The French Revolution

Part 1The French Revolution1789-1799

Causes of the French Revolution Population divided into three Estates, or groups Age of Enlightenment Weak monarchy Financial difficulties American Revolution

Three EstatesFirst Estate: Roman Catholic clergy (paid no taxes to the government)Second Estate: NoblesThird Estate: Bourgeoisie bankers, merchants, and shop-keepersSans-culottes Urban lower classesbutchers, weavers, and servants. As a class, these workers were called sans-culottes (those who are without knee britches)Peasants the largest group within the Third Estate. The poor people of Frances cities often went hungry.

Age of EnlightenmentIndividuals can look for knowledge and use their own reason to understand the world rather than be told how to think by the church or the state.The natural world is governed by fixed laws that mans reason can discover. Science, not opinion or faith, will help us find truth and solve problems.Humans are progressing from immaturity, superstition, and slavery to maturity, reason, and freedom. All humans have the ability to be enlightened. By nature, all humans are equal.People are capable of ruling themselves. The aristocracy is not the only class that deserves to rule. The middle class should also play a part in politics.Challenged the right to absolute rule. Government is an agreement between the people and their rulers.

Weak MonarchyLouis XVI (1754-1793) was incapable of strong, decisive actionHe preferred personal interests to court interestsHe was strongly influenced by his spendthrift wife, Marie Antoinette (daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria remember her?)Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived at Versailles, away from Paris and the peoples troubles

Financial DifficultiesThe French government had large debts with heavy interest, because of:Extravagant spendingAmbitious wars (Britain, American Revolution)Need for tax reformThe peasants and the bourgeoisie (Third Estate) were unhappy because they had to pay all the taxesThe nobles and the clergy were determined not to give up their tax concessions

American Revolution1776Like the French Revolution, the American Revolution began as a dispute over taxes. France sent troops and supplies to aid the American revolutionariesIntroduction to revolutionary ideasTake up arms against tyrannyLiberal freedoms for all menNo taxation without representationA republic is superior to a monarchyThis revolution gave greater reality to Enlightenment ideals of individual liberty, representative government, and progressivism.France felt the impact more than any other country, due to the expense as well as the ideals their soldiers were inspired by.

Story of the French Revolution Why were all Three Estates dissatisfied with the Old Regime? How did Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette add to the crises that France faced?

Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette1770-1793 Louiss govt was in debt from war with Britain and financing the American Revolution Marie Antoinette spent lavishly and lived a luxurious lifestyle very offensive to poor Parisians

Estates GeneralHow did Louis XVI plan to get out debt?Louiss ministers hoped to avoid bankruptcy by taxing the nobles The nobles refused to pay taxes unless the king called a meeting of the Estates GeneralHow did the voting system in the Estates General work?Under the estates rules, each estate (group of people) was to have one voteThus, the First and Second Estate could always out vote the Third Estate two to oneHow did the Third Estate wish to change the system?They demanded that all three estates meet togetherthe votes of all members would count equallySiding with the nobles however, the king ordered the estates to follow the old rulesThe king locked the Third Estate out of every meeting hall in the city to keep them from meeting

Tennis Court OathJune 20, 1789In defiance, the members of the Third Estate gathered in a large indoor tennis court. There, they swore the famous Tennis Court Oath, pledging never to disband until they had written a new constitution for France.

What becomes of this meeting, and what are the goals of this new government?The Third Estate changed its name to the National Assembly. The assembly was called upon to pass laws and reforms in the name of the French people.In effect, the assembly proclaimed an end to absolute monarchy and the beginning of representative government.This was the first revolutionary legislature and was made up mostly of the Third Estate and a few nobles and clergy who joined them.In session from 1789-1791.

