French Revolution

THE BACKGROUND

The Ancien Regime: 3 Estates (classes) 1st Estate: The Clergy

130,000 people (1%) Owned lots of land Received tithes + fees

2nd Estate: The Nobility hereditary 300,000 people (2%) Owned 30% of the land Controlled almost everything,

paid no taxes

3rd Estate: Everybody Else Wealthy Commoners=17% Peasants=80% Lacked political privileges paid ALL taxes

3rd Estate Top Component: The Bourgeoisie

Involved in commerce, finance, manufacture AKA had some money

Bourgeoisie= wealthy and growing middle class in France.

Literate, influenced by Enlightenment ideas

3rd Estate Lower Component Sans-Culottes

Sans-Culottes= Urban Poor People

Life was OK when crops were good if they weren’t.

Violent protests and anger over Increased bread prices taxes

THE CAUSES

I. National Bankruptcy Expensive wars (American War for

Independence) Unfair tax system Versailles = 1/3 of national budget

The Unlucky Couple

II. New Ideas About Government Locke; natural rights Rousseau; government = a contract okay to overthrow a government not doing

its job Bourgeoisie (Middle Class) began to

demand to have a say in their government

III. No Food bad harvests Hungry people = angry people

THE EVENTS

MODERATE PHASE

IV. Crisis Louis XVI called the Estates General

(Parliament) to a meeting to help gain support for new taxes

Estates General = members from each estate who met to help advise the King

Argued over how to vote – by estate or one man, one vote

V. National Assembly 3rd estate walked out Met at a tennis court on the palace grounds Gave the Tennis Court Oath – would not

disband until France had a Constitution Night of August 4th - Abolished nobility France now a Constitutional Monarchy

VI. Storming of the Bastille Prison July 14, 1789 Paris urban workers (sans culottes)

attacked the Bastille (gov’t prison) which was thought to hold weapons that would be used to stop the people’s revolution

The Events

The Radical Phase

VII. Reign of Terror Austria & Prussian rulers invade France to stop

the revolution (absolute monarchs feared their own people would rise up and overthrow them)

Fear & panic grip France Radical “Jacobin” political party takes control

of Paris. France run by the Committee of Public Safety (led by Robespierre)

Guillotine used to execute “enemies of the revolution” including Louis XVI

Order Restored

VIII. Napoleon Successful war general Has a coup d’etat (military takeover) Declares himself EMPEROR (ironic, right?!) Conquered almost all of Europe – stopped

by the Russian winter & “scorched earth” policy of the Russians

Napoleonic Code = equality before the law & meritocracy but NOT “freedom” [rights like speech, press, and assembly restricted]

“If the Press is not controlled, I shall not remain in power 3 days.” - Napoleon

IX. Napoleon’s Downfall British and others defeat his army at

Waterloo – he is exiled to St. Helena Island in the Atlantic

Constitutional Monarchy (not absolute!) restored in France. Very few rich men = voters. Napoleonic Code = still used.

Congress of Vienna – reestablishes the old monarchs overthrown by Napoleon…Europe moving toward democracy but not there yet!