UNIT II: THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 1789-1815. UNIT II: LESSON #1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION I.The Old Regime: (Why were things so bad?) A.France was considered

UNIT II: THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

1789-1815

UNIT II: LESSON #1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

I. The Old Regime: (Why were things so bad?)A. France was considered the most advanced

country in the world in many ways at that time:

1. The creators of the Enlightenment2. Leaders in Science and Literature3. Most powerful politically and in size.4. Powerful trade and Mercantilism.


I. The Old Regime: (Why were things so bad?)B. So what was so wrong about how the French did things?

1. The poor paid all taxes, nobles and clergy were exempt.

2. The Catholic Church controlled a large percentage of the power in France.

a. Church Tithe was heavyb. five to ten percent of the land


I. The Old Regime: (Why were things so bad?)B. So what was so wrong about how the French did things? (cont’d)

3. Absolute Monarchy meant that even nobles had little say in government.

a. The Three Estates General (1614 AD)-. 1st Clergy -. 2nd Nobles-. 3rd All Others

b. It was socially obsolete and did not correspond to the real distribution of influence or production.


II. The Crisis: (What were the triggers?)A. The Money Problem

1. Half the gold pieces circulating in Europe were French.2. The amount of merchant wealth increased five times

between 1713 and 1789.3. Inflation: consumer good prices up 65% wages only up

22%.B. The Bourgeoisie must pay the “Taille” (land tax) and resent noblemen and Bishops who do not.C. Paying the heavy debts for wars, and a massive standing army and navy fell on the 3rd Estate alone.


II. The Crisis: (What were the triggers?)B. The Population Problem

1. 4/5ths of the people of France were rural (-but becoming educated-questioning things.)2. The remnants of manor life still existed. Nobles lived off of profits from lands farmed by common folk. (1st and 2nd Estate seen as a parasite of the 3rd.)3. 24 million people at the time. (Population is outstripping food base and jobs base)4. Paris was the second largest city in Europe (thanks to Bourgeoisie Merchants who want more say regarding taxes.).


II. The Crisis: (What were the triggers?) C. The Weather Problem

1. Exceptionally Hot Summers -1788-892. Several crop failures, especially in 17883. The “Ergot of Rye” syndrome4. Hungry peasants flocked to the cities for food

and there was none.5. High food prices in towns combined with

hungry people made for an explosive summer.


II. The Crisis: (What were the triggers?)D. The Leadership Problem

1. Louis XVI’s ideas about the “Divine Right of Kings” are obsolete.2. The Nobility and Bourgeoisie have read and agree with Enlightenment Thinkers, who stand against Absolute Monarchy.3. Louis is not a strong leader personally and the French do not cherish his Austrian wife.4. The Royal family seems cut off and isolated from problems in the country. They also seem to not care.


IV. The Collapse of the Old Order: (How do things fall apart?)A. Louis calls the Estates GeneralB. The Estates General collapses into the National

AssemblyC. The Bastille and Bread riots inflame the

people.D. Louis tries to escape and his family become

prisoners of the French People.


IV. The Collapse of the Old Order: (How do things fall apart?)E. The countries around France begin to fear it and mobilize against it.F. 1792 War is declared against Austria and Prussia and France is losing. There is paranoia that monarchists are sabotaging the war.G. 20 June 1792 the palace in Paris where the royal family are “guests” is attacked by people wanting to prove allegiance.H. The invading armies announce swift punishment for anyone harming the king. The crowds wreck the palace and slaughter the guards.


IV. The Collapse of the Old Order: (How do things fall apart?)I. French “Nationalism” becomes a motivating factor.J. All are required to participate to support the war. 20 September they win at the Battle of Valmy. (French Year “1.”)K. Plans to export revolution to every country in Europe are carried out. “Assistance to All!”


IV. The Collapse of the Old Order: (How do things fall apart?)L. There is a National Convention in September 1792 and the Monarchy is abolished. A republic declared.

1. The “Sans-Culottes”2. The “Girondists”3. The “Jacobins”

a. Robespierreb. Dantonc. Marat


IV. The Collapse of the Old Order: (How do things fall apart?)M. The death of the king.

1. The enemy is close to Paris2. The “sans-culottes mob the jails and murder any

monarchists.3. The Jacobins see this as the moment to take control.

a. Dec. 1792 Put the King on Trialb. Out the Girondists for wanting him to live.c. Jan 15, 1793: Kill the king and beginning May 31,

they begin to arrest the Girondists.d. Use fear of invasion and conspiracy to gain and

maintain power beginning around April 1793.


V. The “Terror”A. The Jacobin part of the Convention renames itself the “Commune”

1. There are several committees, the most notable the “Committee of Public Safety” led by Robespierre.

a. Conscriptionb. Reorganization of the Calendarc. De-Christianization.

2. They are responsible for the deaths of the King, the Queen and thousands of innocent people. Numbers vary between 30 and 50,000 deaths.


B. The Death of Marie Antoinette.1. At 12:15 p.m. 16 October 1793, two

and a half weeks before her thirty-eighth birthday, Marie Antoinette was beheaded at the Place de la Révolution.

2. Her last words were "Pardon me sir, I meant not to do it", to the executioner, whose foot she had accidentally stepped on after climbing the scaffold. Her body was thrown into an unmarked grave.

Documents

UNIT II: THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 1789-1815. UNIT II: LESSON #1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION I.The Old Regime: (Why were things so bad?) A.France was considered