Western History 133: What happened during the National Assembly Period?

On July 15^th, 1789 Gilbert du Motier aka Marquis de Lafayette, a nobleman and liberal veteran of the American Revolution was made head of the National Guard.  Jean Sylvain Bailly a leader of the Third Estate (and a noted scientist) was chosen to be mayor of Paris. At the same time voices clamouring for a Republic, led by Camille Desmoulins, picked up their intense rhetoric.

Marquis de Lafayette source: history.com

Peasant rioting continued in parts of France as the ​ Assembly moved to abolish privilege and feudalism. At this stage there was still support for a diversity of opinion and speech with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen being issued on August 26^th. The Declaration’s philosophy can be summarized in the first three Articles (there were 17 altogether).

Article I – Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can be founded only on the common good.

Article II – The goal of any political association is the conservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, safety and resistance against oppression.

Article III – The principle of any sovereignty resides essentially in the Nation. No body, no individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation

Despite this liberal attempt at necessary reform rioting was still a mainstay in various parts of France. The National Assembly was inclined toward the adoption of a constitutional monarch but radical journalists in the press, such as Jean-Paul Marat were banging the drum for a Republic.They served to incite the mob.

On October 6^th, 1789 there was a large scale march of women on Versailles in response to news that the Royal Guard had trampled on the tricolor (an emerging symbol of the Revolution).  The march started off orderly but then turned violent as the mob invaded Versailles forcing the Royal Family to return to Paris. Lafayette’s National Guard sided with the women.

Reorganization of France into Departments source: mtholyoke.edu

In November and December of the year the National Assembly voted to place Church property under the Jurisdiction of the State. France was divided up into Departments, the Assignat became the new currency and the Assembly declared that Protestants could now hold office.

An Assignat source money.org

In January 1790  Bread  riots broke out as Marat stepped up his political attacks. An attempt to arrest Marat failed with the revolutionary fleeing to London. He would return soon afterward.

For much of 1790 the National Assembly pushed ahead with reform. Clerical and Noble privilege was abolished as the revolution took on a strong anti-clerical element that would be condemned by  Pope Pius VI .

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Counter revolutionary revolts broke out in several areas outside Paris with the capital city itself maintaining  its status as the central focus of Republican sentiment . The Cordeliers political club was formed to advocate for radical change.

In June and July the  National Assembly abolished titles and orders and then pushed through the  Civil Constitution of the Clergy forcing the clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state. Many clergymen would refuse such an oath, Fighting in around the Nancy area broke out as Royalist and anti-Royalist mobs clashed. Fearing  a tidal wave of change Louis XVI  upped his correspondence with various foreign powers over the dire situation in France.



Cartoon highlighting Civil Constitution of the Clergy source: alpha history

As President of the National Assembly the Come de Mirabeau tried to stem revolutionary initiatives however he would alienate both sides of the political spectrum . Relations between the French State and Vatican would collapse by March 1791. Mirabeau would pass away in  April of the same year ending the Moderate Period of the Revolution. 

On the night of  June 20-21, 1791 the Royal Family was spotted at Varennes while trying to secretly exit France. The King was returned to Paris a few days later His fate would be the source of much debate in the National Assembly.

Flight to Varennes source: historypod.net

The Feuillant club, represented a counter to the Cordeliers however their position was very quickly marginalized. The National Assembly would soon decree that émigrés (nobles who had left the country)  must return to France within next two months or forfeit land. 

Growing opposition to the Revolution was voiced by Frederick Wilhelm II of Prussia and Leopold II (Holy Roman Emperor) leading to the  Declaration of Pillnitz.

In September 1791 a New Constitution was drafted. Slavery would persist in the French colonies but Jews would be granted citizenship.  Working Class exclusion from National Guard. National Constituent Assembly would end with the entire political body being replaced by the Legislative Assembly.