French Regimes History

7/27/2019 French Regimes History

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History of French Regimes, 1789 to

Present

Prepared by Mike Lofchie

August, 1572. St. Bartholemews Massacre. This was a purge of

French Hugenots (Calvinist Protestants) by French Catholics. It

insured that France would remain predominantly Catholic in its

religious identify.

By comparison, in early 1530s, Henry VIII had founded theAnglican Church, which is conventionally viewed as both Catholic

and Reformed.

1. 1643-1789. Absolute monarchy under the three Louis.First, Louis XIV, b. 1638, ruled from 16431715 (72 years).

His period of was marked by construction of Versailles, which

may have absorbed half of governments revenues. There was

great corruption, and the persistence of the feudal structure of

the French economy.


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Louis XIV

The second Louis was Louis XV (great grandson), b. 1710;

ruled France for almost 60 years, from 1715-1774.

Early period was considered an era of major economic reforms

to promote a more unified and developed nation-state. These

included:

o Stabilization of the currency (1726)o Balanced budget (1738)o Promotion of internal trade through elimination of

internal tariffs, building of canals and creating a


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national system of roads. By 1750, France had best

road system in Europe.

o Promotion of foreign trade.France began to experience emergence of a middle class based

principally on trade & commerce. Enlargement of trade

contributed to pressures on the guild system, leading to social

discontents of the sans culottes.

Merchants and bankers earning profits on trade wanted to

invest in manufacturing; were prevented from doing so by

dirigisme; i.e. highly centralized economic controls.

Reputation of the royal court for conspicuous consumption

and libertine lifestyles did not help monarchical legitimacy.

The third Louis was Louis XVI [b. August, 1754], was

grandson of Louis XV. Inherited throne in 1774, age 20 and

ruled from 1774-1789. Married Marie Antoinette [b.

November 1755] in May, 1770. He was age 15. She was age 14.


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Marie Antoinette


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Louis XVI

2. 1789-1792. Decline of the monarchy.

Spring, 1789. Louis XVI agreed to summon the Estates

General (Clergy, Nobility, Commoners). The three estates

agree to unite to become a single National Assembly. Total was

about 1200 members; 300 clergy, 300 aristocracy, 600 thirdestate (commercial classes).

Power of monarchy was increasingly limited by rise and

growing influence of radical movements, especially an

increasingly radicalized National Assembly dominated by a


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radical faction known as the Jacobins, led by Maxmillien

Robespierre.

Maxmillien Robespierre

There were several other significant political clubs including

Girondists, Cordeliers (radical republicans), Feuillants

(constitutional monarchists) and Montagnards (TheMountain), an ultra-radical sub-faction of Jacobins.


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The Estates Generales.


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August 26, 1789. Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizen.

Key ideas were individual freedom, self-determination andsovereignty of the people.

But, later, September 17, 1793, Law of the Suspects.

1. Immediately after the publication of the present decree, all suspects within the

territory of the Republic and still at large, shall be placed in custody.

2. The following are deemed suspects:

1those who, by their conduct, associations, comments, or writings have shownthemselves partisans of tyranny or federalism and enemies of liberty;

2those who are unable to justify, in the manner prescribed by the decree of 21March, their means of existence and the performance of their civic duties;

3those to whom certificates of patriotism have been refused;

4civil servants suspended or dismissed from their positions by the National

Convention or by its commissioners, and not reinstated, especially those whohave been or are to be dismissed by virtue of the decree of 14 August;

5those former nobles, together with husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons or

daughters, brothers or sisters, and agents of the migrs, who have not constantly

demonstrated their devotion to the Revolution;

6those who have emigrated between 1 July 1789, and the publication of the

decree of 30 March (8 April 1792), even though they may have returned to Francewithin the period established by said decree or prior thereto.

October 6, 1789.

Paris mob storms Versailles Palace, forcibly moved Louis XVI

and Marie Antoinette to an older palace, the Tuileries, where

they are kept under virtual house arrest. [The departure of


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Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette from Versailles is the final

scene depicted in Sophia Coppola movie, Marie Antoinette.]

Images of the Tuileries Palace


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1791. First constitution proclaimed, lasted until August 10, 1792.

Role of Economic Factors

French Monarchy was bankrupt and hugely in debt that it couldnot repay to various international banking interests in Paris,

Amsterdam, Hamburg and Geneva.

