It seems pertinent, at the moment, to notice the stranglehold certain kinds of personalities exert over history. When they're a malignant force, it seems important to expose them for who, and what, they are. For Reasons...
To that end, I'm preparing a series of blog posts about the French Revolution and the leader who has since become synonymous for his megalomania - which is an old term used to describe malignant narcissists.
I refer to the French Revolution quite a lot on this blog and I realise I've not really covered it. Mainly because it takes place in France, whereas the Regency era is usually confined to England - however there's no doubt that events across the channel had a profound effect in England. In fact, you could say I've written a book about it. It's called The Christmas Salon.
Besides, is there a better time to take a close-up look at how a leader claiming to be 'for the working man' became one of Europe's most notorious autocrats?
The French Revolution:
The French Revolution, which began in 1789 and concluded in late 1799 with Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power, was a pivotal moment in global history. During this period, French citizens dramatically transformed their political system, dismantling centuries-old institutions like the monarchy, the clergy, and feudalism.
The revolution was driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the French aristocracy and the economic policies of King Louis XVI, who, along with his wife Marie Antoinette, was executed by guillotine. Despite descending into the chaotic Reign of Terror, the revolution significantly influenced modern democracies by demonstrating the power of the people's will.
How it all began:
By the end of the 18th century, France was on the brink of financial collapse, primarily due to its expensive involvement in the American Revolution and King Louis XVI’s lavish spending. The nation’s financial woes were compounded by several years of poor harvests, drought, cattle disease, and soaring bread prices, creating widespread discontent among peasants and the urban poor. This led to riots, looting, and strikes as people expressed their desperation and anger toward a regime that taxed them heavily while offering no relief.
In the fall of 1786, Charles Alexandre de Calonne, the king's Controller General, proposed a financial reform package that included a universal land tax, which would no longer exempt the aristocratic classes.
The Estates General and the Rise of the Third Estate:
To gain support for these reforms and prevent a growing aristocratic revolt, King Louis XVI convened the Estates General - a representative assembly of France’s clergy, nobility, and middle class - for the first time since 1614. The meeting was set for May 5, 1789, with delegates from each estate compiling lists of grievances to present to the king.
Since 1614, France’s population had changed significantly, with the non-aristocratic, middle-class members of the Third Estate representing 98 percent of the people. However, they could still be outvoted by the other two estates (remind you of anyone’s Electoral College yet?). Leading up to the May 5 meeting the Third Estate (i.e. the middle classes) mobilised support for equal representation and the abolition of the noble veto, advocating for voting by head rather than by estate.
The Tennis Court Oath and the Formation of the National Assembly:
When the Estates General met at Versailles, a public debate over the voting process escalated into open hostility between the three estates, overshadowing the meeting's original purpose and undermining the king's authority.
On June 17, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly and three days later, members took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disband until a new constitution was established. Within a week, many clerical deputies and liberal nobles joined them. On June 27, King Louis XVI reluctantly merged all three estates into the National Assembly.
The Storming of the Bastille and the Great Fear:
On July 14, 1789, the National Assembly continued to meet at Versailles, as fear and violence spread throughout Paris. Amid rumours of a military coup, a popular uprising led to the storming of the Bastille fortress, a pivotal event that is now commemorated as a national holiday in France.
The revolutionary fervour quickly spread across the country, with peasants revolting against years of exploitation by looting and burning the homes of tax collectors, landlords, and aristocrats. This period, known as the Great Fear, prompted many nobles to flee France and led the National Assembly to abolish feudalism on August 4, 1789.
The fictional Scarlet Pimpernel stories are all set at about this time, with the very English Sir Percy Blakeney doing his best to get French aristocrats to safety before they ended up facing 'Madame Guillotine', as the French called her. Blakeney was pure fiction but his creation influenced the development of the heroic figure with a secret identity. Spiderman creator Stan Lee called Sir Percy "the first character who could be called a superhero." (Not a romantic hero though - the pimpernel was a notoriously successful bachelor.) The first novel came out in 1905, based on the wildly successful west end stage play.
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité (Liberty, equality, fraternity):
This is the barricade motto you may have heard in Les Miserables - another brilliant literary work set during this turbulent period.
In late August 1789, the National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a statement of democratic principles inspired by Enlightenment thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The document declared the Assembly’s commitment to replacing the old regime with a system based on equal opportunity, freedom of speech, popular sovereignty, and representative government.
The poster below trumpets just such beliefs, loosely translating as per (please jump into the comments if I've got it wrong):
Unite together with the Republic:
Liberty, equality, fraternity
or death.
The Radical Turn of the Revolution:
Drafting a new constitution proved challenging for the National Assembly, which also had to function as a legislature during difficult economic times. The constitution, adopted on September 3, 1791, established a constitutional monarchy where the king retained veto power and could appoint ministers. However, this compromise was unacceptable to radicals like Maximilien de Robespierre, Camille Desmoulins, and Georges Danton, who called for a republican government and the trial of Louis XVI.
In April 1792, the newly elected Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria and Prussia, hoping to spread revolutionary ideals across Europe. Domestically, the political crisis took a radical turn when extremist Jacobins led an attack on the royal residence in Paris, arresting the king on August 10, 1792. In September, the Legislative Assembly was replaced by the National Convention, which abolished the monarchy and established the French Republic. On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI was executed for high treason, and Marie Antoinette met the same fate nine months later.
The Reign of Terror and the Thermidorian Reaction:
After the king's execution, France entered its most violent phase, known as the Reign of Terror. In June 1793, the Jacobins seized control of the National Convention and implemented radical measures, including the establishment of a new calendar and the suppression of Christianity. The Reign of Terror saw thousands of suspected enemies of the revolution executed by guillotine, many under the orders of Robespierre, who led the Committee of Public Safety until his own execution on July 28, 1794.
The death of Robespierre marked the beginning of the Thermidorian Reaction, a period of moderation in which the French people rebelled against the excesses of the Reign of Terror. On August 22, 1795, the National Convention, now dominated by Girondins who had survived the Reign of Terror, approved a new constitution establishing a bicameral legislature. Executive power was placed in the hands of a five-member Directory.
The Directory's four-year rule was plagued by financial crises, popular unrest, inefficiency, and political corruption. By the late 1790s, the Directory relied heavily on the military to maintain control, ceding much of its power to field generals. On November 9, 1799, dissatisfaction with the Directory reached its peak.
Enter Napoleon:
That day, Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup d’état, abolishing the Directory and appointing himself 'first consul.'
You know - just until he made the country great again. Then he'd cede his centralised power back to the people.
Right?
What do you think France's little megalomaniac did next?
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