The French Revolution

Absolutism• Absolute monarchs didn’t

share power with a counsel or parliament

• “Divine Right of Kings”

King James I of England

The Seigneurial System• Feudal method of land

ownership and organization

• Peasant labor

Receiving a seigneurial grant

Louis XIV• Ruled from 1643–1715• Reduced the power of

the nobility• Fought four wars• Greatly increased

France’s national debt

The Seven Years’ War

• Louis XV• War fought in Europe, India, North America• France ends up losing some of its colonial possessions• Increases French national debt

Louis XV French and English troops fight at the battle of Fort St. Philip on the island of Minorca

The Three Estates

• First Estate: clergy• Second Estate:

nobility• Third Estate: the

rest of society• The Estates General

Cartoon depicting the three Estates

Socio-Economic Data, 1789Socio-Economic Data, 1789

The French Urban PoorThe French Urban Poor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of Income Spent on Bread

1787

1788

Urban Commoner’sUrban Commoner’sBudget:Budget:

– Food 80%Food 80%

– Rent 25%Rent 25%

– Tithe 10%Tithe 10%

– Taxes 35%Taxes 35%

– Clothing 20%Clothing 20%

– TOTAL 170%TOTAL 170%

King’s Budget:King’s Budget:– Interest 50%Interest 50%

– Army 25%Army 25%

– Versailles 25%Versailles 25%

– Coronation 10%Coronation 10%

– Loans 25%Loans 25%

– Admin. 25%Admin. 25%

– TOTAL 160%TOTAL 160%

Financial Problems in France, 1789Financial Problems in France, 1789

French Budget, 1774French Budget, 1774

Where is the tax money?Where is the tax money?

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Suggested Voting Pattern:The Suggested Voting Pattern:Voting by EstatesVoting by Estates

1

1

1

Louis XIV insisted that Louis XIV insisted that the ancient distinction of the three orders the ancient distinction of the three orders be conserved in its entirety.be conserved in its entirety.

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Number of RepresentativesThe Number of Representativesin the Estates General: Vote by Head!in the Estates General: Vote by Head!

300

300

648

The Third Estate

• Taxation• Crop failures

The Enlightenment• New ideas about

society and government

• The social contract

John Locke Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Europe on the Eve of theEurope on the Eve of theFrench RevolutionFrench Revolution

The American Revolution

• France supported the colonists against Great Britain

• Revolutionary ideals

Marquis de Lafayette

Financial Crisis

• Jacques Necker• Tax on property• Calling of the Estates

General

Finance Minister Jacques Necker

The Estates General• One vote per

estate• Clergy and

nobility usually joined together to outvote the Third Estate

• Met in Versailles in May 1789

• Voting controversy

A meeting of the Estates General

Confrontation With the King• Louis XVI

ordered the Third Estate locked out of the National Assembly’s meeting hall

• The Tennis Court Oath

• The king reverses his position

Artist Jacques Louis David’s depiction of the Tennis Court Oath

The National Assembly

• The Third Estate took action and established its own government

• On June 17, 1789, the National Assembly was formed

Storming of the Bastille

• Rioting in Paris in early July

• Firing of Necker• July 14th: a mob

storms and takes the Bastille

The Great Fear

• Rebellion spreads• Peasants destroy

the countryside• End of feudal

privileges

The Great Fear: Peasant RevoltThe Great Fear: Peasant Revolt(July 20, 1789)(July 20, 1789)

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

The PathThe Pathof theof the“Great“GreatFear”Fear”

National Constituent AssemblyNational Constituent Assembly1789 - 17911789 - 1791

August DecreesAugust DecreesAugust 4-11, 1789August 4-11, 1789

(A renunciation of aristocratic privileges!)(A renunciation of aristocratic privileges!)

Liberté!Liberté!Egalité!Egalité!

Fraternité!Fraternité!

The Tricolor (1789)The Tricolor (1789)

The WHITE of the The WHITE of the Bourbons + the RED & Bourbons + the RED & BLUE of Paris.BLUE of Paris.

Citizen!Citizen!

The Tricolor is the Fashion!The Tricolor is the Fashion!

