The French RevolutionChapter 22

1789-1815

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

Europe 1750-1789

Holy Roman Empire

Revolution and France

• Old Regime – existing system of Feudalism

• People divided into three estates, or classes – First Estate– Second Estate– Third Estate

First Estate• Clergy of Roman

Catholic Church• Spurned

Enlightenment ideas

• Owned 10% of the land

• 2% of income to taxes

Second Estate• Rich nobles• Held high offices in

government• Spurned

Enlightenment ideas• Owned 20% of the

land• Paid almost no

taxes

Third Estate• Consisted of three

groups– Bourgeoisie– City Workers– Peasants

• 98% of population • 80% of France are

peasants

Third Estate• Peasants paid nearly half of

their income in taxes, dues to nobles, and tithes to the church

• Taxes on everyday items such as salt and soap.

• Growing resentment towards 1st and 2nd Estates

• Spreading of Enlightenment ideas

0

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% of Income Spent on Bread

17871788

Weak Government• King Louis XVI inherited

debt• Borrowed to help American

colonies defeat the British• Crop failures and bread

shortages• Paid no attention to the

crisis• Marie Antoinette –

overspending and uncaring

Estates General

• France faced bankruptcy and Louis XVI called Estates General

• An assembly of representatives from all three estates

• Met on May 5, 1789 at Versailles

• First time in 175 years

Estates General

• Clergy and Nobles were always able to out vote the Third Estate – one vote per Estate

• Third estate wanted each delegate to have a vote – gives them the advantage

• The King ordered the vote the old way• Third Estate abolishes power and name

themselves National Assembly

Tennis Court Oath

• June 17, 1789 Third Estate votes to establish the National Assembly proclaiming the end of monarchy and the start of representative government

• Tennis Court Oath – indoor tennis court where delegates would stay until they made a new constitution

The Bastille• Infamous Paris prison

• Mob storms the Bastille to get supplies and gun powder

• Great symbol of Revolution

• Bastille Day July 14 – similar to July 4

Great Fear --• Senseless panic spread through France

• Peasants became mobs and terrorized nobles

• Peasants storm Versailles to attack the King and Queen

• Royal family flees and power is changing hands

Reform• National Assembly

tries to ease the fears• Nobles say they

have always believed in life, liberty, property

• Feudal system abolished

• Now everyone is equal…?

Legislative Assembly

• Limited Constitutional Monarchy

• Legislative Assembly has power to make laws

• Power to approve or veto any action the monarchy may take

• Still same problems as before

Legislative Assembly

• Three divisions

• Radicals

• Moderates

• Conservatives

Radicals• Sat on the left side of the hall

• “Left-wing”

• Opposed the king and any monarchy

• Wanted sweeping changes and that people have full power

Moderates

• Sat the the center • “Centrists”

• Wanted some changes

• Not as many as radicals

Conservatives

• Sat on the right side• “Right-wing”

• Upheld the idea of a limited monarchy

• Wanted few changes in government

National Convention

• New name of Government

• Begins September 1792

French Politics During the First Years of the Revolution

• How would you describe them?

• What would life be like for the majority of the people?

• One paragraph answer supported by information from class

War with Austria 1792

• French radicals wanted to spread their ideas (girondins)

• Austria and Prussia wanted Louis XVI back on throne

• Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria

• Prussia joined Austria in war

King Louis XVI Executed• Political clubs – The

Jacobins – wanted to remove the King permanently

• National Convention officially abolished the monarchy

• Louis tried for treason and found guilty

• Guillotined January 21, 1793

The Terror• The Jacobins had

internal enemies as well as foreign wars

• Maximilien Robespierre assumes control

• Closes churches, changes calendar (no Sundays),

• “Republic of Virtue”

Committee of Public Safety• Robespierre – de facto Dictator• Reign of Terror• “Enemies of the state”• Tried in AM guillotined in PM• Marie Antoinette guillotined• Most afraid of other

revolutionaries• 30,000–40,000 killed – mostly

peasants

End of Robespierre• National Convention and

other leaders knew they were not safe

• Executed on July 28, 1794

• Public opinion shifted to the Right

• The Directory 1795

• Corruption is rampantDeath Mask of Robespierre

French Governments 1789-1795

• The Old Regime

• The National Assembly

• The Legislative Assembly

• The National Convention

French Governments 1789-1795 Assignment