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The National Convention which was elected by aluminium tile trim profiles universal suffrage of men met on September 21 1792 and achieved brilliant success in solving the most pressing problem of defending the motherland against the Austro-Prussian invaders The combination of revolutionary drive and popular support proved irresistible and the Prussians and Austrians were driven from the frontier In 1793 Britain the Netherlands and Spain joined an alliance against France The revolutionaries responded with the famous general mobilization of the people “Let everyone do their part for the ongoing national military effort” an impassioned orator said Young men will fight married men will forge weapons To provide supplies the women will make clothes for the soldiers Go to the hospital as a nurse to take care of the wounded and the children will use old linen to make soft linen for bandages The old will be sent to the public square to inspire the courage of the young warriors and to preach hatred of the kings and the unity of the Republic The people rose to defend the motherland Fourteen armies under the command of young generals from the ranks went to the battlefield Inspired by the revolutionary slogan of “Liberty Equality and Fraternity” the French civilian army advanced with the momentum of breaking bamboo By 1795 the enemy alliance had been shattered At the time the Convention moved more and more to the left partly because it was elected by universal male suffrage but also because the war effort aroused revolutionary enthusiasm By June 1793 the Girondins had been replaced by the more radical Jacobins At this time the dominant ruling organ was the National Salvation Council With revolutionary zeal and fervent patriotism this committee appointed and dismissed generals inspired the masses to heroic actions conducted foreign policy legislated on innumerable issues and suppressed resistance through a period of relentless terror Too many people were accused of treason or simply not being patriotic enough and sent to the guillotine the “razor of the state” as it was called at the time But the reign of terror spiraled out of control and the revolution began to “devour its own children” In the constant struggle for power one revolutionary leader after another was guillotined after Louis and Antonette Equally disturbing for the bourgeoisie was the growing social radicalism of the revolution The sans-culottes are pressing for a more egalitarian state They were equivalent to the egalitarians of the English Revolution and they demanded a more equitable distribution of land government control of prices and wages and a system of social security Such measures were completely beyond the plans of the French bourgeoisie Therefore the French bourgeoisie like the British bourgeoisie is trying to block the development of the revolution to the left In Britain the result was the defeat of the Levellers and the rule of Cromwell In France the sans-culottes came under the control first of a Directory of Five in 1795 and then of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799 Napoleon Napoleon gained popularity as a brilliant general in Italy and he used his popularity to overthrow the Directory He ruled France first from 1799 to 1804 and then from 1804 to 1814 For our topic it is worth noting that his 15-year rule of France was characterized by two things domestic reforms and military campaigns The former consolidated the gains of the revolution; the latter provoked two nationalist reactions in neighbouring countries and eventually led to his downfall As far as domestic policy is concerned Napoleon is comparable to an enlightened despot He was interested in technical efficiency rather than abstract ideology Although he ruled the country as a dictatorship he effectively ruled the country He codified the law placed the executive under a centralized system organized the national education system established the Bank of France and reached an agreement with the Pope on the relationship between church and state in France These tangible achievements of Napoleon made him universally popular There were political opponents who longed to restore the old system or believed that Napoleon had betrayed the revolution but most people cheered him for ending the riots and establishing a credible and strong government Napoleon squandered this goodwill by continuing to wage war
As a military genius he has achieved amazing success By 1810 at the height of his success he had extended the frontiers of France over the Rhine to Lubeck and over the Alps to Rome The rest of Europe is made up of French satellites or allies Only Britain remains independent and extremely hostile Napoleon carried out some of the basic principles of the French Revolution in all the regions he conquered He abolished feudalism and serfdom recognized the equality of all citizens and implemented his famous code of laws These reforms mean progress or at least reform While these changes are opposed by deeply restive vested interests everywhere there is also widespread support for change in many places The bourgeoisie and many intellectuals were in favour of these changes not only in the areas where they lived but also outside France French rule was progressive but the fact remained that it was a foreign rule imposed by force where necessary On December 15 1792 the National Convention passed a decree which stated “The French state declares that it will treat as enemies those who by refusing or abandoning liberty and equality wish to preserve restore or treat leniently the sovereign and the privileged class” It was tyrannical but Napoleon was even more tyrannical and demanding of his subjects His non-French subjects at last grew weary of requisitions taxes conscription war and rumors of war French rule usually implies an improvement in the quality of administration but the time has come when one is more impressed by the French nature of administration than by its quality