The French Revolution

Setting the Stage: The Estates

• French class system broken up into 3 Estates• First Estate – High Church Positions• Second Estate – Nobility• Third Estate – Everyone Else (Peasants, workers,

shopkeepers, merchants, bankers, lawyers, doctors…..)

Setting the Stage: Nation in Crisis

• Bad Harvests• Food Shortages• Rising cost of Food

• Spending of the Royal Family• Constant War – Support of the American Revolution• Royal Luxuries – Extravagant spending of the Royal Court

• Maria Antoinette and her lavish parties

Setting the Stage: Estates General

• Louis XVI calls meeting of the Estates General• Representatives of all three estates• 1st – 300 representatives• 2nd – 300 Representatives• 3rd – 600 representatives

• Vote to raise taxes• Voting System unfair • Tax System unfair

The National Assembly

• Disgusted w/system, 3rd Estate declares itself The National Assembly• Vow to draw up a fair constitution

• Locked out of their meeting place by 1st & 2nd Estate• Tennis Court Oath

• Vow to continue meeting until new constitution drawn up

Storming the Bastille

• Hundreds of Parisians gather around the Bastille• Prison thought to also serve as an armory

• People are hungry and scared of troops• They break into Bastille to steal guns to defend

themselves• Prison warden is beheaded• No guns, so Bastille is torn down

The Great Fear

• Louis XVI has lost control of Paris• Royal troops have betrayed him

• Peasants revolting all over France• Troops rumored to be coming from other countries to help put down

revolt• Peasants destroy records of debts

• National Assembly continues action• Takes away legal privileges of nobles and clergy

Change hits the Royal Family and the Estates

• Although his palace is at Versailles, Louis XVI moves to Paris• Forced there by angry mob of women• Afraid Louis would seek help from allies if not watched closely

• Catholic Church is turned over• All lands sold off for profit• Church positions would now be elected by people

• Not appointed by pope

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

• Dealt with the individual rights of man:• Liberty• Property• Security• Resistance to oppression

• Enlightenment Ideas• Freedom of speech and press

The King Tries to Escape

• In 1791, new constitution is signed• Limited the monarchy• All taxpaying men over 25 could vote• All positions political and religious were elected

• Louis XVI and his family try to escape Paris• Captured and brought back

War with Austria

• Foreign monarchies are afraid• Revolution may spread outside French borders• Threaten the French revolutionary government

• France strikes first and declares war• Unorganized, badly beaten

Paris Commune

• French Revolution about to take a violent turn• Parisian mob attacks new French gov’t & monarchy

• Call for new government• All male citizens can vote

• Paranoia grips the streets• People don’t trust each other

The End of the French Monarchy

• Mobs are now controlling France• Fear of foreign invasion• Violence in streets

• National Convention called to draft new constitution• Political parties form• Abolish the monarchy

“Off, with his head…”

• Two major political parties form• Girondins – represent people outside of Paris• Mountain/Jacobins – represent people in Paris

• Decide the fate of the King• Execution• guillotine

Things Fall Apart

• The beheading of the king sets off a chain reaction of violence

• Three Men responsible:• Jean-Paul Marat• Georges Danton• Maximilien Robespierre

• Danton and Marat condone the use of violence during the revolution

The Reign of Terror• Maximilien Robespierre – Jacobin, becomes head of Committee of

Public Safety• Reign of Terror

• Revolutionary courts that tried “traitors”• 40,000 killed in a year

• 16,000 guillotined

• The Republic of Virtue• People referred to each other as “citizens”• New Calendar• De-Christianization

A Call to Arms

• To save Revolution again, France goes to war, again• Massive draft

• Largest army ever seen in Europe• Over a million soldiers

• Defeats all foreign invaders• Success seen as a true people’s war

“Off with HIS head…”

• After the war, Robespierre passes gains more power• Law of 22 Prairial

• More power to arrest and execute

• Afraid of Robespierre’s growing power, action is needed• National Convention arrests him• Robespierre is executed

• Jacobins are removed from power

FINALLY, a constitution

• The Terror is over and the CPS is removed• New Constitution is signed

• Separation of powers• Executive branch known as the Directory

• Corrupt

• Small percent of population can vote• 30,000 people

Coup d'état

• French government still a mess• Political parties fighting• Corruption dominates new government• Economic Problems• Expensive Wars

• One Military leader seizes opportunity and overthrows government• Napoleon Bonaparte

DBQ

• Read the verses from William Wordsworth, and the illustration by George Cruikshank on page 592 and answer the questions related to foreign views of the French Revolution.

• Read the Primary Sources on pages 594-595 and answer the question son page 595. #’s 1-6