It was the best of times, It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of it was the age of foolishness, foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of it was the epoch of incredulity…incredulity…

-- Charles Dickens-- Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities A Tale of Two Cities

Breakdown of Ancien Regime (Old Oder)

Origins of the French Revolution

Economic Causes

• Public opinion resisted increase in taxes • Govt financed its enormous expenditures through

borrowed $• In 1780 debt was so bad that 50% of France’s budget

went to pay interest only; 25% went to military; 6% to king and court at Versailles; less than 20% went to function of state

• Couldn’t declare bankruptcy; no central bank couldn’t print $; French currency was gold

• Had to increase taxes; tax system was unfair; to increase revenues you would have to change the system

Socio-Economic Data, Socio-Economic Data, 17891789

The French Urban The French Urban PoorPoor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of Income Spent on Bread

1787

1788

a Urban Urban Commoner’sCommoner’sBudget:Budget:

– Food 80%Food 80%– Rent 25%Rent 25%– Tithe 10%Tithe 10%– Taxes 35%Taxes 35%– Clothing 20%Clothing 20%– TOTAL 170%TOTAL 170%

a King’s King’s Budget:Budget:

– Interest 50%Interest 50%– Army 25%Army 25%– Versailles 25%Versailles 25%– Coronation 10%Coronation 10%– Loans 25%Loans 25%– Admin. 25%Admin. 25%– TOTAL 160%TOTAL 160%

Financial ProblemsFinancial Problemsin France, 1789in France, 1789

Social Causes:  Old Regime (Ancien Regime)

Since Middle Ages 25 million inhabitants of France were

legally divided into 3 orders or estates.

The 3 Estates

• 1st Estate: Roman Catholic clergy. 100,000 members owned 10% of land; paid “voluntary gift” every 5 years in taxes; church levied a tax (tithe) on landowners of about 10%.

• 2nd estate: 400,000 (2%) noblemen and women who owned 25% of land; taxed lightly or not at all; had many manorial privileges – taxed the peasants, fishing and hunting rights.

• 3rd estate: commoners: » few: lawyers, merchants, officials (educated and wealthy)

bourgeoisie – middle class» more: artisans and unskilled day laborers» majority: peasants and agricultural workers

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy

2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Suggested Voting The Suggested Voting Pattern:Pattern:

Voting by EstatesVoting by Estates1

1

1

Louis XIV insisted that Louis XIV insisted that the ancient distinction of the the ancient distinction of the three orders be conserved in its entirety.three orders be conserved in its entirety.

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Number of The Number of RepresentativesRepresentatives

in the Estates General: Vote in the Estates General: Vote by Head!by Head!300

300

648

Out With the Old

Old Regime no longer corresponded to social reality

–social system still based on feudal times

–now society was based on wealth and education; emerging elite (aristocracy and bourgeoisie) that was frustrated with bureaucratic/absolute monarchy

Emmanuel Joseph Emmanuel Joseph SieyesSieyes

11stst What is the Third What is the Third Estate? Estate? Everything!Everything!22ndnd What has it been What has it been heretofore in the heretofore in the political order? political order? Nothing! Nothing!33rdrd What does it What does it demand?demand? To become To become somethingsomething therein! therein!

Abbé SieyèsAbbé Sieyès1748-18361748-1836

Political Causes

• Weak King: Louis XVI –careless, heartless, foolish; wrong man

at the wrong time–most hated for his Austrian wife, Marie

Antoinette–lived extravagantly–depleted the French treasury

The French Monarchy:The French Monarchy:1775 - 17931775 - 1793

Marie Antoinette & Louis Marie Antoinette & Louis XVIXVI

Let Them Eat Cake! Let Them Eat Cake!

Y Marie Antoinette NEVER said that!Marie Antoinette NEVER said that!

Y ““Madame Deficit”Madame Deficit”

Y ““The Austrian Whore”The Austrian Whore”

Stage 1 of Revolution

Moderate Stage: 1789 – 1792

Louis calls Estate General (Congress)

• Estates General had not been summoned in over 200 years!

• 1st and 2nd estate dominate the talks; given uneven vote

• 3rd estate urges reform, relief for the poor, & equal voice

• Weeks of arguing; 3rd estate leaves meets on the King’s Tennis Court

Convening the Estates General Convening the Estates General May, 1789May, 1789

Last time it was called into session was Last time it was called into session was 1614!1614!

Tennis Court Oath: a vow to save France from ruin

• Conservatives gather on the right, liberals on the left

• Call themselves “National Assembly” and start making laws

• (Does this have some precedent in the American Revolution?)

““The Tennis Court The Tennis Court Oath”Oath”

by Jacques Louis Davidby Jacques Louis David

June 20, 1789June 20, 1789

Bastille Day (July 14, 1789)

• Rioting throughout Paris; mob showed up at the King’s prison (the Bastille) looking for weapons

• Sparked the Great Fear; countryside peasants attacked landlords for food stores

Storming the Bastille, Storming the Bastille, July July 14, 178914, 1789

Y A rumor that the king was planning a military A rumor that the king was planning a military coup against the National Assembly.coup against the National Assembly.

Y 18 died.18 died.

Y 73 wounded.73 wounded.

Y 7 guards 7 guards killed.killed.

Y It held 7 It held 7 prisoners prisoners [5 ordinary [5 ordinary criminals & 2 criminals & 2 madmen].madmen].

