- Gracchus Babeuf has been called a "proto-Communist" by some historians. What arguments does Babeuf put forward in The Plebeians' Manifesto (document #75) that might make one arrive at that conclusion?
- Jullien's pamphlet, Some Advice to Cisalpine Patriots (document #76), is an example of neo-Jacobin propaganda? What in this pamphlet reminds you of the Jacobin Club before the end of Terror? In what ways had the Jacobins' ideology or agenda changed?
- According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution? Had these abuses abated by 1797?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Reading questions, ch. 13
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Jullien's pamphlet, Some Advice to Cisalpine Patriots (document #76), is an example of neo-Jacobin propaganda? What in this pamphlet reminds you of the Jacobin Club before the end of Terror? In what ways had the Jacobins' ideology or agenda changed?
ReplyDeleteIn Jullien's pamphlet, Some Advice to Cisalpine Patriots, there are a few points he makes that reminds me of the Jacobin club before the end of the Terror. For example, he says, "IF Republicans are not united, they will be weak and will perish, and if republicans are not prudent, they will be like a naked, unarmed man who stands before an enemy armed with a dagger and clothed in armor" (307). Here he wants them to be a strong, united unit. He also believes that if the deputies were isolated, then they would have no power. A somewhat new way of thinking is on number 35, he mentions consulting together so that a Patriot doesn't make a thoughtless or harmful motion. To sum up, his pamphlet seems to call for more unity and consulting with the people when making decisions rather than appearing divided or moved away from the people, the nation.
According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution? Had these abuses abated by 1797?
According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" the worst abuses of the Revolution were that the arrogant and injustice of the first legislature forced coalitions and take up arms to halt the progress of the French epidemic, the "haughty" legislatures resolved to substitute a constitution of their liking, and then he compares the French nobility to drunks. For example, he says, "drunkard who staggers at each step...he does not know where to place his foot, he can hardly support himself and is incapable of any sane judgment..." (315). Further down he mentions that the first revolution, the "Demon" conjured a man without morals or principles whom he animated with his genius and made able to seduce people to follow him. "The success of the first revolution demanded that he persuade the people that paper is worth gold" (315). He believes that everything was a lie and that the people were misled by the legislature and their king.
Kate Starnes
3. According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution? Had these abuses abated by 1797?
ReplyDeleteThe worse abuses of the Revolution was that assignats were created, it made people believe right was left and down was up (patriotism was actually the hatred of the government, truth was actually lies, and good citizens were scoundrels and bandits), it allowed people to carry iron, flame, terror and to carry out death in the name of liberty, it allowed it to burn, pillage, and tear apart the country at its heart. Terror spread where a virgin, virtuous wife, priest, and good person was beaten, incarcerated, and/or killed in cold blood. Nothing beautiful remained because it was destroyed, such as art, edifices, statues, and monuments. Churches were closed, an end of celebration of holy days or Sundays, there is now a celebration of decades, it created prejudice and fanaticism, it spread desolate atheism, and the White Terror.
Steph Talarek
Jullien's pamphlet, Some Advice to Cisalpine Patriots (document #76), is an example of neo-Jacobin propaganda? What in this pamphlet reminds you of the Jacobin Club before the end of Terror? In what ways had the Jacobins' ideology or agenda changed?
ReplyDeleteThere are a few instances in this pamphlet that remind me of the Jacobins before the end of the Terror. The most important is #4 which states that first faults are irreparable and there must be a plan that will guide all developments throughout the Revolution. From the beginning of the Revolution the Jacobins had been a driving force behind many developments during the Revolution. They also very rarely forgave those who went against the wishes of the club, which lead to factions and the fall of their leaders. I believe that rule #43 shows how the Jacobins’ ideology had changed. Rule #43 states “Never take a step back without having tried the ground and without a clear idea of your course; never backtrack.” Throughout the Revolution there had been a great deal of backtrack from many of the clubs, including the Jacobins.
According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution? Had these abuses abated by 1797?
According to the anonymous pamphleteer there were a great deal of abuses of the Revolution. Among them was the abolition of the monarchy and that philosophers took over the government. Another abuse was the great mistreatment of the nobility. One of the greatest abuses was the destruction of monuments, masterpieces of art, edifices, statues, and paintings. According to the pamphlet these abuses had not abated by 1787. The author makes a desperate plea at the end of the document begging the Lord to bring peace to France. “O beloved peace, make your charitable olive branch blossom, and pour all your blessings on the French land!” This pamphlet is a sad reality of the results of the Revolution.
Document #75
ReplyDeleteGracchus Babeuf in “The Plebeians’ Manifesto” strikes later historians as a “proto-Communist” because he wants equality of all people and he says that any person that takes more than he needs is robbing society. He wants to abolish private property and he wants an equality of all trades. He wants all people to have the same amount of goods and that substance be divided equality among every one in society so that everyone gets something sent to their homes.
Document #76
Jullien’s pamphlet, “Some Advice to Cisalpine Patriots” in not an example of neo-Jacobin propaganda, but how to run a political party well in a republic and how to get support on legislation and be influential in a government. The Jullien pamphlet is not trying to convince the Italians of the Jacobin political ideas, but how to run a political party.
