French Revolution

By - Mahipal Singh Rathore

Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore

Email for Queries/doubts – mahipal.studyiq@gmail.com

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What was it?

A 10 year period of events in France from 1789 to

1799 that led to wide ranging political and social

change and has had a huge impact on modern

world

The revolution abolished monarchy, made France a

republic and ended in dictatorship of Napoleon

Causes

Political

Social

Economic

Intellectual

Political - The Bourbon despots

Louis XIV (1643-1715)

• Absolute despot

• Centralisation of power

• MANY Wars- France in

debt

Louis XV (1715-74)

• Debt increased due to

defeat in 7 years war

• Not a good administrator

Louis XVI (1774-92)

• Well intentioned but could not bring bold

reforms

• Backtracked from decisions easily

• Austrian wife – Marie Antoinette (Bad

advisor)

• American war of Independence – French

help ruined France itself for no gains

Versailles Palace

Social Cause

Division of French society – Ancien Regime

First Estate Second Estate Third Estate

Clergy (Church) Nobility Farmers, Artisans, Factory workers, Traders, Lawyers, Public officials

1 lakh 4 lakh 2.7 Crore ~95 % of population

10% land 25 % land

• No tax on 1st and 2nd estate

• Lavish lifestyle of nobility

• High point of French culture- 18th century

• 3rd estate – drowning in various taxes

• Educated middle class- Bourgeoisie

• Urban workers- poor conditions

Economic Cause

• Rising population

1700 - 2 crore

1789 - 2.8 crore

• High debt of war lead to large interest payments – Half of total national budget went to debt repayments

• Harsh winter – Crop failure –Food prices – Famine

• Angry peasants and common people

Intellectual Cause

Age of enlightenment

Development of Science and philosophy, rational thinking

Famous Thinkers and Philosophers :

John Locke

Jean-Jacques Rousseau – people's sovereignty

Immanuel Kant

Montesquieu- Separation of church and state

Voltaire – Freedom of speech and expression

• Intellectuals started to Questioned the King’s right to

rule, his mandate from God, role of Catholic Church

• These ideas spread via newspapers, books and Salon

discussions

Timeline

1789 - Estate General

1789-91 - National Assembly

1791-92 - Legislative Assembly

1792-95 - National Convention (Reign of Terror)

1795-98 - Directory Rule

1799 - Coup d'état by Napoleon

Estate general – 5th May 1789

• A super parliament with representatives from all

estates

• First meeting in 175 years

• Agenda- manage the financial crisis (Raise taxes)

• Delegates - 300 + 300 + 600

• Deadlock over voting rights

• The third estate declares itself as National Assembly

• Louis XVI locked out the ‘National Assembly’ from

main hall

• They take the ‘Tennis Court Oath’ – Not to disband

until a constitution is in place

June

• All over France , peasants revolt against their local feudal lords – loot granaries & chateaus, burn land records (the Great Fear)

• Riots in Paris in support of assembly and against King’s action

• Breakdown of law and order; revolutionary spirit takes over

• Louis XVI orders military to assemble in Paris and outside Versailles

Storming of the Bastille 14 July 1789

• Fort used as prison

• Symbol of royal oppression

• Bastille prison looted and torn down by rioters

• Mainly to get weapons

• ‘Bastille day celebrations’

• National Assembly (later became National Constituent Assembly) ordered abolition of feudalism and levied uniform taxes for all

• Many nobles fled to neighbouring countries in Europe (Émigrés)

• Clergy reduced by 1/3rd – made civil officers

• Pope Angry!

ABSOLUTE MONARCHY

to

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

Declaration of the Rights of Man

and of the Citizen

A statement of intent for const.

Bases on Ideas of enlightenment

Human and civil rights – Liberty

property Security

One of the most documents of

World along with Magna Carta,

US Bill of rights

• The concepts of Liberty Equality and Fraternity were

enshrined in this declaration

• “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights’’

• Women and Slaves – No rights as citizens!

