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Main Themes
• Economics– Inequalities between rich and poor in France
• Revolution– Ideas of Liberty, Equality, and Democracy lead to
Revolution• Power and Authority– Napoleon’s ambitions to create a new French
Empire
Historical Context: France in the 1700’s
Positives• One of the most advanced
countries in Europe• Prosperous foreign trade• Center of the
Enlightenment
Negatives• Great unrest in France• Bad harvests• High taxes• Political unrest
The Privileged Estates
1st Estate• Made up of clergy of the
Roman Catholic Church• Disliked Enlightenment
ideas• Owned 10% of land• Paid 2% in taxes to gov’t
2nd Estate• Made up of rich nobles• Held highest offices in
government• Disagreed about
Enlightenment ideas• Owned 20% of land• Paid almost no taxes
3rd Estate
• Included middle class, urban lower class, and peasant farmers
• No power in government
• Embraced Enlightenment ideas
• Resented 1st and 2nd Estates
The 3rd Estate: Peasants
• 80% of total population• Paid about 50% of
incomes to taxes and other payments
• Eager for change
Enlightenment Ideas
• Members of third Estate embraced Enlightenment– Equality– Liberty– Democracy
• Rousseau and Voltaire were praised
Economic Troubles:
• Heavy taxes hurt businesses
• Cost of living was rising• Widespread crop
failures produced food shortages
• Extravagant spending produced even more DEBT!
Weak Leaders
• Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
• Weak rulers• Not concerned with
details of governing• Extravagant spending
and indifference
The Estates-General
• Representatives from ALL 3 estates met to discuss newly proposed tax on Second Estate
• 1st and 2nd Estates could always vote against 3rd Estate
• May 5, 1789
The National Assembly
• Made up of Third Estate representatives
• Led by Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes
• Demanded and end to absolute monarchy
• Wanted a representative government
Tennis Court Oath
• Locked out of meeting room, Third Estate reps met on indoor tennis court
• Demanded a new constitution
• Were joined by sympathetic nobles and clergy
Storming the Bastille
• A Parisian mob stormed the Paris prison
• Killed commander and guards
• Symbolic Gesture• July 14 still celebrated
as Bastille Day
A Great Fear Sweeps France
• Wild panic gripped the countryside
• Peasants began attacking noble households
• French women participated in bread riots and attacked Versailles
• Demanded Louis and Marie Antoinette return to Paris
Big Idea
• The revolutionary government of France made reforms but also used terror and violence to retain power.
Historical Context
• After the storming of the Bastille, fear was felt by peasants, clergy, and nobles alike.
• The Old Regime had a large target on its back.
The National Assembly Reforms France
• August 4, 1789• National Assembly
swept away privileges of First and Second Estates
• France was now “equal”• The Old Regime was
essentially dead
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789)
• Promoted….• Liberty• Property• Security• Justice• Freedom of speech• Freedom of religion
• Formed basis for slogan– Liberty, Equality,
Fraternity
• Did this apply to everyone?
• Example of Olympe de Gouges
A State-Controlled
• Church lands confiscated by the government
• Priests were now state officials
• Money used to pay off massive debts
• Catholic Church lost both land and influence
Divisions Develop
• A new constitution set up a limited monarchy
• Legislative Assembly – Could make laws– Declare war
• Faction: a small, organized, dissenting group within a larger one, esp. in politics.
Factions Split France
• Many problems still existed – Food shortages for
example
• Divisions split into 3 general groups
• Left: Radicals who wanted sweeping changes
• Center: Centrists who wanted some government changes
• Right: Conservatives wanted few changes
Outside Factions
• Emigres– Nobles who fled France– Wanted the Old Regime
to return
• Sans-culottes– Peasant workers and
shopkeepers– Wanted even greater
changes
France at War
• Declared war on Austria and Prussia in 1792
• Royal family held as prisoners
• September Massacre– Citizens killed nobles,
priests, and royal sympathizers
The National Convention
• Declared France a Republic
• Adult male citizens were given the right to vote
• Excluded women
Jacobins Take Control
• Radical Political Organization
• Leaders included Jean-Paul Marat– Edited a newspaper
• Georges Danton– Lawyer known for his
devotion to the poor
The War Continues
• Great Britain, Holland, and Spain join Austria and Prussia
• National Convention ordered a draft
• Army grew to 800,000 men
The Terror Grips France
• Maximilien Robespierre seized power in France
• Headed Committee of Public Safety
• Wanted to wipe out France’s past
• New calendar• Closed all churches
The Reign of Terror
• Robespierre became a virtual dictator
• Used his role on Committee to execute thousands of supposed enemies
• Included people of all political ideologies
Famous Victims of the Guillotine
• Louis XVI• Marie Antoinette• Georges Danton• Maximilien Robespierre
Effects of the Reign of Terror
• National Convention drafted a new government
• Called the Directory• Made up of moderates• Restored order
Historical Context
• From 1795-1799, Napoleon rose from obscurity to become known as one of the greatest generals of all time.
Napoleon Bonaparte
• Born on island of Corsica
• Joined French army during Revolution
• Held off royalist army in 1795 with cannons
• Praised as a hero
Napoleon Bonaparte
• Appointed by Directory to lead the army against Austria and Sardinia
• Won a series of victories in Italy
• Ran out of steam in Egypt
The Directory Loses Control
• Led a coup d’etat against the unpopular government
• Army seized power• Dissolved the Directory
Coup d’etat
• “blow to the state”• Represents a sudden
seizure of power• People wanted stability• Napoleon set himself up
as the first consul (out of 3) in new system of government
France at Peace
• Finally able to conclude peace agreements with Britain, Austria, and Russia in 1802.
• First time in ten years France was not at war.
Napoleon Rules France
• 1800 saw a “vote of the people” to approve a new constitution
• Known as a plebiscite• Napoleon, as first
consul, assumed the power of a dictator
Restoring Order at Home
• Approved changes that both strengthened government and achieved goals of Revolution
• Established effective:• Tax collection system• Banking system• Dismissed corrupt
officials• Set up lycees to train
government workers
Concordat with Rome
• Signed an agreement with Pope Pius VII
• Recognized influence of Church
• But rejected Church control in government
• Majority of people favored this
Napoleonic Code
• System of laws• Promoted order and
authority over individual rights
• Example: Freedom of speech limited
Haitian Revolution
• French lost valuable sugar producing colony of St. Domingue
• French troops unable to reverse Haitian Revolution
• Due to disease and effective fighting of former slaves
Louisiana Purchase
• Sold Louisiana Purchase to the United States in 1803 for 15 million
• Set up French operations in Europe
The Battle of Trafalgar
• Horatio Nelson, a British commander was able to defeat French
• Two Effects• British Navy would reign
supreme for years• Napoleon had to give
up plans for invading Britain