The French Revolution Begins Chapter 18, Section 1.

The French Revolution Begins

Chapter 18, Section 1

Background to the Revolution

• Enlightenment

• 1789– Constitution of the United States– French Revolution

• The French Revolution had many causes

The Three Estates

• France was divided into the Estates General– An estate is a social class of France– Three estates

• Nobles• Clergy• Commoners

• Commoners made up 80% of the population– Serfdom was abolished

• Peasants had relics of feudalism (aristocratic privileges)

– Craftsmen• Hurt by inflation

– Bourgeoisie (French middle class)• Upset about noble privileges

Financial Crisis• The immediate cause to the

Revolution was financial• Bad harvests in 1787 and

1788– Food shortages

• Gap between wealth and poor increased

• War costs• Louis XVI, king of France had

to call a meeting of the Estates General to raise taxes

From Estates-General to National Assembly

• The third estate wanted to set up a constitutional government – Base it on Enlightened ideas

• Voting was a problem– Estates voted as a unit– The third estate called for one member one vote but

the king said no– Rather than vote, they moved to a nearby tennis court

• Tennis court oath

– On July 14, a mob attacked the Bastille– Peasant Rebellions broke out all over France

Declaration of the Rights of Man

• The Third Estate had declared a National Assembly– In August, voted to end noble privileges

• On August 26, they adopted the Declaration of the rights of man and citizens– Promised life, property, security and resistance to

oppression

– Equal rights and an end to exemptions from taxation

– Women were not included in the idea of equal rights

• Olympe de Gourges argued that women too deserved natural rights but was ignored.

The King Concedes

• The King refused to accept the National Assembly

• In October, peasant women marched on Versailles

• The royal family was “encouraged” to go back to Paris– Basically under house arrest

Church Reforms

• The National Assembly seized church lands and assets

• Church was secularized – Elected bishops and priests

• Many Catholics turned away from the revolution

A New Constitution and New Fears

• In 1791, the National Assembly put forth a new constitution– Limited monarchy

• The Assembly had 745 members– all had to have paid a certain amount of taxes

• Many opposed the new order– Staunch Catholics– Nobles– Radicals

• Louis XVI tried to escape but was caught

War with Austria

• European leaders feared the revolution would spread– Austria and Prussia threatened

force to restore Louis XVI• Queen Marie Antoinette was

Austrian

– The Assembly declared war on Austria

• Initially the French fared badly

Rise of the Paris Commune• These defeats, and continued

economic problems caused further unrest

• Radical groups armed themselves and attacked the Palace and Assembly

• They captured the King and declared for a National Convention– Based on one vote one man,

regardless of money• The Paris Commune took

power– Backed by the sans-culottes

• Urban poor of Paris

Radical Revolution and Reaction


Move to Radicalism

• Georges Danton led the Paris Commune– Began eliminating “counter-revolutionaries”

• Radicals began taking leadership roles– Jean-Paul Marat

The Fate of the King• In September 1792 the question of sovereignty was broached

• Most delegates in the National Convention distrusted the king

• Delegates were split into two major factions (differing groups)– Girondins (provincials) supported the limited monarchy– The Mountain (radicals) supported ending the monarchy– Both factions were called Jacobins

• In January the Mountain was able to pass a decree condemning the king to death

• January 21, 1793 the King was executed by the guillotine

Crisis and Response

• The National Convention had limited control– Paris Commune dominated Paris– Peasants in the countryside refused to follow the

decrees

• In addition, the execution of Louis XVI caused outrage in Europe– Planned an invasion of France

• To handle these problems, the convention gave power to the Committee on Public Safety– Maximilien Robespierre

Reign of Terror

• For a year the Committee on Public Safety ruled– This time period is known as the Reign of

Terror• Prosecuted enemies domestically

– 40,000 people would be killed– 16,000 people would die by the guillotine– This be came entertainment

