T H E F R E N C H R E V O LU T I O N

1789-1815

First Estate: Clergy, Church Officials: owned much land, paid no taxes

Second Estate: Nobles- owned most land, paid no taxes

Third Estate: (98% population)- Bourgeoisie (middle class) peasants, city workers- paid taxes- had no political power, owned little land.

THREE SOCIAL CLASSES IN FRANCE:

• Third Estate (98% pop.) upset over lack of political power, paying all the taxes.

• Absolute ruler Louis XVI ignores demands for a new constitution- Representatives of Third Estate declares themselves the National Assembly (Tennis Court Oath)

• Common people of France angry over increasing prices (bread) and decreasing wages.

CAUSES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION:

CAUSES CONTINUED:• The spread of Enlightenment

Ideas:• Natural Rights (John Locke)• Freedom of speech, religion (Voltaire)• Separation of Powers (Montesquieu)• Will of the Majority (Rousseau)• Right to Overthrow government• Challenge of Absolute rule

CAUSES CONTINUED:The Success of the American RevolutionU.S. was first country to adapt Enlightened Ideas into its Government- Constitution drafted in 1787.English colonies overthrew the English King!France had spent huge amounts of money to help the Americans win (ships, supplies, soldiers). This caused economic problems in France leading to increased taxes.

• 1788- 1789- Bad wheat harvest- extreme bread shortage- people begin to riot in streets.

• July 14th 1789- French citizens storm and capture the Bastille prison. The Revolution begins.

• Fall of 1789- Over 6,000 women march on the Palace of Versailles to demand bread for their starving children.

TIMELINE OF THE FRENCH

REVOLUTION

• 1789-The Great Fear- peasants and commoners attack and terrorize noble families throughout France.

• 1789- National Assembly issues Declaration of the Rights of Man (Modeled after Dec. of Ind.)

• Other European countries worry about stability of France. Prepare to help restore the French Monarchy.

TIMELINE CONTINUED:

• 1791- Louis XVI and wife Marie Antoinette attempt to flee France- get caught- people see King as a traitor.

• Kings of Austria and Prussia send armies to fight French revolutionaries- France’s army in disarray- people rally to defend nation, not a King.

 • 1792- Revolution enters radical phase- violence

increases.

TIMELINE CONTINUED:

• 1793- King Louis XVI and wife are executed- guillotine

 The king asked for Henry Essex Edgeworth de Firmont, an Irish cleric whose family had moved to France, to be his spiritual advisor and confessor during

his final hours. Edgeworth wrote an account of the January 21, 1793 execution:

“The steps that led to the scaffold were extremely steep in ascent. The king was obliged to hold to my arm, and by the pains he seemed to take, feared that his

courage had begun to weaken; but what was my astonishment when, upon arriving at the last step, I saw him escape, so to speak, from my hands, cross the length of the

scaffold with firm step to impose silence, by a single glance, upon ten or fifteen drummers who were in front of him, and with a voice so strong that it could be heard

at the Pont-Tournant, distinctly pronounce these words forever memorable: “I die innocent of all the crimes imputed to me. I pardon the authors of my death,

and pray God that the blood you are about to shed will never fall upon France.”

The executioners seized him, the knife struck him, his head fell at fifteen minutes after ten. The executioners seized it by the hair, and showed it to the multitude,

whose cries of “Long live the Republic!” resounded to the very bosom of the Convention, whose place of meeting was only a few steps from the place of

execution.

Thus died, at the age of thirty-eight years, four months, and twenty-eight days, Louis, sixteenth of his name, whose ancestors had reigned in France for more than eight

hundred years.

TIMELINE CONTINUED:

Revolutionary leaders fought over direction of the Revolution and the threat of European countries.Under the leadership of Maximilien Robespierre about 40,000 people sent to the guillotine within a year!

