Lessons in Russian history: The end of monarchy in France and Russia (Part II)

Louis XVI, the last French King of the Capet dynasty before the Revolution, and Nicholas II, the last Tsar of the Russian Romanov dynasty, were both executed at the culmination points of revolutions. In France and in Russia the revolutionaries took advantage of their weak characters to eliminate them. Both were incompetent rulers, without a proper understanding of the political and economic situation in their respective countries. Both hesitated to take important decisions. At the end of the 18th century, France was suffering from an economic crisis, and so was the Russsian Empire, at the end of the 19th century. The bad economic situation in both countries weakened the authority of their autocratic rulers, the French King and the Russian Tsar.

The French writer Jean-Clément Martin knows: «This fragility becomes evident, in spring 1789, when a strong opposition arises against royal decisions: The King is judged to be incapable of guaranteeing a good economy in France» (Jean-Clément Martin, «L’exécution du roi – 21 janvier 1793», Editions Perrin, Paris 2021, p. 59).

The author explains: «The political climate in France changes drastically, in spring 1792. Price hikes are provoking uprisings, especially in Paris, where popular societies and political clubs are being founded, agitating against the King» (Martin, p. 85).

Maximilien de Robespierre became one of the leading figures of the French Revolution. He incited the people to get rid of the «perfidious King, the dangerous King». He wanted measures to be taken against inflation and against the egotism of French aristocrats. He demanded patriotic solidarity (Martin, p.85).

In Russia, the situation is similar, in 1896 and 1897, the first two years of the last Tsar’s reign. Jean des Cars writes in his book about Nicholas II: «The Tsar ignores realities. Vladimir Lenin knows that of 126 million inhabitants in the Russian Empire 26 million are proletarians, living in miserable conditions. They are a force to be reckoned with» (Jean des Cars, «Nicolas II et Alexandra de Russie – une tragédie imperiale», Editions Perrin, Paris 2015, p.86, 87).

Like Maximilien de Robespierre in France, Vladimir Lenin agitated in Russia. He spoke to the masses and encouraged them to rise up against the Tsar. Both, Robespierre and Lenin, were brilliant orators who could motivate people to take part in protests. 

In 1905, the Soviet of Saint Petersburg told the newly founded workers’ organization to demand more rights, for example a working day of not longer than eight hours» (Jean des Cars, p. 148).

In December 1905, uprisings and strikes broke out in Kiev, Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The Tsar thought that this was «an abcess which needs to be punctuated». After police forces had suppressed the protests, the Tsar exclaimed: «In Moscow, thank God, the revolt has been suppressed with arms». 18.000 people died in the clashes, about 30.000 were injured (Jean des Cars, p. 148, 149).

In April 1912, the workers in the Siberian gold mines along the Lena River began to strike. Their suppression was terribly brutal, the miners were massacred: 270 died, 250 were wounded. The survivors exploded in fury and went on protest marches with red banners.

On the 5th of May 1912, the workers of Saint Petersburg, who were members of the Bolshevik Party, published the first number of their revolutionary newspaper PRAVDA (Truth). Vladimir Lenin had organized this publication (Jean des Cars, p. 220).

The economic situation was getting desperate, in January 1917. In Petrograd (rebaptized by the last Tsar, formerly Saint Petersburg) bakers, butchers and dairy shops had no more goods to sell. So they closed down. The citizens were freezing and hungry.

The commander of Petrograd, once more, diminished the daily rations of bread. Many inhabitants died due to malnutrition. Public meetings were forbidden, which caused despair. The people started to call the Tsar «Bloody Nicholas». He personified cruelty, insensivity and misery (Jean des Cars, p. 332-335).

The President of the Duma (Parliament) sent a telegramme to one of the Tsar’s generals in Mogilev: «Our governmental institutions have ceased to function. The only way to avoid anarchy is to make the Tsar abdicate» (Jean des Cars, p. 336).

One of the major differences between the French and the Russian Revolution is the question of abdication. In France, Louis XVI refused to abdicate, he was sentenced to death and guillotined, anyway. In Russia, Nicholas II agreed to abdicate and signed the abdication papers in Pskov, on the 3rd of March 1917. However, this did not save his life.

