French

1
French
Revolution
2

• The image above is the Versailles Palace.
• This palace would house Frances royal family
  from 1682-1789 (approx).
• The palace was built by Louis XIV in order to
  move the royal family away from Paris.
• This was done to avoid corruption and conspiracy
  (plot against) among the court.

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How much do you think it cost to build
Versailles?

• Original estimates put the palace at 2 billion
  US.
• New sources state that the palace cost 65 million
  golden livres (special currency).
• 1 golden livre 24 livres
• Taking into account todays price of gold the
  palace could have cost almost 300 billion US!!!
• Why would Louis XIV build such an expensive
  palace?

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Louis XIV The Basics

• Louis became His Most Christian Majesty at the
  age of 5 in 1643.
• He did not assume power until he was 23 in 1661.
• He was supreme ruler of France until his death in
  1715. He was77.
• He referred to himself as the Sun King because he
  felt the court and France should revolve around
  him.
• Louis XIV Politics
• Louis didnt rule as a child. He ruled under an
  Italian, Cardinal Mazarin, and his mother until
  the age of 23.

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• Louis centralized (he had final say) power by
  giving the nobility pointless titles.
• The nobility would have no real power, but
  because they had the title they were happy.
• All decisions were made by the king.
• To distract the nobility the king would throw
  huge parties at the palace of Versailles with
  lots of food, wine, and women.
• With all this Louis could make any decision he
  wanted to.

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Louis XIV Reasons for Revolution

• Louis XIV contributed to the revolution in 3
  ways.
• Revoked Edict on Nantes. This document protected
  the rights of Protestants.
• Created a huge debt for France (war, parties,
  construction).
• Stared too many wars (too many people died) ex.
  War of Spanish Succession.
• These points upset many people.

7

• The image shows punishment during the Ancien
  Régime in France. It was called Supplice de la
  Roue.
• The people who had some power (wealthy) used
  punishments as a form of social control.
• All punishments would be public so people could
  see what would happen to them if they broke the
  rules.

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France and the Ancien Régime

• Ancien Régime means old system
• It refers to social classes, wealth, and power.
• In this system the King/monarch had absolute
  power (his will was law and had to be obeyed).
• This system also guaranteed the kings divine
  right (god given) to rule.
• The monarch was seen as god.

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• The next class was the nobility (government
  officials and other very wealthy people).
• The High clergy (religious officials) former the
  next group.
• The Bourgeoisie (business owners) followed them.
• The final and largest class were the commoners
  (peasants, farmers, low clergy, craftsmen,
  labourers, journeymen)

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King/ Monarch
Nobility
High Clergy
Bourgeoisie
Commoners Represent 90 of Frances population
at the time
The fact that less then 10 of the population
controlled the country upset many people.
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• The Commoners were very heavily taxed, while the
  upper classes were not taxed at all.
• The upper classes lived a very expensive
  lifestyle, paid with tax money.
• The monarch would also use large sums of money to
  wage wars, also paid with taxes.

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• The Enlightenment or Age of Reason occurred
  during the 17th and 18th centuries (1600-1700s).
• Enlightenment means, a time of illumination
• The leaders of the enlightenment were scientists
  and philosophers (thinkers).
• These people used rational thought (knowledge
  and understanding) to explain lifes mysteries.

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• The microscope and telescope were created. As
  well as many math and physics theories.
• The idea of human rights and democracy
  resurfaced. Political and economic thought was
  improved.
• The printing press helped spread new ideas.
• These new ideas and inventions got people
  thinking and questioning the ancien regime and
  the old rules that governed them, which led to
  revolution.

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Between Louis XIV and the revolution.

• Heavy taxation on the commoners continued, no
  taxation on the upper classes.
• Louis XV and Louis XVI continued to wage wars and
  live a very expensive lifestyle (along with the
  upper classes).
• Enlightenment occurred, therefore, people started
  to question the Ancien Régime.

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• The French revolution began in 1789 and ended in
  1799.
• The goal of the French revolution was to
  completely change society.
• The revolutionaries fought to remove the royal
  family and nobility from power and give it to the
  commoners.
• The battles were fought primarily between Louis
  XVIs armies and his allies (Prussia, Austria,
  and Holland) against the Revolutionary army of
  France.

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• The device above is called the Guillotine.
• The Guillotine was invented by Dr. Antoine Louis
  and built by Tobias Schmidt.
• It is said that Dr. J.I. Guillotin originally
  suggested the idea.
• The word Guillotine comes from a revolutionary
  song that makes fun of Dr. Guillotin.
• The Guillotine was created to provide a method of
  execution that would be used by all, regardless
  of class.

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• The last execution by guillotine in France was in
  1939.
• However, this method was used outside of France
  as well.
• Records show that the Nazis executed almost 17000
  (1936-1945) people using their version of the
  guillotine.
• The last state to outlaw the use of the
  guillotine was East Germany in 1987.

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• Cause 1 Governments lack of money
• The Kings of France spent huge sums of money
  during the Seven Years war and the American
  Revolution.
• The luxurious (parties, palaces, etc.) lifestyle
  of the nobility and royal family.
• The clergy (church) and the nobility did not pay
  taxes.

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• Cause 2 Economic Depression
• Crop failures and very high taxes bankrupted many
  small farms and shops.
• This led to poverty and hunger among the lower
  classes.
• Cause3 Revolutionary ideas
• Ideas were formed during the Enlightenment and
  enforced by the American revolution
• The most important idea was the right to elect a
  government.