The unity accepts of this pamphlet reminds me of the Jacobin Club before the end of Terror; because they were all acting in unity they were very influential. They would use experts and proof to get their points across. And everything they did was for the good of the people not for self-improvement of the Jacobin members. This is the part that had changed what was good for the people was not as important as keeping their influence in the government. Members in the Jacobin Club were not acting in unity as they were before the Terror also. These are the changes to the Jacobin ideology.
Document #78
According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution?
The worst abuses of the revolution were fractions and ambition.
Had these abuses abated by 1797? - Yes
by-Monica Castro
Gracchus Babeuf has been called a "proto-Communist" by some historians. What arguments does Babeuf put forward in The Plebeians' Manifesto (document #75) that might make one arrive at that conclusion.
ReplyDeleteGraccus Babeuf has been viewed as a "proto-Communist" because he supported full social and economic equality. Babeuf wanted to abolish private property and make trade equal. He believed those who took to more than necessary were essentially robbing from society. Babeuf wanted all goods to be equally divided among all citizens. Arguments such as these help explain whay modern historians viewed Babeuf as a "proto-Communist".
Posted By: Kathryne Hardy
Gracchus Babeuf has been called a "proto-Communist" by some historians. What arguments does Babeuf put forward in The Plebeians' Manifesto (document #75) that might make one arrive at that conclusion?
ReplyDeleteIn his Manifesto, Babeuf seems to make a lot of the principle of Perfect Equality, saying that: "...there should never be institutions which favor inequality and greed, which allow the necessities of some to be diminished to increase the superfluous wealth of others." This certainly sounds communist in his desire for nobody to have the means to have more wealth then someone else. He also makes the argument that there should be equal wages for all jobs, and that heredity within families should be banned. The latter in particular is certainly an attack on private property owned by a specific person or family. All of these factors are signs of modern communism and seeing Babeuf argue for them does make him seem like a forerunner of communism.
-Jonathan Mcclintock
According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution? Had these abuses abated by 1797?
ReplyDeleteThe first abuse of revolution that the writer mentions in the pamphlet is what he describes as the disappearance of gold from France and its replacement by the paper assignat, no doubt a reference to the way the general maximum had made the assignat worthless, and yet the Convention still forced it on the country and it neighbors like Belgium. He complains on the way the convention, or as he calls it the "Demon" persuaded the people to do this. He then says that the convention regarded "...as good citizens all bandits, scoundrels, and cutthroats who he...lets...loose on republican soil." This is clearly talking about the way the Sans-Culottes had terrorized the provinces looking for suspects and hoarders. Finally he also mourns for the destruction the revolution did to the calender and the church in France, calling it the work of the devil. By the time it was written these abuses had all vanished, but the fact that in 1797 people still remembered them show the legacy the revolution of 1793 had left behind.
-Jonathan Mcclintock
Gracchus Babeuf has been called a "proto-Communist" by some historians. What arguments does Babeuf put forward in The Plebeians' Manifesto (document #75) that might make one arrive at that conclusion?
ReplyDeleteIn his "The Plebeian's Manifesto", Gracchus Babeuf makes many comments which make him appear as a proto-communist. He seems to strongly follow the communist ideology as he talked throughout his document about equality. He believed that everyone should have "enough" and no one should have a great deal more than others (wealth, etc). He quotes two great philosophers of the 18th century (Rousseau and Diderot)in order to strengthen his argument, quoting his belief in the "perfect" society as described by Rousseau. I think it is very interesting to read such a strong manifesto on communism and realize that it was written in 1795. Babeuf was ahead of his time in terms of these thoughts. He believed in equal pay for jobs, regardless of the skill involved, and the suppression of private property. While I do not agree with his point of view, I find his writings very interesting.
Johanna Gotay
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1:
Essentially Babeuf is a firm believer of Jean Jacque who believes that "each must have enough, and no one may have too much." In this interpretation, he believes that intelligence should have no value, that institutions that favor inequality are to be eliminated, that everything an individual monopolizes is theft and that superiority of talent and labor are only dreams. The "general happiness" is the purpose of all society in his opinion. Clearly this theory has "proto- Communist" tendencies. Although he wants equality of people, he is willing to take away from the rich and give to the poor. He is willing to not value intelligence and equivocate it to labor.
Jullien's pamphlet, Some Advice to Cisalpine Patriots (document #76), is an example of neo-Jacobin propaganda? What in this pamphlet reminds you of the Jacobin Club before the end of Terror? In what ways had the Jacobins' ideology or agenda changed?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Jullien's pamphlet is quite radical. It echoes former thoughts of the Jacobin Club in terms of being a united group ("unity and prudence can insure the minority's ascendancy over the majority"), having a collective strategy ("organize themselves, find common motivation, and base all their actions on uniform and unvarying principles"), having a desire to appeal to the masses ("make the laws popular") and being stringent with regard to patriot behavior ("a patriot never makes a thoughtless or harmful motion"). The pamphlet also calls for the use of the club's best orators in order to best influence others.
