French National Convention

The French National Convention emerged from the radicalization of the French Revolution, convened after the storming of the Tuileries Palace in August 1792 and the suspension of King Louis XVI had discredited the constitutional monarchy. Elected by universal male suffrage, it replaced the Legislative Assembly and was charged with drafting a new, republican constitution for France.

The Convention met for the first time on 21 September 1792. Comprising some 749 deputies, all of them committed republicans, the body acted immediately and decisively: it abolished the monarchy and, the following day, proclaimed France a Republic. The assembly soon divided between the more moderate Girondins and the radical Montagnards, a rivalry that would shape the violent course of revolutionary politics.

The Convention governed France through its most turbulent years, voting to execute Louis XVI in January 1793 and presiding over the Reign of Terror under the Committee of Public Safety. It defended the Republic against foreign invasion and internal revolt before the fall of Robespierre in 1794 brought a more conservative phase. The Convention finally dissolved in 1795, giving way to the Directory and leaving the French Republic firmly established.