1789-1799

French Revolution

5 Stages of the French Revolution

Stage One Spring and Summer of 1789

Meeting of the Estates-General

Storming of the Bastille The Great Fear

Stage Two 1789-1791

National Assembly Declaration of the Rights of

Man Constitution of 1791

Stage Three 1791-1792

Legislative Assembly Emergence of 3 political

groups September Massacre

Stage Four 1792-1795

National Convention Reign of Terror Committee of

Public Safety Thermodorian

Reaction

Stage Five 1795-1799

Directory Coup d’etat

Causes of the French Revolution

Old Regime

Left over feudal social system from the Middle Ages

Third Estate (lowest

class)heavily taxedNo rightspoor

CausesEnlightenment Ideas

Enlightened figures questioned why so few held so much power

Ideas of equality, liberty, democracy spread among the Third Estate

Inspired by the American Revolution

Economic WoesOnce prosperous economy failingPopulation expanding rapidlyCost of living on the riseHeavy taxationWidespread crop failuresDebt due to support of American Revolution

Causes

CausesWeak Leader

King Louis XVI indecisive“out to lunch”Married to Marie Antoinette

“Madame Deficit”

Wanted to tax 2nd Estate to save economy

Estate=social classThree estatesFirst Estate

Catholic Church Clergy Types of jobs?

Bishops, abbots, priests What was their % of France’s population?

1-2% of population Did they pay any taxes?

NoPaid “free gift” of 2% of income to the king

Old Regime

Second EstateNobility

What types of job?Military officialsCourt officers

What % of population?2% of the population

Did they pay taxes?NO

Old Regime

Third Estate % of population?

97% of the population Did they pay taxes?

All of France’s taxes Bourgeoisie

Jobs? Doctors, lawyers, bankers, merchants

Urban Working Class (sans-culottes) Jobs?

Blacksmith, baker, servant, peddler

Peasants Jobs?

Farmers Homeless and poor Paid “corvee”

Working tax

Old Regime

Stage One-Spring 1789 Calling of the Estates-General

May 5, 1789 Topic: Should nobility pay

taxes to reduce economic crisis?

Voting System Each estate gets 1 vote total 1st and 2nd estates vote the same

Third Estate demanded a direct vote—told no and eventually dismissed from meeting

Estates-General voted against nobility paying taxes

In protest, 3rd Estate refuses to leave and locks themselves into Tennis Court to define their protest

Creation of the National Assembly June 17, 1789 Members of 3rd Estate voted to end the absolute

monarchy Intent on creating a representative government Signed their pact on June 20, 1789-Tennis Court Oath

Stage One- Spring 1789

Stage One-Summer of 1789Storming of the

BastilleJuly 14, 1789 Parisians storm the largest

prison in France in protest to King Louis XVI’s placement of Swiss troops in Paris

Parisians storm the prison’s magazine to gain ammunition and released all prisoners

7 political prisoners Symbolic event of French

independence

Stage One-Summer 1789

The Great FearWave of panic

sweeps over countryside

Peasant fear noble terrorization so they lash out

Burn noble’s homesDestroy nobles

financial books

Stage One-Summer 1789Woman’s March on Versailles

Parisian women marched to Versailles to bring Louis and Marie back to Paris

They were successful – Louis XVI and his family will never return to

Versailles

Created in Fall of 1789 Created and lead by bourgeoisie members Wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the

Citizen Goal was to restructure French government

Constitutional Monarchy Held elections for new representative body

Stage Two-National Assembly

Legislative Assembly made up of elected representatives

Goals: implement and uphold the Constitution of 1791Tackle food shortages, debt, cries for more

freedoms

Plagued with disagreements the Assembly splits into 3 political groups:

Radicals Moderates Conservatives

Stage Three-Legislative Assembly

RADICALS “left-wing”

Opposed the king and idea of a monarchy

Wanted sweeping changes

Proposed a Republic Used violence

Peasants, intellectuals, urban

working class

MODERATES “centrists”

Wanted some changes but not as many as

radicals Believed power should not be in the hands of the masses Bourgeoisie

CONSERVATIVES “right-wing”

Upheld idea of limited monarchy

Wanted few or no changes

Bourgeoisie and some nobility

Stage Three-Legislative Assembly

Monarchies around Europe feared revolutionary ideas may spread

Austria states support for Louis XVI and threatened to invade

Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria

What is significant about the relationship of Louis XVI and the Austrian Emperor?

