Convention

The Girondists governed France in the first part of this stage, that is why it is called the Girondist Convention (September 1792-June 1793). The first measure of the Convention was to proclaim the Republic on 22 September 1792.

Louis XVI was imprisoned and put on trial for treason to France. The former king was declared guilty and he was finally executed by the guillotine on 21 January 1793.

The Republican Calendar is established in order to erase every Catholic influence on the French society.

Due to Louis XVI’s execution, a new international coalition declared the war on France to prevent a revolutionary wave in the rest of the continent. The French government ordered a 300,000 soldier national levy to fight the international enemies. There was also an internal Counter-revolution in La Vendée region, where people rebelled against the regime and supported the monarchy, the Catholic Church, and the nobility.

The Girondists were succeeded in 1793 by the Jacobins after some revolts in Paris by the sans-culottes. It was the Jacobin Convention (June 1793-July 1794).

The Jacobins established the Committee of Public Safety as a new government. It was composed of 12 members, out of whom the main one was Maximilien de Robespierre.  The new government imposed a dictatorship and was given the name the Reign of Terror because many people were executed during their government (around 50,000 people), such as Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI’s wife and most of the Girondist leaders, as well as some Jacobin leaders, like Danton.

New laws were passed by the Jacobins:

• A national levy decrre was passed in order to raise 750000 soldiers for the army
• Universal suffrage was adopted. Hence, every man could vote in the elections.
• Prices were controlled by the state.

 A new coup d’état staged on 27 July 1794 by Fouché, Barras, and Tallien overthrew Robespierre from the government and was executed. A new moderate term was established: the Thermidorian Convention (July 1794-August 1795).
In 1795 a new Constitution was passed: Censitary suffrage was imposed again. The international wars were put into an end by reaching some agreements with their enemies.