The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815

The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815Chapter 7The French Revolution BeginsChapter 7, Section 1The Old Order: Three EstatesThe Privileged EstatesTop two estatesExempt from taxes, had access to high officesChurch clergy was First EstateRich nobles were Second EstateThe Third Estate97 percent of people were Third EstateBourgeoisie were middle classWorkers were the second groupPeasants were 80 percent of population

Enlightenment IdeasNew views about power and government spread among the Third EstatePeople were inspired by American RevolutionBegan to demand liberty, equality, and democracy

Economic TroublesBy 1780, Frances economy was in declineTaxes were high, cost of living was rising, and widespread crop failuresGovernment was deeply in debt due to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinettes spending and war expenses

A Weak LeaderLouis XVI was indecisive and did not like governingMarie Antoinette was extremely unpopular, since she was AustrianLouis called a meeting of the Estates-General in 1789 to impose tax on nobles

The Estates GeneralThe First and Second Estate could always outvote the Third in the Estates-GeneralThe Third Estate proposed a change that would allow each delegate to have a vote instead of each Estate, giving the Third Estate the advantage

The National AssemblyThe king sided with the nobles, and decided to run the Estates-General as it had always beenThe Third Estate voted to establish the National Assembly in 1789, agreeing to pass laws and reforms themselvesFirst deliberate act of Revolution

The Tennis Court OathThree days later, delegates were locked out of their meeting roomThey met in an indoor tennis court, and pledged to stay until they drew up a new constitutionThe pledge became known as the Tennis Court OathIn response, Louis stationed an army around Versailles

Storming the BastilleIn Paris, rumors of violence circulatedPeople began gathering weaponsJuly 14, 1789, a mob stormed the Bastille, a French prison, looking for gunpowder and overwhelmed the guardsBecame symbolic act of French Revolution

The Great FearRebellion spread from Paris to the countrysideA wave of panic called the Great Fear descendedPeasants broke into or burned down nobles homesIn October 1789, Parisian women rioted over the price of bread and marched on Versailles

Revolution Brings Reform and TerrorChapter 7, Section 2The Assembly Reforms FranceNobles and officers of the Church were afraid of the peasants revoltingThey call the National Assembly together in August 1789They do away with the Old Regime, getting rid of the Estate system and making all people equal

The Rights of ManThe National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789Similar to Declaration of Independence, grants citizens equal justice and freedomsRevolutionary leaders adopt slogan, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

A State-Controlled ChurchMany early reforms of the National Assembly focused on the ChurchAssembly took over Church lands and sold them to help pay for Frances debtThe Church lost both land and political independence, which upset many Catholic peasants

Louis Tries to EscapeLouiss advisors warned that he and his family were in dangerIn June 1791, the royal family tried to escape from France to the Austrian NetherlandsThey were apprehended near the border and returned to Paris under guard

A Limited MonarchyIn September 1791, the National Assembly completed a new constitutionCreated a limited monarchy and a legislative body called the Legislative Assembly

Factions Split FranceThe Legislative Assembly had three groups- Radicals, Moderates, and Conservativesmigrs (nobles who fled France) wanted to restore Old RegimeSans-culottes (Parisian workers) wanted greater changes

France at WarMany monarchs and nobles in European countries wanted France to undo the recent changesAustria and Prussia demanded Louis be restored to absolute monarchThe Legislative Assembly declared war in April 1792

France at War (Cont.)By summer 1792, Prussia was advancing on Paris and threatened to destroy the city if the royal family was harmedParisians invaded the palace, massacred the guards, and imprisoned the royal family

France at War (Cont.)The Legislative Assembly set aside the Constitution of 1791It stripped the king of all power, dissolved the assembly, and called for a new legislative bodyThe new legislative body, the National Convention, declared France a republic and gave adult males the right to vote and hold office

Jacobins Take ControlThe Jacobin club was a radical political organizationThe National Convention, guided by Jacobins, tried Louis XVI for treason and sentenced him to deathHe was executed by the guillotine on January 21st, 1793

The War ContinuesIn 1793, Great Britain, Holland, and Spain joined Austria and Prussia against FranceThe Convention drafted 300,000 French citizens to reinforce the army in 1793, and by 1794, there were over 800,000 people (including women) in the army

Robespierre Assumes ControlMaximilien Robespierre gained power in 1793Wanted to wipe out Frances pastChanged the calendar, closed all churches, and did away with SundaysHis rule known as Reign of Terror

Robespierre Assumes Control (Cont.)Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public safety, which presided over executions by guillotineAs many as 40,000 were executed during the Terror, often on little or no charges85 percent of those executed were peasants, poor, or middle class

End of the TerrorIn July 1794, members of the National Convention turned on Robespierre and demanded his arrestHe was executed by guillotine on July 28, 1794In 1795, moderates gained control and drafted a new government with a two-house legislature and executive committee of five men known as the Directory

