Understanding the French Revolution

1
Understanding the French Revolution

• 1789-1799
• Outline of Key Events

2
Background and Causes

• By 1780s, France characterized by
• Absolutism of façade (I.e., in name only)
• Vast, confusing bureaucracy (think of the church
  roof which needed repair)
• One in which king interfered only at top levels
  but had little impact on the whole
• Indecisive monarch who was out of touch with the
  real state of the country

3
Background and Causes

• Social and Legal system based on privilege, not
  equality or economic status
• First Estate bishops and priests
• Second Estate Nobles
• Third Estate Everyone else

4
Background and Causes

• Third Estate, especially wealthy bourgeoisie,
  resented privileges of nobility and clergy
• Peasants, 85 of population, resented privileges
  of wealthy landowners (to labor services, to
  require them to use ovens or presses)
• All in Third Estate resented tax burden, not
  shared by First and Second Estates

5
The Fiscal Crisis 1786-1788

• 1786, Calonne, royal treasurer, tells King Louis
  XVI that France is nearly bankrupt
• By 1788, France will not be able to pay even the
  interest on its national debt
• Why? Years of overspending brought to a crisis
  by French aid to the American colonists during
  the American Revolution

6
The Fiscal Crisis Solutions

• 1787-88 Assembly of Notables
• Carefully selected by Calonne
• Includes bishops, nobles, wealthy bourgeoisie
• Task reform tax structure
• Demands reforms in government
• Dismissed without solving problems

7
The Fiscal Crisis Solutions

• Obvious solution Increase taxes cut
  expenditures
• Problem Debt service (interest) is biggest
  expensecannot be cut without reneging on loans
  other economies are implemented by king
• Problem Tax burden fell mostly on poorest
  people not possible to increase their taxes much
  more

8
The Fiscal Crisis Solutions

• 1788 Royal Decree reforming tax structure
  taxing the privileged estates.
• Sent by King Louis XVI to Parlements (all
  dominated by nobles).
• Led by Parlement of Paris, Parlements, which
  register laws in France, refuse to register the
  edict on taxes they want a share in governing
  France.
• Louis XVI, appearing in person, ordered Parlement
  of Paris to register the edict.

9

• Kings cousin, Duke dOrleans, tells Louis that
  it is illegal for him to order the Parlement to
  register the Edict.
• Louis exclaims It is legal because I wish it!
• Parlement registers the edict in Louis presence
  but immediately rescinds their action when Louis
  leaves.
• Parlement suggests calling the Estates-General to
  deal with fiscal situation.

10
Estates-General 1789

• 1788 Louis XVI summons an Estates-General to
  meet in May 1789.
• Representatives elected from all three estates
  nearly all adult men could vote.
• Third Estate elected bourgeoisie, mostly lawyers
  First Estate elected many parish priests.

11
Estates-General 1789

• Third Estate demands and is permitted to elect
  twice as many delegates as the other two (see
  document What is the Third Estate?).
• Meeting begins in May 1789 at Versailles.
• King and advisors fail to prepare an agenda for
  the meeting.

12
Estates-General 1789

• Third Estate demands that delegates from all
  three estates meet and vote together in one body.
• When nothing happens, the Third declares itself
  the National Assembly, invites First Second to
  join them.
• National Assembly, in June, swears to continue
  meeting until France has a constitution.

13
Popular Uprisings Paris

• In Paris small merchants, shopkeepers, workers
  support National Assembly, fear food shortages
  and believe rumors that royal troops are coming
  to divert food from Paris and disperse Assembly
• July 14 Crowd looking for weapons destroys
  Bastille, kills guard and celebrates in streets
  of city (July 14 is the French national holiday)

14
Popular Uprisings Countryside

• Great Fear of July-August rumors spread that
  nobles are arming groups (brigands) and
  preparing to enforce all old feudal dues as well
  as to impose new ones on peasants
• Peasant uprisings destroy manor houses, stealing
  contents, including wine stored in cellars, and
  burning records
• These spread all over France in a matter of weeks

15
National Assembly Responds

• Decree of 4th August Nobles and Clergy renounce
  all privileges National Assembly approves
  enthusiastically
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
  (see document) delineates rights of Frenchmen to
  liberty, equality, freedom of speech and press,
  equal treatment before the law and the right to
  property.
• Assembly begins writing a constitution.

16
Womens March to Versailles

• October 1789 7,000 women set out from Paris to
  tell the king that they needed bread to feel
  their families (see document).
• In Versailles, they invade National Assembly
  send a group to talk to king invade the royal
  palace, nearly killing the queen in her bedroom.
• King agrees to return to Paris with them royal
  family under virtual house arrest.
• National Assembly also moves to Paris.

17
Flight to Varennes (1791)

• June 1791, royal family flees Paris, headed for
  German border.
• King recognized when they stop to eat and change
  horses.
• Arrested at St. Mènehould and returned under
  guard to Paris.
• Family even more closely guarded in Paris after
  that.

18
Constitution of 1791

• September Constitutional Monarchy (even though
  Louis XVI tried to flee previous June).
• Legislative Assembly makes laws King retains
  veto power over legislation.
• Franchise (right to vote) limited to those who
  paid substantial taxes right to hold office to
  those who paid even higher taxes (contrast with
  elections to Estates-General).

19
The Second Revolution

• August 1792 Mob invaded Tuileries palace royal
  family fled to National Assembly for protection
  were arrested.
• Monarchy abolished republic created/
• Convention elected to write a new constitution.
• Sans-culottes of Paris (see document) influenced
  policies of Convention.
• France at war with rest of European monarchies,
  whose goal was to end the Revolution.

20
Reign of Terror

• Committee of Public Safety charged with
  protecting revolution in France while French army
  protected nation from invaders.
• King charged with treason executed in January
  1793 Queen executed in October 1793.
• Terror continued until July 1794, when
  Robespierre, head of the Committee of Public
  Safety, was himself executed as a traitor to the
  Republic.

21
The Reaction (Thermidor)

• Moderates dominated government set up the
  Directory as the executive branch of government.
• Followed in several years by the Consulate, also
  a moderate government.
• In 1799 Napoleon seized power in a coup détat
  he would rule France until 1814.
• In 1814, the monarchy was restored with Louis
  XVIII (brother of Louis XVI) taking the throne.