DBQ: Document D

Zoë Pringle, Mikayla Arguelles, Noe Espinoza

 Background Information/Video Notes
● Letter to the Vendée
● Two sides: revolutionary army and counter revolutionary army
○ Revolt army (new government) vs old government
○ Peasants used to lead the army of revolt
● Counter revolt army was made of 1st, 2nd, and some 3rd estates
● This was basically a guerilla warfare type assault
○ Basically a run and hide, hide and fight, or hit and run type stuff.
● Vendée was made of 800,000- deaths ranged from 100,000 - 500,000
 Document D: Annotations, GPERSIA, Title Analysis
Title: 4 years since calling of
Estates General
Dates: in 1793 the NC called
for the rad consti--complete
legislative rule
National Convention: called
for French republic--NC rules
as complete leg rule
Counter revolution:
The goal of the ROT
was to protect the
rev--people who
opposed and protested
the new (rad)
constitution
MI: arguing for
stronger measures bc
of counter rev
H: NC-radical cons,
republic
LPQ: example set
through ROT
Source: Letter sent to the National Convention (the revolutionary government in Paris) by a local P-Gov Type
official in the Vendée region of western France, August 25, 1793.
P-Gov Leader
Note: At this time, counter revolutionary activity had been increasing for more than a year. This
official reporting that soldiers sent by the government have failed to stop the “rabble.” He is writing
G-Location
to request more help.
(Town of) Niort, 25 August 1793, Year IV of Freedom
The departmental adviser reported to you, in the last mail, the troubling events which P-Groups
occured in the district of Chatillon. New information shows us that the crowd is continuing
to gather…. The council meanwhile has taken strong measures, and at this moment there are P-major movements
three thousand national guardsmen in the region to establish order. It is with the greatest of
sorrow that we inform you that six patriots have already fallen victim to this rabble, but at G-location
least forty of their number were killed. We had to hope that these gatherings would cease as
soon as the public troops arrived. Our hopes were misguided, and this causes us the greatest
of worries. We can not hide from you, sirs, that a severe and swift example needs to be set.
Already several of these bandits have been arrested, and the departmental adviser requests P-Legal System
that you issue a decree whereby the criminal court of Niort judges this case as the last
resort.* It is the only way to bring peace back to this unfortunate region. We hope that you G-Location
will not refuse us this request.
P-groups/factions
*Judgment of last resort: the local court has a final say. There can be no appeal, even for a
death by guillotine conviction.
 MS-HAPP
M/ Sourcing Sentence: In “(Town of) Niort, 25 August 1793, Year IV of Freedom” (Doc D) a local official
from the Vendee region argues that the French government should allow local officials to sentence protesters
of the counter revolutionary movement to the guillotine without possibility of clemency.

S--BPQ: Causes: Ancien Regime which led to the National Assembly led to the National Convention--power
-> radical regime of the revolution giving power to local officials

Effect: Rad regime -> RoT (Robespierre) aimed @ protecting rad phase of the rev--1000s died

LPQ: Yes--calling -> judgment of last resort bc of need to overpower counter rev

H: National Convention: called for rad constitution, France -> republic; 1793: year rad constitution was
written

A: Letter sent to the National Convention (the rev gov in Paris): request is an appeal to gov’s interest keeping rev safe

POV: local official in Vendée region--local trying ^ power over poly dissidents through aid of national gov power

Purp: Send for permission-> stronger measures to protect NC’s rev interests and local gov “patriots”
 Document Questions
Document D: Letter from the Vendee
1. When was this written?
a. August 25th, 1793.
2. Who wrote the letter and to whom?
a. Local office-Vendee region W France wrote letter and sent to National Convention.
3. Identify the purpose of the letter.
a. Permission to start RoT
4. Identify any evidence in the document that helps measure the size of the revolt.
a. “ It is with the greatest of sorrow that we inform you that six patriots have already fallen victim
to this rabble, but at least forty of their number were killed.”
5. How can you use this document to argue that the Reign of Terror was/was not justified? How/Where
does this fit into our Fever model of Revolutions? This is a long answer. You can use this document for
justification and against justification. You must address both.
a. The Reign of Terror justified-- France needed a way to control revolt and keep country under
control.
b. The Reign of Terror = crisis stage, revolt going on and the way gov controlled them using RoT--
fear
 BPQ & LPQ
BPQ: Identify the causes and effects of the Revolution.

C: The Revolution was caused by unequal taxation of the people which cause deficit spending,
this led to the National Assembly, whose reforms were not libral enough to satisfy many. The
National Convention called in the Radical Phase of the Revolution.

E: The Radical Phase of the French Revolution (National Convention) led to the Reign of Terror
led by Robespierre. One of the biggest effects on France from the Reign of Terror was the use of
the guillotine to kill dissidents (threats to the Revolution); including King Louis XVI and his wife.

LPQ: Was the Reign of Terror Justified?

Yes, the local official calls for reinforcements because the counter revolutionaries have overtaken
their forces & they wish to take stronger measures to quell the uprising. The group interests of
protecting the revolution over individual interests of the protesters right to protest the government.