1793-1794: REIGN OF TERROR

THE GUILLOTINE• Long associated with the French Revolution’s

“Reign of Terror,” the guillotine was named for Dr. Louis Guillotin. Although he did not construct it, Guillotin suggested that such a device could be used for official executions.

• The guillotine was not invented in France, however. Historical evidence suggests that it was used in Ireland, as early as 1307, and may have been used before then.

• Charles Henri Sanson, official executioner of the revolution, said this of the guillotine:

• “Today the machine invented for the purpose of decapitating criminals sentenced to death will be put to work for the first time. Relative to the methods of execution practiced heretofore, this machine has several advantages. It is less repugnant: no man's hands will be tainted with the blood of his fellow being, and the worst of the ordeal for the condemned man will be his own fear of death, a fear more painful to him than the stroke which deprives him of life.”

• Within seconds the three sounds that were to become the most feared in France were heard - the loud bang as the bascule swung horizontally to strike the bench; the metallic clang as the iron collar, the lunette, was swung across to pin the victim’s neck motionless, followed almost immediately by the resounding crash as the weighted blade fell, its impact in the block beneath the now-severed head shaking the entire structure, the noise reverberating around the square. (Geoffrey Abbott, Execution)

• After Reign of Terror, moderates take control of the Revolution and attempt to organize France and defend against other European countries. The Directory assumes control, however it lacked strong leadership.

• 1799- young military general takes control from Directory. He is smart, charismatic, and popular due to military victories against England and Austria.

• Napoleon Bonaparte

1795-1799

1799-1815: NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

A brilliant military leader, Napoleon became a general at the age of 24.

EMPEROR OF FRANCE

• In 1799, the popular general took over the government in a coup d’etat

and named himself first consul.

• In 1802 he became consul for life • In 1804 he crowned himself Emperor

NAPOLEON’S REFORMS

His goal was to modernize France: Built roads & canals Public school system under government

control made careers open to talent (not

birthright!) Peasants were guaranteed lands they

had bought during the Revolution

• Napoleon’s law code was based on Enlightenment principles.

• Equality of all citizens before the law, religious toleration, advancement based on merit & ability.

• Napoleon’s code undid some reforms from the French Revolution:

• Women lost newly gained rights

• Men regained complete control over their wives

THE NAPOLEONIC CODE

• Conquered most of Europe (not England!)

• Helped spread Enlightened Ideas and reforms all over Europe

• Helped spread Nationalism throughout Europe

• Brought stability and order to French government

NAPOLEONS IMPACT:

• In 1812, Napoleon sent 600,000 troops to invade Russia.

• The Russians retreated and utilized a “Scorched Earth” policy, burning down crops, villages, and cities.

• When the harsh winter arrived, the French Troops had little food and no shelter. They were forced to retreat 1,000 miles. Only 100,000 survived.

THE REVOLUTION AND THE AGE OF NAPOLEON ENDS

• In 1813, Napoleon was defeated and France was threatened by a new alliance of Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia.

• With little support from the French people or army, Napoleon decided to abdicate, or give up, his throne.

• They sent him into exile to the Island of Elba and named Louis XVIII, the brother of Louis XVI, as King of France

THE END CONTINUED…

• June 18th, 1815, Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo by an allied force of British and Prussian troops.

• Once again, Napoleon abdicated the throne. This time, he was sent to the small Atlantic island of St. Helena.

• Napoleon died in 1821 of stomach cancer. Recent studies suggest Napoleon may have been poisoned. Others say he may have secretly escaped

THE END CONTINUED…

Following the defeat of Napoleon, the major European

powers of the day met in Vienna, Austria to establish a

plan for peace and resolve other problems that were

created by Napoleon. This was called

The Congress of Vienna.

1815: AFTER THE FALL OF NAPOLEON

Two Goals of the Congress:

1. Restore legitimacy – This meant restoring the absolutist ruling families to their thrones. (turn back the clock)

1815-THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA

2. Create a balance of power, so that no one could dominate Europe again.