Omar Bennett
The French Constitution of 1793, also known as the Montagnard Constitution, was the second constitution ratified for use during the French Revolution under the First Republic. It was designed by the Montagnards, principally Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Saint-Just, and was intended to replace the constitutional monarchy of 1791 and the Girondin constitutional project. The Constitution declared France as a friend and ally of free nations and guaranteed the right to equality, liberty, security, property, and free exercise of religion, among other rights. It also added several new economic and social rights, including the right to work, public education, and the right of rebellion. The Constitution was accepted by popular vote on 24 June 1793, but its implementation was postponed due to France's internal and external conflicts, and it was eventually supplanted by the Constitution of 1795.
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What You'll Learn
The French Constitution of 1793
The Constitution declared that France was a "friend and ally of free nations", would not interfere with the government of other nations, and would harbour refugees from "nations ruled by tyrants". It also forbade the establishment of peace with an enemy that occupied French territory. It guaranteed the right to equality, liberty, security, property, the public debt, free exercise of religion, general instruction, public assistance, the absolute liberty of the press, the right of petition, the right to hold popular assemblies, and the "enjoyment of all the Rights of man". It also added several new economic and social rights, including the right of association, the right to work and public assistance, the right to public education, and the right of rebellion (and the duty to rebel when the government violates the rights of the people).
The Constitution of 1793 was submitted to the convention on 10 June 1793 and accepted on 24 June, before being put to a public referendum. It received the approval of 1,784,377 out of approximately 1,800,000 voters. Despite its popularity, the convention set it aside indefinitely on 10 October 1793, declaring a "Revolutionary Government" until a future peace. The ensuing Reign of Terror culminated in the disgrace and execution of Robespierre and Saint-Just in 1794. The Constitution of 1793 was eventually supplanted by the Constitution of 1795, which established the Directory.
The Constitution of 1793 has been criticised as being "too perfect, too severe, too Spartan for Frenchmen", and its radical provisions were never implemented. However, it provided a model framework for an egalitarian, democratic republic, and inspired the revolutionaries of 1848 and the ideology of the Third Republic.
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The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793
The main distinction between the Declaration of 1793 and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1789 is its emphasis on egalitarianism. Equality is the most important aspect of the 1793 Declaration, with Article 3 stating, "All men are equal by nature and before the law". This declaration also added several new economic and social rights, including the right to work, public assistance, public education, and the right of rebellion. It proclaimed the superiority of popular sovereignty over national sovereignty.
The text of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793 was mainly written by Hérault de Séchelles, whose style and writing are evident in most of the commission's documents. The Declaration was a compromise designed as a propaganda weapon and did not fully reflect the radicalism of the Jacobin leaders. It was never enforced, and the French people have historically followed the advice in the Declaration during both successful and unsuccessful revolutions.
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Equality, liberty, security, property, and freedom of worship
The French Constitution of 1793, also known as the Montagnard Constitution, was the second constitution ratified for use during the French Revolution under the First Republic. It was designed by the Montagnards, principally Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Saint-Just, and was intended to replace the constitutional monarchy of 1791. The Constitution expanded upon the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, adding several new economic and social rights.
The Constitution of 1793 guaranteed the right to equality, liberty, security, property, and the free exercise of religion. These rights were outlined as follows:
Equality
Equality was the most important aspect of the 1793 Constitution, with Article 3 stating, "All men are equal by nature and before the law". All citizens were to be treated equally when it came to public employment, with the only grounds for preference in elections being virtue and talent.
Liberty
Liberty was defined as the power to do whatever does not infringe upon the rights of others. The right to express one's thoughts and opinions, to assemble peaceably, and to pursue one's religion were all guaranteed.
Security
Security was defined as the protection afforded by society to each of its members for the preservation of their persons, rights, and property. The law was to protect public and personal liberty against oppression by those in power.