No discussions were held in the Duma, the Russian Parliament, about the last Tsar’s execution. In France, however, lengthy debates took place, which exasperated Maximilien de Robespierre. He tried to push the cart forward with energy and succeeded to accelerate the debating process. Without him, the 700 delegates of the Convention would never have reached a final decision.

Maximilien de Robespierre wanted a death sentence for the King. On the 29th of July 1792, he presented his revolutionary programme in Paris. On the 15th of August 1792, the Convention decided to remove the King’s portrait from all the coins in France.

Maximilien de Robespierre asked for a new tribunal, formed by commissars, to judge the King. With the words, «the people rest but do not sleep», he demanded a just and prompt revendication of the French people (Martin, p. 127).

The new tribunal was created, on the 19th of August 1792. Maximilien de Robespierre said: «Louis must die, so that the homeland can live!» (Martin, p.109). He wanted the tribunal to declare King Louis XVI «an enemy of humanity».

A strange legend made its round, afterwards. Supposedly one of the commissars or delegates proposed «to hack the tyrant into 83 pieces and send a piece to each of the 83 French départements» (Martin, p. 270).

Was it an irony of fate? In Russia, more than a century later, the bodies of the last Tsar and his family were really hacked into pieces. However, they were not sent to all of the various regions of the Russian Empire. They were burned in fire and dissolved in acid, instead.

In France, Maximilien de Robespierre reached his aim, his wish was fulfilled. On the 17th of January 1793, the National Assembly pronounced the death sentence for King Louis XVI. It was carried out, four days later.

Jean-Clément Martin writes: «Reading in the archives, where all the documents were deposited, we can see that Robespierre’s pejorative vocabulary was used. They spoke of the King as a tyrant, a monster» (Martin, p. 194, 195).

Revolutions in general are propelled and dominated by leaders with strong minds and an iron will. We can see this in France, where Maximilien de Robespierre – among others – imposed himself with his ideas. 

The same is true for the Russian Revolution, where Vladimir Lenin emerged – among others – as the driving force. Vladimir Lenin has been called «the Russian Robespierre» for the similarities of their character and ambitions.

Although they lived in different countries and different centuries, both men are characterized by similarities which are not so astounding, after all, when we read their biographies. Both came from the middle class, both were educated men, intellectuals, both had studied the law and practised as lawyers. 

Both were driven by a strong sense of what they thought was justice. Most important of all, both were excellent orators who knew how to speak to the people. Both had fiery, fanatic characters, too.

Vladimir Lenin saw himself as a disciple of Maximilien de Robespierre. He wanted to emulate the French revolutionary leader and follow in his footsteps. Thus, he organized a monument for Maximilien de Robespierre to be erected in the Alexander Garden of Moscow, on the 3rd of November 1918.

This was one of the early works of Vladimir Lenin’s plan for monumental propaganda, the first major work of the sculptor Beatrice of Sandomierz, а student of the Moscow School for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

As reported in the «Kommunar» newspaper, the monument attracted the attention of the public and people crowded around it. The «Pravda» newspaper described the opening ceremony for the monument as follows:

«Orderly rows of Red Army regiments fill the Alexander Garden. The pedestal of the monument is entwined with garlands of natural flowers. A majestic, beautiful sight. Solemn silence. The monument is surrounded by banners. The music plays the Marseillaise.»

The ceremony was also attended by a representative of the French Communists, Jacques Sadoul. His speech was translated by the Soviet People’s Commissar of State Charity, Alexandra Kollontai: 

«The old religion taught the people to obey and promised heaven in heaven. The new religion of communism teaches us to build heaven on earth. The bourgeoisie tried in every possible way to humiliate the true significance of the French Revolution and slander Maximilien de Robespierre, this honest and devoted revolutionary, just as they are now slandering our leaders. Soviet Russia erects a monument to Robespierre, while in France there is no monument left for the Incorruptible».

To be continued: “The end of monarchy in France and Russia” (Part III) will be published in May 2023.

Olivia Kroth: The journalist and author of four books lives in Russia. Her blog: https://olivia2010kroth.wordpress.com