GH 20: Age of Revolutions

Thomas Hobbes

Thomas Hobbes

• humans are inherently evil

• freedom is dangerous; liked orderly structure

• promoted social contract

John Locke

• Father of Liberalism

• rejected divine right of king

• people could be rational and reasonable

• influenced the Declaration of Independence

Rene Descartes

person who said “I think therefore I am”

The Philosophes

philosophers who led the Age of Enlightenment, believed that thinking and reason would lead to progress

Montesquieu

• believed that power needed to be split into branches

• anti-monarchist

Rousseau

• people are good but corrupted by society

• famous for WRITING SOCIAL CONTRACT

Voltaire

believer of freedom of expression

Diderot

editor of the Encyclopedia, which acted like the Google of the time

Correct order of monarchs for Glorious Revolution

James I → Charles I → Cromwell → Charles II → James II → Mary II and William III

James I

• absolutism, believed in divine right of the kings

Charles I

• worse than James I, basically ignored parliament

• refused to call Parliament into session for 11 years

• this was called “Personal Rule” or “11 Year Tyranny”

• couldn’t collect tax without parliament, so he collected “ship money” instead

Cromwell

• led the Parliamentarians and New Model Army against Charles

• religious tolerance

• created republic ran by executive council

• basically military dictatorship

Charles II

• restored to monarchy

• reverses lots of strict religious beliefs (main thing)

James II

• tendencies of absolutism

• thinked he could convert everyone to Catholicism

• Parliament disposed of him → GLORIOUS REVOLUTION

Mary II and William III

• had to swear to rule by laws set out by parliament

• constitutional monarchy

Due Process

rights of individuals protected in legal processes

Magna Carta

idea that king and govt not above law

Glorious Revolution

• bloodless, peaceful revolution

• exiled James II off the throne

• permanently instated parliament as ruling power + shift to constitutional monarchy

7 Years War

• first ever global conflict

• French vs British

• basically fought for colonial and territorial problems

• created lots of taxes post war

Sugar Act

increased taxes on sugar in North America, money for British

Stamp Act

taxes on stamps in America

Boston Tea Party

• important resistance against British

• dumped tea into Boston harbour

• shaped American nationalism

Causes for French Revolution

• feudalism (3 Estates)

• Absolute Monarchy and their excessive spending

• enlightenment and American revolution

• the weather → lower crop yields → inflation

Declaration of Indepence

• written by Jefferson

• announced separation of 13 states from Britain

• recognized in Treaty of Paris after war ended

Thomas Paine

• wrote “common sense”, a call to freedom

preliminary stage

old order

first stage

moderate regime

second stage

radical regime

recovery stage

thermidorian reaction

estates generals

• social and governmental organization in France

Why was the Estates Generals unfair?

Although the 3rd estate made up 98% of the population, they only got one vote. This led to them often being voted out by the first and second estates.

Tennis Court Oath

• oath of solidarity to the National Assembly

• given in a tennis court because Louis locked the third estate out of their meeting room

Outcomes of Tennis Court Oath

• Louis gave National Assembly right to vote by head → still refused to dissolve

• Louis forced first and second estate to join

  • king viewed as weak

Storming of the Bastille

July 14, 1789

Causation of Storming of the Bastille

• Louis fires Necker and surrounds Paris with troups

• large mob surrounds Bastille and kills guards

• led to end of feudalism

• resulted in constitutional monarchy

Jacques Necker

reformer finance minister of Louis

The Great Fear

post-bastille, peasants were scared that nobles would attack them, so they attacked first and everyone was scared all the time

Womens March

women protested over price of bread and stormed into Versailles → Louis left

Declaration of rights of Man and Citizen

France’s first step towards constitution

• written by Jefferson and lafayette

Political Clubs

• rose out of Enlightenment salons

• basically like political parties

Events leading up to Reign of Terror

• abolished feudalism, equality, made changes

• louis runs away

• on trial for treason → executed

International Law France Passed

right to self determination

National Convention

• assembly → convention

• officially abolished monarchy

• france now republic

Reign of Terror

era where thousands of people were assassinated for counter-revolutionary activities

The Jacobins

radical left-wingists strongly against monarchy

Les Montagnards

radical left-wingists

Le Marais

centrists, aligned with les girondins but voted with les montagnards because they had more power

Les Girondins

right-leaning, became increasing monarchist

Maximilien Robespierre

de-facto leader of National Convention, started assassinating people who opposed the republic after the murder of his friend Marat

eventually executed by the people

The Directory

govt system written by bourgeoisie, who had the most power at the time

• included bicameral legislation

• had 5 directors for one year terms

• only male property owners could vote

• directors did not get along well

• paves way for Napoleon

Baroque/Rococo Art

• frivolous, ornamental

• did not reflect reality, was aspirational

• reflected aristocracy

Neo-Classism Art

• re-interpretation of old themes in a progressive way

• combination of old and new

• heavy Greco-Roman themes

• simplicity and symmetry

Art as propoganda

• used to create collective consciousness since many people couldn’t read

• during reign of terror artists were viewed as unproductive and supporters of the old regime

