The French Revolution

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

•First Estate: Clergy, own land & tax exempt (.5%)

Second Estate: Nobles, govt positions, military, courts & church officials. Tax exempt. (1.5%)

Third Estate: 98% of pop, pay all taxes, own no land

Includes peasants &Bourgeoisie –middle class (drs Merchants, lawyers, writers

upset w/ nobles)

•Many problems: •Bad harvests, rising food prices, lack of food & clothes, little manufacturing, govt spending money on wars, luxuries.

•Louis XVI meets w/ Estates General (a gathering of representatives from all three estates) to raise taxes.

•Each estate gets ONE vote so 3rd asks for a vote from each person.

•3rd wants to get rid of tax exempt.

•King says no & locks palaces so 3rd cant meet.

•3rd Estate meets 6/17/1789 & calls itself National Assembly

• Swear TENNIS COURT OATH to write new Fr constitution

•July 14th, 1789 mob storms Bastille, (prison in Paris) after Louis XVI uses troops against National Assembly.

•When peasant rebellions break out,

National Assembly meets on Aug. 4th, 1789 & abolish rights of landlords, Church tithes & tax exemptions

•Aug 26, 1789, adopt Declaration of the Rights of Man which gave basic liberties for MEN such as: equal rights, freedom of press, speech & no tax exempt. (enlightenment ideas)

•Louis XVI says no.

•Armed women march & force family to Paris

•New constitution written 1791 by Three Estates.

•Creates Legislative Assembly

•Men who paid certain amt in taxes could vote (2/3 of pop).

•Lower classes say no b/c they can’t vote

•King flees & is caught. •Aus & Prussia want Louis back in power, so Leg Assembly declare

war (big losses).

•1792 radical groups called COMMUNES organize to protest new Constitution

• Paris Commune, gets king, & forces Legislative Assembly to call for National Convention w/ universel suffrage (all vote)

•Made up of mostly poor working class men called themselves SANS-COULOTTES (those w/o fine clothes. Wore pants)

•At National Convention, New Minister of Justice, Georges Danton goes after royal supporters.

•1000s murdered.

•DO NOT WRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!•Sept 1792: National

Convention is ruling body. •Mostly lawyers & property

owners who distrust king. •Spilt into 2 groups over what

to do w/ king. •Both part of JACOBINS- a

network of political groups. GIRONDINS- keep king alive. MOUNTAIN- Kill king

•King guillotined 1793

• Other nations go to war against France (Aus, Pru, SP, Br, Port, Rus).

•DON’T WRITE!

•Also killed Louis’ wife, Marie Antoinette.

• Famous for her excess & for saying “let them eat cake”

•Nat Convention gives the COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY broad powers to do anything & protect France from enemies of the Revolution

•Prosecuted enemies of rev & 40,000 die, 16,000 by guillotine alone)

•MAXIMILLAIN ROBESPIERRE ran the CPS along with DANTON (1793-94)

•This was Called the Reign of Terror.

•France built a huge army, pushing back its enemies.

•National Convention guillotined Robespierre in 1794.

•Middle class took over & reduce power of CPS. They set up new Constitution w/ a new leg assembly of 2 houses.

•Don’t write! •5 directors act as executive committee called DIRECTORY. Very Corrupt

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

•Napoleon led COUP DE TAT (or sudden overthrow) in 1799 of Directory

•Set up new govt called CONSULATE.

•Napoleon is consul & controls army, foreign affairs & legislature.

• Crowns self Emperor in 1804, but

called France a republic

•Made agreement w/ Catholic church

• Recognize it as church of France & in return pope did not ask for stolen lands back.

•The Napoleonic Code created 7 codes of law.

•CIVIL CODE most important. – equality of citizens, religious toleration, abolish serfdom, choose profession.

(ideas of liberty)

•Despotism: 1. hurt women’s rights & divorce.

2. Censored newspapers, govt opened mail

3. Secret police4. New nobles mostly military & middle class.

•DO NOT WRITE!!!!•When Nap became Consul, he signed peace,

•War begins again in 1803 •Btw 1805-1807, Nap beats Aus, Prus, & Rus armies.

•Built GRAND EMPIRE btw 1807-1812 which included Fr & Italy, Holland, Swiss Republic, SP, Rhine Confederation & Warsaw

•DON”T WRITE!!!!•Nap tries to invade GB, but navy defeats Nap at Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

• Tries to block trade of Brit to Euro through CONTINENTAL SYSTEM (can’t buy/sell Br goods)

• other states still did.

•Invades Russia in 1812 (won’t follow Cont Sys.)

•Grand Army of 600,000 march in.

• Rus army retreats 100s of miles, burning own villages as, so French can’t

get supplies.

•Find Moscow in flames in Winter. Nap retreats & only 40,000 men live.

NAPOLEON RETREATS

Stop throwing snowballs

at my men!

•DO NOT WRITE!!!•Nations rise against a

weakened France.• Paris taken in Mar 1814 • Napoleon exiled to Elba &

monarchy restored• Louis XVIII weak.•Nap escapes & troops join his

side despite being sent to capture him

•With troops on his side claims self emperor & goes to Paris Mar 20, 1815.

•Nations rise again to get rid of Nap.

At Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815 Nap defeated by Duke Wellington & exiled to St Helena (dies there)