The French Revolution

Causes of the French Revolution

Inequalities among the 3 estates, National debt, Poor Harvests, and failure to reform

The Ancient Regime

An outdated social system or order

Estates

One of three social classes

Nun

1st estate. YAY: Owned 10% of land, did not pay taxes, collected tithes. NAY: Intolerance of dissent, inference with politics.

Nobleman

2nd estate. YAY: Army, courts, and church, Top jobs in the government, did not have to pay taxes. NAY: Had to share jobs with people in the lower class.

Bourgeoisie

People in the middle class that led the French Revolution

Lawyer

Member of the bourgeoisie, 3rd estate. YAY: Meager living, owned 20-25% of land, education, opportunity to hold public office. NAY: Poor/unemployed, paid taxes, resented all jobs that went to the nobles

Peasant

3rd estate. YAY: More access to food, worked 30-40% of the land. NAY: Could not vote, had to pay taxes.

Urban worker

Shopkeeper, 3rd estate. NO privileges, struggled to survive especially when prices of consumer goods increased.

National Debt

Spent money on the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War. Court was spending money on parties, clothing, and food=deficit spending. Government raised taxes, reduced spending.

Deficit spending

Spending more money than one is earning... Leads to debt

Poor Harvest

1780s drought caused a low harvest and grain. Grain was used to make bread=little bread to eat. As a result, bread prices were raised and the poor went hungry. As a result, bread riots occurred. To fix this, the king needed to make bread prices more affordable for the poor

Failure to Reform

Louis XVI=weak/indecisive king. Hired James Necker as an advisor, who told the king to cut spending and tax the 1st and 2nd estates. King fired him. Nobles/Clergy wanted the king to call the estates general to fix the crisis and put the king under the nobles' control. Failed to fix problem, debt grew larger, and people grew angry.

Estates general

Legislative body of France

Problems with the Estates General

Only people with property were allowed to vote. Each estate was allowed 1 vote, First and Second always outvoted the 3rd estate. 3rd estate wanted votes counted "by head." Representatives leading the 3rd estate left estates general and declared themselves a new group called the national assembly

Cahiers

notebooks containing grievances; representatives of each estate brought these with them to the Estates-General meeting. Ex of a grievance listed in cahiers: Urban workers are hungry

The Tennis Court Oath

Taken by Louis XVI in a royal tennis court. People swore to never separate and meet wherever the circumstances might require until a sound and constitution has been established.

Bastille

a grim medieval fortress used as a prison for politics and other prisoners

Storming of the Bastille

People feared the king was going to use his guards to attack the National Assembly, so they went in to look for gunpowder and weapons. More than 800 Parisians broke in and released king's prisoners and killed guards, no gunpowder and weapons were found. This was the first time people of France were taking power from their king. Marks the beginning of the French Revolution. JULY 14, 1789

Factions

The moderate phase begins! Group inside a group with differing ideas/opinions

Royalists

Wanted the king to have all the power

Moderates

Wanted king and people to share power

Radicals

Wanted people to have all the power

Unrest in France

Famine, unemployment, rising grain prices. Gov troops attacking villages and town seizing peasant crops. Peasants set fire, stole bread, attacked nobles and their homes

Paris Commune

radical group that replaced the royalist government of Paris. Organized neighborhoods for protests/violence. Radical newspapers and clubs appeared all over the city. Spread scandalous stories about royal family and members of the court. Supported by the sans-culottes.

Sans-culottes

Radical lower-class men who wore long trousers to distinguish themselves from nobles.

Pursuit of Equality

Enlightenment Ideal

The National Assembly Acts

Moderates idea influenced by the Enlightenment. Pursuit of Equality

End to Special Privileges

Pursuit of Equality. Nobles in National Assembly agreed to give up privileges including exemption from taxes. 2nd estate and 3rd estate being made equal through ending special privileges

Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

Stated that all men born and remain equal in rights (John Locke). Freedom of religion (Diderot). Taxes levied according to ability to pay. Rights did not extend to women. Reforms not accepted by Louis XVI

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Attempt to make 1st estate=3rd estate. Put the French Catholic Church under state control. Bishops and priests are now elected, salaried officials. Papal authority over French church ended. Convents and monasteries were abolished. Pope condemned act, many French clergy refused to obey, conservative peasants rejected this

Women March on Versailles

About 6,000 women marched 13 miles from Paris to Versailles. Shouting for "bread" and demanding to see the king. Anger focused on the extravagance of Marie Antoinette "Let them eat cake." Wanted to force King and family to move back to Paris, king reluctantly agreed. Louis XVI and family lived for the next three years as virtual prisoners in the Tuileries Palace.

Popular sovereignty

Power to the people

The Constitution of 1791

Establishes a new government. Created a limited monarchy. Legislative assembly had power to make laws, collect taxes, decide issues of war. Lawmakers elected by taxpaying man citizens over 25 years old. To moderates, this seemed to "complete the revolution."

Attempted Escape

Louis XVI and family secretly leave Paris disguised towards French border. Recognized on the currency. Company of soldiers escorted them back to Paris to insults.

Reactions to the Revolution from abroad

Supporters of the Enlightenment applaud, European monarchs feared the spread of the revolution. Enlightened despots rejected revolution in France, declaration of Pillnitz, Declaration of war.

