ATLW Unit 6 KT's

Ancien (old) régime

• system of rule in France before 1789 (end of rule of King Louis SVI —> end of absolute monarchical power)

• characterized by monarchy and concentration of power in wealthy + high class

peasants

• lowest class, looked down upon

• lived in poverty, heavily taxed + high motility rate and starvation

• riot often due to horrid condition + lack of representation

• often worked in agriculture/ as servants in city

• city peasants: more politically active + know more about rich ppl; brewing hatred…

bourgeoisie

• largest group of well-off ppl

• much disposable income allowed investment into luxurious living + expansion of education and new ideas of philosophy (embrace enlightenment ideals)

• attempt to raise status through purchase of “public offices” in gov’t

nobility

• highest class w/ many special privileges (+ clergy)

  • exempt from taxes

  • tried in special courts

  • exempt from military draft

  • collect taxes from peasants living on land

  • includes senior advisors to king

• includes clergy (slightly higher status)

  • fund vital services otherwise unaffordable to peasants, but collect high tithes on land

The Divine Right of Kings

• belief that king gained authority to rule directly from God

• King represented France + all authority of gov’t resided in him

  • why king remained “popular + exalted figure” in spite of problems

The Flour War

• series of riots + protests over price of bread

• minister of finance stopped regulating grain prices —> merchants raised prices

  • belief that low prices discouraged production —> hunger + scarcity

• violent protests followed

• response to gov’t reform

  • higher bread prices… already can’t afford anything

• before: rpcie of bred set by gov’t (price controls)

• enlightenment: markets → more efficient to let ppl decide prices → merchants in prices → peasants riot b/c ant’ afford anything

Estates General

• representative body (like parliament/ congress) convened by king to provide counsel in times of crisis/ get support for new taxes

  • last called abt. 200 yrs. before KLXVI (1614)

    • why he was so reluctant to “ask public for help” in financial struggles

• composed of 3 estates divided by class

  • clergy, nobility, + everyone else

• representatives = elected —> male, well-off + educated

  • red estate reps.: could be voted for by land-owning males over 25

• each seat had 1 vote despite 1st + and representing minorities of population

  • King doubled reps. of 3rd, but left voting numbers same

• DEBATE: nobles want to reserve ability to outvote 3rd, 3rd sees this as unfair + wants more equal distribution of power

• later turned into NATIONAL ASSEMBLY proposed by third; joint body of all 3 estates

• KL had to call them b/c out of options for getting France more money + safe from financial crises

• made of delegates from 3 Estates; each had 1 vote

  • 1st + 2nd: each formed electoral assembly to elect deputies

    • all nobles + clerics could attend these assemblies + participate in elections

    • parish priest + lower clergy members dominated 1st E elections

      • many = sympathetic to grievances of 3rd estate

  • 3rd: delegates selected by male property holders, 25 + yrs. old

    • noblemen + clerics elected…

    • bourgeoisie lawyers

  • 2nd: approx. 70% deputies had connections to armed forces

  • rest = large landed aristocrats

First Estate

• clergy

• 1st + 2nd: each formed electoral assembly to elect deputies

  • all nobles + clerics could attend these assemblies + participate in elections

  • parish priest + lower clergy members dominated 1st E elections

    • many = sympathetic to grievances of 3rd estate

Second Estate

• nobility

• 1st + 2nd: each formed electoral assembly to elect deputies

  • all nobles + clerics could attend these assemblies + participate in elections

  • 2nd: approx. 70% deputies had connections to armed forces

  • rest = large landed aristocrats

Third Estate

• “everyone else” (bourgeoisie + peasants?)

  • rep.’s could be voted for by land-owning males over 35

  • 1 Vote despite repping majority of pop → debate + anger

• nobles met privately, 3rd opened up to public → desire for nobles to meet with/ them too

  • resistance at first, king later ordered consolidation of all three to NATIONAL ASSEMBLY started by 3rd (Sieyès)

    • 3rd had begun to reject king’s authority

    • symbolized evolution of power; king now subject to power of NA + had to agree to work with them + support revolution….

