Enlightenment and Revolution

1
Enlightenment and Revolution

• From Locke to Napoleon

2
The Enlightenment

• An Era of free-thinking, individualism
• Development of new philosophies dealing with
  govt, religion, and relationships between people
  and govt

3
Philosophes

• Groups of social critics in France
• Opposed to divine right and Absolutism
• Object privileges of nobility/ clergy
• Believed people capable of governing selves
• Turned from traditional religious values most
  were atheists (no God) or deists (God but no
  church)

4
John Locke

• Beliefs all people have Natural Rights life,
  liberty, property
• Purpose of govt to protect these rights

5
Thomas Hobbes

• Beliefs conflict part of human nature
• People make contract with govt to maintain
  social order
• Wrote Leviathan supporting social contract theory

6
Voltaire

• Beliefs tolerance, reason and limited govt
• Quote I disapprove of what you say, but I will
  defend your right till the death to say it.

7
Montesquieu

• Beliefs separation of powers in govt
• Legislative, Executive, Judicial
• Liberty of People must be protected by corrupt
  leaders

8
Rousseau

• Beliefs people who lived in civilized society
  were happy/ unselfish
• People should live in harmony with nature
• General will should take priority over individual
  will

9
Spread of Enlightenment

• Denis Diderot author of Encyclopedia summary of
  knowledge at time
• Salons became gathering places of Enlightened
  women visited by writers/ philosophers/ artists
• Development of Enlightened Despots
• Rulers who respected rights of subjects
• Did not want to take too many rights from
  nobility
• Though the middle class was growing, most of
  Europe remained peasants and were untouched by
  Enlightenment.

Catherine the Great an Enlightened Despot
10
Britain at Mid-Century

• Britains island location, colonial possessions,
  favorable business climate, and powerful navy
  contributed to rise of power.
• Evolution toward constitutional govt developed
  3 new political institutions political parties,
  cabinet, office of prime minister
• Most political/ economic power held by ruling
  class of landowning aristocrats

11
American Republic

• Settlers in 13 English colonies protested British
  taxes/ trade restrictions as attack on their
  rights as Brit citizens.
• After years of dissent, colonists won
  independence from Britain in American Rev.
• Inspired by Enlightenment ideas such as
  separation of powers, checks and balances, and
  natural rights, the US adopted Constitution that
  would serve as model for other democracies.

12
Eve of Revolution

• French society consisted of three social classes
  the clergy, or First Estate the nobility, or
  Second Estate and the rest of the population, or
  Third Estate.
• In 1789, France faced social discontent, a severe
  financial crisis, and serious food shortages.
• The king called the Estates General to carry out
  reforms, but members of the Third Estate defied
  the king and, saying that they represented the
  people, proclaimed themselves the National
  Assembly.
• Tennis Court Oath They vowed not to disband
  until they had drawn up a constitution for
  France.
• On July 14, 1789, angry Parisians stormed the
  Bastille, an event that quickly became the symbol
  of the French Revolution.

13
Creating a New France

• Spurred by popular uprisings and the storming of
  the Bastille, the National Assembly ended feudal
  privileges, issued the Declaration of the Rights
  of Man, reorganized the Church, and set up a
  limited monarchy in place of Frances
  centuries-old absolute monarchy.
• Throughout Europe, rulers and nobles
• denounced the reforms of the French Revolution.
  By 1792, France was at war with most of Europe.

14
Radical Days

• In 1792, radicals took control of the National
  Assembly. In 1793, they executed the king and
  queen.
• During the Reign of Terror, Robespierre and his
  Committee of Public Safety sent some 40,000
  French citizens to their deaths on the
  guillotine.

15
The Terror
Executioner of King Louis XVI shows the head of
the King of France to crowd.
16
The Age of Napoleon

• Napoleon used his military exploits in the
  revolution to gain power and took the title of
  emperor in 1804.
• As emperor, Napoleon strengthened the central
  government, modernized finance, and instituted
  the Napoleonic Code.
• From 1804 to 1814, Napoleon subdued the combined
  forces of the great European powers and built a
  vast empire by annexing lands, making alliances,
  and placing member of his family on the thrones
  of Europe

17
End of an Era

• Spurred by rising nationalism, people across
  Europe mounted rebellions against French rule.
• Following a failed invasion of Russia and major
  defeats at Leipzig and Waterloo, Napoleon was
  removed from power.
• In 1815, the Congress of Vienna sought to restore
  stability and order in Europe. They redrew
  national boundaries, restored hereditary
  monarchies, and created the Concert of Europe, an
  organization pledged to maintain the balance of
  power and to suppress any uprisings inspired by
  the ideas of the French Revolution