128 lines
8.2 KiB
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128 lines
8.2 KiB
Plaintext
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßÛßßßßßÛÛÜ ÜÜßßßßÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛßß ßÛÛ
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ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛ ÜÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÝ Ûß
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ßßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÞÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßßÛÜÞÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÞß
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Mo.iMP ÜÛÛÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ßÛß
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ß ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ
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ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÜÜ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÛÛÞÛÛÛÛÛÝ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ÜÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÛÛÛÛÜÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ÞÛ ßÛÛÛÛÛ Ü ÛÝÛÛÛÛÛ Ü
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ÜÛ ÞÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ ßÛÜ ßÛÛÛÜÜ ÜÜÛÛÛß ÞÛ ÞÛÛÛÝ ÜÜÛÛ
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ÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßÛÜ ßßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ÜÜÜß ÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÛß
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ßÛÜ ÜÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ßßÜÜ ßßÜÛÛßß ßÛÛÜ ßßßÛßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛßß
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ßßßßß ßßÛÛß ßßßßß ßßßßßßßßßßßßß
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ARRoGANT CoURiERS WiTH ESSaYS
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Grade Level: Type of Work Subject/Topic is on:
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[ ]6-8 [ ]Class Notes [Essay on the Radical ]
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[ ]9-10 [ ]Cliff Notes [Stage of the French ]
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[x]11-12 [x]Essay/Report [Revolution ]
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[ ]College [ ]Misc [ ]
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Dizzed: 09/94 # of Words:1098 School: ? State: ?
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>Chop Here>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ>ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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The Radical Stage of The French Revolution (1792-1793) A. Shapiro
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By the end of 1971, Europe was preparing to witness the end of a
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seemingly triumphant revolution in France. The country was restructuring
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its government in a forceful and bloodless manner, while the tyrant King
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Louis the XVI agreed to the demands of the masses (albeit without much
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choice). However, due to the fanatical aspirations of men such as Danton,
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Marat and Robespierre,it would be only a matter of months before the
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moderate stage of social and political reform was transformed into a
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radical phase of barbaric and violent force. In their quest for freedom,
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equality and fraternity, the leaders of the Jacobins inadvertently turned
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the revolution into an oligarchic dictatorship that threatened to destroy
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all that was achieved in the previous two years of insurrection.
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The revolution took a sharp turn on August 9th, 1792. The Municipal
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government was overthrown in Paris and a Commune was established by the
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leaders of the radical forces. During this time there were continual food
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riots erupting in every area of the country and, with the threat of war
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against Austria and Prussia looming, it was vital that order was to be
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maintained during such tumultuous times. Although the constitution was
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already enshrined and the citizens had their freedom and liberties, there
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was still plenty of public dissent and disapproval as to whether or not
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these laws would help create a new government and prevent the country from
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breaking apart. The people had come this far and were not prepared to watch
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their efforts lead to failure or the restoration of an absolute monarch. As
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a result, the radical forces were able to gain the support of the citizens
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in declaring that the constitution of 1791 was ineffective and useless
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since it did not suit the needs of ALL the popula n of France. Moderate
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forces preferred to concentrate on the foreign affairs of "new" France, but
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the radicals insisted on domestic stability first. Led by the popular
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Danton and the merciless Marat, the Paris Commune discarded the old
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constitution and called for a National Convention to begin work on a new,
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revised version.
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The National Convention, divided by the moderate Girondins and the
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radical Jacobins, was the place where the future of the country was to be
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eventually determined. It was the premise of the Jacobins that they should
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eradicate the "enemy within" and secure the destiny of the revolution
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through the destruction of counter-revolutionary forces. They believed that
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by weeding out those who opposed the revolution, they could achieve their
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goals quickly and efficiently. The Girondins were not so quick to agree
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with the Jacobins, and so political deadlock begin to form in the
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Convention. It was not until after the September massacres, when 1200
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prisoners were executed without trials, that Robespierre and his followers
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were able to justify their premise. They condemned the actions of the
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unruly mobs that caused the deaths of innocent Frenchmen and demanded that
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the Monarchy be abolished in order to eliminate as many of the royalists
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and monarchists that still remained. It was Marat with his want 100,000
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heads to fall" speeches that convinced the masses that those who were not
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in favour of the revolution had to be dealt with immediately or the
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revolution would never succeed.
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Once the Monarchy was abolished and France was declared a republic,
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Robespierre and the Jacobins proceeded to demand the execution of the last
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symbol of the old regime: Louis Capet. The Girondins begged for a stay of
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execution for the fallen King (in the name of constitutional Justice), but
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the moderate forces were overwhelmed by the people's support for the
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radicals and the fate of Louis remained unchanged. His death signified the
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beginning of a time when nationalism and radicalism would dominate the
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revolution. On March 10th, the Revolutionary Tribunal was created in order
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to prosecute the enemies of the revolution. Marat became a virtual Grim
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Reaper in searching out possible traitors and enemies of the republic. When
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the Committee on Public Safety was established on the 26th, Robespierre and
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his Jacobins were able to proudly look upon the reforms that they had
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injected into the political bloodstream of France. There was no turning
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back from the radical phase that the people had oluntarily entered and the
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momentum that the Jacobins had captured placed them in a position of
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highest authority and almost unlimited power.
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By the summer of 1793, the people of France began feeling that
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something had gone wrong, terribly wrong. In what would be known as the
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infamous "Reign of Terror", the National Convention, spearheaded by the
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radical zeal of Marat and the infallibility of Robespierre, began
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persecuting any person who was suspected of opposing the revolution. Even
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the moderate Girondins were accused of counter-revolutionary actions and
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were expelled from the Convention. What was once a legislative, two-sided
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body had now become an authoritarian oligarchy led by radicals. Although
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the masses had finally deposed the tyrant who had oppressed them for so
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many years, they were now being oppressed by an executive group that was
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ruling the country without the safeguards of a constitution. Thousands were
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dying without the aid of civil liberties or rights and any citizen accused
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of treason was deemed guilty until proven innocent. In a desperate attempt
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to slow down the intentions of the Jacobins, Marat was mur ed by Charlotte
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Corday and Danton began speaking out against all radicals who were
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contributing to the deaths of innocent citizens. Unfortunately, this was to
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be a stage in the revolution that could not be undone even with the
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leadership of Danton. The closing chapters of the radical stage were filled
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with the executions of the Girondins and other suspects (Hebert) who
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allegedly opposed the will of the Jacobins, and therefore opposed the will
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of the republic. Robespierre never intended to justify his ends through
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such violent means.
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1793 marked a year that could have been prevented, a period that should
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never have befallen the liberated citizens of France. Mirabeau warned that
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the destruction of the Monarchy would plunge the country into anarchy and
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his words rang true. France was not prepared for such social and political
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upheaval, and the resulting shift towards a republic would change the
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country forever. The Jacobins discarded their holy bible, the constitution,
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in order to ensure the security and stability of the country. Not only did
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their hasty actions backfire, but the tens of thousands of lives that
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perished during their reign symbolized the radical stage of the revolution
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in all its bloody glory.
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