Also called the National Constituent Assembly. It was a crucial period in the history of France that lasted from 1789 to 1792, during which the people sought to build a new France based on the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Here is an overview of the moderate phase of the French Revolution:
1. Social Transformation:
-The National Constituent Assembly's primary objective was to draft a constitution for France. This led to significant social changes, including the abolition feudalism, privileges, and the division of society into estates.
- The declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen on August 26, 1789, proclaimed the equality of all citizens before law.
-The civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790) brought the French church under the control of the state.
2. Nationalization of Church Lands:
-The church was one of the wealthiest entities in France, and the revolutionaries realized that seizing its land could help fund the revolution and ease financial burden on the nation.
- In November 1789, the Assembly nationalized church lands, which led to the confiscation and sale of church properties.
3. Economic Reforms:
- The Assembly introduced economic measures to promote free trade and industrial growth, influenced by the ideas of physiocrat economists like Turgot.
- The guild system was abolished, giving individuals and merchants greater economic freedom.
- The Assembly also issued assignats, a paper currency backed by the confiscated church lands, to address the financial crisis.
4. Constitutional Monarchy:
- The Assembly aimed to establish a constitutional monarchy, preserving the role of the king while limiting his powers and introducing democratic elements.
- King Louis XVI was forced to accept of the Constitution of 1791, which enshrined the separation of powers, established the Legislative Assembly and stripped the monarch of absolute power.
-This marked the end of the moderate phase and led to the more radical phase of the Revolution.
5. Growing Tensions:
- Despite these initiatives, tensions began to rise within the revolution. The nobility and the church felt their privileges had been unjustly stripped way.
-Political divisions emerged between moderates (or Feuillants) and more radical factions, such as the Girondins and Jacobins.
-The king and queen became increasingly at odds with the revolution and secretly sought foreign support to restore their authority.
The moderate phase of the French Revolution laid the foundation for significant social, political, and economic reforms that would shape France's future. However, it also exposed the internal divisions within the revolution, setting the stage for the increasing radicalization and violence that would characterize the later stages of the revolution.