The fall of Bastille emboldened the NationalAssembly to abolish
feudalism in the country.Shaken by the turn of events, the king
alsoaccepted the formation of a national assembly.The Church was asked
to forego its privileges andabolish the tithe. In 1791, the National
Assemblydrafted the constitution by which the powers ofthe king were
limited. It also proposed to havethree different organs: executive,
legislativeand judiciary. The members of the NationalAssembly were
indirectly elected by a group ofelectors. The electors were voted by the
malecitizens, who were above 25 years of age andwho paid taxes. Thus
the majority of the citizens
did not get voting rights. While the king agreed to the constitutional
monarchy
on one hand, on the other he was12th class Economics MLMsecretly
appealing for help from Austria andPrussia. The neighbouring kingdoms
were
watching the developments in France withconcern. They feared
that the rise of commonpeople might bring to an end the rule of12th
class Economics MLM
monarchs and so they sent their troops toFrance
to contain the revolution. Meanwhilethe National Assembly declared war
againstAustria and Prussia. On hearing this, people12th class Economics
MLMfrom various parts of France united to fight theforeign forces. A
group of people from the placeof Marseilles proceeded to Paris by
singing theMarseillaise song.
The common people continued to suffereven after the formation of the National
Assembly. Majority of the people saw theassembly as a place for rich persons as
commoners
were excluded from voting. Thenew armed power in Paris was in the hands
of a12th class Economics MLMNational Guard recruited from the middle
class.Lafayette, who acted as an official French adviserin the American
War of Independence, was its12th class Economics MLMchief. There was a
general feeling of liberationand exaltation when the king,
ex-aristocrats, themiddle classes and the Parisian masses
jointlycommemorated the first anniversary of the fall12th class
Economics MLMof the Bastille as a great festival. But this senseof unity
did not last long. Dissatisfied people12th class Economics MLMstarted
forming political clubs to discuss theproblems they faced. One such club
whichattained popularity was the Jacobin Club inParis. The members were
from poor sections12th class Economics MLMof the society – small scale
business people,artisans, servants and wage labourers. Theirleader was
Maximilian Robespierre. A majorityof the members of the Jacobin club
wore long-12th class Economics MLMstriped trousers as against the
trousers withknee breeches usually worn by the noble class.In order to
differentiate from them, they calledthemselves ‘the people without knee
breaches’
(sans-culottes). Another lawyer Dantondominated the Cordelier Club.
Robespierre did not want to lose the gainsmade in the previous four years and hencecommenced his dictatorial rule. The Jacobinssent Girondin leaders to the guillotine, abeheading machine. Danton was beheaded.The period between 1793 and 1794 was alsoa time of radical reforms. On 4 February 1794the Jacobin-dominated Convention decreedthe abolition of slavery in all French Lands.Robespierre imposed a maximum ceiling on thewages of the people. Food items such as bread12th class Economics MLMand meat were rationed. Prices were fixed bythe government for farm produces. The use ofSir and Madam was replaced by the use of thewords male citizen and female citizen. Religious12th class Economics MLMplaces such as churches were converted intoarmy barracks. Angered over the radicalisation12th class Economics MLMof the government and at the base of society, hisown party members turned against Robespierre.He was convicted and finally executed in 1794.
12th class| Economics |MLM
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