Chapter 22: The French Revolution and Napoleon

French Revolution Begins

Causes of the French Revolution

• 1. Inequality between the social classes• 2. Ideas of the Enlightenment– Out with the old monarchial system– However do it through peaceful measures

• 3. Collapse of the French economy

Causes of the French Revolution

• 1. Inequality between the social classes– First Estate: Clergy (130,000)– Second Estate: Nobility (350,000)– Third Estate: Middle Class and Peasants (26.5 million)

• Middle Class (Bourgeoisie) complained of noble privilege– Bankers, doctors, lawyers, merchants

• Peasants: had to pay duty to nobles (serfdom)• Craftsman: price of goods rose quicker than wages• All had to pay Taille (Income Tax)

Causes of the French Revolution

• 2. Ideas of the Enlightenment– Out with the old monarchial system– However do it through peaceful measures– Rousseau and Locke led charge in philosophy– Similar to what we saw in American Revolution

Causes of the French Revolution

• 3. Collapse of the French economy– Bad harvests of crops – Manufacturing issues– Monarchy’s extreme spending for:

• Helping the American colonists• Marie Antoinette’s shopping• Palace luxuries

The National Assembly

• May 5, 1789– Meeting of the Estates-General– Third Estate has twice as many as any other Estate

• Their goal was to set up constitutional government.• June 17, 1789

– Declared themselves the National Assembly and were drafting constitution

• Tennis Court Oath (June 20)– After being locked out of Assembly, swore to create their own

Constitution

Tensions Rise

• July 14th, 1789– The Bastille

• Prison and armory in Paris• Stormed by Parisians• After 4 hours, the warden surrenders and is beheaded

• The Great Fear– Constant threat of a military intervention from the king– Peasant rebellions in every village

End of the Monarchy• August 26th, 1789– Declaration of the Rights of Man is adopted

• All men free and equal before the law• No group exempt form taxes• Public office based on merit• Freedom of speech and the press• Did not include women

• October 5th, 1789– Louis XVI forced to accept the Declaration by the people– A day later forced to return to Paris

End of the Monarchy• Catholic Church– National Assembly seizes control of Church– Sells off land to help settle the French Budget– Civil Constitution of the Clergy

• The people will elect church officials• State will pay their salaries as well to keep them in line

• New Constitution of 1791– Limited monarchy– King existed but the Legislative Assembly made the laws– Many people disagreed with the new government

End of the Monarchy• Paris Commune– Group of radicals– Wanted to reform the government– Took Louis XVI captive– Universal Male Suffrage

• All adult males had the right to vote

– Identified by the long pants that they wore instead of knee length pants

Chapter 22: The French Revolution and Napoleon

Radical Revolution and Reaction

The National Convention

• New governing body in France– Mostly young lawyers and other professionals– September 21, 1792: Abolished the monarchy– Radicalism grew with groups such as Girondins, Mountain,

and Jacobins– January 21, 1793: Louis XVI is executed

• Weapon of choice: Guillotine

The Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

• Committee of Public Safety– Maximilien Robespierre– Job was to defend France from domestic threats– Anyone against the radicals were executed

• 40,000 killed (16,000 by guillotine)• Marie Antoinette executed• City of Lyon used as example• City of Nantes: Victims loaded onto a barge then sunk

Reign of Terror

• Republic of Virtue (Robespierre)– Democratic republic composed of good people– Education for everyone– Slavery abolished– De-Christianization of France

• All cathedrals became “temples of reason”• All use of term “saint” removed• Calendar

– Each month was 3 ten day weeks– Began on September 22nd 1792 (1st day of French Republic)

• Robespierre guillotined July 28, 1794 to end it

The Directory• Set up under the Constitution of 1795– 2 legislative houses of 500 (Lower) and 250 (upper)– Council of 500 drafted laws– Council of Elders accepted the laws– All members elected by electors (30,000 voters in all

France)

• The Directory (1795-1799)– Council of 5 chosen by the Elders– Known for corruption– 1799: Napoleon destroys Directory and seizes power

Chapter 22: The French Revolution and Napoleon

The Rise of Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars

The Rise of Napoleon• Born 1769 in Corsica (Italian descent)• Always had a mind for military and rose thru ranks– 1792: Captain in French army– 1794: Brigadier General– 1796: Commander of the armies in Italy

• Defeated Papal States, Austrians, and Northern Italy• Took control of Egypt from British (Lost it in Naval Battle)• By now he was a National Hero

The Rise of Napoleon

• Napoleon Becomes Emperor– Named the First consul after helping with the coup d’etat

in 1799– Overthrew the Directory– Role as consul

• Appoint officials• Control army• Conduct foreign affairs• Control legislation

– Named himself Emperor Napoleon I in 1804

Napoleon as Emperor

• Catholic Church– Renamed Catholicism the officially religion– Pope could not get any land back

• Civil Code/ Napoleonic Code– 300 law systems into 1– Kept the spirit of the revolution

• Minus loss of freedom of press and some speech

– Women and children loss rights

• Aristocracy based on merit– 60% was from the middle class

Napoleon’s Empire

• Claimed he wanted to peace but actions showed otherwise– War with Britain, Austria, Sweden, Russia, and Prussia– By 1807, defeated Austria, Russia, and Prussia– 1807-1812: Controlled most of Europe

• Only people against him were Russia, Britain, Sweden, and Portugal

• Could never conquer Britain because of their navy

Napoleon’s Empire

• Desired to spread the ideas of the French Revolution– Equality– Religious tolerance– Economic freedom– Desire to destroy old world order (Monarchy)

• 2 things caused the empire to decline– 1. Britain’s naval supremacy– 2. Rise of Nationalism

• Belief in your own country’s issues being superior to all others

Fall of Napoleon

• 1812: Russia– Grand Army invades Russia in June– Reason: Russia’s avoidance of Continental System– Russians did not fight but rather retreated deeper in Russia– Burned all villages along the way (Why?)– Napoleon led “Great Retreat”

• 40,000 out of 600,000 survived

Fall of Napoleon

• Defeat at Russia led to overthrow of French government

• March 1814, Napoleon exiled to Elba– Monarchy restored with Louis XVIII– Limited support for monarchy

• Napoleon returns and regains support of the army• Returns to Paris in March of 1815 to rule

Fall of Napoleon

• Battle of Waterloo– June 18, 1815– Napoleon vs. Russia, Great Britain, Austria, and Prussia– Attacked troops in Belgium– Led by Duke of Wellington, British and Prussian troops

defeat Napoleon– Exiled to St. Helena where he dies in 1821

Congress of Vienna

• Met in September 1814• Final peace agreement• Goals:– Re-establish the old order– Arrange the territories in Europe– Establish conservatism

• Social stability, obedience to government and organized religion

– Principle of Intervention• Great Powers had right to send troops to restore fallen monarchies

Results of Congress of Vienna

Napoleon’s Tomb (Dome des Invalides)