Malcolm Rivera
On September 3, 1791, France transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. This shift occurred when the National Constituent Assembly compelled King Louis XVI to accept the French Constitution of 1791, which was drafted under the leadership of Mirabeau and Sieyes. The constitution introduced a separation of powers, dividing authority among the legislature, executive, and judiciary. While the king remained the head of the assembly, his powers were curtailed and shared among its members, ensuring decisions favoured the people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 September 1791 |
| Action | Representatives of the third estate declared themselves a National Assembly |
| The National Constituent Assembly forced King Louis XVI to accept the French Constitution of 1791 | |
| The National Assembly suspended the monarchy on 11 August 1792 | |
| The National Convention abolished the monarchy on 21 September 1792 | |
| Outcome | The absolute monarchy became a constitutional monarchy |
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What You'll Learn
The French Revolution
The revolution was sparked by a fiscal crisis and King Louis XVI's attempt to impose a new tax system. Representatives of the Third Estate, who had been granted equal voting rights, demanded greater representation and the right to limit the monarch's power. When this was denied, they formed a National Assembly and began drafting a constitution. This assembly, meeting in the tennis court oath, swore not to disband until a constitution had been established.
King Louis XVI's attempted escape in 1791, known as the Flight to Varennes, further damaged public opinion of the monarchy. The National Constituent Assembly forced the king to accept the constitution, which abolished the nobility and declared all men equal before the law. This marked the end of the absolute monarchy and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, with power divided between the judiciary, executive, and legislature.
However, this constitutional monarchy was short-lived. In 1792, France found itself at war with Austria and Prussia, and the subsequent Storming of the Tuileries Palace on 10 August led to the monarchy's suspension. The National Convention, elected under universal male suffrage, officially abolished the monarchy on 21 September 1792, bringing an end to Bourbon rule and establishing the French First Republic.
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The National Assembly
The French Revolution of 1789 brought about significant changes to the country's government and social orders. The National Assembly played a pivotal role in transforming France from an absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy.
On June 20, 1791, representatives of the Third Estate, the common people of France, assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in Versailles. They declared themselves the National Assembly, with the intention of drafting a constitution to limit the power of the monarch. This was a significant step towards establishing a constitutionally formed government.
On September 3, 1791, the National Constituent Assembly compelled King Louis XVI to accept the French Constitution of 1791. This act officially transformed the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy, marking a significant shift in the distribution of power.
However, King Louis XVI's attempts to restore his absolute power, such as his escape plot in 1791 known as the Flight to Varennes, damaged public opinion of the monarchy. The subsequent declaration of war on Austria and the Storming of the Tuileries Palace on August 10, 1792, further fueled the calls for the monarchy's demise. The Legislative Assembly responded by suspending the monarchy, and the newly elected National Convention ultimately abolished it on September 21, 1792, bringing an end to Bourbon rule in France.
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The Constitution of 1791
The Assembly, as constitution-framers, were afraid that if only representatives governed France, it would be ruled by the representatives' self-interest. So, the king was allowed a suspensive veto to balance out the interests of the people. However, representative democracy also weakened the king’s executive authority. The constitution was not egalitarian by today's standards, as it distinguished between 'active citizens' and 'passive citizens'. 'Active citizens' were males over the age of 25 who paid annual taxes equivalent to at least three days' wages, while 'passive citizens' did not have the right to vote or stand for office.
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The Flight to Varennes
The escape plan was largely devised by Count Axel von Fersen, a friend of the Queen, Marie Antoinette, who supported the plan. Fersen suggested that the royal family use two light carriages to make the 200-mile journey quickly. However, this would have involved the family splitting up, which Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette refused to do. Instead, they opted for a single heavy coach drawn by six horses, which contributed to the slow progression of their escape.
The King's attempted flight had significant consequences. It provoked charges of treason, incited panic and violence in Paris, and exposed the King's hostility towards the revolution, shattering any remaining public affection for him. The realisation that the King had repudiated the Revolutionary reforms caused Republicanism to become the dominant ideal of the Revolutionary leaders. The failure of the escape attempt also directly led to the Champ de Mars Massacre a month later.
The King's brother, the Comte de Provence, fled on the same night by a different route and successfully escaped to Belgium. He would later return to France and reign as King Louis XVIII after the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte.
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The Storming of the Tuileries
The insurrection was a culmination of rising tensions between King Louis XVI and the revolutionary government, particularly the Legislative Assembly. The king's repeated use of his veto power on rulings by the Assembly, such as the decrees passed on 27 and 29 May, angered the revolutionaries and the people. Additionally, the king's counter-revolutionary activities and his lack of cooperation with the French Revolution fuelled the dissatisfaction of the Parisian populace.
On 20 June 1792, the sans-culottes, the lower-class revolutionaries, made a final attempt to reconcile with the king through the Demonstration of 20 June 1792. However, this failed to resolve the underlying issues, and tensions escalated further when France declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, marking the beginning of the War of the First Coalition. The French army suffered initial defeats, which were blamed on the king and his ministers.
On 1 August, the commander of the allied Prussian and Austrian armies issued the Brunswick Manifesto, threatening Paris with destruction if any harm befell the French royal family. This further agitated the revolutionaries, leading to the events of 10 August 1792, when the National Guard of the Paris Commune and fédérés from Marseille and Brittany stormed the Tuileries Palace. The Swiss Guards defending the palace were heavily outnumbered, and despite the king's orders to lay down their arms, they continued fighting until their ammunition ran out. The remaining defenders were slaughtered, with some seeking sanctuary in the Parliament House.
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Frequently asked questions
On 3 September 1791, the National Constituent Assembly forced King Louis XVI to accept the French Constitution of 1791, thus turning the absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy.
The Constitution of 1791, which established the Kingdom of the French, was revolutionary in its content. It abolished the nobility of France and declared all men to be equal before the law. It also divided powers into the judiciary, executive and legislature.
King Louis XVI had called a meeting to propose a new tax system. During the meeting, all states were given equal voting rights. The third state demanded two votes, to which the king denied, and thus they decided to form a national assembly and establish a constitutionally formed government.
