Revolutionary Tribunal
The Revolutionary Tribunal was a court system established in Paris during the French Revolution (1789–1799) by the National Convention to try political offenders. It played a significant role during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), a period characterized by intense government measures against perceived enemies of the Revolution. The tribunal was designed to expedite trials, often bypassing standard legal procedures, leading to a system where defendants could not appeal decisions or have legal representation. At its peak, around 200 Revolutionary Tribunal courts operated across France, with the Paris tribunal notably sentencing over 2,700 individuals to death, including prominent figures such as King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. The tribunal's practices evolved to become increasingly punitive, with the introduction of the Law of 22 Prairial in 1794, which further stripped defendants of rights and limited judicial accountability. This court system is often viewed as emblematic of the excesses of the revolutionary government, reflecting the tumultuous social and political climate of the time.
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Revolutionary Tribunal
The Revolutionary Tribunal was a court system originally set up in Paris, France, during the French Revolution (1789–1799). The National Convention, an assembly that governed France from September 20, 1792, until October 26, 1795, established the court system, which had several locations throughout the country. The Revolutionary Tribunal was developed for the trials of political offenders and became a powerful tool during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), a period during the French Revolution in which the revolutionary government took harsh measures, including executions, against those suspected of being enemies of the Revolution. The Revolutionary Tribunal courts were composed of one or more judges, a jury, and a public prosecutor, all who were nominated for their duties by the members of the National Convention. Once a judgment was decided, a person could not appeal the ruling or subsequent sentencing.
Background
The French Revolution was a period in the late eighteenth century when French citizens redesigned their country's political landscape. Institutions that had existed in France for centuries, such as an absolute monarchy and the feudal system, were abolished. At the beginning of the Revolution, France was near bankruptcy because of its costly involvement in the American Revolution (1765–1783) and the lavish spending by King Louis XVI and his predecessor. In addition, two decades of poor harvests, drought, cattle disease, and rising bread prices had led to growing unrest among the nation's poorest citizens. Many expressed their hatred and resentment toward a government that imposed heavy taxes, yet failed to provide any relief for citizens.
In 1786, Charles Alexandre de Calonne, King Louis XVI's controller general, proposed a universal land tax from which the privileged classes would not be exempt. Fearing a revolt from members of the aristocratic society, the king ordered the Estates-General to meet for the first time since 1614. The Estates-General was a group representing the three estates of clergy, nobility, and commoners, or middle class, in France. The meeting was scheduled to take place three years later on May 5, 1789. During those three years, delegates of the three estates from locations around the country compiled lists of grievances to present to King Louis XVI.
At this time, the commoners of the Third Estate represented 98 percent of the population of France, but members of the other two estates could outvote them. Ahead of the May 5, 1789, meeting, members of the Third Estate began to organize support for equal representation and abolishing the vote by status. By the time the Estates-General met, the debate over its voting process had led to animosity between the three estates. When talks stalled on June 17, members of the Third Estate met alone and formally adopted the title of National Assembly, which was also referred to as the National Constituent Assembly or National Convention. Within a week, most of the clerical deputies and 47 nobles joined them, and on June 27, Louis XVI gave in to mounting pressure and ordered all three estates into the one new group.
As word spread of the new governing assembly, a mix of enthusiasm and panic grew in the streets of Paris. Although Parisians were enthusiastic over the news of the breakdown of royal power, they grew panicked as rumors of an impending military coup—a seizure of power from the government—began to circulate. Rioters stormed the Bastille fortress on July 14 to secure gunpowder and weapons, which many historians view as the official start of the French Revolution.
Overview
During the height of the French Revolution, the Revolutionary Tribunal court system was formed in March of 1793; it was officially named later that year. The system of politically motivated courts was charged with investigating and ultimately sentencing enemies of the French Revolution. Although the court system started small, the number of courts and their powers grew during the Reign of Terror. At the height of the Reign of Terror, nearly two hundred Revolutionary Tribunal courts were located throughout France. The Revolutionary Tribunal court in Paris, led by prosecutor Antoine Quentin Fouquier-Tinville, sentenced more than 2,700 people to death and as many as 30 of these in one day. As the Reign of Terror progressed, the tribunal courts began to override or abandon legal procedures.
As the Revolution continued, the tribunal courts began to function less like a court system and more like a means for killing enemies of the Revolution. On June 10, 1794, the National Convention created the Law of 22 Prairial, which stripped many judicial procedures and accountability for the Revolutionary Tribunals. Defendants were denied the right to a lawyer or to call witnesses, and juries could convict based on moral certainty. The law also outlawed many punishments previously allowed by the court, meaning the tribunals could only acquit defendants or send them to death at the guillotine. The Revolutionary Tribunals were believed to have sent more than fifteen thousand people to death during the Reign of Terror alone.
The Revolutionary Tribunals sentenced several notable royals and royalists, including King Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette, to death On January 21, 1793, the king was condemned to death at the guillotine after being found guilty of high treason and crimes against the state. In July of that year, Marie-Antoinette lost custody of their young son, who was later forced to accuse his mother of sexual abuse and incest before a Revolutionary Tribunal. Nine months after her husband was killed, Marie-Antoinette was sent to death at the guillotine in October of 1793.
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