• 3rd: delegates selected by male property holders, 25 + yrs. old

  • noblemen + clerics elected…

  • bourgeoisie lawyers

Necker and the Accounts of the King

• Jaques Necker = minister of finance

  • published “Accounts of the King”

    • account of budget in France (1781)

    • misled public; claimed more revenue than expenditures

  • attempt to increase public opinion in politics

  • EVOLUTION of French politics; fear it threatened King’s power in absolute monarchy…→ consider interests of ppl

    • hold king to SAME las as everyone else…NOT Godlike…

• attempt to inc. public trust in gov’t

  • open king’s revenue to public scrutiny

    • challenges ABSOLUTE POWER of monarchy

Parlements

• highest courts of law

• 13 → geographic jurisdiction spanning multiple provinces + généralités = responsible for administering + governing diff. regions + collecting TAXES (36 w/in France)

• king must register all new laws/ edicts w/ P

  • right to criticize laws/ edicts of king, but ultimately could NOT overrule him

• role in financial crisis:

  • rested efforts to increase taxes

  • resisted reforms of Calonne

  • refused to accept tax increases from King → exiled to Troyes by king

  • King attempted to reduce P’s power but met with/ protests of despotism

Cahier de doléances (list of grievances)

• voters of 3rd estate representatives also contributed to a register of grievances

  • list would be taken to estates gen. by newly- elected reps.

• compiled in towns throughout France

  • did NOT call for revolution (more: less power for nobles → EQUALITY)

    • fairness in taxation

    • limit noble privileges

    • end tithes of church

  • expressed DEVOTION to King

• electors in each district compile list of issues/ abuses pop. faced

• opinions on elections + voting

• cdD’s considered when addressing “need of state…for prosperity” in EG

• approx. 40,000 cdD’s produced

• differed by estate:

  • 1st:

    • uphold:

      • belief in absolute monarchy + divine right to absolute power of King

      • belief that 3 estates are equal in power + act independently of each other

      • belief in power of ppl too: no tax can be placed w/o consent of nation + everyone has right to personal liberty + property

    • reform:

      • removal of privilege of tax exemption from bourgeoisie class

      • raise revenue by taxing bourgeoisie who have gained tax exemption whereas clergy has ha such a privilege for much longer

  • 2nd:

    • abstractly worse desires… (ex: for constitution)

    • uphold:

      • king has power to enforce laws (but not to act w/o consent of nation)

    • reform:

      • freedom of speech + press + right to liberty property + happiness

      • limits to king’s absolute power: needs consent of nation

      • create fixed constitution to preserve rights

  • 3rd:

    • very specific greivances

    • “mad” @ nobles + taxes (less directly at king…)

    • uphold:

      • kindness of king

    • reform:

      • EQUALITY: 3 estates given equal representative power + no more tax exemptions

      • right to representative from own class

      • eliminate military draft

Abbé Sieyès

• member of third estate

• proposed third estate call themselves the National Assembly + act on own if others wouldn’t join them

  • clergy voted to join NA

• Estates unable to come to agreement abt. voting; each estate met separately, but 3rd made meeting public

  • AS: 3rd → NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

    • aim to represent whole nation

    • clergy vote to join June 19

RELATION W/ NAPOLEON GOV’T

The Bastille

• prison + Paris’s largest arsenal of gunpowder: ppl in search of weapons to defend agains mercenaries

• crowds + ARMY members brought captured cannons to gates → governor surrendered

  • Ppl killed govn + put head on pike as symbol of traitor?

• popular unrest in streets → KL fires ministers + puts troops on streets

  • crowds worry may be attacked → storm BASTILLE looking for weapons (July 15)

    • KL relents → w/draws troops from Paris

    • reappoints Necker as finance minister

    • agrees to work w/ NA

  • NA, joined by 1st estate → NCA

    • inc. all 3 estates

    • KL accepts tricolor cockade of rev.

Tennis Court Oath

• king planned to use 3rd estate meeting hall to addresss all estates (frustrated w/ lack of progress)

• 3rd feared king planned to dissolve assembly

  • moved meeting to nearby tennis court where took an oath to not disband until new constitution could be written

    • need to confirm new rights

• KL locks 3rd out of assembly chamber; want to convene all on June 23 to REASSERT AUTHORITY

  • delegates meet @ tennis court + swear oath to not disband until constitution written

National Constituent Assembly

• integrated representative body of three estates

  • members united by hope + desire for change

  • proud of integration + hope for future

• challenge: rebuild France in face of remaining political + economical issues

• August decrees:

