French Revolution

1
French Revolution

• 23-1 and 23-2

2
The Old Regime

• High prices, taxes, and questions raised by
  Enlightenment causes unrest
• System of feudalism remained in 1770s
• People divided into 3 social classes (estates)

3
Privileged Estates

• Access to high offices and exemptions from paying
  taxes
• Church formed 1st Estate
• Owned 10 percent of land
• 2 percent of income went to gov.
• 2nd Estate formed by nobles (wealth from land)
• Only 2 percent of population
• Owned 20 percent of land, paid almost no taxes
• Hated Enlightenment ideas (threatened power)

4
3rd Estate

• 98 percent of the people
• Three groups in this estate
• 1st Bourgeoisiemerchants and artist
• Well educated, favored Enlightenment
• Paid high taxes, lacked privileges
• 2nd Workers
• Paid low wages, went hungry
• 3rd Peasants
• 80 percent of population
• Half of income went to dues of nobles, tithes,
  taxes, etc.

5
Factors of Change

• Enlightenment ideas equality, liberty,
  democracy
• American Revolution inspired
• Rousseau and Voltaire
• Economic Problems
• Taxes made it hard to make profit
• High cost of living
• Crop failures in 1780s
• High debt cause by spending by King and Queen
  (Louis XVI)

6
Weak Leader Louis XVI

• Not an active decision maker
• Spent time hunting rather than focusing on
  governing
• Marie Antoinette not like because she was from
  the royal family of Austria (enemy of France)
  spend lots of money
• Tries to tax 2nd estate (meeting called at
  Versailles)

7
Close to Revolution

• Clergy and nobles control Estates General
  assembly of representatives from all three
  estates
• Each estate got one vote (unfair?)
• 3rd Estate thinks each delegate should have a
  vote
• 3rd would have more votes
• 3rd names themselves the National Assembly pass
  laws and reforms representing France (June 17,
  1789)
• Ends absolute monarchy and begins representative
  government (1st deliberate act of revolution)
• Tennis Court Oath pledge to stay until they
  drew a new constitution

8
The Bastille

• Louis tries to make peace
• Assembles mercenary army of Swiss
• Rumors that foreign troops were going to massacre
  citizens
• Citizens attack the Bastille (prison) for
  gunpowder
• Greatest symbolic act of revolution
• July 14 Bastille Day (Fr. Nat. Holiday)

9
Great Fear

• Panic that went through France
• Rumor (nobles hiring outlaws to terrorize
  peasants)
• Peasants attack Palace at Versailles
• King and family go to Paris

10
Reign of Terror
11
Declaration of Rights of Man

• Reflects Enlightenment ideas and the Declaration
  of Independence
• Liberty, property, security, speech, religion
• Did not apply to women

12
State Controlled Church

• Catholic church loses lands and political.
  Independence
• Offended Catholics (peasants)
• Causes rift between peasants and bourgeoisie

13
Louis Escape

• Tries to flee to Austrian Netherlands June 1791
• Caught and returned to Paris

14
Limited Monarchy

• Limited Constitutional Monarchy
• Legislative has power to make laws
• Sept. 1791 Completion of new constitution
• Legislative Assembly power to create laws and
  approve or prevent any war the king declared

15
Factions

• Old problems remained
• Assembly split into three general groups
• Radicals, Moderates, Conservatives
• Émigrés wanted to restore Old Regime
• Sans-culottes wanted a greater voice in
  government

16
War

• Declare war against Austria (wanted Louis back on
  the throne) Prussia joins Austria
• Louis, Marie Antoinette and children imprisoned
  after revolutionaries stormed the palace
• Rumors that royalist would seize control of city
• Legislative Assembly gives up idea of limited
  monarchy (king deposed, dissolved assembly)
• New body elected called National Convention

17
Execution

• Nat. Convention declares France a republic
• Jocobin Club become most powerful
• Louis tried for treason
• Jan. 21, 1793, Louis is beheaded
• guillotine

18
Citizen Army

• 1793 G.B., Holland, and Spain join Austria and
  Prussia (First Coalition)
• National Convention issues a draft (300,000)
  1794army is at 800,000 (women included)

19
Robespierre

• Build a republic of virtue
• Wipe out everything of Frances past
• Changed calendar
• Closed churches
• Becomes leader of Committee of Public
  Safetydecided who were enemies of republic
• Reign of Terror(like a dictator) tried and
  beheaded many from July 1793-1794

20
Robespierre

• Marie Antoinettebeheaded
• Revolutionaries who challenged his leadership
  were most troubling enemies
• Dantonbeheaded
• Around 3,000 people were killed in Paris and
  40,000 were killed total

21
End of the Terror

• Nat. Convention turned on Robespiere
• Beheaded in July 28, 1794
• New constitution
• Power in hands of upper middle class
• Two-house legislature
• Executive body of five men (Directory)
• Selected Napoleon Bonaparte to lead army