The French Revolution

France in 1789Crippling National Debt

Extensive unemployment

Widespread malnutrition and starvation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of Income Spent on Bread

1787

1788

Three Estates First Estate

Clergy .5% of population, 10% of land

Second Estate Nobility 1.5% of population, 25% of land

Third Estate Commoners 98% of population, 65% of land

Estates General King convenes to raise taxes Needed money because of Seven

Years’ War and American Revolution

How should they vote?

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy

2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate1

1

1

How should they vote?

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate300

300

648

Royal ResponseKing locks out Estates General

Meet anyway as the National Assembly – Third Estate only

Tennis Court Oath – vow to meet until they have a constitution

Bastille King fires financial

advisor

Parisian crowds riot, storm Bastille prison

July 14, 1789 – French Independence Day

National Assembly Exercises Power

August 1789 – Assembly abolishes feudalism

December 1789 – Assembly takes over property of churchAbolished church’s ability to taxConfiscated church propertyMade clergy state employeesReplaced church with the “Cult of

Reason”

More National Assembly Actions

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Liberté, Egalité, FraternitéLiberty, Equality, Fraternity

(Brotherhood)Eventually establish a

constitutional monarchy

War Austria and Prussia

declare war on France Defeated by

nationalist French army

Led to execution of Louis XVI

Monarchy abolished, Republic established

Dissent in the National Assembly

Split between conservatives and radical liberals

JacobinJacobinss

MontagnarMontagnardsds

(“The (“The Mountain”)Mountain”)

GirondistsGirondistsMonarchíeMonarchíe

nn(Royalists)(Royalists)

1790s:1790s:The PlainThe Plain

(swing (swing votes)votes)

Factions Turn on Each Other

Conservatives – Girondins

Radicals – Jacobins

Led by Maximilien Robespierre

Jean-Paul Marat Jacobin who used

his newspapers to influence public opinion

Whipped up public opinion against Girondins

Killed in his bathtub by Girondin assassin

Reign of Terror Robespierre seizes

opportunity Cracks down on enemies

Girondins Anyone who disagreed with him

Over 18,000 executed from 1793 to 1794

Eventually runs out of political support Loses power Is executed himself in 1794

After the Reign of Terror Girondins take over and take revenge Write a new constitution, but nothing

changes Very little control from the government Much social unrest and riots

Military called upon to put them down Napoleon very skilled at doing so

Napoleon takes over in 1799 coup d’etat

Big Picture Takeaway French Revolution was a political

failure Traded a King for an Emperor

Elimination of Feudalism and church control had long-term effects

Revolutionary ideals had far-reaching appeal

Unified France Set the stage for nationalism