  • Feudal privileges of Nobility (+ clergy) revoked → ENDED:

    • system of taxes peasants paid to nobility

    • exclusive hunting rights

    • payment tithes + purchase of public offices

    • positions based on STATUS vs ability

  • but more progressive proposals rejected:

    • right to religious freedom (protestant + jews)

    • end slavery

    • completely ban noble titles

The Great Fear

• insurrections spread across France

• hunger + grain shortages → desperation + violence

• RUMORS: countryside peasants would be attacked + crops stolen by bandits

  • loss of trust in nobles + governing system

  • loss of respect for authority

    • refused tithes of church, burned record showing debt to nobility

    • suspected nobility of hoarding grain + hiring criminals to steal crops of peasants

    • destruction of machines suspected to replace workers

Declaration of the Rights of Man

• deputies of NA wrote preface to new constitution in face of civil unrest

  • promised liberty + equality to citizens

  • emphasized need for constitutional protections of rights

  • sovereignty = in ppl, not just king

• raised questions of equality + who rights and power applied to

• originally drafted: Lafayette, Abbé Sieyès + Thomas Jefferson

  • approved by Ass. on August 26, 1789 (rdr. 86-87)

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy

• assembly attempted to reorganize church

  • in addition to selling church lands to pay debt

  • separation of church state?

• stated: prints + bishops elected by ppl

• reduced authority of pope in governing Catholic Church in France

• originally rejected by pope + clergy b/c contradicted beliefs → oath of loyalty

• REDUCED POPULAR SUPPORT FOR REVOLUTION

  • one side = saw it as attempt to destroy church

  • other = saw refusing priests as counterrevolutionaries

    • attempt to gain back privileges of nobility

• lands of church belong to France

  • priests + bishops elected by ppl

  • p’s swear loyalty to new gov’t

• effects:

  • split church → DIVISION w/in public

    • some supported church

      • will = more conservative + critical of rev. efforts to secularize church

    • others: priests who refuse oath → counterrevolutionaries

Women’s March to Versailles (October Days)

• thousands of women led march to versailles (oct. 5)

• invaded palace + demanded king return to Paris

  • success = demonstrated increase of POWER of ppl over king; king must submit to their desires

• fueled by “suspension veto” power given to king in constitution + rising bread prices

  • king had power to not approve legislation (legislation could be passed if approved by assembly 3x in row)

• Sep 10, 1789: assembly agree on unicameral legislature in new constitution

• KL couldn’t propose laws; has “suspensive veto”

  • could choose to NOT approve legislation

• October:

  • conservative deputies → move Ass. away from Versailles → Tours (AWAY FROM PARIS)

    • b/c urban turmoil + peasant anger

    • b/c KL → reservations abt. Dec R+M+C → sovereignty would not rest in one person…

  • Public anger + difficulty buying bread → MARCH (oct. 5, 1789)

• market women gathered weapons in Paris

• joined by National Guardsmen → Versailles palace

• approx. 60,000 group invaded palace + forced King to return to Paris

  • KL + family held captive

Legislative Assembly

• elected representative body replacing national constituent assembly after formation of Constitution

  • king accepted new constitution

  • members were NOT from old assembly

• Sep 30. 1791: NCA disbands → LA

• series of internal + external crises challenge new FR state

Flight to Varennes

• king publicly supported reforms, but privately opposed; became prisoner to Paris so attempted to flee to fortified Montmédy w/ family; forced to return at Varennes

  • strengthen radical voices hostile to monarchy + start of talk abt. democratic + republican gov’t

• letter left by king: criticized revolution + fear of “unrestrained political freedom”

  • felt like betrayal; had lied abt his support → loss of trust of French ppl

• power limited; unable to act against France + maintain position

• forced to accept new constitution; bend to POWER OF PPL

• king + family sneak from Paris → Montmedy to rally country against revolution

  • afraid after public tried to kill family in Versailles

• KL recognized in Varennes

  • had left letter behind criticizing rev

• Radicals (RBSP + Jacobins) → call for republic w/o King

• But: NCA decides to finish constitution + establish const. monarchy

  • new limits for KL: CAN’T:

    • leave country

    • restrict oath to constitution

    • lead rebellion against Fr.

