National Convention
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The National Convention was the elected assembly that ruled France from 1792 to 1795, during the French Revolution. It ended the monarchy, which means rule by a king, and declared France a Republic, a state run by its citizens with no king. Its members were chosen when the Jacobins, the most radical group of the Revolution, briefly gave the vote to all adult men. It matters because it put the idea of power belonging to the people into practice. Its rule also included the Reign of Terror, when the government killed thousands of people it saw as enemies.
Example
In September 1792 the Convention abolished the monarchy and proclaimed the French Republic. In January 1793 it put King Louis XVI on trial and had him executed. In May 1794 Maximilien Robespierre gave a report to the Convention that declared God exists. This report started his state-backed cult of the Supreme Being.
Don't confuse with
- National Assembly: this was the new name the Estates General took in 1789, at the start of the Revolution. That assembly worked under a king. The National Convention came later, in 1792, and ruled France as a Republic with no king.
- Directory: this was the five-member government that took over from the Convention in 1795. Its rule was more cautious and its vote was limited to men with property.