Jacobin Republic and the Reign of Terror

The Jacobins introduced a new constitution based on popular sovereignty and universal male suffrage. However, the government suspended constitutional guarantees, creating the Committee of Public Safety led by Robespierre. This period, known as the Terror, focused on eliminating internal and external enemies through expeditious judgments and executions.

Social and Cultural Reforms

• Redistribution of agricultural property.
• Price controls on necessary goods and minimum wages.
• Abolition of feudalism.
• Free and compulsory primary education in France.
• A new Republican calendar (Year I).
• A secular cult of Reason and dechristianization.

The Thermidorian Reaction

By 1794, radical demands for equality alienated the Jacobin bourgeoisie. Robespierre became isolated, leading to a period of bloody repression. His enemies united, leading to his detention and execution on 10 Thermidor Year II (July 28, 1794).

The Bourgeois Republic and the Directory

This stage saw the dismantling of Jacobin legislation. The Constitution of 1795 re-established census suffrage and created the Directory, consisting of two chambers: the Council of Ancients and the Council of Five Hundred. Despite conspiracies like Babeuf’s "Society of Equals," the bourgeoisie remained the primary beneficiary.

The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

France expanded its borders to the Rhine and Savoy. To consolidate these gains and defend the revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte rose to power. On November 9, 1799, he executed a coup d'état, closing the revolutionary cycle.