• many art institutions (monarchy-backed) were abolished

Patrons

people who paid for artists supplied in return for commissioning art and sculptures

George Washington

• First US President

• Instrumental in shaping the US Constitution

George III

• Former King of Great Britain and Ireland, went mad

• resisted French revolution and Napoleon

Interregnum Period

“between reign”

• often referred to the time between when charles I was executed and charles II was appointed

American Revolution

• war fought between Great Britain and 13 of its North American colonies, which declared themselves the independent United States of America.

• 1775-1783 → U.S. Constitution in 1787

• Influenced the French Revolution and other parts of the world in democratic reform

August Decrees

19 articles passed during French Revolution that abolished feudalism and ended tax exemption from the upper classes

Congress of Vienna

series of international diplomatic meetings where European nations were interested in restoring traditional old regimes in France after downfall of Napoleon

Napoleon Timeline

coup d’etat → becomes premier consul → becomes emperor → defeated in Russia → defeated at Waterloo

Battle of Waterloo

• after brief exile after Russia, returns and gains power

• faced opposition from the Seventh Coalition (new alliance in Europe who opposed him)

• loss = end of Napoleons reign

• exiled once again

Failed Invasion of Russia

• Russia turned against Napoleon

• Napoleon invaded but his army could not survive the hot summers and cold cold winters

• Napoleon abandons his army in December

Assignats

paper bill issued during the French Revolution that acted as money, used as a means to pay off Frances debt

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

an attempt to nationalise the Catholic Church in France, made many Catholics turn against the Revolution

émigrés

a person who has emigrated usually due to political or social self-exile

Cahiers

• lists of concerns written by each estate, the Third Estate used it as a means of informing and representing local views

• serve as mandates for representatives elected in the Estates Generals

Napoleon Bonaparte

Corsican turned French military leader who became military dictator of the French Empire

18-19 Brumaire

• Napoleon and younger brother convinced 3/5 directory members to resign after a rumour of a rebellion by the Jacobins

• took advantage and staged a full out coup d’etat

Aftermath of 18 Brumaire

• made two committees

• drew up short and obscure constitution

• rewrote constitution to give Napoleon his power

• basically a dictatorship

Napoleonic Code

• abolished hereditary privileges and centralized govt

• govt positions appointed by ability and merit

Liberalism

• individual freedom

• emerged from enlightenment

• man is inherently good

• govt is there only to restore and preserve order

Conservatism

• people are not to be trusted

• stability comes from established authority and organizations like aristocracy, church, govt

• evolutionary conservatives = believed in some change

• reactionary conservatives = believed in no change

Age of Reaction

Europe reacting to impacts of the French Revolution

Goals of Congress of Vienna

1. prevent future acts of aggression (keep france in check)

2. restore balance of power (no country can dominate europe again)

3. to restore monarchies and suppress liberal ideals

Results of Congress of Vienna

• territorial changes made, powerful countries placed in countries bordering France

• democracy rejected, but freedom of religion passed

• no more divine right of kings

• monarchy restored in France (Louis XVIII)

  • could not bring back feudalism

• TEMPORARY suppression of liberalism and nationalism

• no large wars or conflicts until WW1

Quadruple Alliance of 1815

Austria, England, Prussia, France, Russia pledged to put down democratic revolts

Holy Alliance

• bunch of monarchs promising to govern with peace, charity, and justice

• none of them did

Napoleons Legacy

• revolutionary legislation: established basis of legal system in modern France and influenced civil law of Quebec

• permanent changes to European map, and his conquests sparked new nationalist sentiment

Why was the Congress of Vienna’s territorial changes problematic?

• basically transferred identity of a region without consulting people living on the land first

• ignored nationalist ties, which was a problem because people living in the region did not have any ties to the country that it was transferred to

Timeline

1. charles i personal rule

2. interregnum period (between charles i → cromwell → charles ii)

3. glorious revolution (end 1689)

4. american revolution (end 1783)

5. tennis court oath (june 1789)

6. bastille day (july 1789)

7. great fear

8. august decrees (august 1789)

9. march on versailles (october 1789)

10. execution of louis xvii

11. reign of terror

12. directory

13. 18 brumaire

14. napoleon becomes first consul → emperor

15. napoleon defeated at waterloo

16. congress of vienna (called by Metternich Carlsbad)