Essential Question: What were the important causes ... · King Louis XIV was the most powerful king...

■EssentialQuestion:–Whatweretheimportantcauses&effectsoftheFrenchRevolution?

DoNow■Onyouripadorblankpieceofpaperwritedownoneexampleonwhatisneededtoconsiderarevolutionassuccessful.■Whengiventhesignalstandupandmeetwith6differentclassmatesandexchangeyouranswers.Youmustsitdownwithalistofatleast6differentresponses.

ReasonsfortheFrenchRevolutionInthe1700s,Francewastheculturalcapitalof

Europe,hometonumerousEnlightenmentthinkers,&hadwealthfromcoloniesKingLouisXIVwasthemostpowerfulkingin

Europe;Afterhisdeathin1715,LouisXV&LouisXVIcontinuedtoruleFranceasabsolutemonarchs

KingLouisXIVKingLouisXVI

But,political&economicproblemsledtotheFrench

Revolutionin1789

OneproblemwasFrance’sunequalsocialhierarchythatwasmadeupofthreeclasses(estates)

Owned10%oflandinFrancebutpaidlittleintaxestothegov’t

TheclergyoftheRomanCatholicChurchmadeuptheFirstEstate

OneproblemwasFrance’sunequalsocialhierarchythatwasmadeupofthreeclasses(called

estates)

Owned20%ofFrenchlandbutwereexemptfrompayingtaxes

TheSecondEstatewasmadeupofrichnobles

OneproblemwasFrance’sunequalsocialhierarchythatwasmadeupofthreeclasses(called

estates)

Thisgrouppaid50%oftheirincomeintaxes

TheThirdEstatemadeup97%ofthepopulation&includedpoorpeasants

but also the well-educatedmiddleclass(bourgeoisie)

ThemembersoftheThirdEstateresentedthespecialtreatmenttheFirst&SecondEstatesreceived

MembersoftheThirdEstategainedinspirationfromtheEnlightenmentideasofLocke,Voltaire,&

RousseauAfterthesuccessoftheAmericanRevolution,theThirdEstatebegandemandingdemocracy,

equality, & liberty in France

Socialtensionsweremadeworsebyagrowingfinancialcrisisinthe1770s&1780s

GOVERNMENT DEBTS(percentage

of total government revenue)

TheFrenchgovernmentfacedmassivedebtsduetodecadesoflavish

spending,expensivewars,&pooreconomicplanningBy1789,halfthebudgetwenttowardsinterest onthenationaldebt;25%ofpeoplewereunemployedTheexcessivespendingbyKingLouisXVI&hiswifeMarieAntoinetteangered

FrenchcitizensMarieAntoinette,“MadameDeficit”

By1789,Francewasoutofmoney&facedaseriousfinancialcrisis

LouisXVIcalledanemergencymeetingoftheEstates-Generalwheremembersfromall3classescouldadvisetheking

DuringtheEstates-General, theFirst&SecondEstatesvotedtoincreasetaxesontheThirdEstate

TheFirst&SecondEstatesdecidedtovotebyorder(1voteperestate)ratherthanbyhead(byperson)ThesedecisionsangeredthemembersoftheThirdEstatewhobelievedtheirrightswerebeingviolated

TheThirdEstatestormedourofthemeetingandwenttoLouis’tennis

courts.Theretheyformedanew

NationalAssemblytomakelawsfortheFrenchpeople

In1789,theNationalAssemblysworetoaTennisCourtOathpromisinganewconstitution&limitationsontheking’spower

TheNationalAssemblywrotetheirrevolutionaryidealsintheDeclarationoftheRightsofManandoftheCitizenwhichsaid:“Menarebornfreeand

equalinrights”

Rightsinclude“liberty,property,security,&

resistancetooppression”

