Post on 13-Jun-2015
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The French RevolutionPart 1: 1789-1793
Introduction
• The French Revolution was the central event in Western society in the late 1700s:
– Transformed European society from feudalism & absolute monarchy into one based on Enlightenment principles of “liberty, equality, & fraternity”
– Along with the American Revolution, sparked the overthrow of monarchs and the rise of democratic revolutions throughout the Atlantic world
– Terror & the rise of Napoleon, and eventually to counter-revolution and a return to the old order
The Ancien Regime15th-late 18th cent.
• The French call the pre-Revolutionary period the “ancien regime,” or “old order.”– King Louis XVI and
Queen Marie Antoinette ruled France in the strong tradition of absolute monarchy
The Three Estates• Before the Revolution, France was divided
into three classes, or estates:– First Estate
• Clergy
– Second Estate• Nobles
– Third Estate• Peasants
• Bourgeoisie
“We must hope that things will soon sort themselves out.”
The Calling of the Estates General• In May 1789, under threat from the 1st & 2nd
Estates, King Louis calls for a meeting of the three estates together (1st time since 1614)
• The delegates to the Estates General drew up lists of grievances and “abuses” perpetrated by the King and the Ancien Regime.
• The Third Estate tried to rally the 1st & 2nd Estates to their cause; king locks them out
The Tennis Court Oath
• In June 1789, locked out by the king, Third Estate delegates met on a tennis court and vowed not to bow to force.
• The king gave in, and allowed the three estates to meet together and form a National Assembly, with the power to give France a written constitution.
“Tennis Court Oath”by Jacques-Louis David
The Storming of the Bastille
• Louis was still being a jerk, so, on July 14, 1789 (Bastille Day), insurgents in search of arms attacked the Bastille, an old fortress & prison.
• After 4 hours of resistance, the king’s troops surrendered & the insurgents stormed in.
• This incident assumed great symbolic importance as the first victory of the people in the name of “liberty” over “despotism”
Storming of the Bastille
After the Storming of the Bastille, the other two estates (clergy and nobles) dance to the tune of the Third Estate
Declaration of the Rights of Man
• On August 26, 1789, the National Assembly passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man, based on Enlightenment principles of “liberty, equality, & fraternity”
Women March on Versailles
On October 5, 1789, several hundred Parisian men and women marched the 12 miles to Louis’s palace at Versailles to protest the lack of bread .
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
• The National Assembly reduced the power of the Catholic Church in France to make it serve the state
• This was a fatal error that would greatly harm the Revolutionary cause among the 1st estate.
“How happy is this day, my sisters! Yes, the peaceful names of "mother" and "wife" are much preferable to that of "nun", they give you all the
Rights of Nature, thus to us."
The Constitution of 1791
The first French Constitution went even further, creating:
• limited monarchy with a clear separation of powers
• a Legislative Assembly with power to override a king’s veto
• indirect voting for over 2/3 of adult male citizens
King Louis Dethroned
• The first elected Legislative Assembly convened in October 1791.
• At this moment France was gearing up for war against the Austrians and Prussians
• Many French saw King Louis as a traitor in support of France’s enemies & had him literally removed from the throne
The Paris Prison Massacres• For 3 days in September 1792, groups of
Parisians invaded the prisons, set up mock trials, & executed more than 1,000 prisoners
• No official dared try to stop the slaughter.
• Revolutionary leaders saw this as a model for how to deal with potential enemies of the new republic – a REIGN OF TERROR.
Jacobins vs. Girondists• By October 1792, the first phase of the
Revolution was complete, & two groups were vying for power:– Girondins: moderate, mostly middle-class
republicans who wanted a sensible government
– Jacobins: radical, both middle-class & poor who wanted an overthrow of the king & top 2 estates
• most radical of the Jacobins were the sans-culottes, literally “without breeches” because they were lower-class & wore long pants, not knee-breeches
The Beheading of Louis XVI
• After a trial in the National Assembly, King Louis XVI was found guilty of treason & sentenced to die.
• On January 21, 1793, Louis was beheaded
• The moderate phase of the revolution was over