Jacobins |
Led by Maximilien Robespierre, the Jacobins lead the call for a French Republic. |
During the constitutional monarchy there were two radical groups vying for power, the Girondins and the Jacobins. Although both groups were more radical in their views than the moderates who had designed the constitutional monarchy, the Girondins were somewhat less radical. At first the two parties were united in their views.
The Jacobins were a group of radical liberals—consisting mainly of deputies, leading thinkers, and generally progressive society members—who wanted to drive the Revolution forward aggressively. The Jacobins found King Louis’s actions contemptible and wanted to forgo the constitutional monarchy and declare France a republic (no king!). During the September massacres later that year, masses of Parisians the Girondin leaders tried to persuade the crowds out of their bloody attacks. The Jacobins, more poor and less prestigious than the Girondins- understood the Parisians better than the provincial Girondins, and encouraged the violence. They continued to attack the feeble Girondins. When the constitutional monarchy fell and he King was put on trial for treason in December, the Jacobins thought he needed to die to ensure the safety of the revolution. When the Jacobins were successful the tide turned against their rivals, the Girondins. The Jacobins in the National Convention had 22 Girondin leaders arrested and executed. The Jacobins had won. |