Reacting to the Past:
French Revolution Role Playing
Introduction
The people of France grew tired of being ruled by an absolute monarch. The absolute authority of King Louis XVI has been overthrown with the fall of the Bastille -- a French prison that served as a symbol of oppression against the people -- and the French Revolution. A new semi-democratic government has been formed. The success of the American Revolution combine with radical Enlightenment ideas like those of Rousseau to inflame the minds of many French Revolutionaries, but many would rather tamp out the fire of revolutionary fervor with the Conservative ideals of Edmund Burke. Whose ideology will France chose?
Now in the summer of 1791, France stands upon the precipice of major change. Will France completely remove the powers of its King and create a new Republican system? Will France be able to cope with the nationalization of the Catholic Church and prevent civil war? Will France be able to protect itself against invasion of Royalist Emigre armies and foreign supporters? All this and more will be decided by your ability to perform your role as a French Revolutionary.
The Game
For one week, students will become the leaders of the French Revolution in 1791-1794. In this game you will need to truly BECOME your character and argue your perspectives from their historical point of view. This is a game, however, so you will have the chance to change history if you so choose. Below is a list of example topics for debate (although you are neither limited to this list, nor required to follow it):
1. Role of the Catholic Church
2. Decree Abolishing Nobility and the Constitution of 1791
3. Membership in the National Guard and the Role of the Citizen
4. Slave Rebellion in Saint-Domingue
5. Royalist and Emigre counter-revolutionary reaction around Europe (including reactions to Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France)
6. Role of the King, Louis XVI and his perceived treason after his flight to Varennes
7. The counter-revolutionary threat of refractory priests and royalists (civil war)
8. Execution of Louis XVI
9. The removal of all counter-revolutionary ideas (Reign of Terror)
10. Creation of a Republic of Virtue
Assignment
Read Reacting to the Past -- Rousseau, Burke, and the Revolution in France, 1791
Buy it Here
Rent it HereReceive your Role Assignment
Write your Historical Role Report (click here for the assignment)
PLAY THE GAME (you are graded upon your active participation). For the game you must have at least ONE PREPARED SPEECH, and you are encouraged to give numerous impromptu speeches and prepare news reports and propaganda campaigns.
Points of Order
The game will be far more successful (and way more fun) if you stay in your historical character (and yes, you can come in costume).
Your HISTORICAL ROLE REPORT must be completed before our reenactment time begins in class.
You must have at least one PREPARED SPEECH that you will type and hand in. This prepared speech could be a resolution to pass a motion or make an amendment, create legislation, or argue in favor of removal of the king or other major changes. Impromptu speeches are recommended in order to make you an active participant, and to sway the National Assembly to accept your propositions (this is how you win the game).
You should create group chats, host political club meetings (at coffee shops for instance), create short written manifestos for distribution, propaganda leaflets, broadsides and social media campaigns in an effort to win the game. While we are in the 1791-1794 time period, you can use modern methods to get your ideas out there.
Your POST MOTREM RESPONSE ESSAY will be turned in after the conclusion of our class reenactment.
Role Assignments:
Game Master -- Citizen Fairbanks
President of the National Assembly (TBD)
Major Roles (no explicit faction):
Louis XVI
Marquis de Lafayette
Conservative Faction:
Jacques Antoine Marie de Cazales (nobility)
Antoine-Eleonor-Leon Leclerc de Juigne, Archbishop of Paris (clergy)
Jean-Sifrein Maury (clergy)
Count of Clermont (nobility)
Feuillant Faction:
Emmanuel Joseph Sieyes (clergy)
Jean-Sylvain Bailly, Mayor of Paris
Bertrand Barere (editor, The Point of Day)
Jacobin Faction:
Camille Desmoulins (editor, Revolutions of France and Brabant)
Jacques Louis David
Maximilian Robespierre
Louis Antoine Leonde Saint-Just
Henri-Baptiste Grégoire
Indeterminates (Voting, but not aligned to a Faction per se):
Francois Louis Hutteau (journalist)
Francois Anne Jacques Bouron
Section Leaders (The Crowd -- Non-voting):
Georges Jacques Danton
Jean-Paul Marat (editor, The Friend of the People)
Jean-Paul Hebert (editor, Pere Duchesne)
Required Reading & Video Links:
Reacting to the Past -- Rousseau, Burke, and the Revolution in France, 1791
Model UN Parliamentary Procedure (similar procedural format to our activity)
HOW TO WIN:
King Louis XVI
Stay alive
Maintain your authority as a Constitutional Monarch with Royal Sanction (veto)
Conservatives
Maintain the legitimacy of the King
Maintain your authority as a Constitutional Monarch with Royal Sanction (veto)
Prevent international war with Monarchies in Europe, or aid the Monarchies of Europe in beating French revolutionary forces
Avoid a Terror and stay alive
Feuillant Faction
Create a form of government (Constitutional Monarchy or Republic) with a Constitution based in the principals of the Enlightenment
Preserve the ideals set forth in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Stay alive!
Jacobin Faction
Remove the vestiges of the Ancien Regime
Separate Church and State
Create a Republic of Virtue
Protect the Revolution, if necessary by spreading the Revolution to the rest of Europe and defeating the enemies of the people
Stay alive!
Indeterminates
Align yourself to whichever faction you see as the most fit and maintaining the best ideals
Stay alive!
The Crowd
Seek dramatic changes that guarantee your rights
Fight for your guarantees of daily bread and price controls
Use mob violence to make the politicians feel your importance to the success of the Revolution
Inspire the nation through your words and propaganda
Stay alive!