The French Revolution and June Rebellion

Bloody Endings

In the 1700's The French Revolution caused disagreement between Monarchy and Republicanism, which eventually led up to The June Rebellion in 1832 by changing the government from a changed Republic to a Monarch once again. Maximilian Robespierre, the leader of the French Revolution was successful in changing the political ways of France. However Maximilian Robespierre was not in power for very long because he had allowed the executions of many for the sake of the new Republican government, which then allowed Napoleon Bonaparte to take leadership in his place when he became emperor. Napoleon did not follow through with the idea of republicanism because it grew corrupt. He took the role of Emperor as an act of dictatorship, instead of changing the government back into a Monarchy. Napoleon Bonaparte was also not in power for very long because of his loss to the rest of Europe in the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon’s loss of power had angered the French because a new King was declared, which had brought back the French Monarchy. Their anger resorted in the June Rebellion, the second revolution in attempt to revive the Republican party.

The French Revolution took place from 1779-1799. Maximilian Robespierre was a law student in France who had studied the different types of political systems before the revolution he would soon create. Robespierre had then developed the idea that France should become a republican system because of his studies and had also believed that the people of France were fundamentally good and were therefore capable of advancing the public’s well-being of the nation. He disagreed with the fact that the king made all of the decisions and favored the aristocrats, and the people should have a right to make the decisions in order to make matters fair.

No one besides the upperclassmen tolerated the idea of Monarchy. The French Revolution was a result of people revolting against it in the most violent way possible. BBC History states that he was elected for the National Convention. The National Convention was an assembly that governed France during the most critical period of the French Revolution. The National Convention was elected to provide a new constitution for the country after the overthrow of the monarchy. The National Convention took part in overthrowing the Monarchy. Robespierre was popular for his successful “attacks on the monarchy. After the downfall of the monarchy in August 1792, Robespierre was elected first deputy for Paris to the National Convention. The convention abolished the monarchy, declared France a republic and put the king on trial for treason, all measures strongly supported by Robespierre.” (Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) BBC History)). Robespierre was well known and adored by many because of his “attacks on the monarchy” because Monarchy was never tolerated by anyone besides the aristocrats. The French Revolution was a result of that disagreement. Robespierre and the rest of France never tolerated the French Monarchy because so much effort was put into overthrowing it.

His attempt at changing the French’s current government was successful because he managed to execute the king. The revolution was won because the King was executed, meaning France’s only leader was Maximilian Robespierre. The king of France was executed because in order to make the republican system to be successful he had to be eliminated. Historians from the History Channel state that the king and queen were arrested and then the Monarchy was overthrown. The king was then caught making counter revolutionary acts with Austria and put on trial, which later resulted in his execution. “In August 1792, the royal couple was arrested by the sans-cullottes and imprisoned, and in September the monarchy was abolished by the National Convention (which had replaced the National Assembly). In November, evidence of Louis XVI's counterrevolutionary intrigues with Austria and other foreign nations was discovered, and he was put on trial for treason by the National Convention. The next January, Louis was convicted and condemned to death by a narrow majority.” (History Channel) The French Monarchy was already “abolished by the National Convention” which had upset the king and led him to “counterrevolutionary intrigues with Austria and other foreign nations”. The reason why it was considered “counterrevolutionary” was because the king was trying to restore Monarchy and in order to do that he needed the help of other countries who approved of Monarchy. In order to prevent Monarchy to be revived again Maximilian needed to execute the king. Once the king was executed the French Revolution was officially won.

The republican party grew corrupt because in order to keep the political party people needed to die and Maximilian Robespierre fell from power. After the king’s execution many others were also executed as well, because it was stated by the leaders of the revolution that in order for the republican party to be successful people needed to die, and that is where things were taken too far. A historical article about the idea of The Reign of Terror (A phase of the French Revolution) states that Maximilian was booted out of the national convention because he had allowed many executions to take place. His followers had agreed that he needed to be executed in order for this to stop. Robespierre’s reaction led him to attempt an unsuccessful suicide out of shame. His power came to an end the day he was executed. After this the Republican party was completely gone. “Robespierre was banned from the National Convention (France's governing body) and placed under house arrest on July 27, 1794. A last attempt by his die-hard followers to free him failed. He attempted suicide but only managed to shoot off his lower jaw. A few hours later, on July 28, Maximilien Robespierre died on the very piece of equipment that would become a symbol for the "Reign of Terror" and of his bloody regime: he was executed on the guillotine. The following day, those suspected of following Robespierre's policies were also executed. So ended the dictator's reign.” (Maximilian Robespierre 1758 -1794 "Reign of Terror" caused by man's "innate goodness" 2003). Robespierre’s actions were stopped by some of “his die-hard followers” when he took his power to great lengths. The French republic had allowed these executions to happen. Robespierre’s followers began to fear for their lives and turned against him, which led to his downfall and the rise of Napoleon.

