French Revolution1789-1815

Causes of French Revolution1. Drought: No grain to feed the people. The

French diet consisted of mostly bread. The price of bread doubled. Many people faced starvation.

2. Enlightenment: The new idea was that people should be involved in the government. When the government does not do what the people want them to they have the right to overthrow the government.

▫Equality, liberty, and democracy▫American Revolution inspired them

Causes of French Revolution3. Debt: The monarchy was wasting the country’s

money. • Giving money to the Americans so they could

defeat French’s enemy the British. • Spending money on court extravagances. Marie

Antoinette was ordering custom made dresses daily.

Causes of French Revolution4. Estates

First two social classes•There are two privileged classes•Had access to high offices and were exempt

from paying taxes•First estate

▫Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church; owned 10% of land in France. Provided education and services to the poor and contributed about 2% of income to the government.

• Second Estate▫Rich nobles – most of wealth from land; 2% of

population; 30% of land and no taxes▫Scorned Enlightenment ideas as radical

notions

Third Estate•98% of population•Eager for change•3 groups within the third estate

▫First – bourgeoisie– merchants and artisans; well educated; Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality accepted; high taxes and little privileges even though some had the money that nobles had.

▫Second – Workers from the city – cooks, servants, and others; low taxes and frequently out of work and hungry; mobs might steal or rob to find food.

▫Third – Peasants – largest; 80% of the 26 million people; ½ income in dues to nobles, church, and taxes; Resented clergy and nobles for privileges.

Causes of French Revolution5. Weak Leader•Louis XVI was indecisive

▫Paid little attention to governing▫ preferred to hunt and tinker with locks

•Marie Antoinette – wife – they married when he was 15 and she was 14▫spent so much money on gowns, jewels, and

gifts that she became known as “Madame Deficit”

•Instead of cutting expenses he tried to tax the second estate▫Second estate forced him to call a meeting of

Estates-General▫First meeting in 175 years

Revolution Dawns• Estates-General

▫Each estate received one vote. First and Second estate would always outvote Third

▫Third Estate wanted each delegate to have a vote▫Third Estate gets mad and leaves ▫Third Estate is told by radicals to form the National

Assembly to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people This proclaimed the end of absolute monarchy and the

beginning of representative government This is the first action of revolution

▫Three days later – Third Estate Delegates locked out of meeting room.

▫Broke down a door to an indoor tennis court, pledging to stay until they had a new constitution – Tennis Court Oath

Storming of Bastille•King orders nobles and clergy to join the Third

Estate in the National Assembly out of fear.•King stations his mercenary army of Swiss

guards in Paris•Citizens afraid that the army was sent to Paris

to destroy the National Assembly. To protect themselves they storm the Bastille to get gunpowder

•They stormed the Bastille, released the prisoners, and killed the commander of the prison. They destroyed the prison, and paraded down the street with the commander’s head on a stake.

•July 14 has become a French National Holiday

A Great Fear Sweeps France• Great Fear – wave of senseless panic that spread through

France• Rumor spread throughout Paris that the King and Queen

were hoarding all the grain▫ 6,000 women along with some men marched 12 miles to

Versailles▫ Broke into Palace and killed two guards. Marie Antoinette

narrowly escaped ▫ King and Queen forced to Paris

Women’s March to Versailles

King & Queen being forced to Paris

The Assembly Reforms France•National Assembly adopts the Declaration of the

Rights of Man▫“Men are born and remain free and equal in rights”▫It is influenced by the Enlightenment and

Declaration of Independence▫Guaranteed freedom of speech & freedom of

religion▫“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” becomes the slogan

of the Revolution▫Women not included▫Olympe de Gouges was executed for writing the

“Declaration of the rights of Women and the Female citizen”

War and Extreme Measures• Monarchs in other European countries concerned

that the French Revolution could led to peasant revolts in their country

• Austria proposes that the French put Louis back on the throne

• National Assembly declares war on Austria & Prussia

• French forces take Louis at his palace in Paris and imprison the royal family

• National Convention met in Paris▫ Abolished monarchy and declared France a republic▫ Tried Louis XVI for treason and found him guilty

• guillotine kills Louis and many others during the Revolution

•Efficient, humane & democratic•Victims had to endure a 1 ½ hour procession through city streets

Guillotine

The Terror Grips France

•How do you contain and control enemies?•Peasants were horrified by the death of the

king•Priests don’t like the government•Rival leaders stir up rebellions•Maximilien Robespierre gets control of

France (dictator)▫Attempts to create a “republic of virtue”▫Every bit of life changed for the French▫Committee of Public Safety – people are

convicted of being an enemy of the republic – NO ONE IS SAFE – you are tried in the morning and die in the afternoon

Reign of Terror•Says it enabled French citizens to remain

true to the ideals of the revolution•Marie Antoinette killed in the Reign of

Terror•Revolutionaries are killed for being less

radical than Robespierre (those who helped form the republic)

•3,000 people killed in Paris alone during the terror, and 40,000 all together; 85% of which were peasants.

•National Convention turns on Robespierre. Felt that they were not safe

• “Down with the Tyrant”•July 28, 1794 – Robespierre is guillotined•New constitution gives power to a two house legislature and an executive body of 5 men (Directory)•Directory found the right general to command the French armies – NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

End of Reign of Terror

Execution of Robespierre

Napoleon as First Consul

• With the government in disarray Napoleon launched a successful coup on November 9, 1799.

• He proclaimed himself “First Consul” and did away with the elected Assembly

• In 1802 he made himself sole Consul for Life

• Two years later he proclaimed himself Emperor

•Restoring Order At Home▫Set up fairer tax code▫Set up national bank▫Gave state loans to

businesses▫Fired corrupt officials

•Napoleonic Code▫Freedom of Speech &

Press Restricted▫Slavery restored in

colonies

$15,000,000$15,000,000

Louisiana Purchase, 1803

The Big Blunder

•In July 1812 Napoleon led hisArmy of 614,000 men eastwardAcross Central Europe into Russia

The Russians avoided a direct confrontation with Napoleon

They retreated to Moscow, drawing the French into the interior of Russia(hoping that it’s size and weather would act as support for the Russian cause)

The Russian nobles abandoned their estates and burned their crops to the ground

100000 French troops retreat—40,000 survive!100000 French troops retreat—40,000 survive!

Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow

Napoleon Abdicates

•Allied forces occupied Paris on March 31, 1814

•Treaty of Fontainbleau exiles Napoleon to Elba