Time to DIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!

Chapter 12 Sections 1-2 Notes

Come on! We’re Dying Here!

Many peasants believed the king allowed prices to get high because they needed income

Why did they need income? Answer: King Louis XV’s enormous debts (which King Louis XVI

continued) and the cost of fighting in the American Revolution “It will survive for my time. After me, the deluge.” –King Louis XV What does this mean? It meant that the King ruled for 59 years and didn’t care what

happened to France after his death In addition, the first two estates did not need to pay taxes!! The 1st 2 estates made more $$, lived in big houses, and had

plenty to eat—yet no taxes The 3rd estate was expected to pay increased rent and taxes

(Remember the video)

Die Louis Die!

Louis XV dies. His son, Louis XVI takes over as King and

marries Marie-Antoinette French debt continues to grow, meaning

prices continue to rise…so people can’t eat What did France do in the mid-late 1770s

that cost a lot of $$? French involvement in the American

Revolution angered people (costs $$)

Louis’s Fatal Flaw

Louis XVI was struggling to hold off building anger in the 3rd estate…so let’s anger the 1st two estates!

Louis begins trying to tax the first 2 estates

By 1787, the government is doing so poorly that banks stop lending them $$

Estates General FIRST ESTATE – Clergy – less than 1% SECOND ESTATE – Nobility – less than 2% THIRD ESTATE – 97%

BOURGEOISIE – Urban middle class LABORERS & ARTISANS PEASANTS – largest group

LOUIS XVI – Married Marie Antoinette to strengthen his alliance with the Austrian Empire

Debts increased Louis tried to tax the 1st and 2nd Estate – they refused He called the Estates General on May 5, 1789 to approve a tax – In

the past each Estate would meet separately and got one vote, so the 1st and the 2nd would team up on the 3rd

The 3rd Estate said they represented the country since they had more people than the other two estates combined (think about the checkers game from the movie) and refused to meet separately.

The 3rd Estate wanted to meet together and when Louis XVI failed to act they declared themselves the National Assembly and invited the other two estates to work with them

They did…the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789…the French Revolution had begun!

“I hate those peasants. They smell.”“But you smell delllllicious…”

When the Bastille was stormed French society, as people were used to, was over

Louis XVI moves his troops into Paris and this makes the National Assembly believe he is going to try to drive them out so they took action

During the beginning of the revolution, countryside peasants attacked government troops and other nobles trying to impose feudal dues

Peasants attacked the homes of nobles, set fire to old manor records, and stole grain from storehouses

In Paris, moderates flocked to war hero Marquis de Lafayette who led the National Guard The National Guard was a middle class militia organized in response to

the King’s army in Paris Moderate and radical groups formed to threaten peace and order in

France Louis XVI was still technically king, but had no real power

A New Government Shall Emerge

In August, 1789 feudalism was officially abolished

The nobles went along with this because they didn’t want to be swept away in the Revolution

Abolishing feudalism was important though because a key Enlightenment goal had been established: the equality of all citizens before the law

I’m a Man…You’re a Man…Let’s Declare the Rights of Man!

In late August 1789, the National Assembly issued the Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizen

Modeled off U.S. Declaration of Independence French Declaration stated men were “born and

remain free and equal in rights” All people enjoy natural rights of “liberty, property,

security, and resistance to oppression”—all ideas of the Enlightenment

There were 4 phases of the French Revolution: National Assembly (a Constitutional Monarchy from 1789-

1791) A Phase of Escalating Violence (1792-1793) The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) The Directory (1795-1799)