The revolutionary tribunal in France is a special judicial body created to deal with the execution of political criminals from the time of the French Revolution. This body was established by Decree of the Convention on March 9, 1793.
Decree of the Revolutionary Tribunal of France
The military courts had a provision that included the following items:
- The tribunal was organized to punish the enemies of the French people.
- An enemy of the people was a man who encroached on public freedom.
- The enemies of the people were those who called for the restoration of royal power.
- The punishment for any crime was the death penalty by hanging.
- The offender was interrogated in open session.
- If there is clear material evidence, the testimonies of the witnesses were not taken into account as a mitigating circumstance.
- The man who tried to disrupt the supply of food to Paris was recognized as a national enemy.
A brief history of the creation of military courts
This military tribunal was created as a judicial body to combat the attacks on freedom, unity and equality of France. The provision on revolutionary tribunals implied harsh reprisals against all opponents of the young government. The new judiciary was heavily influenced by Couton and Robespierre. The creator of the Revolutionary Tribunal is considered directly Shomett Convent, who took the initiative to organize a counter-revolutionary committee.
Military Tribunal System
In the fall of 1793, at the height of the repression in Paris, the military tribunal was divided into four sections. Judges were appointed to the committee of public safety and the committee of state and public security. In each section there were three judges who conducted proceedings with the participation of 7-9 jurors of their choice.
Investigation of the affairs of the Revolutionary Council conducted in the new order. Even moral evidence or physical evidence was enough to convict a person. The revolutionary tribunal did not carry out an initial investigation and the interrogation was combined with a judicial review. They were not subject to appeal and review; only one measure of punishment was applied to the convicted person - the death penalty. The military tribunals had the task of political and social cleansing.
The abolition of the tribunals and their fate
The spring of 1794 brought the Jacobin dictatorship a strengthening of its position and the country's economy. Hunger gradually receded, food supplies improved, prices leveled off, unprotected social groups received benefits from the state. However, this year, social life escalated due to the appearance of forces hostile to the Jacobins on the political arena. The reason for strengthening control over society was the attempt on one of the statesmen. In order to maintain stability in the country and the fullness of power in its hands, the government intensifies terror against the opposition and dissenting citizens.
There are no specific interpretations in history regarding the reasons for the dissolution of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Historians talk about the following factors that influenced the cessation of his work:
- A. Sobul believes that with the advent of Thermidor, the era of terror died out, so there was no need for its main tool.
- A similar opinion is shared by P. Genife. With the fall of the Jacobin dictatorship, the most cruel period of the revolution ended, which led to the gradual death of the organs through which cruel intimidation was carried out.
- A.Z. Manfred explained why the Thermidorians did not stop the activities of the tribunal after they came to power. They needed a revolutionary tribunal in order to legally eliminate the Jacobins and their associates. Having reached the task, the need for this judicial body has disappeared, so it was eliminated.
- V. G. Revunenkov suggested that the new coup brought to naught revolutionary sentiments.
- D. Yu. Bovykin, taking into account many points of view regarding the period of Thermidor’s reign, suggested that the new government did not see the need to maintain, however, through its reorganization, it tried to demonstrate to France that this judicial authority might not be as scary as he was represented by the Jacobins. This was proved by a number of processes, after which the Thermidorians closed it.
Reaction to the organization of military courts
After the death of Louis XVI (January 21, 1793), the gallows of the Revolutionary Tribunal settled for a long time on the Place de la Concorde. In the period from January 25 to April 6, only one head fell on the scaffold. One deserter Bukal was executed, who escaped from the army, went over to the enemy, was arrested and captured 2 days after his escape.
The news of the organization of a new Tribunal, to which many had hoped, as the only means in the fight against adherents of the monarchy, produced an unusual reaction. This excitement shocked the population so much that even the rumor about the fall of Dumurier made a very insignificant impression.
The insights of the crazy revolutionaries were confirmed and began to give their results. The propaganda of Marat brought the people to such a condition that he began to believe that killing enemies is the surest and only means in the pursuit of a stable economic situation and low bread prices. The establishment of these military courts was actively supported by the impoverished population of the country. Citizens of the country actively supported the abolition of revolutionary tribunals.
First executions
On February 10, a revolutionary tribunal executed a new man, after which massive and indiscriminate trials began.
- On the 17th, a death sentence was issued to two manufacturers of counterfeit bank notes. Merchant clerk Daniel Guzel and haberdashery goods dealer Francois Guillot felt a special need for money, which their income could not satisfy. For this they were hanged by the Jacobins in the early morning.
- On the 18th, another counterfeit money maker, Pierre-Severen Gunot, and also the woman Rosalia Bonn-Corrier, were hanged.