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The Estates-General

• Since the 1302, the population of France was
  divided into three estates.
• Clergy
• Nobility
• Everyone else
• The first two estates did not have to pay taxes.
• In 1789, Louis XVI called a meeting of the
  estates, called the estates general. (First time
  in 175 years)
• The King proposed to raise taxes, but was turned
  down by the Estates.

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• The structure in the picture above is the
  Bastille, in Paris.
• The Bastille was an old fort left over from
  France's many wars with Britain.
• At the time of the Revolution, the Bastille was
  being used a a prison and armory.
• This building was seen as a symbol of the
  people's oppression.

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Tennis Court Oath 1789

• The meeting angered the third estate.
• The third estate decided to form their own
  government called the National Assembly.
• This was done at an indoor tennis court near the
  palace where the Estates general took place.
• This new government successfully overthrew the
  King and took control of the country.

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• The people began to worry about retaliation from
  other European countries who were allies of Louis
  XVI.
• This fear was the spark that started the
  bloodshed that we associate with the French
  Revolution.
• From this point on many royals, nobles, and those
  loyal to the king would be killed.

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• On July 14, 1789 the people of France stormed the
  Bastille, a prison, in search of weapons and
  ammunition.
• This marked the first battle between the French
  Revolutionaries and those loyal to the King.
• Today July 14 is known as Bastille day in France,
  it is a national holiday.

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Declaration of the Rights of Man

• After the storming of the Bastille the National
  assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of
  Man in August 1789.
• The main features of this declaration were
• All class privileges were ended
• All Frenchmen were free and equal
• Bill of rights for Frenchmen (freedom of speech,
  press religion)

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Shortcomings of the Declaration

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man excludes
  women.
• Most of the articles of the declaration only
  refer to Frenchmen not Frenchwomen.
• The declaration does not outlaw slavery despite
  the fact that document discusses the freedom and
  equality of all men.

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Trouble with the new government

• By 1791 the National Assembly was dissolved and
  replaced with the Legislative Assembly.
• The reasons for the dissolution were corruption
  and members fighting amongst each other.
• The Legislative Assembly made the king a
  constitutional monarch (no real power).

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• In 1792 the Legislative council failed. Again
  due to fighting and corruption.
• The Legislative Council was replaced by the
  Convention.
• The period of 1789-1792 many people loyal to the
  King, mostly nobility, left France.
• These people were called émigrés.
• The émigrés were trying to convince other
  European countries to intervene and restore the
  kings throne.

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Absolute Monarchy
Created the constitutional monarchy
Napoleon 1799
National Assembly 1789
Legislative Assembly 1791
Directory 1795
Governments dissolved due to fighting and
corruption.
Committee of Public Safety 1793
Convention 1792
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• The tri-color flag was by the revolutionaries in
  1794.
• The blue and red represent the colors on the flag
  of Paris, the capital of France.
• The white represents royalty, introduced by the
  Marquis de Lafayette.
• The white was included to symbolize the
  submission of the royal family to the people.

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Death of Louis XVI

• In 1792 the Legislative Assembly assigned Louis
  XVI to be the Constitutional Monarch.
• Louis XVI had the title of King but no power.
• In 1793 he tried to leave France to join the
  émigrés in a neighbouring country.
• He was caught, put on trial for treason, and
  guillotined shortly after.

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Committee of Public Safety

• Due to the threat of powerful European countries
  invading France, the Convention established the
  Committee of Public Safety, 1793.
• This body was responsible for overseeing the
  smooth running of the country and well as
  protection and public safety.
• It was headed by Maximilien de Robespierre

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Robespierre The Basics

• He was nicknamed The Incorruptible for his
  strong views on government.
• Politically he belonged to the Jacobin Club, who
  were strong supporters of the revolution.
• Robespierre was merciless when it came to the
  revolution.
• He was truly a believer in if you are not with
  us your against us idea.

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Reign of Terror

• Under the direction of Robespierre, the Committee
  of Public Safety guillotined nearly 18 000
  people, between 1793-1794.
• Almost 1400 people were executed in Paris alone.
• The people that were executed were usually
  charged with treason or were considered enemies
  of the new government.

35
The Death of Marie Antoinette

• Originally from Austria, Marie Antoinette was
  given in marriage to Louis XVI.
• Although she was liked at first her popularity
  began to decline after a series of poor
  decisions.
• During the revolution she was arrested and
  sentenced to death as an enemy of the new
  government.
• She was held at the Conciergerie (a prison)
  until she was guillotined in Paris in 1793 (6
  months after Louis XVI)

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The end of the Reign of Terror

• The Reign of Terror came to an end when
  Robespierre himself was accused tyranny and
  treason.
• Many felt that Robespierre was abusing his power
  and becoming a dictator.
• On July 28, 1794, Robespierre was guillotined
  near Paris.

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End of the Revolution

• The Committee of Public Safety was dissolved in
  1795.
• In the same year (1795) the Directory was
  created. The Directory consisted of 5 members
  that ruled France.
• Like other governments the Directory failed.
• In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte, a popular general,
  built an army and siezed control of the country.

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• Napoleon quickly created the Consulate and then
  declared himself emperor in 1804.