August 4, 1789: National Assembly meets

• Ends serfdom, feudalism and all class privilege

• Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite

• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

• Called for the creation of a limited monarchy

National AssemblyNational Assembly1789 - 17911789 - 1791

August DecreesAugust DecreesAugust 4-11, 1789August 4-11, 1789

(A renunciation of aristocratic (A renunciation of aristocratic privileges!)privileges!)

Liberté!Liberté! Egalité!Egalité!

Fraternité!Fraternité!

The Tricolor (1789)The Tricolor (1789)

The WHITE of the The WHITE of the Bourbons + the RED Bourbons + the RED

& BLUE of Paris.& BLUE of Paris.

Citizen!Citizen!

The Declaration of the The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Rights of Man and of

the Citizen the Citizen Posed New DilemmasPosed New Dilemmas

1.1. Did women have equal rights with Did women have equal rights with men?men?

2.2. What about free blacks in the What about free blacks in the colonies?colonies?

3.3. How could slavery be justified if all How could slavery be justified if all men were born free?men were born free?

4.4. Did religious toleration of Protestants Did religious toleration of Protestants and Jews include equal political and Jews include equal political rights?rights?

National Assembly (1789 – 1792)

• Reform France: church lands are confiscated; sold to pay debt

• Radicals called for the death of the King and nobles (King tried to escape 1790 to Austria)

• émigrés: nobles fled France for more friendly countries

• Upper class targeted by mobs and killed• Eventually dissolves monarchy and declares

France  a republic

Stage 2 of Revolution

Reign of Terror 1793 – 1794)

Reign of Terror

• Time of crisis: England and Spain join Austria and Prussia in opposing the revolution; food shortages and counterrevolution in western France

• Power struggle between Radicals (Jacobins) and moderates Girondins

• Jacobins take control of the legislature and install an emergency government Committee for Public Safety headed by Robespierre

The Political The Political SpectrumSpectrum

JacobinJacobinss

MontagnarMontagnardsds

(“The (“The Mountain”)Mountain”)

GirondistsGirondistsMonarchíeMonarchíe

nn

(Royal(Royalists)ists)

1790s:1790s:The PlainThe Plain

(swing (swing votes)votes)

TODAY:TODAY:

Reign of Terror

• Planned economy and Levee en masse (national conscription) and reign of terror: round up nobles for execution; thousands sent to “national razor’ (guillotine).

• Jan. 21, 1793: Radicals execute Louis XVI and his family

• Wanted a republic of virtue• Changed the names of months; abolished

Sunday

Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793)Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793)

c The trial of the The trial of the king was hastened king was hastened by the discovery by the discovery

in a secret in a secret cupboard in the cupboard in the

Tuilieres of a Tuilieres of a cache of cache of

documents.documents.

c They proved They proved conclusively Louis’ conclusively Louis’

knowledge and knowledge and encouragement of encouragement of

foreign foreign intervention.intervention.

c The National The National Convention votedConvention voted

387 to 334387 to 334 to to execute the execute the monarchs.monarchs.

The Death of “Citizen” Louis CapetThe Death of “Citizen” Louis Capet

Matter for Matter for reflectionreflection

for the crowned for the crowned jugglers.jugglers.

So impure bloodSo impure blooddoesn’t soil our land!doesn’t soil our land!

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette on the Way to the Guillotineon the Way to the Guillotine

Maximilien Robespierre

• Orders 1,000 of executions

• Uses spies; put people to death if they disagreed with the Revolution

• Killed famous revolutionary leaders that he saw as a threat (Danton, DesMoulins)

• 40 – 50,000 killed in all including peasants for ridiculous reasons; bartender was killed for serving sour wine

Committee for Public Committee for Public SafetySafety

Revolutionary Tribunals.Revolutionary Tribunals. 300,000 arrested.300,000 arrested.

16,000 – 50,000 executed.16,000 – 50,000 executed.

Maximillian Maximillian RobespierreRobespierre(1758 – 1794)(1758 – 1794)

Different Social Different Social Classes Executed Classes Executed

28%

31%

25%

8%

7%

The National RazorThe National Razor

The last guillotine execution in France was in The last guillotine execution in France was in 19391939!!

The The Radical’s Radical’s

Arms:Arms:

No God!No God!No Religion!No Religion!

No King!No King!No No

Constitution!Constitution!

Reaction Stage (1794 – 1798)

• Moderates react; former members of National Assembly turn on Robespierre; he’s executed (1794)

• Girondins readmitted

• People are sick of the killing and the chaos; terror did not help advance the revolution

The Arrest of Robespierre

The Revolution ConsumesThe Revolution ConsumesIts Own Children!Its Own Children!

Danton Awaits Danton Awaits Execution, Execution,

17931793

Robespierre Lies Robespierre Lies WoundedWoundedBefore the Before the

Revolutionary Tribunal Revolutionary Tribunal that will order him to that will order him to be guillotined, 1794.be guillotined, 1794.

(1795) National Assembly meets and writes new constitution

• Power given to intellectuals

• Five man directory formed (executive branch)

• Controlled by wealthy merchants that wanted to expand their wealth; overturned planned economy upset the sanscoullote

ResourcesResources

«http://www.pptpalooza.net/. Susan Pojer, Howrace Greeley High School.

« Censer, J.R., & Hunt, L. (2001). Censer, J.R., & Hunt, L. (2001). Liberty, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution. Revolution. University Park, PA (The University Park, PA (The Pennsylvania State University Press). Pennsylvania State University Press).