Feudal system of collecting tax revenues prevented necessary

revenue from reaching the central government. Also,

Cost of Versailles Cost of Financing the American Revolution Cost of the Seven Years War Loss of Colonial Empire in N. America

National Assembly Debate: should the monarchical debt be

repudiated.

Yes: it had been accumulated by an un-democratic regime with no popular voice.

The people should not be held responsible.

No: the Revolutionary Government would need to be able to borrow to finance an

army for the expected war against invading European powers. Financial credibility

would be critically important.

1790 Confiscation of Church Properties.

National Assembly issues first of a series of assignats.

These were effectively mortgage documents with physical

properties of the church, now called national goods ascollateral.

Original idea was a 1-time issuance but as demand for

currency rose, there was a demand for more & more currency.

Assignats were issued over and over again; eventually any


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begins life in exile. He inherited throne in 1814, after collapse of

first Bonapartist Empire.]

April 20, 1792.

National Assembly declared war on Austria.

April 25, 1792.

Said to be date on which La Marseillaise (The Song of

Marseille), French national anthem was composed.

July 25, 1792.

Brunswick Manifestro, issued by Duke of Brunswick, who led

the Prussian Army.

Purpose was:"to put an end to the anarchy in the interior of France, to check the attacks upon the throne

and the altar, to reestablish the legal power, to restore to the king the security and theliberty of which he is now deprived and to place him in a position to exercise once more the

legitimate authority which belongs to him."

This manifesto is widely considered to have worsened the

position of the French monarchy by further radicalizing the

anti-monarchy, republican elements within the revolutionaryprocess. It probably contributed to the August 10th storming of

the Tuileries Palace.

August 10, 1792.

Radical revolutionary elements including republican militia

from Marseille together with radicalized sans culottes from

Paris storm Tuileries Palace. King and Queen flee across the

Tuileries Garden to take sanctuary in National Assembly. OnAugust 13, both are arrested on charges of conspiring with

European powers to overthrow revolution and are imprisoned

in the Templar Prison.


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Storming the Tuileries, August 10, 1792.

August 19, 1792.

Prussian Army (Duke of Brunswick) invades France, captures

fortress town of Verdun. Rumor that Prussians were advancing

on Paris further ignite radical sentiments.

The map, below, shows the location of Verdun, indicating how

far the Prussian army had invaded France.


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Paris commune mobilized a conscript (draft) army of 60,000.

This is considered first use of the draft to create a national

army.

But, leadership of army refused to leave Paris stating its fear of

a prison uprising that might destabilize (overturn) the

revolutionary process and free the king.

August 27, 1791.

Declaration of Pilnitz, issued by King of Prussia, stated that it

was in interest of European monarchies to see to the well-being

of Louis XVI; threatened consequences if anything should

happen.

September Massacre, September 2-7, 1792.

Paris mob, instigated by Commune, invaded prisons andslaughtered 1,400 prisoners including priests, criminals, some

members of royalty, and individuals suspected of loyalty to

monarchy. Many were women and young boys. Some of this

violence was instigated by a radical newspaper called The

Friend of the People, edited by Jean-Paul Marat.


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September Massacre

September 21, 1792.

Proclamation of the First Republic.

December, 1792.

Trial of Louis XVI by the National Convention, which had 721

members: 688 voted guilty; none, for acquittal. On death

penalty, however, vote was 361 for, 288 against.

During this period, real power was wielded by political radicals.

Paris was governed by a radical commune. Political defeat of

Girondist faction, which had favored a more constitutional

approach.


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September 20, 1792.

French conscript army holds off a combined Austrian-Prussian

army at Battle of Valmy. Though battle was indecisive, this is

considered a great victory for the revolution.

September 21, 1792.

Proclamation of the First Republic. Constitution of 1791,

providing for constitutional monarchy had lasted until the

August, 1792, raid on Tuileries Palace.

Louis XVI at Templar Prison

December, 1792.

Louis XVI is tried and convicted of treason for allegedly plotting

with European powers.


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January 21, 1793.

Execution of Louis XVI.

April, 1793.Formation of Committee on Public Safety, joined by

Robespierre in July. This Committee is notorious for having

launched the reign of terror, the systematic execution of

members of the aristocracy and their suspected sympathizers.

Reign of terror is generally considered to end in July, 1794 with

arrest of Robespierre in the National Assembly.

