Before the French Revolution, France gained territory gradually through the annexation of a mosaic of independent entities. By the close of the Ancien Régime, it was organised into provinces. During the period of the Revolution, these were dissolved, partly in order to weaken old loyalties. The National Constituent Assembly decided to create a more uniform divison into departments ("département") and districts in late 1789. The process began on 4 August 1789 with the elimination of provincial priveleges, and a 22 December 1789 decree (with letters patent in January 1790) provided for the termination of the provincial governments.