French Revolution

“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

France Before the Revolution• The Old Regime was left over from the Middle Ages.• The Estates system:

– First Estate – Roman Catholic clergy owned 10 percent of French lands and about 2 percent of its income went to the government. They provided education and relief services to the poor. Does not support Enlightenment ideas.

– Second Estate – Nobles whose wealth was in land. They made up 2 percent of the population, owned 20 percent of the land, and paid almost no taxes. Does not support Enlightenment ideas.

– Third Estate – 98 percent of the population. Divided into three groups: bourgeoisie (merchants and artisans who were well educated, wealthy, and thought they had earned a higher status then they were granted), workers (poorer then the bourgeoisie they were paid low wages, faced unemployment, and often went hungry), peasants (the largest of the three groups making up 80 percent of the population, half of their income went to dues to nobles, tithes to the church, and taxes to the king). This group was supportive of Enlightenment ideas, especially the bourgeoisie.

Causes of the French Revolution

• There were 3 main causes for the revolution:

–Enlightenment ideas.

–Economic depression.

–Louis was a weak ruler.

Enlightenment Ideas…• Supported by the Third Estate.• Questioned old ideas about power and authority.• They were inspired by the success of the

American Revolution (which they helped to win).• Comte D’Antraigues, a friend of Rousseau once

said “The third Estate is the People and the People is the foundation of the State; it is in fact the State itself; the other orders are merely political categories while by the immutable laws of nature the People is everything. Everything should be subordinated to it…It is in the People that all national power resides and for the People that all states exist”

Economic Problems…

• Heavy taxes placed on the Third Estate.

• The population was rapidly expanding.

• Cost of living rose dramatically.

• Crop failures in the 1780s caused economic problems as well as food shortages.

• He paid little attention to his government advisers.• His wife, Marie Antoinette an Austrian princess,

was immediately unpopular with the masses. • He allowed the French debt to grow, and instead

of cutting spending and increasing taxes he waited until France was facing bankruptcy to act. When he tried to tax the aristocrats who belonged to the Second Estate. They forced him to call a meeting of the Estates General to get approval for the tax reforms. This meeting would be the first step towards revolution.

Louis XVI was a Weak Ruler…

Revolution Begins 1789• Meeting of the Estates General – Each Estate has one vote.

• What is the problem with each Estate only having one vote?• The Third Estate wanted votes to be based on membership,

giving them a majority.• The other two estates were against the change and the King

ordered them to follow the medieval rules that allowed for one vote per Estate.

• The Third Estate will find themselves locked out of their meeting room.

• They in turn founded a new governing body called the National Assembly, which would end the absolute monarchy and begin a representative democracy. They would pass laws in the name of French citizens.

• They made the Tennis Court Oath in which they refused to leave until they had drawn up a new Constitution for France.

Storming of the Bastille and the Great Fear

• There were rumors spread that the King was sending troops to massacre French citizens.

• Storming of the Bastille (a Parisian prison) was a symbolic act. They collected arms from the prison.

• The storming of the Bastille was the spark that led to senseless panic in the country side known as the Great Fear.

• When the peasants met no enemies they began to burn the homes of nobles and tear up legal papers that bound then to pay feudal dues.

• A group of Parisian women will march to the palace at Versailles and forced Louis XVI and his family to return to Paris.

Liberal Phase • National Assembly:

– The Declaration of the Rights of Man: state controlled church who lands were redistributed and sold to pay off debts and Louis is stripped of most of his power they create a constitutional monarchy/national assembly.

• War with Austria: Why would Austria side with the French monarchy?

– Marie Antoinette is the daughter of the Austrian queen and they do not want revolutionary ideas to spread into their country.

Liberal Phase continued• Factions divide France: Leaders

disagree as to the goals of the revolution.

• Eventually they divide into 3 groups: Conservatives, Liberals, and Radicals.

• Radicals will eventually gain control.

• They eventually give up on the idea of a limited monarchy. Louis and his family flee.

• National Assembly Radicals declare France a REPUBLIC and vote to execute Louis for treason.

Radical Phase• Committee of Public Safety

(Republic of Virtue) led by Maximilien Robespierre:– Reforms: closed all churches,

all have the right to vote, redistributed wealth, and made social changes.

• Reign of Terror: “sought to eliminate enemies of the revolution”. This included leaders of the revolution who were less radical than Robespierre.

• Terror ends on July 28, 1794 when Robespierre is beheaded.

Return to Moderation 1794

• National Convention: a new constitution is created that allows for middle class rule and a two-house Legislature.

• The Directory: Five middle class men ruled and maintained order.

• The French republic and constitution is NOT long lasting.

Napoleon Gains Power• Declares himself emperor in a

coup d’etat. The Directory has lost control.

• What is a coup d’etat?• Reforms of Napoleon: Fairer tax

code, created a code of laws (Napoleonic Code), religious tolerance, government run public schools, etc.

• Conquers most of Europe, leads a disastrous campaign against Russia, and is eventually defeated at Waterloo by the British.

• Restores the French monarchy when he crowns himself emperor.

Accomplishments of the Congress of Vienna 1814-1815

• The containment of France. It made the weak nations that surround France stronger.

• Balance of power: France maintains the lands that it had before the wars.

• Principle of legitimacy: the rulers that Napoleon had driven from power were restored to their throne.

• Created a time of peace in Europe.

Political Changes Beyond Vienna• Creation of the Holy Alliance (Russia, Austria, and Prussia)and

Concert of Europe (alliance system to prevent war in Europe).• Conservatives take control of governments.• Due to the French Revolution new political ideas were set in

motion in Europe.• Latin American Revolutions.• Power of Prussia and Britain increased.• Nationalism grew in Italy, Germany, Greece, and other areas

the Congress had put under foreign control leading to revolutions across Europe.

• Principles of democracy become the ideal.• Europeans began to adopt more equality for all.• Beginning of a new era.

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