Post on 02-Jan-2016
I. The Revolution Begins• French Revolution seen as major
turning point in European history:– Sought to change both political &
social order– Became a model for revolution world-
wide– Demonstrated the power of
nationalism– Showed the power of “enlightened”
ideas– The masses challenged the protected
interests of the privileged few…
“LIBERTY!!! EQUALITY!!! FRATERNITY!!!”
I. The revolution Begins• Causes of French Revolution
– The Three Estates: Population had been divided into groups since Middle Ages.
• 1st Estate: Clergy (no taxes)– 0.5% of pop., they own 10 % of the
land• 2nd Estate: Nobility (no taxes)
– 1.5% of pop., they own 25% • 3rd Estates: Commoners (pay all
taxes)– 98% of pop., own 65% of the land– Peasants, skilled craftspeople, and…– Bourgeoisie (middle class)
merchants, bankers, professionals• Common bond: distrust the
monarchy
“The Three Estates”
I. The revolution Begins
Peasant, King Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette
• Causes of French Revolution– Financial Crisis
• Poverty rate soars thru countryside– Drought, Bad harvests– Food shortages, rising prices– Unemployment– 1/3 of pop. starving on eve of
revolution
• Enormous Gov’t spending of Louis XVI– Costly wars– Heavy spending to help U.S. defeat
British– Glamorous lifestyle of Marie Antoinette
I. The revolution Begins
King Louis XVI
• Causes of French Revolution– The Age of Enlightenment
• Challenged the Divine Right of Kings• Appealed to problems of middle class• Said economy would flourish w/ free
commerce (laissez-faire)– The Rule of King Louis XVI
• Preferred personal life to court life• Strongly influenced by Marie• Incapable of strong, decisive action
– American Revolution• Showed successful revolution
possible• French army introduced to new
ideas…
I. The revolution Begins
The Storming of the Bastille; July 14, 1789
• The Fall of the Old Regime– Debt forces Louis XVI to call Parliament
• Each of the 3 Estates get 1 vote• Third Estate (largest) demanded more
– Called themselves National Assembly• Locked out Tennis Court Oath
– Meet until they wrote a Constitution– Louis planned to use force on National
Assembly, but…– Storming of the Bastille
• Armory & Prison in Paris• Angry mob attacked & destroyed it,
“Great Fear” controls Paris, countryside• Louis can’t trust army, nearly powerless
I. The revolution Begins
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
• The Fall of the Old Regime (cont.)– Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen• Equality for all MEN (women excluded)• Access to public office based on talent• End to tax exemptions• Free speech and press
– Louis XVI concedes his power• Originally refused Declaration, but…• Becomes a prisoner in his own kingdom• Forced to move royal family to Paris
II. The Revolution Gets Radical
Paris Commune
• Paris Commune– 3 yrs later(1792) conditions had not
improved– Radical political groups form mob, attack
palace and legislative assembly• Hold Louis XVI captive• Call for a national convention for new
gov’t– based universal suffrage (all adult males)
– Members call themselves sans-culottes• “Without breeches (fancy pants)”• Wanted revenge…on who?• Thousands arrested, massacred
– Led by Georges Danton
II. The Revolution Gets Radical
Flyer supporting the execution of Louis XVI
• Paris Commune (cont.)– At the National Convention…
• Abolished the monarchy• Split over fate of Louis XVI
– Girondins (rural): let him live– The Mountain (urban, radical):off w/ his
head– Louis, Marie condemned to death by
guillotine
– Other nations appalled, join to attack France
– Fear of invasion, internal unrest leads to Committee on Public Safety
• Takes control of govt. beginning “Reign of Terror”
II. The Revolution Gets Radical
The guillotine was used to kill over 16,000 French citizens.
• The Reign of Terror– Led by Maximilien Robespierre– Goal: Unify, Protect, Cleanse France– 40,000 enemies of revolution executed
• 15% Nobles & Clergy, 85% Commoners
– Policy of Dechristianization• Churches pillaged and closed• “Saint” removed from street names• Cathedral of Notre Dame: Temple of
Reason• New calendar (why?)• Efforts ignored by largely Catholic public
– Radicalism ends with death of Robespierre
II. The Revolution Gets Radical
The Eighteenth of Brumaire, by Francois Bouchot
• The Directory– 1795: New constitution, more stability
• Bi-cameral (?) legislature– Lower house (500 members) wrote
laws– Upper house (250) approved or
rejected laws
• The Directory– 5 men to serve as executives– Shared power w/ legislature– Time of corruption– Could not fix economy– Relied heavily on military
– 1799: coup d’etat by Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte