Passage
The life of a revolutionary woman – Olympe de Gouges (1748-1793)
Olympe de Gouges was one of the most important of the politically active women in revolutionary France. She protested against the Constitution and the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen as they excluded women from basic rights that each human being was entitled to. So, in 1791, she wrote a Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen, which she addressed to the Queen and to the members of the National Assembly, demanding that they act upon it. In 1793, Olympe de Gouges criticized the Jacobin government for forcibly closing down women’s clubs. She was tried by the National Convention, which charged her with treason. Soon after this she was executed.
Questions / Answer:
Question 1: What was Olympe de Gouges’ primary objection to the Constitution and Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen in revolutionary France?
Answer: Olympe de Gouges objected to the exclusion of women from basic rights that each human being was entitled to.
Question 2: What significant document did Olympe de Gouges compose in response to the exclusion of women’s rights in 1791?
Answer: In 1791, Olympe de Gouges authored a Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen, demanding equality for women.
Question 3: To whom did Olympe de Gouges address her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen?
Answer: Olympe de Gouges addressed her declaration to the Queen and the members of the National Assembly, urging them to take action.
Question 4: How did Olympe de Gouges further challenge the government’s stance on women’s rights in 1793?
Answer: In 1793, Olympe de Gouges criticized the Jacobin government for forcibly closing down women’s clubs, demonstrating her continued activism for women’s rights.
Question 5: What fate befell Olympe de Gouges following her criticism of the Jacobin government?
Answer: Olympe de Gouges was tried by the National Convention on charges of treason and was subsequently executed.
Passage 2
What is liberty? Two conflicting views:
The revolutionary journalist Camille Desmoulins wrote the following in 1793. He was executed shortly after, during the Reign of Terror.
‘Some people believe that Liberty is like a child, which needs to go through a phase of being disciplined before it attains maturity. Quite the opposite. Liberty is Happiness, Reason, Equality, Justice, it is the Declaration of Rights … You would like to finish off all your enemies by guillotining them. Has anyone heard of something more senseless? Would it be possible to bring a single person to the scaffold without making ten more enemies among his relations and friends?’
On 7 February 1794, Robespierre made a speech at the Convention, which was then carried by the newspaper Le Moniteur Universal. Here is an extract from it:
‘To establish and consolidate democracy, to achieve the peaceful rule of constitutional laws, we must first finish the war of liberty against tyranny …. We must annihilate the enemies of the republic at home and abroad, or else we shall perish. In time of Revolution a democratic government may rely on terror. Terror is nothing but justice, swift, severe and inflexible; … and is used to meet the most urgent needs of the fatherland. To curb the enemies of Liberty through terror is the right of the founder of the Republic.’
Questions / Answer:
Question 1: According to Camille Desmoulins, how does he define liberty, and what analogy does he use to illustrate his point?
Answer: Camille Desmoulins defines liberty as Happiness, Reason, Equality, and Justice, emphasizing that it is akin to the Declaration of Rights. He compares liberty to a child, asserting that it does not require disciplinary measures to mature but rather embodies inherent virtues.
Question 2: In Camille Desmoulins’ view, what is the flaw in using guillotining as a means to eliminate enemies?
Answer: Desmoulins argues that the use of the guillotine to eliminate enemies is senseless and counterproductive. He suggests that executing individuals only breeds further resentment, creating additional enemies among their relatives and friends.
Question 3: How does Robespierre justify the use of terror in his speech at the Convention?
Answer: Robespierre justifies the use of terror as necessary for establishing and consolidating democracy and achieving the peaceful rule of constitutional laws. He asserts that terror is a form of swift, severe, and inflexible justice, essential for combating enemies of the republic.
Question 4: According to Robespierre, what is the purpose of terror in a time of Revolution?
Answer: Robespierre contends that in a time of Revolution, a democratic government may rely on terror to curb the enemies of Liberty. He suggests that terror serves to meet the most urgent needs of the fatherland by swiftly dealing with threats to the Republic.
Question 5: How does Robespierre describe the role of terror in combating the enemies of Liberty?
Answer: Robespierre describes terror as the right of the founder of the Republic, emphasizing its use to annihilate the enemies of the republic both domestically and internationally. He portrays terror as a necessary tool for safeguarding democracy against tyranny and external threats.
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