Sans Culottes


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July 13, 1793.

Eve of 4th

anniversary of storming of BastilleJean-Paul Marat,

a radical journalist, was assassinated by Charlotte Corday (1768

1793), young woman (25) who believed him responsible for theSeptember 1792 Massacre. She was a Girondist sympathizer.

The actual bathtub in which Marat was murdered as well as the

knife that Charlotte Corday used can be viewed at the Musee

Grevin in Paris.


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Death of Marat, by David.

July 13, 1793.

Charlotte Corday executed by guillotine.

October 14-16, 1793.

Trial of Marie Antoinette in the Palace of Justice, then called the

Revolutionary Court. The trial was held from October 14th

to

16th

. She was found guilty and executed at the guillotine on

October 16, 1793.


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The enduring symbol of the French Revolution is the Guillotine,

which is named after Dr. Joseph Guillotin (1738-1814), Jacobin

member of Estates General. He advocated it as a merciful

method of execution.

January, 1793.

A coalition of European powers including Austria, Prussia andEngland invade France. England encouraged local revolts.

In addition, revolution was challenged by local resistance in

region of Vendee, in south-western France. Suppression of the

anti-revolutionary rebellion in the Vendee gave rise to the


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concept of total war. Napoleon distinguished himself as an

artillery officer at Battle of Toulon.

April, 1793.

Formation of Committee on Public Safety.

April, 1793-July, 1794.

Radical phase of First Republic, government by Committee of

Public Safety.

September 17, 1793.

The Revolutionary Government issued the Law of the Suspects.This law criminalized descent (being a member of the

aristocracy) as well as association and thought. There was

discussion of what it meant, genetically, to be a member of the

aristocracy. Law was extremely vague: it was punishable to be

an enemy of the revolution.An early instance of identity

crime and is generally considered the beginning of the Reign of

Terror, which lasts until June, 1794.

October 31, 1793.

Execution of Girondists, who were thought to favor

constitutional monarchy. Approximately 23 Girondist leaders

had been imprisoned in the Concierge with Marie Antoinette.

An exhibition there depicts their last meal.


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Concierge

Execution of Girondists


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July 1794.

Arrest and Execution of Robespierre. This was end of radical

phase of the revolution.

The Arrest of Robespierre

4. November, 1795 toNovember, 1799, government by

Directory.

This was the so-called moderate phase of First Republic.

Government was called the Directory. It included

representatives of all major groups, including military.

Napoleon Bonaparte, now known for his military exploitsdefending the revolution, had close friends on the Directorate.

5. 1799-1804: Military Dictatorship.


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Coronation of Napoleon I

December, 1804. Napoleon held a referendum on

proclamation of first Napoleonic Empire. Had himself crowned

emperor.


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1812. War against Russia, defeat of French army.

Minards Graph


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1813-1814. Political instability included various efforts to send

Napoleon into exile.

1814.

Napoleon abdicated, accepted exile to Island of Elba.

Restoration of Bourbon monarchy under Louis XVIII. [b. Nov.,

1755, was younger brother of Louis XVI, uncle of Louis XVII.]

He had fled France for exile after the failed flight to Varennes

of June, 1791. He remained in exile for 23 years, until 1814.

Louis XVIII

March, 1815. Napoleon returned from Elba and captured Paris.

Louis XVIII fled to Belgium.


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June 1815. Battle of Waterloo.

Napoleons final attempt to return was defeated by a combined

European army under the command of the Duke of Wellington

and a Prussian army under Blucher. Napoleon exiled again, toisland of St. Helena where he died in 1821.

7. 18141830. Restoration of Bourbon Monarchy under Louis

XVIII, who ruled until 1824. Followed by Charles X.

8. Revolution of 1830, the July Revolution.

[Architectural note: Tuileries Palace was destroyed again

during violence that took place during this revolution.]

18301848: The Orleanist Monarchy.

Installation of the more moderate Orleanist of July

Monarchy under Louis-Philippe, who governed until 1848.

Critical Features of Orleanist Ideas.

1. Orleanists did not accept principle of divine right of kings. [But, also, did

not accept popular legitimization of monarchy.]

2. Orleanists accepted constitutional monarchy and, therefore, power-

sharing with Parliament.

3. Declared that Catholic religion was not official state religion: King was not

instituted (installed) in a Church ceremony.