France now has domestic and foreign conflicts

StageThree-Legislative Assembly

Stage Three-Legislative Assembly

Radicals begin to dominate Legislative Assembly July 25, 1792: Radicals

capture Louis XVI and family and put in a stone tower in Paris

September Massacre (September 1792) French troops leaving Paris to

fight Austrians Parisians fear less troops will

allow captured nobles to escape and regain control

Radicals lead raid on imprisoned nobles and clergy and kill 1000’s

Stage Three-Legislative Assembly

Radicals take over Legislative Assembly

Ends limited monarchy and Constitution of 1791

Louis XVI deposed as king

Legislative Assembly dissolved

Takes over after Legislative Assembly-September 21, 1792 Made up of radical leaders from the Jacobin Club

Supported a REPUBLIC

3 Main Leaders: Maximilien Robespierre – “The Incorruptible”

Jean Paul Marat-writer, newspaper editor

George Danton-great orator

Stage Four-National Convention

CHANGES:Abolished monarchy and declared France a

REPUBLICAll adult males could vote and hold officeLouis XVI=common citizen

Citizen Army1793- First Coalition takes on France

GB, Holland, Spain, Austria and PrussiaNational Convention holds a draftBy 1794, 800,000 men and WOMEN fighting to

protect France

Stage Four-National Convention

“REPUBLIC OF VIRTURE”Goal: to create a republic based on the virtues of

“LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY”

To lead a “virtuous” life, one must change his ways…

-No signs of monarchy allowed-no face cards in deck of cards-closed churches --- seen as a threat to authority-Changed calendar

-eliminated Sundays-10 day weeks, 30 day months-changed names of months to represent climate-1789=year 1

Stage Four- National Convention

REIGN OF TERROR

Stage Four-National Convention

“The first maxim of our politics ought to be to lead the people by means of reason and the enemies of the people by terror.” ~Robespierre

Goal: use terror to enforce the Republic’s virtues

Committee of Public Safety-created and lead by Robespierre-seek out enemies of the Republic-try and execute enemies of the Republic

inan equal manner

-3000 Parisians and 40,ooo executed by the guillotine alone; mostly 3rd EstateInfamous executions :Louis XVI-King of France Marie Antoinette-Queen of FranceGeorge Danton-a leader of National Convention

Stage Four-National Convention

GuillotineDevice created by Dr.

Guillotin as a means to an enlightened execution without prejudice

How might the guillotine be an enlightened form of execution?

Execution of Louis XVILouis XVI-King of

FranceExecuted Jan 21,

1793Said to have cried

like a baby as he climbed the scaffolding

Symbolic event signifying the emergence of a true radical republic

Execution of George DantonGeorge Danton

A leader of National Convention and close friend and confidant of Robespierre

Executed by guillotine in spring of 1794

Considered not RADICAL enough!!

Execution of Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette- Queen of France Executed on Oct. 16,

1793 Was never liked by the

people of France Was executed as a

traitor for conspiring against France with her brother the Emperor of Austria

Murder of Jean Paul MaratJean Paul Marat

Writer and publisher of “The Friend of the People”

Murdered in his bath tub on July 13, 1793

Murdered by woman that feared his ideas too radical

Wanted an end to unnecessary violence

Radicals Too Radical?How does this

cartoon depict the “arms” of the radicals?

By the people represented in the cartoon…what might be the cartoonist’s opinion of the “radicals”?

Stage Four-National Convention

Even the Radicals had enough

National Convention leaders secretly organize the arrest and execution of Robespierre

July 24, 1794-Thermodorian Reaction

After Robespierre’s execution, National Convention leaders rally to create a more “moderate” government structure.

Convention remains in place until the new structure is created and new members elected

This will become the 5th and final stage…

THE DIRECTORY

End of National Convention

1795- members of defunct National Convention create new “moderate” government

Still have many economic and social problems to tackle

Made up of MODERATES, mostly bourgeoisieCorrupted; enriched themselves at the public’s

expenseStructure:

2 House Legislature5 Executive members

Stage Five-The Directory

Stage Five-The DirectorySomewhat successful

Created sense of order and stability throughout France

Responsible for the rise of France’s greatest military mastermind…

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

Napoleon will overthrow the Directory in

November of 1799.