InNo+christopherc2012+09.06.10

Road to War

 * Emperor Leopold of Austria believed that Antoinette was in danger
 * called King of Prussia and European Kings to help Louis
 * Leopold had no intention of attacking France but he wanted to show support for his sister's monarch
 * Louis wanted war so that he was sure that the French armies would lose.
 * If the people won, France would be a republic

War

 * began on April 20, 1792 when French declared war on Austria
 * Austrians were better organized and easily beat off the French attack
 * People of France blamed defeat on traitors claiming there were Austrian Committee in Tuileries Palace
 * people grew fear when Austria joined Prussia forces
 * Assembly ordered every Paris soldier on to the frontier
 * Louis disagreed and 20,000 people broke in and shouting abuse at him
 * Louis' position was more difficult in July when the enemy commander Duke of Brunswick threatened if Louis was harmed in any way
 * Louis was far from being protected

Storming of Tuileries

 * On Aug 10, 20,000 armed men marched to Tuileries determined to de-throne Louis XVI
 * Louis was overthrown and family was imprisoned
 * On Sept 21, 1792, France was made a republic and two months later, Louis was beheaded for high treason
 * people that overthrew Louis were called **sans culottes**
 * hated nobles
 * republicans, hated monarchy
 * claimed the right to use weapons, in Sept 1792, they broke into prisons and killed prisoners claiming they were Austrains

The War Spreads

 * execution of Louis shocked people over Europe
 * by first months of 1793, one by one they joined forces with Austria and Prussia against France to destroy their new republic
 * Far from scaring revolutionaries in France, they wanted to eliminate the tyrants
 * rather than waiting, they declared war against Britain Holland and Spain
 * Austrian forces defeated the French badly and their commander General Dumouriez joined the Austrians

Inflation and Shortage

 * food prices rose
 * government was printing paper money making their currency devalue
 * By February, the paper note was only worth half the amount on it
 * Farmers would not sell their food so sans culottes began raiding shops

Rebellion

 * 300,000 people were ordered to join the army
 * thousands of peasants joined an armed rebellion against the government
 * led to conflict between Girondins, and Jacobins (sans culottes) supporters
 * On June 2, angry crowds of sans culottes expelled leading Girondins
 * By summer of 1793, 60/83 departments joined the rebellion

Reign of Terror

 * convention set up an emergency group called Committee of Public Safety
 * 12 members could do anything to save France
 * imposed France under harsh conditions for 12 months
 * aka Reign of Terror

Law of Suspects
 * in Sept 1793, groups of citizens drew up lists of people they suspected of opposing the government
 * arrested and put into prison
 * many sent to Paris and given death sentences

Guillotine
 * death sentences carried out by guillotine invented by Doctor Guillontin that would make death less painful
 * 17000 executed by guillotine
 * one of them Marie Antoinette for treason in October 1793

Terror in Provinces
 * went to provinces and captures rebels
 * when guillotine was too slow to execute, 2000 died from drowning in boats
 * prisoners were killed faster with cannon fire

Terror in Armies
 * In Aug 1793, convention ordered 'Mass Levy' where everyone had to be part of the war effort
 * increased French Army to 800,000 men, women worked in hospitals
 * generals who did not win were replaced

Economic and Church Terror
 * Sept 1793, Law of Maximum made the price of goods stay, and anyone who disobeyed was given death penalty
 * Christianity disappeared
 * Years no longer counted from Birth of Christ but from Sept, 1792 when republic was founded
 * 12 30 day months
 * months were 3 10 day weeks, Sunday abolished

Results
 * saved France from collapse
 * drove enemies out of France
 * 35,000 to 40,000 executed or died in prison
 * committe was unpopular in summer of 1794, as it was 12 man dictatorship
 * On July 24, 1794 Robespierre was executed and terror came to end

Summary:
French went into a war against other European nations, as France imposed many harsh laws on the people to be loyal to their country. At the end, Louis XVI and his family was executed, while the Reign of Terror was established. Nearing 1794, the Reign of Terror ended. Even though France was saved from her enemies and collapse, over 35000 people paid their lives for it.

Questions:
I wonder how the Austrains could be convinced that the commander of the French army wanted to join them?

A video I saw to learn more about the subject media type="youtube" key="pYLnzAtQoTk?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

A site I read to understand more of the Reign of Terror, which seemed to be a very interesting subject, mainly because of the dictatorship like power that was controlling France at that time, although it was supposed to be a republic

http://www.historywiz.com/terror.htm