The FrenchREVOLUTION!

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 foolishness, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…it was the epoch of incredulity…

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

Introduction:

• Begins in 1789 – replaced the political and social order of the Middle Ages

• Early 1789- France has 24,000,000 people – most in Europe, also the wealthiest in world!

• A very un-equal distribution of wealth b/t rich and poor

Social Class in France:

• First Estate – The Clergy

• Second Estate – The Nobles

• Third Estate – Everyone Else! (rural peasants, urban poor, wealthy businessmen, craftsmen, lawyers/bankers)

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

Marie Antoinette & Louis XVIMarie Antoinette & Louis XVI

Marie Marie AntoineAntoine

tte tte and the and the Royal Royal

ChildrenChildren

Marie Antoinette’sMarie Antoinette’s“Peasant Cottage”“Peasant Cottage”

Let Them Eat Cake!Let Them Eat Cake!

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

Y ““Madame Deficit”Madame Deficit”

Financial Crisis in France:

• Louis spends $$$ building Versailles and using army to spread borders

• Louis aids American Revolution – sends $$, troops, naval force– Huge war debts

• Paris hit with famine and bread shortages

Financial Crisis in France – Cont.• Louis asks Nobles and Clergy to pay

$$$ - they REFUSE!

• Ministers advise Louis to request loans from national bank –the ‘High Court’ – they refuse!

• Louis, concerned over the deepening crisis, calls the Estates General

Socio-Economic Data, 1789Socio-Economic Data, 1789

The French Urban PoorThe French Urban Poor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of Income Spent on Bread

1787

1788

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

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

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Suggested Voting Pattern:The Suggested Voting Pattern:Voting by EstatesVoting by Estates

1

1

1

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Number of RepresentativesThe Number of Representativesin the Estates General: Vote by Headin the Estates General: Vote by Head

300

300

648

Europe on the Eve of theEurope on the Eve of theFrench RevolutionFrench Revolution

June 17- Early JulyJune 17- Early JulyY Since king resists voting by head, 3Since king resists voting by head, 3rdrd

Estate proclaims themselves the Estate proclaims themselves the NATIONAL ASSEMBLYNATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Y Louis responds by locking them out of Louis responds by locking them out of Versailles meeting place – so they Versailles meeting place – so they agree to continue to meet at a covered agree to continue to meet at a covered tennis court – TENNIS COURT tennis court – TENNIS COURT OATHOATH

Y Vow not to leave until they develop Vow not to leave until they develop new Constitution for France new Constitution for France

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

by Jacques Louis Davidby Jacques Louis David

June 20, 1789June 20, 1789

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

The Great Fear:The Great Fear:Peasant RevoltPeasant Revolt

July 20, July 20, 17891789

National Assembly • During that August, passes laws to make

France a Constitutional Monarchy• Abolish all privileges and titles held by the

clergy and the Nobles• Abolish serfdom • Write the “Declaration of the Rights of

Man” – which proclaimed ‘Men are born free and equal in rights’

• To solve $$$ problems, they sell church lands

Phases of the French Revolution

• The Moderate Phase – 1789-1792 Liberal phase: parliamentary

monarchy

• The Radical Phase– 1792 – 1794 Revolutionary republic

• The Directory– 1795 – 1799 Liberal republic

• Age of Napoleon– 1799-1814 Bonapartist dictatorship

Moderate Phase1789-1791

• Tennis Court Oath

revolutionaries vow to write a constitution and declare a National Assembly (legislative branch of government)

Awakening of the Third EstateWith the Bastille being destroyed in the background, a member of the Third Estate breaks his shackles. Here, the clergy and nobility recoil in fear, thereby emphasizing the conflict between the estates.

Source: Cornell DC140.9 F87++ Box5 80-b

Moderate Phase

• Storm the Bastille

Rumors spread that the king is going to dissolve the national assembly. They attack the Bastille where they believe guns and gun powder are stored.

Moderate Phase

• 1791 The National Assembly completes the constitution which limits the kings power.

• Includes a system for the separation of power– Legislative Assembly

• 1792 France becomes a constitutional monarchy

French Constitution

Rights of Man and Citizen

Radical Phase1792-1794

• Constitutional monarchy fails because France is at war with much of Europe – King imprisoned!

• Radicals take control of the Assembly and form the National Convention

First Louis is taken from the Palace of Versailles…

Then he is taken to the Tuileries Palace

in Paris…

His last “home”

• Did Louis deserve or need to die?

• Why or why not?

Radical Phase – Reign of Terror1793-1794

• Radicals take control of the Legislative Assembly and set up the National Convention

• Radicals abolish the monarchy and execute the King and Queen

• Reason: Moderate regime is not making enough progress toward original goals

Radical Phase

• Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety

• France under foreign attack– Why?

• Goal: to stop anyone who was against the ideals of the French Revolution at any cost.

Radical phase

• 40,000 people die in 15 months

• Reign of Terror ends when Robespierre is tried and executed

In 1789 Dr. Guillotin suggested to the National Assembly a humane alternative to the barbarous method of separating one's head from

body. "The mechanism falls like lightning; the head flies off; the blood spurts; the man no longer exists…Gentleman, with my machine, I'll take off your head in a flash, and you won't even feel the slightest pain,” his words were greeted with nervous laughter. Much to the

Doctor's chagrin, the machine was christened in the imagination of the populous as "le Guillotine” an association the good Doctor was never

able to distance himself from. It was not until 1792 that the dread machine was implemented, when the Assembly had received a request

from the Executioner that some sort of mechanical facilitation was required in order to meet the new revolutionary quotas; i.e. the

"Enemies of the Republic"

“If the spring of popular government in time of peace is virtue, the springs of popular government in revolution are

at once virtue and terror: virtue, without which terror is fatal; terror, without which virtue is powerless. Terror is

nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue; it is not so much a special principle as it is a consequence of the general principle of democracy applied to our country's most

urgent needs.”  

“Maximilian Robespierre: Justification of the Use of Terror.”

Different Social Different Social Classes Executed Classes Executed

2828%%

3131%%

2525%%

88%%

77%%

Directory 1795-1799

• 1795-1799 The Directory is formed

• After the Reign of Terror the people wanted a stable government

• Corrupt and inefficient

• Economic problems are still severe

Dictatorship!

• After years of terror, bloodshed, political instability a powerful leader emerges. seizes power and rules as a dictator:

NAPOLEON

BONEPARTE

Original Goals of the French Revolution

• Put and end to Absolutism

• Create a republic – Representative democracy

• End the ancient regime – Custom of feudal rights and privileges

• Rise of Nationalism– Love for king replaced with love for the

motherland

Napoleon’s Influence on Europe

Europe in 1800Europe in 1800Europe in 1800Europe in 1800

Napoleonic EuropeNapoleonic EuropeNapoleonic EuropeNapoleonic Europe

Napoleon’s Empire in Napoleon’s Empire in 18101810

Napoleon’s Empire in Napoleon’s Empire in 18101810

The Continental System The Continental System The Continental System The Continental System

Europe in 1812Europe in 1812Europe in 1812Europe in 1812

The Influence of the Napoleonic The Influence of the Napoleonic CodeCode

The Influence of the Napoleonic The Influence of the Napoleonic CodeCode

The Napoleonic Code swept away feudalism wherever it was

implemented