- On the 19th, another woman named Madeleine Wienereil was sentenced to treasury by the court for popularizing fake paper money.
- May 1 and 3 were hanged: Antoine Jusot for emigration, Paul Pierre was accused of participating in the conspiracy, which took place under the control of Beauvoir de Mazuy.
- Soon they were going to execute Madeleine-Josephine de Rabék, Madame Paul Pierre. The girl announced her pregnancy, so the execution of the sentence was delayed. This is the rare case when the Revolutionary Tribunal showed itself on a humane side. However, after some time the delay was removed, and on the same day the girl was ruthlessly hanged.
The Parisians were jubilant, however, sometimes complaints were heard because the execution pursued only ordinary people, bypassing the noble and wealthy. It became clear to everyone that the court of the Revolutionary Tribunal was brought not noble criminals, for which the Tribunal was organized, but ordinary citizens. In order to defuse social tension and rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of the people, on the 20th of the day two noblemen and a priest were sent to the scaffold.
Innocent victims
There were many such victims:
- Marie Anna Charlotte Corde d'Armont is a noblewoman of French descent. Charlotte Corde was born July 27, 1768 in a poor noble family. She was brought up in a monastery, and after returning from it she continued a peaceful life with her father and sister in the small town of Cannes. Having lived a short life, the girl managed to know all her burdens and needs. Being brought up on the republican traditions of antiquity and on the model of the Enlightenment, she sympathetically sympathized with the Great French Revolution and sincerely followed the dramatic events in Paris. The political events of June 2, 1793 found the most painful reflection in her noble heart. The republic, which did not have time to establish itself, collapsed before everyone's eyes, and it was replaced by the bloody influence of an indecent crowd led by demagogues, led by Marat. With deep sorrow, the girl looked at the misfortune that threatened her Fatherland and freedom. Her determination and purpose grew in her soul: to save her native country from chaos at all costs, even at the cost of her own life. The girl took the life of the vile Marat, for which she was executed. The young heroine was hanged by the decision of the Revolutionary Tribunal.
- Bailly, Jean Sylvain is an astronomer and a prominent participant in the French Revolution. The father of the future scientist wanted to see him in the role of an artist, however, Jean became interested in literature, and later - in the stars. Before the tragic events in Paris, he studied the stellar space. The revolution tore him from civilian life, and he seriously engaged in politics, was elected to the third convocation in the city of Paris. Having sworn an oath to the king, on the most intense days of the uprisings he participated in executions of anti-monarchist forces. For loyalty and valor to his homeland, he was hanged by decision of the Revolutionary Tribunal.
- Compiegne martyrs - a group of Christians, consisting of 16 Carmelite sisters, who defended the monarchical system. The revolution swept over their small town, after which the monastery was closed, and all its inhabitants were moved to private apartments. The nuns took the oath of new power, after which remorse made them abandon it. The authorities, wanting to conduct a revealing, instructive reprisal, executed the girls.
Penalty Attribute Changes
The level of executions carried out by the Revolutionary Tribunal increased every day. For this purpose, on April 30, the old gallows were removed and a new one was put in place with some changes on the orders of Charles-Heinrich Sanson. He ordered some adjustments to be made at the same time to make a large number of promotions.
Emigration of the nobility
The fateful days of the revolution and the approaching collapse of the monarchy strongly threatened the main support of the state - the nobles, which is why they began mass exoduses from the country. Their flight from France was a major mistake. The presence of the nobles and their influence could to some extent stop the revolutionary unrest in Paris and throughout the country. However, they were seriously frightened by the system of revolutionary tribunals that threatened their lives.
Also, this circumstance could create the conditions under which royal power was overthrown in more humane ways. The French politician Mirabeau very fiercely supported the idea of fleeing a country that was in the public at that time. His activities became the direct cause of the mass emigration of the nobles. Leaving their estates and castles, the nobles left the royal throne without support, an army without a king.
War terror as the main reason for the fall of the Jacobin dictatorship
The Jacobin leader, Maximilian Robespierre, created a judicial system similar to a circus, allowing people to be executed by jury. The Jacobin dictatorship collapsed due to the massive terror in the country, which was conducted by the revolutionary military tribunals.
The widespread deliverance of society from the enemies of the people and revolution claimed many lives. Peasants, once satisfied with land acquisition, became dissatisfied with harsh terror. All the bloody attempts to maintain power in their hands ended in defeat. The result of the short reign of the Jacobins was the coup on July 27, 1794. Following the arrest of the government, the convention approved the decision to arrest and hang Robespierre and his company. After the fall of the dictatorship, the reform of the Jacobins and the Revolutionary Tribunal were overthrown, and a new directory regime was established in the country.