Revolution Threatens the French King

1
Revolution Threatens the French King
2
Pre-Revolution France

• Most advanced country in Europe
• Center of the Enlightenment
• Culture emulated by the rest of the world
• Great unrest caused by
• High Prices
• High taxes
• Questions raised by Enlightenment ideas of
  Rousseau and Voltaire

3
The Old Regime

• Three Estates (social classes)
• 1st Estate
• Clergy
• Owned 10 of the land
• Contributed just 2 of income to the government
• 2nd Estate
• Rich nobles (land owners)
• Owned 20 of the land
• Paid no taxes

4
The Old Regime

• Third Estate
• 98 of the people
• Divided into three groups
• Bourgeoisie Merchants and artisans
• Workers Poorer, low wages, often hungry
• Peasants 80 of the people Bound to the land
• The Third Estate heavily taxed and discontented
  (unhappy)

5
Forces of Change

• New ideas about the power of the people take
  hold.
• Poor harvests, heavy taxes, and government debt
  caused instability.
• Louis XVI tried to tax the nobles Nobles forced
  him to call a meeting of the Estates-General in
  order to approve tax reform

6
Revolution Dawns

• Third Estate delegates in the Estates-General
  demand more rights
• Third Estate delegates vote to establish the
  National Assembly
• They take the Tennis Court Oath

7
Revolution Dawns

• Peasants overthrow the Bastille on July 14, 1789
  and the revolution begins in earnest

8
Great Fear Sweeps France

• A senseless panic called the Great Fear leads to
  great destruction in the countryside
• Women angered by the price of bread march on
  Versailles and compel the king and queen to move
  to Paris