The change in the ideology seems to consist of the overtly secretive, and sometimes dishonest, behavior of the party. Jullien calls for secretive meetings and the necessity for hiding the group's coalition and using signals as a means of secretive communication. He advocates the use of false attacks as a tactic for gaining strength and dishonesty as a means for appearing agreeable ("always show a desire for concord...then be inflexible and strike concerted blows").
I don't think we see many documents which so overtly call for secrecy and dishonesty. Perhaps many have discussed such tactics in private, but to see them in written form is rather shocking.
Document #75-
ReplyDeleteBabeuf presents a provocative view of his ideal society. The overarching theme of his manifesto is equality. He speaks of "perfect equality" and "true equality." In an ideal similar to that espoused by Karl Marx, Babeuf suggests Jean-Jacques understood the embodiment of the ideal social system where each individual has enough but not too much. He argues successfully, in a financial sense, or having more than one need is a form of theft from other members of society. One of the more striking assertions he makes is that of the use of special skills or certain jobs requiring this skill is refuted by Babeuf. He also asserts those who create an industry are seeking a monopoly in the equality of others and this should not be. He also maintains that accumulation of wealth and property are the property of all the citizenry and are subject to confiscation for equal use, and this is complementary to his ideal of the elimination of private property and the broader ideal of the sharing of the byproducts of labor as a shared asset for the common citizen. Babeuf's manifesto is a comprehensive litany of actions and parameters in which he describes the ideal society based on a system of complete and total equality. In so doing he has written a manifesto in strong parallel to the later works of Karl Marx.
~~~ Albert Bailey
• Gracchus Babeuf has been called a "proto-Communist" by some historians. What arguments does Babeuf put forward in The Plebeians' Manifesto (document #75) that might make one arrive at that conclusion? His first argument is that perfect equality is a primitive right. Babeuf writes that shouldn’t be institutions that favor inequality or greed, allowing the necessities of some to be diminished to increase the wealth of others. He quotes Rousseau’s social contract which says that “each must have enough, and no one may have too much.” He wants to make everyone equal by taking from the wealthy to give to the poor. He claims education is monstrous when it is unequal, because few that are educated will have power over the majority who are not.
ReplyDelete• According to the anonymous pamphleteer of "On the True Cause of the Revolution" (document #78), what were the worst abuses of the Revolution? Had these abuses abated by 1797? The first legislature caused the people of France to waste time by taking up arms killing, fighting and protesting. The second abuse was the overthrow of the monarchy. The philosophers have disgraced the country and French history by destroying the old constitution which had been in place for fourteen centuries and created a new constitution. Another abuse was the substitution of paper money for gold. During riots and protests monuments, edifices, statues, and paintings throughout the city were destroyed. The last was the closing of churches and the forbidding of holy days and worship
Jeff Smith
Document #75
ReplyDeleteBabeuf is thought to be a proto communist because he desires complete economic equality among all. He also wants the abolishon of private property and he believes that anyone that makes more money then other workers in his community is essentialy stealing from the community. As such he wants all trades to make the same wage.
James Murray
Babeuf believes in complete equality. He says that it is a basic right of man that there be no social or economic difference due to intellect or ability. Equality, he says, is the essence of a social contract so the government should be set up to distribute food and necessary materials to ensure this equality. He thinks that equality equals happiness and that general happiness is the purpose of society.
ReplyDeleteThe Neo-Jacobin pamphlet reminds me of Jacobins because nothing in their ideology has changed. The only change is in their methodology. They have realized that their political influence as a group needs to be undetectable. They no longer think meeting openly is a good tactic because it seems to promote factionalism. Their ideology needs to seem inspired by the people and spontaneously widespread in order to be the most effective.
Jessica Arnold
Document #76-
ReplyDeleteThe document pertaining to the Cisalpine Patriots are especially reminiscent of the Jacobins in some of the ideas they convey. Number 14, on the types of committees seems to echo the ideal of the Jacobins during the Terror. Numbers 18 and 20 appear relevant to the actions of the Terror and the importance to utilize tactics, in correlation to the actions against the Vendee. In addition, the idea that factions can usurp the revolution are relevant to the Jacobins stance in how the dealt with the issue of political dissent. Number 36 is cautionary of the concern that must have come about from the actions, or at least their perception, of men like Danton and Barre. These mentioned above, and others in this document as well, show a shift in the Jacobins from the positions of republican ideals they had previously advocated. This shift from the earlier ideals of the Jacobin Club and shows the influence of men like Robespierre and Marat. This evolution can be seen in the evolution of the Jacobins to the Montagnard faction. The ideas put forth in the advice to the Italian republicans demonstrates a shift from the more idealized vision of the Jacobins at the beginning of their founding to the more radicalized approach they come to embrace as the Revolution evolved and concern with attempts to foment and overthrow the Revolution. This fear with usurpation and the ambiguous suspects caused a dramatic shift in the republican ideals as the Terror became the priority over the original ideals of republicanism based on the Rights of Man (1789) and the evolution in the Constitution in its evolution up until 1793.
~~~ Albert Bailey