Property
The right to property was guaranteed, with citizens having the freedom to enjoy and dispose of their goods, income, and the fruits of their labor as they pleased. No citizen could be deprived of their property without their consent, except in cases of legally established public necessity, and with just and prior compensation.
Freedom of Worship
The Constitution guaranteed the free exercise of religion, although this was during a period of dechristianization in France. The Catholic Church had been subordinated to the French government, and its properties confiscated and sold. The Christian calendar was replaced with one starting from the date of the Revolution, and new forms of moral religion emerged, including the Cult of the Supreme Being and the Cult of Reason.
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Universal male suffrage
The French Constitution of 1793, also known as the Montagnard Constitution, was the second constitution ratified for use during the French Revolution under the First Republic. It was designed principally by Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Saint-Just and was intended to replace the constitutional monarchy of 1791 and the Girondin constitutional project. The Constitution's radical provisions included sweeping plans for democratization and wealth redistribution, marking a significant departure from the relatively moderate goals of the Revolution in previous years.
In 1792, Revolutionary France briefly adopted universal male suffrage, electing the National Convention through this method. This was revoked in 1795. The Constitution of 1793 built upon this foundation by expanding the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789. It proclaimed the superiority of popular sovereignty over national sovereignty and included several new economic and social rights. These rights encompassed the right of association, the right to work and public assistance, the right to public education, and the right of rebellion, among others.
The vote on the Constitution of 1793 employed universal male suffrage and resulted in a resounding victory for the new constitution, with the approval of approximately 99% of voters. Despite its popularity, the Constitution's radical provisions were never implemented. The National Convention, facing internal and external conflicts, maintained emergency powers and postponed the Constitution's implementation indefinitely, declaring a "Revolutionary Government" until peace was achieved. The subsequent Reign of Terror and the disgrace of Robespierre and Saint-Just further relegated the Constitution of 1793 to obscurity, as the Thermidorian Reaction favoured the Constitution of 1795, which established the Directory.
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The Montagnards and the Girondins
The Girondins, on the other hand, were doctrinaires and theorists, distrustful of the radicalism of Paris and its influence on politics. They wanted a national government chosen by all citizens and representative of all citizens, not just Paris. They were moderates with a national view and were more committed to political and economic liberties. They were dismayed when their encouragement of armed petitions led to the émeute (riot) of 20 June 1792. The Girondins dominated the movement until their fall in the insurrection of 31 May–2 June 1793, which resulted in the domination of the Montagnards and the purge and eventual mass execution of the Girondins. This event is considered to mark the beginning of the Reign of Terror.
The Constitution of 1793, also known as the Montagnard Constitution, was designed by the Montagnards, principally Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Saint-Just. It was intended to replace the constitutional monarchy of 1791 and the Girondin constitutional project. The new document promised a significant departure from the relatively moderate goals of the Revolution in previous years, with sweeping plans for democratisation and wealth redistribution. The Constitution's radical provisions were never implemented, and the government placed a moratorium on it, citing the need to employ emergency war powers during the French Revolutionary War.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution of 1793, also known as the Montagnard Constitution, was the second constitution ratified for use during the French Revolution under the First Republic. It was designed by the Montagnards, principally Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Saint-Just.
The Constitution of 1793 guaranteed all Frenchmen equality, liberty, security, property, public debt, freedom of worship, public schooling, public relief, unrestricted freedom of the press, the right to assemble in groups, and the enjoyment of all the rights of man. It also added several new economic and social rights, including the right of association, the right to work and public assistance, and the right to public education.
No, the Constitution's radical provisions were never implemented. The government placed a moratorium on it, citing the need to employ emergency war powers during the French Revolutionary War. Instead, the convention set it aside indefinitely on 10 October 1793 and declared a "Revolutionary Government" until a future peace.
Despite not being implemented, the Constitution of 1793 had a significant impact. It inspired the revolutionaries of 1848 and passed into the ideology of the Third Republic after 1870. The 1852, 1946, and 1958 French constitutions were founded on the text of the 1793 Constitution.
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