France · Revolution / Revolution of France. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.
In the first days of August, the Bretons planned to rise in the Assembly and renounce certain feudal dues. This task was assigned to the Duke of Aiguillon, a radical nobleman, and Viscount de Noailles, a veteran of the American Revolutionary War
Liberal deputies from the Breton Club (the forerunner to the Jacobin movement) believed the peasants could only be calmed by a grand gesture from the Assembly, such as a partial surrender of feudal rights.
News of this rural violence electrified discussions among deputies of the Assembly. Dominated as they were by members of the bourgeoisie and liberal nobility, the majority of deputies were concerned that the Great Fear would spread further and pose a significant threat to property rights.
With no means of suppressing the peasants by force, the Assembly's only avenue was to pacify them.
In most cases these unruly peasants were responding to rumours that royalist bandits or mercenaries were sweeping the countryside. The weeks of revolt and destruction in rural areas that followed became known as the Great Fear (French, Grande Peur)
In most cases these unruly peasants were responding to rumours that royalist bandits or mercenaries were sweeping the countryside. The weeks of revolt and destruction in rural areas that followed became known as the Great Fear (French, Grande Peur).
In the worst areas peasants assaulted or chased away the owners of seigneurial rights, seized and burned feudal records and even burned down chateaux owned by noblemen.
The Great Fear spread peasant unrest across France and helped drive the Assembly toward the August reforms.
The context for the Assembly'gs August 4th reforms was the Great Fear: a disconnected but widespread series of peasant uprisings across France. From late July thousands of peasants had run amok in the countryside, disrupting work, intimidating property owners and causing some damage.
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