French Revolution

the 1st estate

clergy; 1-2% of the population; 15-20% of the land; not taxed

the 2nd estate

nobility; 2-3% of the population; owned 20-25% of the land; not taxed

the third estate

peasants, merchants, artisans, urban poor, and bourgeoise; 97% of the population; owned 65% of the land; only group taxed

1787-1788; “Year Without a Summer”

series of bad harvests; farmers could not make enough food; increased price of grain; merchants and artisans without money; only the bourgeoise were able to pay taxes

tennis court oath

national assembly, after being locked out of their meeting room by the king (who feared he was losing power), refused to be disbanded until they had fulfilled their duty - this was done at an indoor tennis court at Versailles

1790

the national assembly was in Paris writing the new constitution; the government took over the church and abolished feudal privilege

the Great Fear

people in the French countryside were afraid of plots to overthrow the Third Estate; they drove out local lords (called Emigres)

the storming of the Bastille

after acts of aggression from the king toward the national assembly, Parisians decided to take up arms; they tore down the fortress (The Bastille) and took gunpowder as well as other weapons

the declaration of the rights of man

document drafted by the national assembly stating the natural rights that each man was entitled to; adopted during the Women’s March on Versailles

the women’s march on versailles

outraged over the price of grain, women began to band together and march in protest; they were joined by proponents of the revolutionary movement; they forced the king to acknowledge the declaration of the rights of man and moved him from versailles to paris

jean paul marat

revolutionary journalist who was instrumental in the rise of the liberal movement; his pamphlets and newspaper articles often dictated who was declared an enemy of the state and beheaded during the reign of terror

maximilian robespierre

influential revolutionary figure who was the most powerful person in the national convention during the reign of terror; he was far more radical than any other person at the time and had many killed; eventually, people’s fear of being beheaded on his orders led to them executing him

louis xvi tried to flee to austria

louis xvi plotted with the austrian monarchs to send an army to overthrow the revolutionary government; he was caught before leaving france and sent back to paris; considered the turning point of the revolution (from peaceful to bloody)

the legislative assembly

declared war on austria because of their sympathy for the king; had too little power to make meaningful change

the proclamation of the duke of brunswick

addressed the people of France and said that those who did not oppose prussian invasion would not be harmed; led to the French people banding together against invading forces

national convention

national mobilization (helped france win the war against austria); had unbridled power; led by robespierre; dissolved the declaration of the rights of man in order to win the war

royalists

people in the national convention who were loyal to the king

gerundome

moderate revolutionaries of the national convention

jacobins

intense revolutionaries; radicals led by robespierre

the cult of the supreme being

christianity was abandoned as the national religion of france; robespierre created a new religion based on patriotism and reason in order to control the people

the reign of terror

new religion, constant executions of anyone who seemed to oppose the revolutionary ideals, new calendar

the great terror

a period in which it seemed as though robespierre would have every person who was not as radical as him executed; culminated in robespierre’s execution

the white terror

period after robespierre’s execution during which conservative members of the convention killed all radical liberals

the directory

governed france after the reign of terror; had too little power to be able to do anything; overthrown by napoleon

napoleon

military general from corsica who overthrew the government and had himself established as emperor for life; expanded the french empire greatly and improved many aspects of life for the french people, but was exiled after his defeats at the battle of nations and at the battle of waterloo

napoleon good actions

education improvements, napoleonic code, banking reform, public works, great general, welcomed back nobility, reestablished the catholic church

napoleon bad actions

used resources of conquered countries to improve france, lacked proficiency in naval battle, continental system, put his relatives on the throne, failed in russian invasion

napoleon’s attempt to invade russia

600,000 soldiers led into russia after tsar alexander refused to put sanctions on britain; less than 100,000 people survived because of the evasive tactics used by the russian army

battle of nations

england, prussia, russia, and austria overtook napoleon; led him to be captured and exiled to elba, and louis xviii to be put on the french throne

the battle of waterloo

britain vs france, unexpected side hit from prussian army and the duke of ellington’s knowledge of french tactics defeated napoleon

st helena

napoleon was exiled to this island after he lost the battle of waterloo, very out of the way so he could not escape