CH 10The French Revolution

The Crisis of the French Monarchy 1780s-Financial crisis in France-deep debt French wars and support for AR Unreformed tax system and lavish

spending 1788-Bad harvest led to starvation Royal misters devised new tax schemes,

only to be stymied by parlements Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette detached

and ineffective, not seen as patriotic “servants of the state”

Jacques Necker (1732-1804) Royal director of finances Downplayed France’s financial difficulties Argued that if you took out the AR

expenses, France in a surplus Most revenues went to pensions for

aristocrats, dismissed and recalled Desire to recall the Estates-General-

medieval institution that had not met since 1614

Would allow the nobles more direct control over policy

The Estates-General

Clash of the estates 1st estate-Clergy 2nd estate-Nobility 3rd estate-Bourgeoeise, workers

Debate over organization and voting Voting done by estate rather than individual

member 3rd estate had twice the members of each other

estate Distrust of the 3rd estate towards the nobility

The Estates General

The cahiers de Doleances

The lists of grievances Documents criticized government

waste, taxes, church taxes and hunting rights

Called for equality of rights, and free press

Call for major reform and end to aristocratic privileges

The Third Estate becomes the national assembly Conflict over organizing and method of

voting 3rd estate locked out of hall June 1-3rd estate and sympathetic nobles

and clergy declare themselves to be the National assembly. Locked out by King

Tennis Court Oath-took an oath that they would not disband until they had written a constitution for France

King allows the NA to meet and vote by person

The Bastille

Louis Musters royal troops near Versailles and Paris

Use of force? Dismisses Necker King now seen as opposing the reforms Bread riots in Paris July 14th-Parisians march to Bastille to get

weapons, troops fire on people, Bastille stormed and dismantled

National Guard-headed by Marquis de Lafayette King has no choice but to recognize

The Bastille

The “Great Fear” and the Night of August 4 Riots in the French countryside Peasants attack Feudal manors Destroy Feudal documents and

records Aristocrats in the Assembly pass

August 4 reforms Renounced feudal rights, dues , and

tithes Abolished the social institutions of

the old regime

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen Statement of broad political principles All men are born free and remain equal in rights Political sovereignty lay in the nation and its reps Rights are liberty, property, and security All citizens equal in law Freedom of religion Property a sacred right Used universal language Applied to men and not women

The Bread March of the Women Bread riots continued Louis XVI stalling October 5-7000 women armed with

knives and swords march to Versailles

Parisians demand that king and queen return to Paris

King had no choice but to leave Versailles

Constitution of 1791

Established a constitutional monarchy Unicameral legislative assembly Monarch has suspensive veto power to delay Only active citizens could vote-men who

paid taxes Property restriction to serve in assembly 50,000 citizens out of 25 million No women could vote or hold office Power transferred to all forms of propertied

wealth, rather than privilege of birth

Economic Policy

Confiscation of church lands Finance the debt by selling church property Authorized the issuance of assignats (bonds) Value determined by revenue from sale of church

property Created inflation, religious schism, and civil war 1790-Civil Constitution of the clergy-RC church now

part of the secular state Priests salaried by state, had to take loyalty oath Pope Pius condemned, Catholics had to make

choice between religious devotion and revolutionary support

Counter-revolution

16000 emigres flee France King’s younger brother, Count of Artois

convinces King to attempt to flee June 1791-Louis and his family disguised as

servants captured in Varennes on border Soldiers escort him back to Paris King now seen as enemy of revolution 1791-Declaration of Pillnitz-Emperor

Leopold II promised to intervene to save monarchy in France if all others Europeans agreed

The End of the Monarchy

Emergence of the Jacobins 3rd Estate organized into clubs Radical Jacobins called for a republic and the

end of the monarchy, led by the Girodists who now led the assembly

1792-The Girondists led the Assembly to declare war on Austria

King also supported the war-hoped that foreign armies would restore the Old Regime

