WHO WERE THE GIRONDISTS? MAIN FEATURES - HISTORY - 2025

The Girondists were businessmen and intellectuals belonging to the French bourgeoisie who formed a political party in resistance to the revolutionary decrees of the time.

They were called Girondists because the group was formed in Gironde, in southwestern France. They were also called the "brisssotins" by their leader Jacques Brissot, who was the founder of the Assembly that served to declare war on Austria in 1792.

Brissot had the support of the provinces that found it necessary to establish a treaty between the monarchy and the French nobility.

Jacques Brissot, together with other leaders, declared agreements between both parties, restricting the right to vote to the lower class who were in a situation of poverty.

The Girondists were provincial deputies who achieved their first triumph in October 1791, when the Assembly sanctioned the first constitution that had been imposed by the parliamentary monarchy, the highest-status social sector that dominated the country.

A year later, on August 10, 1792, the Girondists overthrew the monarchy and opposed the left-wing MPs.

This dispute between the two sides was rooted in social interests and personal resentments, and was supported by government officials.

The Girondists were expelled from the Assembly after the approval of some decrees that opposed their activities, for representing a threat to the most favored sectors.

The Girondists were persecuted and imprisoned. Twenty-nine of its leaders were sentenced to the guillotine, while the rest of the members managed to escape.

Main characteristics of the Girondins

The Girondins were an organized group of young federalist deputies of the National Assembly who had their participation during the French Revolution.

They were made up of 175 deputies and ruled during the years 1792 and 1793. The majority were wealthy intellectuals, in charge of the manufacturing and port business. The party had strong ideals and fought mainly for the dissolution of the monarchy.

The Girondists were characterized by focusing on political objectives that did not aim or strive for social and economic equality in the country, due to economic liberalism that repudiated the control of trade and prices exercised by Paris.

These businessmen managed to overcome the power struggle and managed to change the Constitution. The political party avoided the participation of the poor or peasants in politics to guarantee the crucial decisions that would historically impact France.

The Girondins gained power and popularity and declared war on Austria, under the command of King Louis XVI.

They were accused of the defeat of the war of 1793, which diminished their prestige. Besides this, their low popularity was also due to the numerous economic demands they received from the Parisian peasants.

The downfall of the Girondists was caused by their ideological position against the poor.

The Jacobin Convention

The Girondins had constant confrontations with the Jacobins or Highlanders, the most extreme French revolutionary party of the French Revolution.

Between the struggles of the two parties certain events took place, such as massacres, a series of trials against the people and executions for no reason, which triggered the rejection of the Jacobins towards the Girondists for conspiring against the country.

In this way, the peasants rose up against the Girondists to get the French to achieve a sacred equality, which started a new chapter in the revolution; this period of repression is known as "The Terror", led by Maximilien de Robespierre.

Some of the laws contemplated that any person believed to be linked to activities against the revolution, should be subjected to immediate trial and later beheaded.

The "Kingdom of Terror" was created as an emergency government and was based on sowing fear in the enemies of the republic, who were arrested and liquidated.

Those who received these punishments were generally politicians who spoke well of the old monarchy, or anyone who used the old word; for this they were sent to the guillotine. About forty thousand people were killed.

Overthrowing the absolute power of the Girondists resulted in a serious consequence: leading to the creation of Napoleon Bonaparte's empire, even more oppressive and which made Europe subdue in 1799 through a military coup.

Consequences of the French Revolution

- The revolution affected not only the French people, but also transformed the history of humanity.

- The end of the monarchy eliminated all types of feudalism, including serfdom, nobility and the privileges that the clergy received.

- New parameters were established, reflected in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, in 1789.

- The revolution achieved freedom of expression and of the press.

- Democratic and independent ideas spread in the Ibero-American colonies.

- The militias made up of citizens appear in defense of the nation.

- New inheritance reforms were approved: every citizen could inherit property.

- There was a change in mentality thanks to the ideas propagated by Napoleon's soldiers, and the application of the Civil Code.

- The power of the Church was reduced and partisan secularism gained strength, which sought to separate the church from the State so that it had complete control of education.

- National sovereignty was established. Power was divided into legislative, executive and judicial.

- A free and independent economy was established, new companies were created for the development of society.

- New bases for the formation of new political parties were disseminated.

- Organizations of the Liberal Democratic State were created.

- New scientific discoveries were made that made important contributions to human development, which allowed technological advances.

- Artistic works of Romanticism were published, defending the bases and rules of art.

- The feudal economic system was replaced by the capitalist economic system.

- The ideas founded by the political, economic, ideological and social system are inherited from the French Revolution.

- The metric system was another change, which was adopted by the rest of Europe and some Asian countries.

- Slavery ceased to exist, women had the right to protection and could demand the properties they had in common with a man.

References

1. Dean Swift. The Girondins. (2015). Source: general-history.com
2. Aggarwal blanket. The Girondists and the Jacobins of Europe. Source: historydiscussion.net
3. The Girondins and Montagnards. (2015). Source: alphahistory.com
4. Girondin political group, France. Source: britannica.com
5. The French Revolution. (2014). Source: bbc.co.uk