4. Orleanists accepted French revolution: did not consider that the purpose

of their government was to restore the pre-revolutionary, ancien regime.


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June, 1832.

Student revolt against Orleanist Monarchy, depicted in final

scenes of Les Miserables.

9. Revolution of 1848: 1848-1852. Second Republic.

1848. Second Republican Revolution leads to creation of Second

Republic. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon,

elected President.1

1Napoleons first wife, Josephine had been previously married to a member of the

French aristocracy, Alexander de Beau Harnais, with whom she had two children,

Hortense and Eugene. Alexander Harnais was executed by the revolution, making

her a widow, and therefore eligible for marriage, when Napoleon married her.

Together, they had one son, Napoleon II, but who was sickly and died at age 21. One

of Napoleons brothers, Joseph, married Hortense, and their son became Napoleon

III, or Louis Napoleon. Thus, Napoleon III was both Napoleons nephew (son of his

brother, Joseph) and, by Josephines daughter, his step-grandson; i.e., his brothers

son and his wifes grandson.


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1851. Napoleon III stages coup.

Napoleon III

1852. Napoleon holds referendum on creation of second

Napoleonic Empire.

10. 1852-1870. Second Napoleonic Empire.

Franco-Prussian War, July 1870-May, 1871.

September 2, 1870.Defeatand captureof Napoleon III at Battle of Sedan.

Capture of an entire army.

September 4, 1870. Military coup overthrows Napoleon III,

proclamation of Third Republic, which lasted until 1940.


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The new government continued military resistance to the

Germans who laid siege to Paris but did not wish to invade the

city. It is estimated the 40,000 Parisians perished owing to food

shortages.

February, 1871.

Final defeat of France by Germany in Franco-Prussian war.

Germans are permitted to march through Paris.

March-May 1871.

Paris Commune included Anarchists, Socialists, Jacobins and

Communists. Civil war between Paris Commune and Versailles

Government included the second siege of Paris. About 25,000communards were killed during this period; 35,000 arrested and

sent to prisons.

May, 1871 suppression of Paris Commune. [During their brief

period, the Communards destroyed and looted the Tuileries

Palace.]

Women Defending Paris Commune


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Ruins of the Tuileries, 1871.


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Committee of Communards

August 1871. Adolph Thiers elected President. He had

campaigned as a monarchist.

1873.

Thiers was replaced by Marshall McMahon a more conservativemonarchist. McMahon banned celebrations of Bastille Day and

Republic Day (September 21).

FebruaryJuly 1875.

Constitutional Assembly approved laws and procedures for the

new republic.

October 14 and 28, 1877. Two stage election under the SingleMember District System produced a Republican Majority in

National Assembly.


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The Radical Party, led by Leon Gambetta had campaigned to

persuade peasant farmers that they could prosper under

democratic institutions.

Leon Gambetta

1888 Boulanger Affair.

General George Boulanger was an extremely popular figure.

Owing to the unpopularity of the Third Republic, he very nearly

staged a Bonapartist coup. Boulanger affair is generally

considered to demonstrate the strength of right-wing sentiments

in France.

1894-1906.

Dreyfuss Affair: revealed depth of anti-semitism in France.


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Alfred Dreyfuss

12. 19401944.Vichy France. This was a period of military government under

Marshal Petain, a hero of World War I.

May 1940.

German invasion. Armistice with Germany divided France into

2 zones. Roughly, northern half, including Paris and west coast

of France, was under direct military occupation by German.


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The southern half of the country was Vichy France. Capital

of Vichy France was small town of Vichy. Head of Government

was Marshall Petain. The Vichy Government was known for its

close collaboration with German authorities.

June, 1942.

Germany occupied Vichy France, but allowed Petain

Government to operate as a peudo-sovereign entity.

Jeu de Paume (Handball Court) Museum

Role in WW II.


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Rose Valland, 1898-1980

Memorial Plaque for Rose Valland


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June, 1944.

Allied invasion.

August 1944.

Liberation of Paris.

1944 -1946.

Period of 2 Constituent Assemblies and 3 referenda.

DeGaulle had disbanded the Resistance, allowing the individualparties to pursue their separate constitutional and political

agendas.


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Francois Hollande


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Marine Le Pen


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Olivier Besancenot, New Anti-Capitalist Party

Documents

French Regimes History