The French Revolution

Social 20-1

The Old Regime

• Lead by Absolute Monarch

• Most powerful king: Louis XIV

• Successors lacked his abilities to govern; however, worked hard to maintain power and class structure.

First Estate: Higher Clergy, Priests

Second Estate: Nobility, including the King

Third Estate: Commoners - Middle Class, Peasants, and City Workers

First Estate

The Clergy administered the church, ran schools, kept birth and death records and cared for the poor.

To support church activities a tithe was taken.

The Church owned large amounts of property.

Notre Dame

Second Estate

Made up less than 2% of the population.

Many enjoyed great wealth.

Often were officers in the army or high officials in the church.

Held fast to their traditional privileges and power.

Third Estate

Made up 90% of the total population.

Divided into different sections the most prominent being the bourgeoisie.

Bourgeoisie included prosperous merchants, manufacturers, educated lawyers, doctors,

store keepers, etc.

Resented privileges of the nobles.

Believed Enlightened Ideas of

Social Justice and Equality

Called for extensive tax reform

Economic Crisis

1770’s economy slows after much prosperity.

Harvests were poor.

Regulations from the Middle Ages slowed trade and manufacturing.

Huge Debt Load!

Louis XVI – sees need to reform; however, he would rather play! Besides he did not have courage to stand up to his ministers!

Attempts were made to manage the debt by controlling government

expenses and reducing expenditures

at Versailles. Unsuccessful at taxing the NOBLES!

Economic crisis in 1788 cause the king to call for the Estates General!

Estates General

• Is a meeting between the three estates.

• Each estate elects its own deputies to represent them at the Estates General.

• The third estate demands that the three estates meet altogether.

• Previously Estates voted as a group; however, the third estate demanded everyone vote separately!

Continue

• The king refused the request to meet jointly and to vote individually.

• The Third Estate declare themselves the National Assembly.

• The National Assembly declares the right to write a constitution for France.

• The king banishes them from the Hall.

The Tennis Court Oath

• Members of the Third Estate, sympathetic nobles and clergy swear an oath promising not to disband until they had written a constitution!

• Is the first step towards revolution in France.

• King Louis XVI orders the first and second estates to join the National Assembly.

Swearing the Tennis Court Oath!

The National Assembly

• The National Assembly barely begins when a peasant uprising in Paris and the country side occurs.

• People had hoped that the National Assembly would quickly end their suffering of high taxation and food shortages.

• It did not and the people were tired of waiting!

Storming of the Bastille

• With all the uprising Louis brings troops to Versailles causing panic in the streets.

• People feared he was trying to squash the revolution by dissolving the National Assembly.

• In reaction on July 14th, 1789 they stormed the Bastille.

• The Bastille represented the injustice and inequality of the Old Regime!

• WATCH: The Bastille

Rumors

• After the Storming of the Bastille a wave of rumors passed from community to community.

• Known as the “GREAT FEAR”

• The rumor was that robbers were destroying crops and homes all over France and peasants need to protect

themselves.

• When no robbers came the peasants turned on their landlords.

Reforms of the National Assembly

• Assembly abolished most feudal customs, ended serfdom and the tax emption of the privileged.

• It also made all male citizens eligible for government and church positions.

• The National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man!

ANGER• Many of the middle class and the

artisans riot in the streets of Paris.

• The March on Versailles – by women who apposed high food prices. They further feared the king and queen Marie Antoinette were plotting against the National Assembly. They demand Louis return to Versailles so they can supervise them. The king agrees to prevent violence and the king is brought to Versailles wearing the revolutionaries ribbon of red, white and blue!

1791

France has its First Constitution!

Montesquieu and Locke – Long Live France!

Still NOT Happy

• Radical Revolutionaries want a republic.• Nobles were unhappy with the loss of privilege.• Louis XVI became more and more alarmed.

