French Revolution

Serious fiscal problems in France◦ War debts, 1780s

50% of tax revenues to war debts◦ 25% of tax revenues to military

Leads to revolution more radical than the American◦ Repudiation of many aspects of the ancien régime

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The French Revolution

Louis XVI

By A.F. Callet (1741-1823)

#1: Absolute Monarchy

The First Esta

te1% of the Population

(Clergy)

The Second Estate1.5% - 2% of the

Population(Titled Nobility)

The Third Estate97- 98% of the Population

(Bourgeoisie & Working Lower Class)

#2: Social Inequality

Three Estates◦ 1st Estate: Roman Catholic Clergy

100,000◦ 2nd Estate: Nobles

400,000◦ 3rd Estate: Everyone else

24,000,000 serfs, free peasants, urban residents Estates General founded 1303, had not met

since 1614 One vote per estate

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The Estates General

“What is the Third Estate? All. But an ‘all’ that is fettered (chained) and oppressed. What would it be without the privileged order? It would be all; but free and flourishing. Nothing will go well without the Third Estate; everything would go considerably better without the other two.”

By Abbe Sieyes, a clergyman who became a revolutionary, 1789

The cost of maintaining Versailles and expensive wars had the government spending more than it earned. Led to a greater tax burden on the Third Estate.

Bad harvests in 1789 led to widespread starvation.

Inflation.

#3 Economic Injustices

Versailles Court

Versailles gardens

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette's village amusement at the Château de Versailles

One of the cottages built in Marie Antoinette's private village

The Enlightenment thinkers, especially those from France, led many to question France’s absolute monarchy and led to demands for democracy.

#4: The Enlightenment

England’s Glorious Revolution The successful fight for liberty and equality in the American Revolution

#5: English and American Examples

Protest of nobility forces King Louis to call Estates General for new taxes, May 1789

3rd Estate demands greater social change June, 3rd Estate secedes

◦ Renamed “National Assembly” July, mob attacks Bastille, bloody battle won

by mob

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1789

Growth of the Power of the Third Estate

Third Estate

National Assembly

National Constituent Assembly

By Jean-Pierre Louis Laurent Houel (1735-1813), entitled Prise de la Bastille ("The storm of the Bastille.”)

Remains of the Bastille today.

August 1789 American influence Equality of men

◦ Women not included: Olympe de Gouges (Marie Gouze) unsucessfully attempts to redress this in 1791

Sovereignty resides in the people Individual rights

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Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

• Written in 1789•Uses American D.O.I. as model•States that all men have natural rights•Declares the job of the gov’t to protect the natural rights of the people•Guarantees all male citizens equality•States freedom of religion•Promises to tax based on how much is affordable

The Constitution of 1791

• Set up a limited monarchy and representative assembly• Declared the people had natural rights and that it was the job of the government to protect these rights• It put the Church under state control

“liberty, equality, fraternity” National Assembly abolishes old social order Seizes church lands, redefines clergy as

civilians New constitution retains king, but subject to

legislative authority Convention: elected by universal male suffrage Levée en masse: conscription for war Guillotine invented to execute domestic

enemies◦ 1793: King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette

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Radicalization of Revolution

Guillotines

The first was the Girondins, who feared the rule of Paris over France.

Next was the Jacobins who favored domination of Paris. Georges-Jacques Danton and Maximilien Robespierre were two of the most powerful Jacobins.

The third again, were the moderates who would later choose one of the two sides.

Division of the National Convention - 1792

“the Incorruptible,” leader of “Committee of Public Safety”

Leader of Jacobin party Dominated Convention, 1793-1794 Churches closed, priests forced to marry

◦ Promoted “Cult of Reason” as secular alternative to Christianity

Calendar reorganized: 10-day weeks, proclaimed Year 1

Executed 40,000; imprisoned 300,000

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Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794)

Perspective of the counter-revolutionaries:

"The Radical's Arms", it depicts the infamous guillotine. "No God! No Religion! No King! No Constitution!" is written in the republican banner.

Revolutionary enemies of the Jacobins 1794 Robespierre arrested, sent to guillotine Men of property take power in the form of

the Directory Unable to solve economic and military

problems of revolutionary France

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The Directory (1795-1799)

From minor Corsican noble family Army officer under King Louis XIV, general

at 24 Brilliant military strategist Joins Directory 1799, then overthrew it Imposed new constitution, named self

“Consul for life” in 1802

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Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)

Napoleon as a young officer

Napoleon in His Study by Jacques-Louis David (1812)

Concludes agreement with Pope: Concordat◦France retains church lands, but pay

salaries to clergy◦Freedom of religion, also for Protestants,

Jews 1804 promulgates Napoleonic Code

◦Patriarchal authority◦Became model for many civil codes

Tight control on newspapers, use of secret police

Eventually declared himself Emperor

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Napoleonic France

Napoleon on his Imperial throne by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, painted 1806.

Conquered Iberian, Italian Peninsulas, Netherlands Forced Austria and Prussia to enter into alliance Disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 Burned Moscow, but defeated by Russian weather

◦ “General Winter”◦ Scorched Earth policy

British, Austrian, Prussian and Russian armies force Napoleon to abdicate, 1814◦ Exiled to Island of Elba, escaped to take power again for

100 days◦ Defeated by British at Waterloo, exiled to St. Helena, dies

1821

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Napoleon’s Empire

Napoleon's Empire in 1812

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Louis XVIII

The Battle of Waterloo, by William Sadler

Meeting after defeat of Napoleon Prince Klemens von Metternich (Austria,

1773-1859) supervises dismantling of Napoleon’s empire

Established balance of power Worked to suppress development of

nationalism among multi-national empires like the Austrian

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The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)

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