Economic Crisis of 1780sEconomic Crisis of 1780s

1780s—Bad weather1780s—Bad weather Poor harvestsPoor harvests PeasantsPeasants

– 90% of population90% of population– 75% Landless75% Landless– Want end of feudal obligationsWant end of feudal obligations– Lower TaxesLower Taxes

Urban workersUrban workers– Higher bread pricesHigher bread prices– 60% of wages go to food60% of wages go to food

France on the Eve of Revolution Economic crisisEconomic crisis

– War and debt:War and debt:– Louis XIV (1643-1715)—series of wars—Spanish Louis XIV (1643-1715)—series of wars—Spanish

SuccessionSuccession– Louis XV (1715-1774)—Austrian Succession; 7 Years’ WarLouis XV (1715-1774)—Austrian Succession; 7 Years’ War– Louis XVI (1774-1792)– American RevolutionLouis XVI (1774-1792)– American Revolution

Intransigence of aristocracyIntransigence of aristocracy– Growing Influence of NoblesGrowing Influence of Nobles– Defense of Feudal privileges and seigneurial rightsDefense of Feudal privileges and seigneurial rights– No taxationNo taxation

Privileges of the clergyPrivileges of the clergy Various royal schemes to raise moneyVarious royal schemes to raise money

– Finance Ministers like Necker and Calonne attempt to Finance Ministers like Necker and Calonne attempt to wrest power and money from Aristocracywrest power and money from Aristocracy

– Nobles push for calling of Estates General to decide new Nobles push for calling of Estates General to decide new taxes taxes

The French RevolutionThe French Revolution

Origins: Failure of the old regime Significance: A new Europe A Revolution Unfolds Estates General

“Doubling the Third” Abbe E. Sieyes What is the Third Estate? “liberty, equality, fraternity” National Assembly & Tennis Court Oath 14 July 1789: Storming the Bastille

Estates GeneralEstates General Last called in 1614Last called in 1614 Noble AspirationsNoble Aspirations Structure of EstatesStructure of Estates

– First Estate: ClergyFirst Estate: Clergy– Second Estate: NobilitySecond Estate: Nobility– Third Estate: Everyone elseThird Estate: Everyone else

Debate over Voting ProceduresDebate over Voting Procedures– A) Tradition– each estate same number of repsA) Tradition– each estate same number of reps– B) Tradition—by EstateB) Tradition—by Estate– C) Voting by headC) Voting by head

DecisionDecision– May 1789: “Doubling of the Third”May 1789: “Doubling of the Third”– Number of Representatives doubles in Third EstateNumber of Representatives doubles in Third Estate– Voting still remains by EstateVoting still remains by Estate

14 July 1789: Storming the Bastille

The Summer of 1789:The Summer of 1789:Revolutionary Activity in City and Revolutionary Activity in City and

CountrysideCountryside ““Storming of Bastille”Storming of Bastille”

– Popular Fears of Popular Fears of Royal PlotRoyal Plot

– Historic function: Historic function: PrisonPrison

– Popular Beliefs: Popular Beliefs: Armory & PrisonArmory & Prison

– 14 July 178914 July 1789– Royal troops kill 98 Royal troops kill 98

peoplepeople– Significance?Significance?

““Great Fear”Great Fear”– Rioting throughout Rioting throughout

rural Francerural France– Peasants anger Peasants anger

toward Noble Lordstoward Noble Lords ConsequencesConsequences

– National AssemblyNational Assembly– 4 August 1789 4 August 1789

Renunciation of Renunciation of Feudal PrivilegesFeudal Privileges

End of Feudal End of Feudal ObligationsObligations

All French subject to All French subject to same Lawssame Laws

Language of Revolution August 4, 1789: Civic Equality Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen,

27 August 1789 March to Versailles, October 1789 Administrative reforms: Departments Civil Constitution of the Clergy, 1790 Constitution of 1791

– Active vs. Passive Citizenship

Olympes de Gouges Declaration of the Rights of Women

The King’s DilemmaThe King’s Dilemma

•June 20, 1791: Flees Paris, “Flight to Varennes”•Reluctantly approves constitution•Louis XVI as duplicitous monarch

•Plotting counter-revolution with Austria & Prussia to defeat French Revolutionaries•April 1792 declaring war on Austria then Prussia•Hopes of French Defeat

•August 10, 1792: Arrested for treason•September 22, 1792: France declared a republic

French Revolution

1787 1799

Assembly of

Notables convened

1789

Estates General convened (May 5)National Assembly declared (June 17)Tennis Court Oath (June 20)Fall of the Bastille (July 14)Great Fear (Summer)Nobles Surrender Feudal Rights (Aug. 4)Decl. Of Rights of Man & Citizen (Aug. 27)October Days

Economic Crisis

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

1790

Royal family fleesConstitution established

1791 1792

France declares war on AustriaSeptember MassacresRepublic Established (Sept.)

1793

Louis XVI executedCommittee of Public Safety est.Levée en masseMarie Antoinette executedWomen’s clubs bannedCult of Reason Proclaimed

1794

Reign of TerrorJune ‘93 - Jl ‘94

Execution of Robespierre

1795

Thermidorian Reaction: ‘94-’99

Directory est.