Crushing Rebellion

• Revolutionary armies were sent to crush rebellions– Lyon

• 1,880 were executed

• Guillotine was too slow

– Nantes• People were loaded onto barges and then were sunk

• The Committee stated that this blood-letting was only temporary

Republic of Virtue

• The committee tried to make a new order– Mister and misses changed to citizen and citizeness– Agents were sent to spread the “good word” of the

revolution– Price limits were set– Dechristianization continued

• Street names were changed (“saint” was eliminated)

• Notre Dame changed to the temple of Reason• Calendar was changed

A Nation in Arms

• France was threatened by outside forces– Many were forced to join the army– A huge army was formed– In doing so, they began to form a national

identity– Due to this and the division among the

attackers, they successfully defended their lands

End of the Terror

• By the summer 1794 the outside forces were defeated

• The Terror continued

• Weary of it, deputies condemned Robespierre– Guillotined in July 1794

• Radicals lost power and moderates took over

The Directory

• Many of the Committee’s rules were overthrown– Churches were re-opened– Power of the Committee was reduced

• A legislature was put in place with an upper and lower house • Five members were chosen to serve on the Directory which ruled• The Directory had to deal with financial and political problems

– Monarchists wanted a king– Radicals wanted to regain power

• Eventually, a coup d'état was led by General Napoleon Bonaparte

Age of Napoleon


The Rise of Napoleon

• Napoleon was born in Corsica

• 1785 he became a lieutenant in the French army– Not well liked (short, no money)

• Spent the next seven years studying military science and philosophy

Military Success

• In 1794 at 24 years old, he became a general

• He gained popularity as General of the Army of Italy where he had success

• He also gained popularity with his men

• 1797 he attacked Britain through Egypt but was cut off from his supplies

Consul and Emperor

• In 1799 he joined the coup d’état and helped establish the consulate

• As consul, he helped rebuild much of France’s infrastructure

• In 1802 he was named consul for life

• In 1804 he crowned himself Emperor

Peace with the Church

• To help consolidate his power he made peace with the Catholic Church

• Church was the State religion again as long as they didn’t claim their lost assets

Codification of Laws

• He also codified the laws

• He instituted the Civil Code or Napoleonic Code– Recognized basic rights of

Frenchmen– It also reversed laws which

made it easier for women to divorce

– Women were treated as ‘minors’ of their husbands

A New Bureaucracy

• Developed a centralized government– Promotion was based on merit

• Created a new aristocracy based on merit– 3,263 men were given titles of nobility– 60% were army officers– The rest came from civil servants

Preserver of the Revolution?

• With these advancements, his domestic policies showed himself as a preserver of the Revolution

• However he also took away many civil liberties– Newspapers were closed down– Mail was opened by police

Building the Empire

• Externally, Napoleon needed a break from foreign wars

• He signed a peace treaty in 1802 but it did not last long

• After a series of battles, in 1807 he had defeated most of his opponents

• His new empire would resemble Rome– France itself– Dependent states (under Napoleon’s relatives - Italy,

Spain, Holland, etc) – Allied States (those defeated by Napoleon – Prussia,

Austria, Russia, and Sweden)

Spreading the Principles of the Revolution

• Inside his Empire, Napoleon sought to spread the Enlightenment

• He tried to eliminate the old order of the countries he overtook – Nobility and Clergy lost their privileges– Equality before the law– Religious toleration

Britain's Survival

• Britain’s survival continued because of its sea power

• Napoleon sought to build a navy to invade but it was destroyed at Trafalgar

• Then he decided to place an embargo on British goods

• Black market dealings and trade with America foiled this plan

Nationalism

• Nationalism is a unique identity that defines a people– Customs– Language– Religion

• Nationalism broke out against France– Oppressors– “we are better than them”

Disaster in Russia

• The Russians refused to cooperate so Napoleon invaded– If Russia was allowed to ignore Napoleon the others would too

• The Russians refused to fight, drawing Napoleon deeper into their lands– Burnt everything as they retreated

• At Moscow the city was already burning when they arrived– They then began the Great Retreat

