Modern Europe Midterm Themes and Terms

Old Regime Autocracy Characteristics?

Louis XIV (14) ruled France as an absolutist, meaning the monarchy held, and believed they should hold, all power in the nation. This was done so through divine right, a common theme throughout all of French Rule. No other branch of government or consitution existed to power check.

Who were the French bourgeouisie?

Middle-Upper Middle Class. Weren’t nobility, but had good livings. Educated, lawyers, merchants, professionals.

What were feudal dues?

Nobility (lords) taking advantage of peasant working, often leading to them being unable to eat.

What were Tithes?

Feudal taxes that were used to support local church and its town administration

What were the origins and foundations of the Enlightenment?

Society = improved through science

Heart of Enlightenment = Paris

Print Culture is integral to its power

What did Enlightened Philosopher Montesquie say?

Believed that there was no universal “best” form of government. Each territory has one most suitable for themselves. For France, it was NOT absolutism.

What did Enlightened Philosopher Voltaire say?

Condemned organized religion, especially Catholic Church as it censored, fostered bigotry, and opposed scientific progress.

Deist - God created nature then let humans run free; rationality and virtuosity in society.

What did Enlightened Philosopher Rosseau say?

Individuals need society to exist, must act with good virtue and rationality in society. Laws should be created under idea of General Will —> what the vast majority of people (who are thus good, virtuous, and rational) want. Ideas of popular sovereignty.

What did Mary Wallstonecraft argue for?

Critiqued Rosseau, whose ideas and belief of General Will, and a society of demonstrating and participating political citizens only applied to men.

Supported equal education and representation for women.

Other origins of the French Revolution?

American Revolution (economic, spreading of ideas, connections)

British government idealization

Financial struggles in France

What are the three phases of the French Revolution?

1789-1792 Moderate Phase

1792-1794 Radical Phase

1794-1799 Return to Moderate

who were the sans-culottes?

The urban lower class, the main driving force of the Revolution (Artisans, shopkeepers, laborers)

What were the peasants / sans-culottes role in the Revolution?

main driving force of mob action

upset with Feudal dues and lords reaping their labor

sans-culottes specifically upset with food market prices and inability to live in urban environment

What were the bourgeoisie role in the Revolution?

adding to the mass, leading the Enlightenment.

anger towards the Nobility, who had political power and wealth without having to work.

what was the nobility role in the Revolution

anger towards monarchy for attempts to raise taxes (louis 16), diminished political power from Absolutism.

What is the relationship between the Estates General, Abbe Sieyes, and the National Assembly?

The Estates General was the representative (but non-population weighted) body of France during emergency. The first estate filled the nobility, the second with the clergy, and the third with the “common” (Although mainly bourgeoisie).

Abbe Sieyes, a monumental figure and writer in the 3rd Estate, wrote “What is the 3rd Estate.” The Essay concluded that the 3rd estate comprised of the common, thus is all of France, however it has no actual power, but wishes to gain a function. The essay staked that the aristocracy was a plague which ignored the common classes.

After a quarrel over the misrepresentation of population, the 3rd Estate argued that they should have twice as many representatives, and that voting should be by head, not estate. Consequently, they left the General, with some clergy and nobles, forming a oath-pact called the National Assembly that sought to establish a constitution for France.

What was the Storming of the Bastille?

Sans-Culottes raid the Bastille, a armory/prison in search of weaponry, but do not find anything, except for some political prisoners. Massive success in storming the fortress though! July 14th is known as Bastille Day, the French equivalent to July 4th.

What was the Great Fear?

Rural mainly, peasant reactions across France, rebellions against famine and food prices / taxation. Violent against nobility! Combined with the Bastille and National assembly, Feudal taxes were dropped and noble priviliges were abolished.

What is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen?

Document written by Lafayette and Jefferson, inspired by the American Revolution, establishes equal ground and popular soveriegnty.

What was the Civil Constitution of the Clergy?

Made clergy employees of the state, the church controlled by state; sold off church property’s for economic boost. Made pope and opponent.

1791 Constitution

Made france a constitutional monarchy

what was the flight to Varennes?

famous event when Louis 16 + royal family flee france in June 1791, seeking foreign aid.

Who were the Jacobins?

Radical group of democratic republicans

What did the Sans-Culottes do after storming the Bastille?

Formed the Paris Commune, aka the City Council

What were some wartime moments of radicalism?

Imprisonment of the Royal Family —> In fear that they were feeding information to Austria, so that the revolt would be put down.

September Massacres —> Mass murders of counterrevolutionaries

What did the Formation of the Convention do?

Brought a lot of radicals to power, France becomes a republic.

Louis 16 is murdered, European monarchs go to war against France.

What was the Committee of Public Safety?

Created in response to monarchs waging war against France; was purposed to protect Revolution values. 

what was the levee en masse

created by commission of public safety; war draft. led by Lazare Carnot

who was George Jacques Danton

Lawyer, member of Public Safety, later executed by Robespierre.

Maximilien Robespierre

leader of Radicals, Public Safety, massively important character in the Reign of Terror

what was the philosophy of the “Republic of Virtue”

Rosseau’s ideas of public virtue and abandoment of self-interest, led in a very corrupt and exploited way by Robespierre.

Antoinette, counterrevs, nobility, monarch executions, justified as "for the common good”

Change in fashion, street names, entertainment, social class frameworks - emphasize France as a republic, dissolve ideas of monarchism.

Some dechristianization (New Calender and Deism’s Cult of Supreme Being); not super effective.

what was the reign of terror?

time during which Robespierre led the Comission of Public Safety and became corrupt, executing many.

His execution of Danton proved extremely controversial, leading to his own execution, and the end of the reign.

summarize the thermidorian reaction

Abbe Sieyes comes to power as a member of the Directory, a group of 5 elected from the Council of 500 (french reps), also elected by the Council of Elders (elected french persons)

Sought peace in war, as well as how to deal with the remaining radicalists. Abbe Sieyes allies with Napoleon to coup de tat the Directory (1799) in order to make a more constitutional republic. This would fail.

Reasons for the Coup De Tat?

Issues coming from Radicalists and Monarchists

Ongoing War, and military spending

coup was purposed to give the directory full executive power

Reality of Coup?

extremely successful, just not for Sieyes!

Napoleon pushes Sieyes out of the way, introducing a new constitution and executive position —> Himself as “First Consul” (faux-democracy)

Who was Napoleon?

Born in Corsica, which fell hands to France. Decent aristocracy origin.

Rose through military academy, big supporter of revolution. Gained name for himself in wartime as well as putting down counter-revolutionaries.

After an attempted assassination, he exploits the chaos to consolidate his power as Emperor of France.

What constituted the Napoleonic / Civil Code?

Unified law across full empire.

Religious tolerance

protected Property rights

Abolish noble privileges and rights.

abolished unions + guilds

abolished primogeniture

Essentailly was made to appeal to many groups of French society.

what did the Cncordat of 1801 do?

w/ Pius 7

made peace after Civil Const. of Clergy

Churches had to give up their claims to sold land and swear loyalty to state; Catholicism becomes main French religion.

What were some general admin changes and infrastructure made by Napoleon?

Military training and modernization

Promotion of science + education

Establish the Bank of France

Efficient Tax Collection

Modernized infrastructure