The “Liberty Cap”: The “Liberty Cap”: Bonne RougeBonne Rouge

Revolutionary SymbolsRevolutionary Symbols

CockadeCockade

Revolutionary Revolutionary ClockClock

La RepublicLa RepublicLibertéLiberté

Revolutionary Playing CardsRevolutionary Playing Cards

The Declaration of the Rights of Man The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizenand of the Citizen

August 26, August 26, 17891789

V Liberty!Liberty!

V Property!Property!

V Resistance to Resistance to oppression!oppression!

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

• Adopted by National Assembly on August 27th

• Enlightenment ideals• Outlined basic freedoms

held by all• Asserted the sovereignty of

the people• “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”

The March of Women• Lower classes still

unsatisfied• Thousands of

starving women and peasants march on Versailles

• Louis forced to return to Paris

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

• Financial crisis• National

Assembly confiscates and sells off church lands

• Church also secularized, reorganized

• Clergy oath of loyaltyCartoon depicting the confiscation of Church lands

Planting the Tree of LibertyPlanting the Tree of Liberty

17901790

Flight of the King

• Émigrés• Louis XVI and his

family attempted to flee France

• They were arrested at Varennes

The capture of Louis XVI at Varennes

Reaction from Other Countries• Declaration of

Pillnitz• Possible foreign

intervention

Illustration depicting

Prussian King Frederick

William III, Austrian Emperor

Leopold II, and the Comte

d’Artois, Louis XVI’s brother

New Constitution

• Constitutional monarchy

• New Legislative Assembly

• Sans-culottes

Painting depicting the 1791 constitution

War With Austria

• France declares war

• War of the First Coalition

• Levee en masse

Painting of the Battle of Valmy, 1792

The Radicals Take Over

• Paris mob stormed Tuileries

• Louis and family seek aid of Legislative Assembly

• Arrested and deposed

Paris crowds storm the Tuileries

The National Convention

• First met on September 21, 1792

• Revolutionary Calendar

• Monarchy abolished; France officially becomes a republic

• Factions: Jacobins vs. Girondins

A Jacobin club

Jean-Paul Marat

Georges Danton

Leaders in the National Convention

Robespierre

• Lawyer• Radical Jacobin• Most controversial figure

of the French Revolution

The Execution of the King• The Verdict: The outcome of Louis’s trial was

decided by a vote. The Jury of deputies had to answer three questions. Firstly, they had to decide whether or not Louis was guilty. All 693 deputies answered ‘Yes’. Secondly, they had to decide where there should be a referendum to decide his fate. 284 deputies said ‘Yes’, the rest said ‘No’. Finally the deputies were asked what the punishment should be. 321 said ‘prison or exile’, whilst 374 said the punishment should be death.

• 21st January 1793 – the day of the execution – preparations are made: The Convention needed to make sure that Louis’s execution went smoothly. Troops were stationed at the entrances to the city to prevent crowds from entering or leaving. 200 Mounted guards and 1200 foot soldiers were to surround Louis’s coach. There were around 80,000 armed men in Paris to ensure that problems did not arise. Louis’s own preparations included having a final meeting with his family, attending mass at 6 o’clock in the morning, and passing instructions to Clergy, his servant.

The Guillotine• Dr. Joseph Guillotin• Intended as a more

humane method of execution

• Thousands guillotined during the French Revolution

Execution of the King

• On January 17, 1793, Louis XVI was convicted of treason

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

The Committee of Public Safety

• Created to cease an internal rebellion in 1793

• Given dictatorial power

• Ruled France for nearly a year

A citizen petitions the Committee of Public Safety

The Reign of Terror

• July 1793–July 1794

• Executions• Death of

Robespierre

The execution of Marie Antoinette

The Thermidorean Reaction

• 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

9 Thermidor meeting of the National Convention

The Directory

• Promoted middle class interests

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

Cartoon depicting the

errors and bad judgment of

the Directory

Napoleon Bonaparte

• Popularity rises after victories over the Austrians

• Conflict with Britain• 1799 Coup d’etat• The Consulate

Napoleon Becomes Emperor

1804: Napoleon crowns himself emperor

Legacies of the French Revolution

• End of absolutism• Power of nobles ended• Peasants became

landowners• Nationalism• Enlightenment ideals