Supporters of Enlightenment applaud Revolution

Seen as a darn of a new age of freedom in Europe. Some supporters of American Revolution condemned revolution in France as too violent.

European monarchs fear spread of revolution

Increased Border Patrols to stop spread of the "French Plague." Emigres flee France. Report attacks on their property, religion, and lives

Emigres

Nobles, clergy, and others who fled France, fuel fears.

Enlightened Despots rejected revolution in France

Held absolute power and did not like this idea. There seemed to be some sort of "freedom frenzy"

Declaration of Pillnitz

King of Prussia and Emperor of Austria threaten intervention (empty threat).

Declaration of War

Jacobin declare war on England, Austria, etc. to spread revolution and destroy tyranny

Jacobin

Radicals in the legislative assembly

September Massacres

Massacres of prisoners. Conducted by angry mobs. Attempt to purge France of those not considered virtuous. More than 1600 dead in a matter of days.

The Constitution of 1792

Created by Jacobins. Created a new legislative body=National Convention (Jacobins). Abolishes the monarchy; France is officially a republic. Grants universal male suffrage (right to vote)

King Louis XVI

King of France, tried for treason by the National convention; convicted and is executed by the guillotine. Begins the Reign of Terror

Committee of Public Safety

12 members safe from traitors in the Revolution that are led by Robespierre.

Queen Marie Antoinette

Queen of France, accused of treason and is executed.

Olympe de Gouges

Author of the Declaration of the Rights of Women. Tried by the Committee of Public Safety and is executed. Continued to participate in women's political clubs which were outlawed by the Convention. Convention had declared that women lacked the moral and physical strength to practice political rights.

Maximilien Robespierre

Ruled during the Reign of Terror. Known for his inflexible justice. Wants to establish a "republic of virtue" at home in France by executing criminals. Put on trial by Committee of Public Safety & executed via guillotine. Ends the Reign of Terror

The Directory Phase

Considered the weakest phase of the revolution. New Constitution written by moderates. Royalists supporting a return to constitutional monarchy become majority in the Convention. Napoleon Bonaparte emerges as French hero in Europe. Convention starts to see Bonaparte as means of restoring power to the executive branch, starts promoting him. Napoleon becomes French hero of the people/symbol of the Revolution. He overthrows the Directory's power and becomes new executive branch. Age of Napoleon begins.

The Directory

Five-man executive branch. Accused of corruption, emigres return; welcomed by catholics who resented measures against Catholic Church, directory unable to accomplish much, citizens tried of war with Austria and Britain continues

The Convention

2-house legislature. Elected by male property owners. Royalists supporting a return to constitutional monarchy become majority in the convention. Convention sees Napoleon Bonaparte as means of restoring power to the executive branch and starts promoting him. He becomes a French hero of the people/symbol of the Revolution. Napoleon overthrows the Directory's power and becomes new executive branch. Age of Napoleon begins.

Coup d'etat

An over-throwing of a government by force. Napoleon did this and then named himself First Consul

Plebiscite

Vote by the people, approved Napoleon's role

Crosses the Alps

Crossed the Alps to surprise & defeat the Austrian army in italy, wins many battles. Less successful in Egypt.

Political changes

Crowns himself emperor of France, he wanted to lay the foundation for a future dynasty, Napoleonic code- simplifies laws for France, eliminates the Estate system, allows freedom of religion and improved education.

Napoleonic Code of Laws

Granted freedom of religion, granted equality of all citizens before the law, valued order and security above personal freedoms, got rid of free speech, is still used in some places today.

Battle of Trafalgar

Loses a major battle to the British admiral Horatio Nelson; commemorated in Trafalgar square with Nelson's column. Concentrates on his land forces instead.

Battle of Austerlitz

Napoleon defeats armies of Prussia, Russia, and Austria at Czech Republic. Now set to dominate all of Europe

Invasion of Russia

Russians engaged in a scorched earth policy. Napoleon fails to feed his soldiers and provide them shelter. Must return to France.

Battle of Leipzig

Napoleon loses and is forced to abdicate. He is then banished to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean

Battle of Waterloo

Battle in Belgium where Napoleon is defeated once and for all by Duke of Wellington (british)+Prussian general. June 18, 1815. Ended Napoleon and French Revolution

Abdicate

To give up power

The Congress of Vienna

To balance power among the major nations of Europe=all nations have equal power. Ex: France was forced to lose land that it had annexed as part of Napoleon's empire. French lands in northern Italy were returned to Austria. To protect the system of monarchy in Europe. Legitimate/hereditary monarchs that Napoleon had replaced with his friends and relatives were restored to power. Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, was forced to abdicate and the King of Spain reclaimed his throne. Because of the mild treatment of France. To have lasting Peace among Europe. Because of the mild treatment of France as the defeated enemy, France will not seek revenge and peace in Europe will last 100 years.

Clemens Von Metternich

Austrian foreign minister and member of the congress of Vienna who wanted to restore all the monarchs that Napoleon had replaced with his friends and relatives

Napoleon's legacy

Nationalism-Extreme pride in one's nation. This increased across Europe, causing revolutions across the continent and the downfall of many monarchs. Ended Holy Roman Empire leading to a new Germany. Louisiana Purchase made to finance his war with Britain which 2x size of USA

Marching troops on the right side of the road

Driving on the right side of the road= inspired by Napoleon

The metric system

Napoleon suggested a standard system of weights and measures for Europe