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Not sure I understand what you mean. At least, I thought that (most? all?) the churches were closed for the worst part of the French Revolution aftermath.

For example, the new state transformed Notre Dame and other Catholic churches into Temples of Reason, from which the new state religion, the Cult of Reason, would be celebrated. It didn't last long. Hard to create a new religion quickly. Maybe some echoes of recent history there.

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It was much more nuanced than that, and the vast majority of the French people stayed Christian during the period. Also, keep in mind the revolution was mostly a Paris thing, the rest of the country was left relatively unaffected at first.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dechristianization_of_France_d...

Is the difference "stayed Catholic" vs the churches had to close?

Pretty sure it mattered when and where you were. Armies and militias were sent to put down defiant regions who had set up their own armies and militias in order to keep the Revolution out.

Ya, Vendee really protests too much

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