Response to National AssemblyIn the crisis, Louis XVI tried to make peace with the assembly by yielding with their demandsHowever, mobs were rioting in the streets believing Louis had hired foreign troops to massacre French citizensThe riots reached their peak when mobs stormed the Bastille (the prison) in search of gunpowder to defend against the kings troops

Storming of the Bastille July 14, 1789Angry attackers hacked the prison commander of the Bastille and several guards to death, and then paraded around the streets with the dead mens heads on spikesThe fall of the Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people for several reasons

Bastille DayForced Louis XVI to abandon his plans of bringing in foreign troops to assert his powerIt reduced the kings power and saved the National AssemblyIt became a symbol of the revolutionBastille Day

The Great FearBefore long, rebellion spread from Paris to the countrysideRumors were circulating that the nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize the peasantsA new wave of panic called the Great Fear rolled through FrancePeasants armed with guns and pitchforks broke into manor houses and destroyed the old legal papers that bound them to pay feudal duesMany peasants burned down the manor housesBread RiotsIn October of 1789, thousands of Parisian women began rioting over the high prices of bread. Carrying knives, axes, and other weapons, they marched to Versailles demanding the king and queen do something about it. They broke into the palace, killing some guards. The women demanded that Louis and Marie return to Paris. After some time, Louis agreed.

Revolution Brings Reform & Terror

Declaration of the Rights of ManThe Old Regime is now dead. The National Assembly then adopts a statement of revolutionary ideas called the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen:Liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppressionEqual justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religionIn keeping with the ideas of revolution, the French people adopted the slogan Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

The ChurchThe National Assembly then focused on the ChurchChurch officials and priests were to be paid as state officialsChurch land was sold and used to pay off Frances huge debtWhat caused the peasants to oppose many of these reforms?The effort to make the Church part of the state offended themThey believed the Pope should rule over the Church and it should remain independent

Legislative Assembly, 1791

A new government formed at this time called the Legislative AssemblyThe leaders were still prosperous and well-educated, but were younger and less cautious than their predecessors in the National Assembly. Many belonged to a political club called the Jacobins (a radical republican group).Declaration of Pillnitz: a declaration of the monarchs of Europe that they would intervene if the French monarchy was threatened.Threat of WarAs France faced revolution, they also faced a war with Austria and Prussia who urged the French to restore Louis to his position as absolute monarch.War between the two countries was declared in 1792. The Prussian commander threatened to destroy Paris if the revolutionaries harmed any member of the royal family.In retaliation, mobs stormed the palace and massacred the kings guards. Louis and Marie were deposed and imprisoned in a stone tower.September Massacre, 1792Fearful citizens began raiding prisons and murdering over 1,000 prisoners, mostly nobles, priests, and royalist sympathizers. This event was known as the September Massacre.What effects did the September massacre have on the government?Under the threat of war, the Legislative Assembly gave up the idea of a limited monarchy.A new governing body was created called the National Convention.It abolished the monarchy and made France a republic.

JacobinsNew radical political organizations began to appear at this time. The most prominent was a group called the Jacobins.One of the most prominent of the Jacobins was a man named Jean-Paul Marat. Marat edited a newspaper in which he would call for the death of all those who continued to support the king.Georges Danton was another member of the Jacobins. He used passionate, fiery, speeches to call for the death of many against the revolution. Death of Louis XVIThe National Convention votes to abolish the monarchy. Under the new republic, Louis becomes a common citizen and prisoner.The Jacobins tried Louis for treason and sentenced him to death.

The Reign of TerrorRobespierreOne Jacobin leader, Maximilien Robespierre, slowly gained power. Robespierre set out to build a republic of virtue by wiping out every trace of the monarchy. He was nicknamed the Incorruptible.Robespierre became the leader of the Committee of Public Safety. His rule became known as the Reign of Terror. He justified his use of terror by enabling citizens to be true to the ideas of the Revolution. The Committee began executing enemies of the revolution.Reign of TerrorAs many as 40,000 people were executed during the terror.Even Georges Danton was tried and sentenced to death for his opposition to the terror.

Reign of TerrorJean-Paul Marat was stabbed while bathing in his medicinal tub by a woman who wanted the killing to stop.She was quoted as saying I killed one man to save 100,000.

Death of Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette, the widowed queen, was also tried, found guilty, and sentenced to the guillotine.

Reign of Terror

Fearing for their own safety, many members of the National Convention turned on Robespierre.They demanded his arrest and execution.He was shot in the jaw then later condemned to death by the same method as thousands of others

DirectoryModerate leaders drafted a new constitution. Five men headed up the new executive body called the Directory.The Directory also found a new leader to crush their enemiesNapoleon Bonaparte.