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Article

Russian

ID: <

oai:doaj.org/article:75b7f44f0e52449b9cc994a403e1015b

>

·

DOI: <

10.15826/izv2.2019.21.1.014

>

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Abstract

This article considers the evolution of the republican political project during the era of the First French Republic. The author refers to two speeches delivered in the National Convention which anticipated the discussion about the republican constitutions, i.e. the Constitution of 1793 and the Constitution of the Year III. Deputies who made these speeches (the former was delivered by M.-J. Herault de Sechelles and the latter by F.-A. Boissy d’Anglas) both were considered the authors, although not exclusively, of the constitutions, both spoke not in their own name, both had to formulate the main provisions of the political projects embodied in the constitutions. Analysis of these speeches demonstrates that over two years the understanding of the goals and objectives of the Republic, the perception of the French revolution, and the measure of the extent to which the texts of the constitutions should correspond to the ideas of the most authoritative enlighteners radically changed. While in 1793 the ideas related to the victory of the Revolution all over the world, the implementation of democratic principles to the fullest extent and the principle of popular sovereignty formulated by the enlighteners, seemed to be the most important, by 1795 these theoretical questions gave way to the experience of the previous years, parting with illusions, and the focus shifted to practical issues. The constitution was still regarded as a global document designed to harmonise all the spheres of people’s lives, but the cosmopolitan ambitions and confidence in the enlighteners stayed in the past. The Revolution itself began to be perceived without rapture, without illusions, but as a long and difficult distance covered by the French people which was associated with many sacrifices and sufferings.

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