• 5/17 Focus:5/17 Focus: – An extreme government changed

French society and tried through harsh means to eliminate its critics within France

• Do Now:Do Now:– Explain why other European monarchs

were concerned with events in France during the revolution.

• French constitution created a limited monarchy

• Legislative Assembly made laws

• Assembly split into different factions

• Conservatives• Moderates • Radicals

•

• Radicals took over the Assembly – Known as Jacobins

• Led by Maximilien Robespierre

• Jean- Paul Marat • Georges- Jacques

Danton– Ended the monarchy

• Execution of King Louis XVI

– Declared the formation of a republic

– Suspended the Constitution

•

• Radicals attempted to reform French Society – Eliminate influence of

religion • Closed churches in Paris • Created the Cult for the

Supreme Being – Worshipped Revolutionary

ideals

– Eliminate references to the monarchy and nobility

– Created new calendar– New systems of weights

and measurement

•

• The Republic faced many challenges – War with other European nations

• The First coalition – Austria, Prussia, Spain, Great Britain

• France suffered a number of defeats

– Continuing economic issues– Resistance from people inside France

• Not everyone supported killing the king • Many priests would not accept gov’t control• Many peasants were angry about a military draft

• Radicals created the Committee of Public Safety – Find and eliminate

people who threatened the revolution inside France• Use of terror to

defend the republic

• Radicals placed anyone suspected of not supporting the revolution on trial– Sentenced

people to death by guillotine

– Over 40,000 people killed

•

• Robespierre began using the committee to eliminate other radicals that were his rivals – Georges- Jacques Danton

• Reign of Terror ended after radicals execute Robespierre– July 27, 1794– Robespierre sent to the

guillotine

• Moderates returned to power and adopted a new constitution

• Established the Directory to govern France – 5 man governing board – Failed to address economic problems and

civil unrest

• What was the purpose of the Committee of Public Safety?

• What political group took control of the government after the death of Robespierre?