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Committee of Public Safety
The executive body that effectively governed France during the Terror (1793-1794), dominated by Robespierre from July 1793. It directed the war effort, implemented the levée en masse, and oversaw the policy of revolutionary terror.
Concordat of 1801
An agreement between Napoleon and Pope Pius VII that restored the relationship between the French state and the Catholic Church while maintaining state control over clerical appointments and church property.
Directory
The five-member executive government of France from 1795 to 1799, established by the Constitution of Year III. It faced chronic instability, relied increasingly on the army, and was overthrown by Napoleon's coup of 18 Brumaire.
Estates-General
The representative assembly of the three French estates, convened by Louis XVI in May 1789 for the first time since 1614, to address the fiscal crisis. Its failure to resolve procedural disputes triggered the formation of the National Assembly.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the supreme authority within a state, granting it the power to govern itself without interference from external forces.