Napoleon Forges an EmpireChapter 7, Section 3Napoleon BonaparteJoined the army at 16In October 1795, he defended Paris against royalist rebels and became known as a heroAppointed to lead the French army in 1796Achieved great victories and remained famous in France

Coup dEtatIn 1799, Napoleon took over the government and dissolved the DirectoryHe became a dictator in a sudden seizure of power known as a coup d-etat, or blow to the stateIn 1802, France signed peace agreements with the countries they were at war with

Napoleon Rules FranceNapoleon created a new tax system and national bankHe set up lyces, or public schoolsHe signed an agreement with the Pope, setting up separation of church and state

Napoleon also created a uniform set of laws called the Napoleonic CodeThis eliminated many injustices, but limited individual rightsCrowned himself emperor in 1804Loss of American TerritoriesColonists and slaves in the French colony of Saint Domingue demanded the same privileges as the people of FranceA civil war erupted, and Napoleons forces were defeatedNapoleon then sold the rest of his American territories

Conquering EuropeNapoleon looked to expand his influence in EuropeFearing this, Britain, Russia, Austria, and Sweden joined forces against FranceNapoleon defeated them soundly and signed treaties and gained land from all except Britain

The Battle of TrafalgarThe only major battle Napoleon lostNaval battle fought against Britain off the coast of SpainEnsured British naval supremacy for another 100 yearsForced Napoleon to give up plans for invading Britain

The French EmpireThe largest in the world at the time, the French empire reached its height from 1807-1812Empire was huge, but unstable and ruled by a group of Napoleons puppets

Napoleons Empire CollapsesChapter 7, Section 4Napoleons Costly MistakesThe Continental SystemIn 1806, Napoleon set up a blockade of Great BritainThis was called the Continental System- designed to make continental Europe more self-sufficientOther countries ignored the blockade, and Britain set up a blockade of France in returnThe Peninsular WarIn 1808, Napoleon invaded Spain to get them to agree to the Continental SystemHe put his brother Joseph on the throneSpain sent guerillas (peasant fighters) to strike French armiesNapoleon lost over 30,000 troops in this Peninsular WarNapoleons Costly Mistakes (Cont.)The Invasion of RussiaIn 1812, the Russian czar refused to stop selling grain to BritainNapoleon invaded Russia in 1812 with 420,000 soldiersThe Russians pulled back and practiced a scorched-earth policy- burning grain fields and slaughtering livestock so the enemy has nothing to eatIn September 1812, Napoleon took Moscow, but the Russians had burned itThe Russian winter and Russian raiders attached the French through the winter and only 10,000 French soldiers survived the warNapoleon Suffers DefeatBritain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Austria declare war on FranceNapoleon raises an army, but they are untrainedIn October 1813, his army was easily defeated by the allied forcesIn April 1814, Napoleon surrendered and was exiled to Elba, an island off of Italy

The Hundred DaysLouis XVIs brother becomes King Louis XVIIIThe people distrust the king, and Napoleon escapes Elba and returns to FranceThe people celebrate and Napoleon forms another armyIn 1815, Napoleon attacked the allied forces at Waterloo, and Napoleon was defeatedThis ended Napoleons last bid for power, called the Hundred DaysNapoleon was sent to St. Helena, an island in the South AtlanticHe died six years later in 1821

The Congress of ViennaChapter 7, Section 5The Congress of ViennaEuropean heads of government wanted to establish peace on the continent after NapoleonThey call a series of meetings in Vienna known as the Congress of Vienna that lasted for eight months

Metternichs Plan for EuropeMost of the decisions made at the Congress of Vienna were made between Britain, France, Austria, Prussia, and RussiaKlemens von Metternich was the foreign minister of Austria and the most influential representativeMetternich did not believe in the French Revolution or democratic ideas

The Containment of FranceThe Congress of Vienna wanted to make the countries around France stronger to prevent French aggressionThe Netherlands unite to form the Kingdom of the NetherlandsGermany unifies as the German ConfederationSwitzerland becomes independentItaly adds Genoa

Balance of PowerThe Congress of Vienna wanted to restore a balance of power, so that no one country would be a threat to othersThey did not severely punish France, so it remained a major European powerNo country could overpower another

LegitimacyThe great powers agreed to the principle of legitimacy- that the rulers Napoleon had defeated be returned to their thronesThe Congress of Vienna was the first time nations of an entire continent met to control political affairsPeace reigned in Europe for nearly 40 years

Conservative EuropeThe rulers of Europe were nervous about the legacy of the French RevolutionRussia, Prussia, and Austria agreed to the Holy Alliance- pledging to fight revolutionsA European alliance called the Concert of Europe ensured nations would help each other if revolutions broke out

Long-Term LegacyWhile Frances power diminished, Britain and Prussias power increasedNationalism began to spread in EuropeSpanish colonies broke away from SpainA new era of democratic ideals began