• Other countries rose up and captured Paris in 1814• Napoleon was sent to exile on the island of Elba• Louis XVIII (brother of Louis XVI) took over

The Final Defeat

• The new king had little support from the French

• Napoleon escaped and marched on Paris

• Other countries sent in armies to defeat him again

• At Waterloo, Napoleon was defeated by an army led by the Duke of Wellington

• Napoleon would again be put in exile this time not to return

The French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789–1815

DIRECTIONS: Select and write the term that best completes each sentence.•1. Before the revolution, French society was divided into three •2. French peasants resented the that included the payment of fees for the use of village facilities as well as contributions to the clergy.•3. The , or French middle class, supported the revolution.

• 4. The Third Estate in France came together for a meeting to discuss their government reforms. Finding their assigned meeting hall locked, they moved to a nearby venue. It was here that the , an agreement that they would remain assembled until a constitution had been written, was made.

• 5. The Constitution of 1791 set up a limited

where there was still a king, but a Legislative Assembly would make the laws.

• 6. During the French Revolution, many radical members of the Paris Commune wore long trousers instead of knee-length breeches and called themselves

• 7. The 1793 execution of King Louis XVI pushed the French Revolution into a new stage called, the political orientation of those who favor revolutionary change in government and society.

• 8. In order to meet both the domestic and foreign crisis, the National Convention in 1793 gave broad powers to a special committee known as the , dominated at first by Georges Danton, then by Maximilien Robespierre.

• 9. The popular general Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of France in a

• 10. In 1799 Napoleon held absolute power in a new government called the

• 11. In other European countries, strong feelings of , or the cultural identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols, helped to stir revolts against Napoleon.

__ 1. the middle class, including merchants, industrialists, and professional people

__ 2. obligations of peasants to noble landlords that survived into the modern era

__ 3. “without breeches,” members of the Paris Commune who considered themselves ordinary patriots (in other words, they wore long trousers instead of fine knee-length breeches)

__ 4. one of the three classes into which French society was divided before the revolution: the clergy (first estate), the nobles (second estate), and the townspeople (third estate)

A. estate

B. relics of feudalism

C. bourgeoisie

D. sans-culottes

Define Match each definition in the left column with the appropriate term in the right column.

C

B

D

A

Checking for Understanding

Summarize What were the main affirmations of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen?

The main affirmations were: the right to liberty, property, and security; equal rights for all men; equal access to public office; and equal, fair taxation.

__ 1. an individual qualified to vote in an election

__ 2. a dissenting group

__ 3. a sudden overthrow of the government

A. faction

B. elector

C. coup d’état


B

A

C


Explain both the similarities and the differences between the Girondins and the Mountain.

The Girondins represented provinces, feared radical mobs, and were moderate toward the king. The Mountain represented the city, were a more radical group, and wanted to execute the king.

__ 1. the unique cultural identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols

__ 2. government established in France after the overthrow of the Directory in 1799, with Napoleon as first consul in control of the entire government

A. consulate

B. nationalism


B

A


Explain how nationalism contributed to Napoleon’s defeat. Be sure to discuss how French nationalism produced nationalism outside of France.


Conquered people were brought together in their hatred for their French oppressors.

1. Aristocratic privileges, or _______________, were obligations of the French peasants to local landlords.

2. Members of the French middle class, the _______________, were part of the third estate.

3. During the National Convention of 1792, dissenting groups or _______________ disagreed over the fate of Louis XVI.

4. In 1799, Napoleon controlled the _______________, a new government in which Napoleon had absolute power.

5. _______________ is the cultural identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols.

Insert the key term that best completes each of the following sentences.

Using Key Terms

relics of feudalism

bourgeoisie

factions

consulate

Nationalism

Government How did Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety deal with opponents of the government? What was the effect of their policies?

They murdered their opponents. Others feared Robespierre’s power and had him executed.

Geography How did the French Revolution lead to war with other European nations?

Other nations feared that the rebellions and uprisings would spread to their countries.

The French Revolution Begins Chapter 18, Section 1.

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