World History Chapter 11 The French Revolution & Age of
Napoleon
Slide 2
Background to Revolution 1789 What a year in world history!
Beginning of the United States of America Beginning of the French
Revolution More radical & violent than the American Revolution
Attempted to create new political and social orders
Slide 3
Two Causes of the French Revolution Long range cause: The
social inequality within France caused by the traditional divisions
within their society: the Estates Immediate cause: the near
collapse of the French governments finances
Slide 4
1 st Estate: The Clergy Made up 0.5% of the French population
(total population: 27,000,000) Owned 10% of French land DID NOT pay
the taille Frances chief tax Radical divisions existed among this
estate: Higher clergy share the interests of the nobility &
often came from aristocratic families Lower clergy (parish priests)
were often poor and from the class of commoners
Slide 5
2 nd Estate: The Nobility Made up 1.5% of the population Owned
25% of the land Held major positions in the government, military,
church, and judicial system Also DID NOT pay the taille
Slide 6
3 rd Estate: The Commoners Three subdivisions of the 3 rd
estate existed Made up 98% of the population Owned 65% of the land
Paid 100% of the taille (theyre the only taxpayers!) Among members
of the 3 rd estate there was a wide range of wealth, occupations,
and education
Slide 7
Divisions of the 3 rd Estate Peasants Farmers who were still
mostly tied to local landlords for survival Skilled craftspeople
Wage earners: carpenters, cobblers, smiths, etc. Bourgeoisie Middle
class Professionals: doctors, lawyers, bankers, merchants, etc.
Drawn to Enlightenment ideas
Slide 8
What are we going to eat??? Frances population had grown by
more than 7 million during the 1700s after growing by less than 2
million people during the previous 200 years The staple of the
French diet was bread, which requires flour to make, which comes
from grain, which must be farmed Two successive bad harvests in
1787 & 1788 had catastrophic consequences: Food shortages
Skyrocketing food prices Decrease in manufacturing Rising
unemployment TOTAL MISERY for the poor of France1/3 of the
population! (9 million)
Slide 9
Financial Crisis Uncontrolled government spending Louis XVI
& Marie Antoinette lived a lavish lifestyle at Versailles with
their court Fashion/jewelry/hairstyles Court life: Food, wine,
banquets, etc. Excessive costs of war Still had not recovered from
the debt incurred during the Seven Years War (1756-1763) Aid to the
American Rebels vs. Great Britain
Slide 10
The Kings Response To look for solutions to the financial
crisis King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General The
French Parliament Composed of representatives from all 3 Estates
Clergy & Nobility had about 300 delegates each 3 rd Estate had
nearly 600 total delegates Vote by Order: Each estate could cast
only 1 vote as an entire group (individual delegates did NOT get to
vote) It was the first meeting in 175 years! (1614)
Slide 11
The National Assembly As the Estates General began, deputies of
the 3 rd Estate argued to change voting practices so that each
delegate would cast their own vote Louis XVI decided voting would
remain by order June 17, 1789 the 3 rd Estate declared itself a
National Assembly Their goal was to draft a constitution for
France
Slide 12
Tennis Court Oath June 20, 1789 the National Assembly found
their meeting place locked They moved to an indoor tennis court
& took an oath to continue meeting as a National Assembly until
they had produced a French Constitution
Slide 13
Storming the Bastille Louis XVI prepared to use force against
the 3 rd Estate July 14, 1789 a mob of Parisians stormed the
Bastille An armory & prison in Paris As a symbol of royal
oppression, it was torn down brick by brick Paris was abandoned to
the rebels The King was told he could no longer trust royal troops
The fall of the Bastille saved the National Assembly
Slide 14
Destruction of the Old Regime Peasant revolts & fear of
invasion during the summer of 1789 spurred the National Assembly to
take action August 4: abolished the rights of landlords & the
financial privileges of the 1 st and 2 nd Estates
Slide 15
Declaration of the Rights of Man Produced by the National
Assembly on August 26, 1789 Inspired by the: U.S. Declaration of
Independence & Constitution English Bill of Rights Natural
& imprescriptible rights of man Liberty Property Security
Resistance to oppression Freedom & Equal Rights for all men
Merit system for holding public office End to exemptions from
taxation Affirmed freedom of speech and the press
Slide 16
Declaration of the Rights of Women Women were not included in
the provisions of the Declaration of the Rights of Man Writer
Olympe de Gouges refused to accept this She wrote a Declaration of
the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen It insists women should
have all the same rights as men She was ignored by the National
Assembly
Slide 17
King Louis XVI Concedes Royal family remained isolated at
Versailles & refused to accept the decrees of the National
Assembly October 5, 1789: March on Versailles 1000s of women, many
armed marched from Paris to Versailles Ran through the palace
killing guards & looking for the queen Louis XVI forced to
accept their demands Abolition of feudalism & financial
privileges Sign the Declaration of the Rights of Man Royal family
returned to Paris as prisoners of the Revolution
Slide 18
1 st Attack on the Church National Assembly seized & sold
church lands New Civil Constitution of the Clergy Bishops &
Priests were to be elected positions They would be paid by the
state (French govt) French govt controlled the church Catholics
become enemies of the Revolution
Slide 19
Constitution of 1791 Completed by the National Assembly, thus
upholding the oath they took on June 20, 1789 Set up a limited
monarchy King is still the head of state Laws are made by an
elected legislature Requirements to vote for the legislature: Male
Older than 25 Pay a certain amount of taxes
Slide 20
The Paris Commune Losses vs. Austria & economic troubles
led to a new radical group in Paris the Paris Commune Organized an
attack on the Legislative Assembly: Took Louis XVI hostage &
suspended the monarchy New national convention to decide the
nations future Universal Male Suffrage ALL males could vote for
their representatives at this new convention Governmental power
passed into the hands of the Commune Many members of the commune
called themselves sans- culottes: those without knee pants; to be
identified with the working poor
A Radical Shift Under Georges Danton the Paris Commune sought
revenge on anyone who aided the king or resisted the changes 1000s
were arrested & massacred
Slide 23
A New National Convention Began meeting in September, 1792
First Action: Abolish the monarchy & est. the French Repubic
Members of the convention split into factions over the issue of
Louis XVIs fate Factions: groups connected by a shared belief or
opinion within a larger group
Slide 24
The Emerging Factions Both factions are members of the Jacobin
club a large network of political groups throughout the country
Girondins: represented the provinces (areas outside of the cities)
& wanted to keep the King alive Mountain: represented the
interests of radicals in Paris & wanted to execute Louis XVI
for treason Louis XVI was beheaded by the guillotine on Jan. 21,
1793
Slide 25
New Crisis: Foreign & Domestic National Convention didnt
rule all of France Peasants in Western France & those who lived
in major provincial cities refused to accept the Conventions
authority Executing Louis XVI & Marie angered the rest of
Europes monarchs By late spring 1793 an informal coalition prepared
to invade France Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, GB, Dutch
Republic If France were defeated it would be the end of the
revolution, revolutionaries, and restore the old regime