Napoleon’s Coup d’état

Constitutional Monarchy: Sept. 1791 -- Aug. 1792

Republic: Aug. ‘92-Jl ’94

ConstitutionalReforms 1789-1791

Convention to “republicanize everything”Convention to “republicanize everything” Music—the national anthem “The Marseillaise”Music—the national anthem “The Marseillaise” Festivals to celebrate the Revolution and the new Festivals to celebrate the Revolution and the new

RepublicRepublic– Festival of Federation (14 July); Festival of Festival of Federation (14 July); Festival of

Unity (10 August)Unity (10 August) Flags—the Tricolor (red, white, and blue)—July Flags—the Tricolor (red, white, and blue)—July

17891789– 1793: the mandatory cockade1793: the mandatory cockade

Patriotic Symbols: Marianne and the Patriotic Symbols: Marianne and the Personification of LibertyPersonification of Liberty

Language—Patriots used informal ‘tu’ Language—Patriots used informal ‘tu’ New Calendar honoring reason and republicanism New Calendar honoring reason and republicanism

replace Christian calendarreplace Christian calendar New standards of measurement based on reason New standards of measurement based on reason

and decimals: metric systemand decimals: metric system

Cultural Revolution and the Creation of Cultural Revolution and the Creation of a Republic of Virtuea Republic of Virtue

The Final Step: End of the Royal The Final Step: End of the Royal FamilyFamily

Louis XVI (“citizen Louis XVI (“citizen Capet”) tried for Capet”) tried for treason and treason and executed on 21 executed on 21 January 1793.January 1793.

The queen, Marie The queen, Marie Antoinette, follow Antoinette, follow her husband to the her husband to the guillotine in guillotine in October.October.

The dauphin dies in The dauphin dies in prison in 1794prison in 1794

Allons enfants de la PatrieLe jour de gloire est arrivé.Contre nous, de la tyrannie,L'étandard sanglant est levé,l'étandard sanglant est levé,Entendez-vous, dans la compagnes.Mugir ces farouches soldatsIls viennent jusque dans nos brasEgorger vos fils, vos compagnes.

Chorus: Aux armes citoyens!Formez vos bataillons,Marchons, marchons!Qu'un sang impurAbreuve nos sillons.

Amour sacré de la Patrie,Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs,Liberté, liberté cherie,Combats avec tes defénseurs;Combats avec tes défenseurs.Sous drapeaux, que la victoireAcoure à tes mâles accents;Que tes ennemis expirantsVoient ton triomphe et notre gloire!

Chorus: Aux armes citoyens!

Let us go, children of the fatherlandOur day of Glory has arrived.Against us stands tyranny,The bloody flag is raised,The bloody flag is raised.Do you hear in the countrysideThe roar of these savage soldiers They come right into our armsTo cut the throats of your sons,your country.

Chorus: To arms, citizens!Form up your battalions Let us march, Let us march!That their impure bloodShould water our fields

Sacred love of the fatherlandGuide and support our vengeful arms.Liberty, beloved liberty,Fight with your defenders;Fight with your defenders.Under our flags, so that victoryWill rush to your manly strains;That your dying enemiesShould see your triumph and glory

Chorus: To arms, citizens!

The Republic of Virtue, the The Republic of Virtue, the MarseillaiseMarseillaise, , & the & the levlevéée en massee en masse

Protecting the Republic of Virtue: The Terror

External and Internal ThreatsExternal and Internal Threats– Foreign enemies: Foreign enemies:

Prussia, Austria, Spain, the Dutch Republic and Great Prussia, Austria, Spain, the Dutch Republic and Great BritainBritain

– Counter-revolutionaries—nobles, clergy, “subversives”Counter-revolutionaries—nobles, clergy, “subversives”– Rampant inflation and food shortagesRampant inflation and food shortages

National Convention’s 3 Goals:National Convention’s 3 Goals:– Win Win external warexternal war “lev “levée en masse”—National Armyée en masse”—National Army– Win Win internal warinternal war that threatened stability of nation that threatened stability of nation– Stabilize economy by implementing price controls and higher Stabilize economy by implementing price controls and higher

wageswages Result: Result:

– Martial LawMartial Law– Appointment of Committee for Public SafetyAppointment of Committee for Public Safety– TerrorTerror

Death of Robespierre (28 July—the 9Death of Robespierre (28 July—the 9thth of of Thermidor)Thermidor)

1794-1799: Thermidorean Reaction1794-1799: Thermidorean Reaction

Weariness of Revolution and Turning back Weariness of Revolution and Turning back ChangesChanges

• Undoing the Machine of TerrorUndoing the Machine of Terror

• Continuing Instability and Uncertainty in Continuing Instability and Uncertainty in Politics (spectrum of possibilities)Politics (spectrum of possibilities)

• Ongoing War with European StatesOngoing War with European States

Conserving the revolution: The Conserving the revolution: The Thermidorean ReactionThermidorean Reaction

New Constitutional Government: New Constitutional Government: The DirectoryThe Directory

Convention: 2 Legislative Houses: Convention: 2 Legislative Houses:

Upper Body--Council of Elders Upper Body--Council of Elders

Lower Body– Council of 500Lower Body– Council of 500

Executive: 5 Man Directory Elected from Executive: 5 Man Directory Elected from Council of EldersCouncil of Elders

What’s Changed from Previous AssembliesWhat’s Changed from Previous Assemblies

Rejection of Democracy and Radical RepublicanismRejection of Democracy and Radical Republicanism

Reassertion of Property QualificationsReassertion of Property Qualifications

Return of Middle Class LiberalsReturn of Middle Class Liberals

Removal of Sans-CulottesRemoval of Sans-Culottes

Rejection of Radical Republicanism, “White” reactionRejection of Radical Republicanism, “White” reaction

Return to Traditions of Family and ChurchReturn to Traditions of Family and Church