French Revolution Dbq Essay

The Constitution of 1791 reflected the goals of the Enlightenment: ensured equality for male citizens, ended Church power in government rule, protected private property, supported free trade, abolished guilds, and forbade labor unions. The constitution put the power of government into the hands of "the people," which was a major effect of the revolution.
As power was progressively being stripped away of royalty, Louis XVI decided to flee from Paris after many urgencies from his wife. The king and his family were disguised as common people: a servant, a governess, and royal children. However, unsuccessful he and his wife were almost to the border between North Paris and Austria. Their disguises were trivially uncovered by a man who held currency

It stated Prussia and Austria would intervene to protect the French royal family. The king of Prussia used this document as a bluff to frighten the revolutionaries; however, they took the warning seriously and prepared for war. As a result, the French Revolution entered a new, more radical stage. French patriotism and tension heightened as the well-trained Prussian army caused deaths of countless French soldiers. Bloodthirsty radicals and ordinary Parisians headed the new assembly, the National Convention, which was more radical than any other assembly prior to itself. Suffrage gave all male citizen the right to vote. In this case, their first vote was to convict the king and execute him by a single vote. The king, as well as his wife, were executed, marking the official abolition of the French

Approximately 40,000 people were executed. Known as the "Reign of Terror," 15% of the executed were nobles and the clergy and another 15% were people of the middle class. The remaining executed citizens were peasants and san-culottes. All of them had one thing in common: death by guillotine, a new execution engine with a falling blade. Endorsed by Maximilien Robespierre, the guillotine brought great fear to citizen across France. As a shrewd lawyer and politician, Robespierre was also the head of the new Committee of Public Safety, whose job was to save the revolution. He felt that the quickest and most efficient way to ensure the republic of France was to rid France of those who resisted the revolution. People grew weary of their own lives as Robespierre became increasingly radical. Ironically, he was voted to be executed by guillotine, as well.
After the death of Robespierre, the revolution entered into the third stage. The Constitution of 1795 was issued and set up a five-man Directory and a two-house legislature. The Directory held power for five years (1795-1799), yet did not accomplish any noteworthy improvement. As a result, Corsican military hero, Napoleon Bonaparte, used his wit to overtake the view of the constitutional monarchy and take over the leadership of