(Flee)• National Assembly arrests royal family and has

the King sign the new Constitution.• 1791 the National Assembly becomes the

Legislative Assembly!

France at War

• The Revolutionaries felt war would bring people together under a common cause.

• Ill trained and lose at first. However, unite under the banner of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity!

• The French defeat Prussia and Austria!

• The king hoped it would restore his power.

• Other kings hope to squash the strength of the revolutionary movement from advancing into their own countries.

Gustave Dore1871

The Second Revolution

• Due to war high prices and food shortages riots break out and with the support of the soldiers still in Paris the revolutionaries took over the Paris city government and established a COMMUNE!

King enlists the help of Legislative Assembly but radicals also seized control there. The royal family is imprisoned and the Commune writes a new constitution!

The National Convention

• The leaders of the N.C. were much more radical than the average Frenchmen.

• The Convention abolishes the monarchy and wishes the King be executed.

• The convention finds letters implicating the King in the request for Austria and Prussia to aid his government against the revolutionaries.

“People I die innocent!”

January 21, 1793 Louis XVI is killed.

Globalization and the French Revolution

Continued War

Due to the death of Louis XVI the many other kings of Europe became nervous and joined in the Prussian/Austrian war

against the revolutionaries.

On the home front the war was causing major economic hardships and food

shortages.

THE REIGN OF TERROR

Domestic and Foreign Threats

National Convention takes drastic measures and creates in 1793 the Committee of

Public Safety!

Lead by Maximilien Robespierre

He believed the state must be ruthless against its enemies!

A law written that declared:

“that people suspected of being counterrevolutionaries could be arrested forth ‘their conduct, their relations, their

remarks, or their writings’.”

Bloody Terror

Daily trials held.

20,00-40,000 men, women and children were condemned to the guillotine.

The ruthlessness of the Terror had its effect and revolts subsided.

Even Marie Antoinette loses her head to the Guillotine!

Dealt with Foreign Invasion

The committee of Public Safety deals with the threat of foreign invasion by raising, drilling and

equipping the new French armies for war.

Draft law was passed

Committee set strict limits on prices, wages, rationed food and outlawed white flour.

1794 The work had paid off and people began to question the need for the constant executions.

Robespierre Arrested!

July 1794 the National Convention ordered Robespierre’s arrest and he is quickly tried

and executed.

Any guess how?

And so ends the REIGN OF TERROR!

Impact of the Revolution

1. End of the Monarchy2. French society more democratic3. Equality existed amongst people4. Abolishment of all feudal dues and

customs such as tithe and slavery5. Styles in fashion and art changed6. Established the metric system7. Called for free public schools for all

The Rise of Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte • Napoleon Bonaparte• - was born of an impoverished family that

held a noble title in the Republic of Genoa (Corsica)

• - As a young child he showed no particular ability to lead and did not do well in school. (Good in mathematics - trig/calc)

• - He was admitted to a military academy in Paris because of his noble title

• - Foreign interference and slow progress of the Revolution (officers were needed) war brought him rapid promotion

• - 1795 defends the National Convention against an uprising in Paris and gained a Command in Italy for his loyalty

• - Brilliant Success- won six major battles against the Austrians in 2 week and took 15,00 prisoners. (1795-1798 series of victories)

• - Conditions in France were unstable due to the corruptness of the Directory in 1799, Napoleon executes a coup d'etat

• - He becomes 1st Consul 1799-1802. In 1802 extends his term for 10 yrs to life.

Napoleon’s First Wife:

Josephine

Marie-Louise and son

Napoleon II

Chaos and Dictatorship

• Establishes the a new government by overthrowing the Directory

• Writes the 4th constitution

• Balances his dictatorship with ideas from the revolution.

• 1799 to 1804 – centralizes power into his own hands by being elected First Consul!

Reforms

• Centralized administration of the government departments

• Created the lycée school system

• Implemented a tax system

• Created the Bank of France

• The Napoleonic Code

• Created new roads and sewer systems