Itguaranteedfreedomofspeech,&freedomof

religion,&equaljustice

Meanwhile,theeconomiccrisiscontinuedAngryprotestorsinParisdemandednewreforms

Citizenswerewithoutfood&facedstarvation

WhenrumorscirculatedthatthekingwasgoingtosendhisarmytoParis,citizensattackedtheprisonBastilletoseizeweaponstodefendthemselves

ThestormingoftheBastillein1789representedthebeginningoftheFrenchRevolution

In1791,LouisXVIfinallyagreedtoanewconstitutionthatlimitedhispower&createdalimitedmonarchy

But,LouisXVIfailedtoworkwiththeNationalAssembly&France’problemscontinued

QuickClassDiscussion:Whatshouldthe

NationalAssemblydotosolveFrance’sproblems?

FearingthespreadofFrance’srevolutionaryideas,Austria&PrussiaassembledarmiestorestoreFrance’s

absolutemonarchy

In1792,radicalstookcontrolofFrance&madeimportantdecisions:

In1793,KingLouisXVIwasarrested,convictedoftreason,&executed

byguillotine

WarwasdeclaredagainstAustria&Prussiaand300,000FrenchsoldiersweredraftedintoanationalarmyinordertodefendFranceTheFrenchmonarchywasoverthrown&democraticrepublicwascreatedcalledtheNationalConvention

ThesloganoftheFrenchRevolutionbecame:“Liberty,Equality,

Fraternity”

TheGuillotine

TheradicalleadersoftheNationalConventionfearedthat“enemiesoftherevolution”would

trytooverthrowthenewrepublicIn1793,radical

MaximilienRobespierreslowlygainedcontroloftheNationalConventionFrom1793to1794,Robespierreexecuted40,000“traitors”duringaneraknownasthe

ReignofTerrorTheReignofTerrorendedwhenFrenchcitizensturnedonRobespierre

&executedhim

Therevolutioncametoanendin1795,butFrancewasinchaos

Theeconomiccrisishadnotbeensolved&

peoplefacedstarvation

England,Holland,SpainjoinedAustria&PrussiainthewaragainstFrance

TheNationalConventionwasreplacedbyFrance’sthirdgov’tinsixyearscalledtheDirectory

TheDirectoryprovedtobeineffective&corrupt

NapoleonBonaparte

In1799,aFrenchmilitarygeneralnamedNapoleonBonaparteledarevolt&seizedpower

inFranceAsemperorofFrance,Napoleonintroducedneededreforms,

defeatedforeignarmies,&conqueredamassive

Frenchempire

FranceunderNapoleonFrenchsociety,politicsandreligionschangeddrasticallyunderNapoleon.

•NapoleonchangedFrance’seconomyforthebetter.Hemadetaxesfair,heincreasedtrade,andimprovedFrance’sbankinginfrastructure.•ReligiousFreedom:Napoleonabolishedslaveryandserfsandprovidedreligiousfreedomforall.•EducationSystem:Napoleonrealizedtheimportanceofthemiddleclass,soheofferedfreepubliceducationtoallpeople.HebelievedthataneducatedFrancewouldbeabetterFrance.

FranceunderNapoleoncontinues

■However,noteverythingwassoperfect.UnderNapoleon:– TheFrenchcitizenslosttheirfreedomofspeech.Napoleonwouldarrestanyonewhospokebadabouthisgovernment.

– ManywomenwhohadgainedrightsduringtheRevolution,nowhadthoserightstakenaway.

– BecauseNapoleonwasamilitaryleader,hewasalwaysfightingwars.ManysonsweredraftedintoFrance’sarmyandforcedtofightunderhim.

Homework:DueNextweek■Writeaparagraphansweringthefollowingquestion:–WastheFrenchRevolutionsuccessful?

■ Inyourparagraph,besuretoincludeclaim,evidencetobackupyourclaim,andacounterclaim(Opinionoppositetoyours).

■ Alwaysremember,whenyougiveacounterclaim,besuretothenexplainwhythatcounterclaimisincorrect.

■ StartbymakingaTchart,tobrainstormideas.