The people of France agreed that Robespierre was to be executed and they trusted Napoleon Bonaparte to make the French government better. Napoleon was a militant leader who was elected Emperor by the French Senate. After the decade of Revolution, the French people were weary of excitement, disorder and change. They were not pleased with their existing government, the Directory, which proved inefficient and corrupt. In a Historical textbook it states that the people of France saw in the popular Napoleon, their only hope for a strong government, who already proved himself as a strong and victorious leader. They wanted someone powerful in power and Napoleon was just the person who would fit the description. “ The French people had had enough of the political quarrels in France and now looked for strong leadership, Napoleon. Many observers abroad found it odd that France had agreed to have an emperor so soon after removing a king.” (The Rise Of Napoleon). The reason why the people of France agreed to make Napoleon “emperor so soon after removing a king.” was because France had thought him to be a strong leader. After his rise of power he then fell from power once his troops lost the battle of Waterloo in June of 1815.

The Waterloo was a battle in which Napoleon and his troops were fighting against the other European countries that wanted to overthrow Napoleon of his control over all of them. In the past Napoleon had defeated them in battles which were known as the Napoleonic Wars. The Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts fought between France under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte and a number of European nations between 1799 and 1815. Most of Napoleon’s soldiers were killed in the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon had no choice but to surrender to his enemies of the battle. As punishment Napoleon was exiled and therefore a new king arrived. France had returned to its Monarch government due to past events of Maximilian’s power that led to corruption, which made the French Republic unsustainable and unreliable to go back to which would then affect how France’s system would work out in the future.

The June Rebellion began because the French Monarchy had returned. Louis Philippe took the position as king and his throne had revived the French Monarchy that had once been overthrown by the people of France and Robespierre. A historical article about the life of Louis Philippe states that he had become the king of France after Napoleon’s abdication. This was the cause of the June Rebellion- the arrival of a new king. “Louis Philippe was born in Paris in 1773 and died in 1850. He was king of France from 1830 to 1848. Louis Philippe belonged to a branch of the French royal family stemming from Philippe I, duc d'Orleans, the brother of King Louis XIV. Louis Philippe was in sympathy with the French Revolution, and in 1790 he joined the Jacobins, members of a French radical political club. During the regime of the Directory and that of Emperor Napoleon I, Louis Philippe remained outside of France. In 1814, after the abdication of Napoleon, Louis Philippe returned to France” (Louis Philippe). Louis Philippe was “a branch of the French royal family stemming” which made him eligible for the throne. He was then “king of France from 1830 to 1848”. The comeback of the French Monarchy had angered Parisians who were angry because they had no voice and were neglected of their rights alongside with the poor who were outcasts and taken advantage of. Once Monarchy was restored Parisians decided to rebel against the government and start a revolution, which was called, the June Rebellion. Parisians responded by resorting to violence and have history repeat itself by going to war with the government, in the fight for a republic. “The Republicans would begin the insurrection, joined in short time by discontented working men and youngsters who helped them build the barricades and then joined in the fight. It was actually quite well organised, with groups of 20 assembling across the capital as small armies, and for the night of 5th June they were in command of the city's eastern section. 25,000 soldiers and the National Guard forced them back and surrounded them at Porte Saint-Martin, resulting in the climactic Battle of Cloitre Saint-Mercy where they was finally crushed, with 166 killed and 635 wounded on both sides during the course of the struggle.” (7th June 1832 - The end of the June Rebellion in Paris 2012). The Parisians are “The Republicans” in this situation. They organized themselves in “groups of 20 assembling across the capital as small armies”. They were outnumbered by “25,000 soldiers” which led to their death. Shortly afterwards the French Monarchy was not fought until sixteen years later. The surviving Parisians were later executed after “the night of 5th June”. History would then repeat itself because the same cycle happens again- France becomes a Monarch, then a republic, and then a Monarch once again. After the failed attempt at restoring the French Republic, sixteen years after the event, France was able to have a French President- the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. A historical magazine states that After sixteen years Napoleon's nephew was president, but then his presidency would lead to Emperor and France would once again find its way to monarchy. It also states that there would be a way of history repeating itself constantly and that many revolutions would come to pass. “Indeed, in 1848 much of Europe was beset by Revolution, though France would again be the trigger and really the events were just a sorry sequel to the 1830 crisis, the same old problems recycled yet again into discontent and drama. This time the monarchy was completely overthrown and a republic again declared, with Napoleon's nephew Louis-Napoleon installed as President, though within 4 years he would declare himself Emperor and France would be back to monarchy yet again.” The fact that Louis- Napoleon would “declare himself Emperor and France would be back to monarchy” (This Day Then) four years after his presidency, clearly emphasizes the idea that once again France repeat its revolutionary cycle once again. Rebels would then want to find ways to overthrow their monarch system.

Monarchy has been a topic that has been disagreed upon by many people. Monarchy is a system that divides people by power and money; the royals are always on the top because their wealth allows them to have power over their countries. Many disapprove of this idea and/or theory because of the injustices and neglect against those to whom lack the power.