Women’s march on Versailles

• October 1789

• Harsh economic conditions and food shortages

• Rumours of party in Versailles while Parisians were

struggling for bread

• 7000 Women assembled and marched to palace

• Asked the royal family to move to PARIS

1790

• Political groups/parties emerged

• Const. was being written down

• Many clubs formed having their own thoughts/ideas

about the change/revolutionary process

• Ex: Jacobins - Radical revolutionaries

Girondins - Liberals

Society of Revolutionary Republican women

Jacobin Club

• Composed of people from mainly poor

classes - artisans, daily workers

• They believed that power had been

consolidated by upper/prosperous middle

class and wealthy traders

• Their leader was Maximilien de Robespierre

• ‘Sans Culottes’ – below knee pants

1791

• King Louis tried to escape to Austria from France but was

caught

• This led to demands for ‘Republic’ from people(Jacobins)

• The Const. Assembly was in favour of constitutional

monarchy like Britain

• People protested – National guards sent to suppress

them – protestors massacred

Legislative Assembly

• September 1791

• New constitution

• King restored as head of state

• System failed within a year because of different

demands of various parties and groups (mainly

Girondins and Jacobins) . Also Louis secretly tried to get

help from other kings

• Neighbouring monarchs were getting scared of all

the anarchy and revolutionary fever spreading in

France

• Austria and Prussia declared support for French

Monarchy (Declaration of Pillnitz)

• France attacked Austria + Prussia in April 1792

Late 1792

• August - King and family attacked by radicals in

Paris

• Monarchy suspended – King had tried to help

Prussia Austria

• Leg. Assembly suspended itself

• Republican constitution to be made, Elections

announced

• King Louis put to trial and sentenced to death

(January 1793)

• British, Dutch and Spain joined Austria and

Prussia in the ‘coalition’ against France after

Louis’ execution –

‘’The War of First Coalition’’

The Guillotine – Instrument of humane

death!

La Marseillaise

• French National Anthem

• Written By Claude de Lisle

• Revolutionary song to rally people to fight

against Austria and other invaders

• Sung by soldiers marching from ‘Marseille’

CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

to

REPUBLIC

The National Convention

Sept 1792- Oct.1795

• Third govt. of the revolution

• Elected by extending suffrage – all 21+ male

• Monarchy abolished – True Republic

• A small group ‘Committee of Public Safety’ created

which took all control/major decisions

• This committee was dominated by Jacobins

The Reign of Terror

• June 1793-July 1794

• Maximilien Robespierre

• 16000 ‘enemies of the revolution’

guillotined (executed)

• Marie Antoinette executed

• Churches destroyed and closed down

• Slavery abolished (Napoleon re-instated it)

• New Calendar – 10 hour a day, 100 minutes an hour

,10 days a week

• Food shortages due to war – Food from rural to

urban areas. Regulation of prices

• Finally people got sick of Jacobins

• Jacobins were banned and Robespierre himself was

executed

The Directory 1795-99

• New constitution in 1795

• Affluent middle class took control

• No property- no right to vote

• Bicameral legislature

• Executive body established with 5 directors (to avoid dictatorship

like Robespierre)

• Napoleon led French victories in Italy and Austria – ending the

war of first coalition

The Consulate 1799-1804

• 30 year old military general Napoleon Bonaparte did a

coup against the directory rule and established the

‘Consulate’

• 3 consuls

• Napoleon himself as the FIRST CONSUL of France

• In 1804, he declared himself as the ‘Emperor of France’

Did the revolution change much?

• Absolute monarchy to Military dictatorship

• Church restored by Napoleon

• Nobility returned back to France

• Even Bourbon monarchy restored in 1815

• Condition of Women and slaves – no change

• Farmers & workers conditions – not much changed

Legacy

• Constitutional monarchy - powers of kings limited

• Power of nobility/remaining feudalism gone forever

• Church’s power highly diminished – era of religious

tolerance

• Power transferred from nobility to people, especially

bourgeoisies (middle class)

• Ideas of rights of man were long lasting – laws apply equally to everyone , Liberty Equality Fraternity

• Rise of humanitarian movements

• Spread of Nationalism in Europe

• Women- education, marriage, freedom to start business & trade

Mahipal Singh Rathore

THANK YOU

©DrMahipalRathore