What caused
these uprisings in the West?
The Revolution had given the French hope of a fairer society. Its
ideals were shared by the immense majority of the people, the nobility and the clergy. But
in 1789 there was no question of abolishing the monarchy nor of forbidding the old form of
worship. In 1793 the cup was full: the sale of property seized by the state had benefited
those who could afford to buy them. The "patriotic" [Republican-sympathising]
middle-classes managed to purchase country houses, churches and good farmland. The new
masters were no better than the old ones - often far from it. To look down one's nose at
the peasant population was characteristic of "enlightened" minds. In short, the
rich became richer and the poor remained poor - and, worse still, despised. |
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And these unfortunates were made even poorer
by taxation which, under the new name of "contributions", had more than
doubled.The Civil Constitution of the Clergy obliged priests to swear loyalty to the
State. Those who refused to do so had to give up the Ministry, to ?e replaced by other
priests who had agreed to the new order - sort of "civil servants of the faith".
Of course, the dissenting priests continued to practise their Ministry in secret, but they
were tracked down and imprisoned. Resentment grew against the new, official incumbents,
called "jureurs" [sworn priests]. The installation of such a new priest often
caused local riots in which the National Guard had to intervene.
But what ignited the powder was the conscription of 300,000 men. The Nation had declared
war on its European neighbours, and this was the number of troops that the western
départements had to provide. Feeling ran particularly high against the National Guard,
who were to be allowed to stay on their home ground. In other words, the population would
be sent off to lay down their lives for a bunch of haughty middle-class officers, who
paraded in fine uniforms and turned houses upside-down in their zeal to dig out illegal
priests. Well, there would be war all right, but closer to home rather than on the
frontiers of France!
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