French Revolution Phase 1: The Moderate Phase

Why was France in an economic crisis?

• Inherited debt from King Louis XIV and King Louis XV

• Parlement blocked economic reform that benefited wealthy: Aristocratic Revolt

• High unemployment rate

• Industrial Revolution in England-replaced French workers and products

• Food shortage: Famine, Bad Weather,

• Cost of War: seven years of war from Louis XV led to financial and territorial loss

• American Revolution: King Louis XVI supported financially, but did not gain anything

What happened in the class conflict?

• The three estates system-benefits the 1st and 2nd estates

• Social and tax inequality

• 3rd estates represents 98% of population: With little ability to move up

• Economic issues like food shortage and unemployment made people upset at upper estates

How was the Enlightenment relevant in Phase 1?

• Growing influence, people questioning French’s society, estates, government and relion

• England had a Constitutional Monarchy since 1688

• American revolution-which led to independence of England and Republican government: all power with citizens

What were Weakness’ of King Louis XVI?

• Known for inability to make decisions: relied on advisors but dismissed them regularly

• Poor decision to help in the American Revolution

• Became a symbol of ancient regime: spent lavishly, detached from the people because lived in Versailles

What are the three phases of the French Revolution?

• The moderate phase

• The radical phase

• Thermidorian Reaction and Directory

Estates General called.

• May 5, 1789

• Last called in 1614

• Who attends: representatives of all three estates

• Goal: collective reform of the financial crisis

• Problem: Voting by order (each estate gets one vote), Voting by Head (each representative gets 1 vote)

• Was the start of French Revolution

Nation Assembly was formed.

• June 17, 1789

• Revolutionary assembly formed by representatives of the third estate (some clergy and nobles)

Tennis Court Oath.

• June 20, 1789

• Members of 3rd estate were locked out of the Estates General

• Swore an oath to remain united until a constitution is created

• Wanted political power to come from the people and limit the monarchy’s power

1st and 2nd Estates join national assembly

• June 27, 1789

• king Louis XVi had the rest of the estates join the national assembly: King was forced to recognize the assembly

• King Louis XVI sent troops to gather around Paris after the national assembly was established

Necker Dismissed.

• July 11, 1789

• Jacques Necker, the Finance Minister was dismissed: previously published a report on France’s finance

• Nicknamed People’s Minister

• Not well recieved by 1st and 2nd estates

Storming of the Bastille

• July 14, 1789

• The bastille was an old medieval fortress that protected paris: state prison, symbol of royal tryanny, held gunpowder

• Large mob of Parisians stormed the Bastille and took the gunppowder

• Triggered by troops around Paris: troops were mercernaries-paid soldiers from a foreign country, dismissal of necker, existing civil unrest

Responses to Bastille Storming

• King Louis XVI withdrew solider form Paris

• reappointed Necker

• Late July-August “The Great Fear”

• Wave of panic-aristocratic faminine (hoarding resources and food)

• Peasants revolted: burned down chateaux, destroyed offices, feudal certificates

National Assembly reforms

• August 4, 1789

• National Assembly abolished feudal rights and privelleges

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

• August 1789

• Natural Rights-liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression

• Free speech

• All citizens equal before law

• Due process (fairness of rules and laws)

• Freedom of religion

• Laws should reflect the common good

• Taxation proportional to wealth

• King Louis did not sign but instead hosted a party for the regiment of the Royal Army

Women’s march on versailles

• Women angry over bread shortages

• Marched from Paris to Versailles

• Poissardes: strong fishwomen

• Forced royal family to move to Paris: closer to people and to sign the Declaration of the rights of man and the citizen

Constitution of 1791

• Many nobles became emgres

• June 1791-royal family tried to escape France, strategize ways to restore the French monarchy, caught and imprisoned

• September 1791

• King Louis XVI forced to sign the Constitution, to turn absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy with limited powers

• Created the Legislative Assembly

• Power was given to the assembly, voted on by the people

• Liberty, Equality and Fraternity