War radicalized all the factions 1792-King and his family imprisoned

The National Convention and the role of the Sans-Cullottes

Rise of the Paris Commune-executed 1200 people in the city jails

Called for universal male suffrage in Assembly

1792-The National Convention meets French army defeats Prussian army at

Battle of Valmy in eastern France NC declares that France is now a republic

The Sans-Cullotes

Radical Jacobins Means “without breeches” Shopkeepers, artisans, wage-earners, factory

workers Became the primary drivers of the revolution Demanded price controls Hatred of inequalities Strongly republican Rise of the Mountain-more extreme Jacobins

that were willing to work with the sans-cullotes

The Sans-cullotes

Execution of the King

1792-Louis XVI put on trial as “Citizen Capet”

Condemned to death and executed in 1793

Marie Antoinette condemned and executed

1793-Convention declares war on GB and Holland, and later on Spain

France on the brink of disaster

Execution

Europe at War with the Revolution Edmund Burke (1729-1799) Reflections on the

Revolution in France

Condemned the French Revolution Application of a blind rationalism People without political experience trying to

govern France Revolution would become violent and end in

despotism Handbook of European conservatives Increasing division in the US over the FR

The Reign of Terror

National Convention invades Austrian Netherlands and declares war on GB

April 1793-Fr at war with Austria, Prussia, GB, Spain, Sardinia, and Holland

Intense French nationalism and desire to protect the Republic

Imagined enemies of the revolution, from within and without

Extensive executions and violence Jacobins versus the Girondists

The Reign of Terror

1793-the Committee of Public Safety Headed by Maximilien Robespierre Carried out executive duties of

government Waged war and ensured domestic

support Issued a levee en masse-military

mobilization of the entire population-mandatory conscription

Citizen army with well over 1 million men

The “Republic of Virtue”

Civic virtue-Rousseau’s Social Contract Sacrifice of ones self for the good of the

republic Supported by the Sans-Cullotes General will over individual interests 1. Egalitarian titles 2. Simple clothing 3. new calendar based on revolution 4. De-christianization- 5. Metric system

Repression of the Society of Revolutionary Republican women Radical group of revolutionary

women October 1793-Banned by Jacobins Olympe de Gouges-declaration of the

Rights of Women Guillotined in November Exclusion of women from the military

and public life

Jean Paul Marat-friend of the people

De-Christianization

New Calendar in France-12 months of 30 days each

Names associated with seasons and climate Every 10th day a holiday Nov 1793-Cathedral of Notre Dame called

the Temple of Reason Closed churches, persecuted and killed

priests Closed Churches down 1794-Cult of the Supreme Being introduced

Revolutionary Tribunals

Summer of 1793 Try the enemies of the Republic 25000 beheaded on the Guillotine 1. members of the royal family and

aristocrats 2. the Girondists politicians 3. peasants, members of the churches,

and the sans-cullotes 4. The Jacobins including Jacques Danton 5. Robespierre executed

The Thermidorian Reaction

Reaction against the radical violence Paris Commune ended and radical Jacobin

clubs outlawed White terror on the Jacobins Revival of Catholic church Constitution of Year 3 (1795) 2 house legislature Executive committee of directors (Directory) Property owners had the right to vote Peasants largest new propertied class

The Directory

Removal the ceiling on bread prices Food riots by sans-cullotes in 1794

and 1795 Royalist agents spark riots General Napoleon Bonaparte saves

the directory with a “whiff of grapeshot”

France still at war with Austria and Prussia

Growing social and political unrest

Ch 11-The Age of Napolean

The Rise of Napolean

Chief threat to the Revolution were royalists Spring elections-1797-monarchists in power Directory and military stage coup d’etat Born in Corsica French military academy Military commander in Italy 1797-Attack on British interests in Egypt Lord Horatio Nelson defeats French fleet, NB

cut off

The Constitution of Year VIII Directory support eroding Abbe Sieyes call for a new constitution,

“confidence from below, power from above”

1799-Napolean returns a national hero Establishment of Consulate-3 consuls

with executive powers (1799-1804) Napoleon becomes 1st Consul-military

dictator Voters approve by plebiscite

Napoleonic reforms

Made peace with the Catholic church Signed Concordat of 1801 1. State named the bishops and paid

their salaries, had to take loyalty oath

2. Church gave up claims for confiscated property

3. Catholicism recognized as dominant religion in France

The Napoleonic Code

1802-Napolean named consul for life Civil Code of 1804 Equality of all citizens before the law Forbade privileges based on birth Safeguarded all forms of property, even for

peasants Workers originations remained banned Fathers granted control over children and

husbands over wives Primogeniture abolished Divorce more difficult for women than men

