To What Extent Did the Sans-Culotte Shape The Course of the French Revolution

Throughout the French revolution, the sans-culottes were the ones who had most to gain from it. The sans-culottes were part of the lower bourgeoisie and therefore the third estate. The sans-culottes just as all the other members of the third estate wanted the abolishment of taxes such as the gabelle, vingtiemme and taille and the abolishment of the forced free labour which was known as the corvee royale, but the sans-culottes had also other things to gain such as being able to enter the second estate by buying their title. Because the sans-culottes were the ones with most to gain, they were the ones who carried out the actions and manifestations against the old regime and that also took part in many of the journees.

The sans-culottes participated in many of the journees very actively; one of these is the storm of the Bastille. The Bastille was attacked on the 14th of July by the sans-culottes. The sans-culottes had previously seized all weapons from the hotel des invalides which was a retirement home for soldiers which also acted as s storage for weapons, but they lacked gunpowder and ammunition, so they sacked the Bastille and took all of its contents. This was a very important day, for the Bastille represented the old regime, the fall of it marked the fall of the old regime and the king. This was the first really important action taken by the sans-culottes which marked their rise and the king’s fall.

After this they continued in the participation of bloody journees, but the critical action they did was to support Robespierre which was the leader of the Jacobins. Robespierre had his power source from the sans-culottes. The sans-culottes went around Paris spreading terror and chaos by Robespierre’s will. This was the most important thing they did. This made the revolution take a whole different course, this lead the revolution into a very violent path.

The sans-culottes then “revolted” against Robespierre and sentenced him to the guillotine. In July 1794 Robespierre was executed, he had made may enemies and had been proven to be a dictator which was against all the revolution had fought for. The sans-culottes abandoned him and voted with the other people for his execution. This event marked the downfall of the sans-culottes.

After Robespierre’s death the sans-culottes didn’t disperse or give, but they did gradually start to lose power. The terror continued after Robespierre’s death, but it started do decrease. On the 20th of May 1795 the sans-culottes marched to the national convention and demanded food. They surrounded the convention and aimed cannons at them even though they were not ready to open fire. The convention then regained power by and was able to rely on armed forces to force them to surrender. Many were arrested and some were executed. This was the end of the sans-culottes as they dispersed and became divided.

The sans-culottes played an important key role in the revolution, which lead it to a very bloody and violent path which could have been avoided if the sans-culottes would not have been unleashed like they were by Robespierre. The sans-culottes deviated the course of the revolution into a race for power between the Jacobins and the other political clubs.