1789: The French Revolution Begins

Description

The French Revolution marks the beginning of modern politics. Using a diverse range of sources, Robert H. Blackman reconstructs key constitutional debates, from the initial convocation of the Estates General in Versailles in May 1789, to the National Assembly placing the wealth of the Catholic Church at the disposal of the nation that November, revealing their nuances through close readings of participant and witness accounts. This comprehensive and accessible study analyses the most important debates and events through which the French National Assembly became a sovereign body, and explores the process by which the massive political transformation of the French Revolution took place. Blackman's narrative-driven approach creates a new path through the complex politics of the early French Revolution, mapping the changes that took place and revealing how a new political order was created during the chaotic first months of the Revolution. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 2 Title - Series......Page 3 Title - Full......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Tables......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 10 Introduction: Building a National Assembly......Page 12 Chapter 1 - The Long Slumber of the Estates General......Page 34 Chapter 2 - The Estates General Sitting as a National Assembly......Page 83 Chapter 3 - The King Responds......Page 126 Chapter 4 - The King Resists......Page 155 Chapter 5 - Toward a Defensive Constitution......Page 191 Chapter 6 - A Truly National Assembly......Page 229 Conclusion......Page 267 Select Bibliography......Page 280 Index......Page 291