The Haitian revolution

Ideals of FR spread to New World Black slaves could revolt against

white masters-1st time Slave rebellion led by Toussaint

L’Ouverture 1793-French abolished slavery Napoleon sent army, captured L’O Sold his NA empire to US 1804-France recognized

independence

Empire-1804 Crowned emperor

Empire

La Grand Armee-700,000 men under arms

May 1803-Britain declares war 1805-Battle of Trafalgar British supremacy of the seas Ended French hopes of invading GB

Napoleon wins victories

1805-Battle of Austerlitz-Napolean defeats combined Austrian and Russian force

King of Italy Reorganized German states-

Confederation of the Rhine 1806-defeats Prussian forces at Jena 1807-Defeats Russian forces,

occupies East Prussia

Battle of Austerlitz

The Continental System

Cut off all trade between European continent and the British

British-Orders in Council-no nations can trade with France

British enforced with powerful navy-trade with North and South America

Economy of Europe suffered

Wars of Liberation

Napoleon's brother Joseph on Spanish throne

Spanish used guerrilla warfare against French

Peninsular campaign drained French resources

British land forces led Sir Arthur Wellesley

The Invasion of Russia

Invasion with 600,000 men Russian scorched earth policy French supply lines extended 1812-Major battle 30 miles from Moscow Russians burned Moscow-hollow victory Russian winter sets in, napoleon orders

retreat Only 100,ooo survived, exposure,

frostbite, starvation, guerilla tactics

Advance of the Grand Army

Retreat

European Coalition

1813-Coalition of Prussia, Austria, Russia, and GB defeat Napoleon at Leipzig in the Battle of the Nations

1814-Allied army marched into Paris Napoleon abdicates, exiled to Elba

The Congress of Vienna

Treaty of Chaumont-Restored the Bourbons to throne and placed France to old borders

Formation of Quadruple Alliance-Britain, Prussia, Russia, and Austria

Congress of Vienna-Sept 1814 4 great powers dominated-dominated by

conservatives Reestablished the rule of legitimate monarchs Rejected republican and democratic policies Reestablish a stable balance of power

Napoleon and the 100 Days

Escapes Elba on March 1, 1815 Returns to Paris, reestablishes rule Battle of Waterloo in Belgium-

Napoleon defeated by combined allied forces

Exiled to St Helena off the coast of Africa

Tsar Alexander proposes a Holy Alliance-based on Christian principles-

St Helena

The Quadruple Alliance

Goal was to prevent warfare and maintain a lasting peace

Create a framework for stability Also used to prevent revolutions-fire

department of Europe Austrian Klemons von Metternich

powerful player in international diplomacy Called the Concert of Europe Intact for half a century and prevented a

general European war for 100 years

The Romantic Era

Romanticism

Period of time after the French and revolution

Reflected reaction against cold reason of Enlightenment and social changes of Industrial revolution

Focus on the imagination and the individual

Urged revival of Christianity and folklore, folksongs, and fairy tales

Romanticism and reason

Intellectual foundations in Protestant pietism and dramatic German poetry of Sturm and Drang (Storm and stress)

Jean Jacques Rousseau and Immanuel Kant

Questioned rationalism and reason Rousseau-Emile-idea that society

corrupted the individual and that each child be raised with maximum freedom

Kant and Reason

The Critique of Pure Reason (1781) Accepted the rationalism of

enlightenment and preserved belief in human freedom, belief in God , and immortality

Sphere of reality accessible to pure reason limited

Noumenal world exists-world of moral and aesthetic reality known by “practical reason “ and conscience

The Categorical Imperative Inner command to act in ever

situation as one would have all other people act in the same situation

Example1. Making a promise that you do not

intend to keep

Romantic Literature

Term came to be applied to all literature that did not follow classical forms and gave free play to the imagination

Samuel Taylor Coleridge-English Gothic Poet- Imagination was God at work in the

mind

He prayeth best, who loveth best, All things both great and small;For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

William Wordsworth