The storming of the bastille occurred

Rewrite Homework

1. Explain in detail the bourgeois or moderate phase of the French Revolution, focusing on why it happened, what bourgeois leaders wanted from the revolution and whether or not those goals were accomplished. Be sure to give specifics.

Bourgeois leaders convened to form the National Assembly, a legislative body independent of the General Estates that discussed France’s internal crises without the consent of the king. During the next few tumultuous months, the peasants of France became restless, and eventually cracked. The storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789. That day, almost a thousand Parisians burst into and captured the Bastille, a fortress that was notorious for its connection to the Old Regime.

Next, the agitated commoners, fearful of further economic woes in the future and a possible attempt by the nobles to attack them, began to burn down the nobles houses in what was known to be the Great Fear. Finally, in October 1789, the peasants grew tired of the lack of cheap food, so they marched to Versailles and compelled the king to go to Paris, where he would be less influential. This event would be known as the October Days.

With the onset of small rebellions like the ones described above, the bourgeois leaders of the National Assembly finalized reforms that were to be made to French government and society with the intentions of turning France into a constitutional monarchy. The August Decrees eliminated special privileges for the clergy and nobility, and one of the bourgeoisie’s greatest hindrances was finally removed. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen stated the basic rights of every human (and French citizen). The church was finally subordinate to the state rather than vice versa, and as a result even church lands were put up for sale to make a few extra dollars. Finally, a French constitution was enacted by the Assembly in 1791 which limited the powers of the king and guaranteed all French citizens equal treatment under the law.

By making all of the aforementioned reforms, the National Assembly, and the people of France, were quite successful in their ambitions. They also exercised the social contract: men form governments. Governments must respond to the needs of men. If a government does not respond to the needs of men, men have the right to change the government.

2. Explain in detail the radical or Jacobin phase of the French Revolution, focusing on why it happened, how the Jacobins tried to implement their plan and whether or not their goals were ultimately achieved.

The Radical Phase of the French Revolution occurred after the Moderate Phase. The increase of internal struggles from counterrevolutionaries (clergy members and nobles) and sans-culottes (wage-earners), and a foreign invasion were catalysts that helped jumpstart the phase. During this time (1792-1794), many people were killed by French leaders for fear that they would destabilize the country.

The Jacobins were the radical ruling party of France during the Radical Phase. They wanted a society where reason, good citizenship, and patriotism were the foundations. Men would be free, equal, and educated, and reason would be glorified. There would be no extremes of wealth, and natural laws would preserve people’s inalienable rights.

Robespierre was one of the leaders of the Jacobins. He used terror in order to eliminate all those who opposed the Jacobins’ plans for society, including counterrevolutionaries and opposing party members who challenged his party’s authority.

What the radicals did to all those targeted by them was most certainly unacceptable. Their trials were almost always unfair, and many times there wasn’t even a trial against convicted “criminals.” However, this radicalism did create stability in France, so one may argue that France may not have existed had the radicals not exercised strict authority.

3. Explain in detail Napoleon's domestic agenda for dealing with internal issues within France once he came to power. Be sure to give specifics.

Napoleon can be considered an enlightened despot, and used multiple Enlightenment ideas to stabilize France. One of the most revolutionary ideas was the establishment of a public education system that allowed even poor families to go to school. This allowed for greater literacy rates in France, a more educated population, and better life expectancies. He also enacted the Code Napoleon – a document that gave the people of France greater equality and freedom, such as equality before the law, the right to choose one’s profession, religious freedom, the abolition of serfdom, and the secularization of the state and its separation from the Church.

Napoleon also improved the nation’s infrastructure, set up the Bank of France (to protect France from inflation), and established a single national currency. By doing so, France’s economy gradually improved, and the country became a formidable economic power. Finally, Napoleon made peace with the Catholic Church. Relics, churches, and cathedrals were returned, priests and bishops were allowed to preach again, and the Pope regained authority over Church matters. As a result, the relationship between France and the Catholic Church returned to pre-Revolution levels, and the people loved Napoleon for it.