French Revolution

King Louis XVI

• His grandfather Louis XIV was the ultimate “absolutist” king.

• This king was weak• He had little control • He called for the

Estates General to fix the economic problems

Causes of the French Revolution

• Although people were starving and the country was broke, the royal family flaunted their wealth and uncaring.

• First Estate: clergy

• Second Estate: nobility

• Third Estate: the rest of society

The Three Estates: Ancient Regime

Cartoon depicting the three Estates

3rd Estate – Divided into 3

The Bourgeoisie – Middle class included bankers, merchants and manufacturers

The bulk of the 3rd estate were made up of rural landowners and peasants.

Finally, the poorest members were the urban (City) workers Like printers, clothe makers, porters, construction workers and Street sellers.

Three Estates

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

LandOwnership

Taxation Population

ClergyNobilityCommoners

Land Ownership

3rd Estate: Economic Injustices

• Paid all taxes• Bad harvests caused food prices to

rise.• Peasants and city dwellers did not

have enough to eat.• Best land owned by 1st and 2nd

estate• Costly wars: Seven Years War• Royal extravagance

Social Inequality

• Lack of rights• Did not have hunting rights• Did not Religious freedom

• Lack of respect• Government jobs: 2nd estate• Education

English and American Examples

• Glorious Revolution• American Revolution• Both provided an example of

how to challenge the existing authority.

• New ideas about society and government

• The Social Contract

• Democracy

The Enlightenment

John Locke Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Estates General meets

Estates General is called by Louis XVI

Tried to solve economic problems

3rd estate declares itself the National Assembly

The Tennis Court Oath

• The National Assembly then goes to Louis XVI indoor tennis court to meet and makes an Oath to never stop until they wrote a constitution.

• After many clergy and nobles start to join the National Assembly, Louis grudgingly accepts it.

Creating a New FranceStages of Revolution

• National Assembly (1789- 1791)

• Reign of Terror (1792- 1793)

• Directory (1795- 1799)

• Age of Napoleon (1799- 1815)

Storming the Bastille, Storming the Bastille, July July 14, 178914, 1789

Y A rumor that the king was planning a military A rumor that the king was planning a military coup against the National Assembly. (French coup against the National Assembly. (French Independence Day)Independence Day)

Y 18 died.18 died.

Y 73 wounded.73 wounded.

Y 7 guards 7 guards killed.killed.

Y It held 7 It held 7 prisoners prisoners [5 ordinary [5 ordinary criminals & 2 criminals & 2 madmen].madmen].

The Great Fear: The Great Fear: Peasant RevoltPeasant Revolt

(July 20, 1789)(July 20, 1789)

Y Rumors that the feudal aristocracy [the Rumors that the feudal aristocracy [the aristosaristos] ] were sending hired brigands to attack peasants were sending hired brigands to attack peasants and pillage their land.and pillage their land.

• Adopted by National Assembly on August 27th

• Enlightenment ideals• Outlined basic

freedoms held by all• Asserted the

sovereignty of the people

• “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité” Liberty, Equality and Fraternity the motto of the French Revolution

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (established limited monarchy)

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

• 1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.

• 2. ….These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression….

• 6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative….All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law...

• Financial crisis• National

Assembly confiscates and sells off church lands

• Church also secularized, reorganized

• Clergy oath of loyalty

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Cartoon depicting the confiscation of Church lands

Reforms of the National Assembly

• Abolish feudal dues, set up a fair tax system, education system, abolish privileges of 1st and 2nd estates ( job opportunities and hunting rights)

• Abolish all titles of nobility

• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen gives the men natural rights denied by the monarchy.

• Civil Constitution of the Clergy

• Ancient Regime is going to be abolished/ no more estates

• Set up a limited Monarchy

• Paris mob stormed Tuileries

• Louis and family seek aid of Legislative Assembly

• Arrested and deposed

The Radicals Take Over

Paris crowds storm the Tuileries

Jean-Paul Marat

Georges Danton

Leaders in the National Convention

• Lawyer• Radical Jacobin• Most controversial figure of

the French Revolution• Sets up the Committee of

Public Safety• In charge of trials and

executions• In charge of the levee en

masse / war effort• Wipe out all opponents of

the Revolution

Robespierre

• Created to cease an internal rebellion in 1793

• Given dictatorial power

• Ruled France for nearly a year

• Designed to stop any opposition to the revolution

• Kill about 40,000 French citizens

The Committee of Public Safety

A citizen petitions the Committee of Public Safety

The Guillotine

• Dr. Joseph Guillotin

• Intended as a more humane method of execution

• Thousands guillotined during the French Revolution

• July 1793–July 1794

• Executions• Death of

Robespierre• On January 17,

1793, Louis XVI was convicted of treason

• He went to the guillotine four days later on January 21, 1793

The Reign of Terror

The execution of Marie Antoinette

• Robespierre overthrown on 9 Thermidor

• Committee of Public Safety dismantled

• Jacobin clubs disbanded

• New constitution adopted in August 1795

• Executive branch known as the Directory

The Thermidorean Reaction

9 Thermidor meeting of the National Convention

• Promoted middle class interests

• Financial crisis• Food shortages• Riots in Paris• Rise of Napoleon

The Directory

Cartoon depicting the

errors and bad judgment of

the Directory

• Popularity rises after victories over the Austrians

• Conflict with Britain• 1799 Coup d’etat: violent

over throw of the government.

• The Consulate• Plebiscite• restores order to France

Napoleon Bonaparte

The Economy

Goals of the Revolution •Equal taxation•Lower inflation

Napoleon’s Action •Set up fairer tax code•Set up national bank•Stabilized economy•Gave state loans to businesses

Results •Equal taxation•Stable economy

Government and Society

Goals of the Revolution •Less gov’t corruption•Equal opportunity in gov’t•Equal access to education

Napoleon’s Actions •Appoints officials by merit•Created Napoleonic code•Created lycees•Created University of France/controls education

Results • honest officials•Public education•Equal opportunity in gov’t

Religion

Goals of the Revolution •Less powerful catholic Church•Religious toleration

Napoleon’s Actions •Recognized Catholicism as the faith of the French•Signed concordat with Pope•Retained seized Church lands

Results •Religious Toleration•Gov’t control of Church lands•Gov’t recognition of Church Influence

Napoleon’s Three Costly Mistakes

• The Continental System• The Peninsular War Against Spain and

Portugal• The Invasion of Russia

• Scorched earth policy• Loss of about 300,000 to 400,000 men

The Congress of Vienna

• Prince Klemens von Metternich• Restore Balance of Power• Based on Legitimacy: under the principle of

legitimacy, rulers disposed by Napoleon are returned to power

• Makes fair settlements and produces a lasting peace.

• Redraw the borders of France to the pre revolution borders.

Napoleon’s Contributions to Europe

• Napoleonic code• Spread the ideals of the French Revolution:

equality• Nationalism