• KL has no choice but to accept constitution on Sep. 18, 1791

Declaration of Pilnitz

• king of Prussia + Emperor Leopold II of Austria (Marie Antoinette’s brother) —> intervene in France if other Euro powers joined

  • result of king’s brothers: believed invading France was only was to restore full authority of French king

  • anxiety in France abt. counterrevolution + foreign invasion

The Convention

• new body formed by assembly to write constitution after suspending monarchy

• ALL men in France could elect members (even w/o property/ taxes)

• members:

  • middle class professionals, wanted REPUBLIC to work for needs of common ppl

• decide fate: DEATH OF KING

  • EXECUTION by voting (pressure by SC’s?)

  • other countries declared war of France

  • resistance from conservatives (in support of Catholic Church + monarchy)

• goal: reshape all aspects of FR. society + pursue broader political goals

  • make everything more RATIONAL

    • new republican calendar

    • metric system

    • equal inheritance (girls inherit property)

    • universal male suffrage (voting rights even w/o land + taxes)

    • gov’t proclaimed responsible for education

    • divorce legalized

    • slavery in colonies abolished

Sans-Culottes

• peasants who took to protests → threatened king + family in hall of legislative assembly

• French general Marquis de Paris

  • threatened SC’s only fueled their desire to resist king’s supporting forced

• attacked king’s palace in Paris (aug. 10, 1792)

  • → led to suspension of monarchy + CONVENTION

Jacobins

• political club in Paris

  • pro-revolutionary reform group; “coalition of like minded individuals”

  • much support throughout France

• called for REPUBLIC after “flight to Varennes”

Girondins

• delegates of assembly distrustful of king + fearful of counterrevolution

• called for war to protect revolution from foreign invasion

  • offshoot of Jacobins; leader = Jacques-Pierre Brissot

• Fate of king

  • argued for king to have hearing/ exiled to US

  • fear of growing power of “SC’s “ + radicals

The Mountain

• faction of Jacobins; leader = Maximilien Robespierre

  • belief war would defeat French army

• fate of King

  • argued for execution of king; kin must die for revolution to live

Committee on Public Safety

• created by convention to help guide gov’t

• 12 men

• would actually claim more power → establish totatliarian state w/ terror + fear

• led by Maximilien Robespierre

  • leader of Mountain who called for republic after flight of Varennes

law of Suspects

• campaign of Convention to “eliminate those perceived to be treasonous”

  • limited judicial protections for accused

  • expanded definition of political crime

    • NO ONE felt safe from suspicion → “The Terror”

      • led to thousands + thousands of executions

Law of the Maximum

• law set by committee to combat high prices + shortages of food

  • set maximum food prices

  • unlike “free market” before; solve revolt threats??

Maximilian Robespierre

• leader of Mountain who called for republic after flight of Varennes

• later spokesman of Committee of public safety

• drew attention to worries of de-Christianization

  • claimed power to hire + fire local officials → justified actions in “liberty + equality”

• began “Cult of the Supreme Being” as campaign to promote civic virtues + unite French (thought Catholicism had divided them)

  • prominent role → dictatorship?

• executed w/ convention members after arrest (July 27, 1794)

  • convention received backlash for broader definition of political crimes + unfair trials; ppl afraid

The Terror

• period of Tim win France marked by harsh laws

• led to constant fear of denunciation

  • “Law of Suspects” made everyone fearful, anyone could be arrsted

• thousands of execution + unfair imprisonment

• started w/ convention agreement to severely punish those hoarding grain by SC’s

• ended w/ backlash + fear of convention continuing terror w/ newer, broader definitions of political crimes

  • RBSP + convention members executed

War of the First Coalition

de-Christianization

• carried out by local officials

  • not supported by Convention/ Com. Safety

  • closed/ renamed churches + denounced priests

• late 1793:

  • RBSP denounced “Cult of Reason”

    • developed on own; not made by con./ comm/ RBSP

  • promoted own vision of proper Rev. religion: “Cult of Supreme Being”

    • convention declares religious. of state 1794

      • ppl don't buy it + reject it as ‘fake”

The Temple of Reason

• renaming of Notre-Dame during period of de-Christianization begun by local gov’t officials acting on own

  • believed resistant to revolution stemmed from Catholic Church; closed all churches in Paris, vandalized them, forbid priests to wear religious clothes + forced them to marry

• led to committee claiming more power; fear lack of centralized power allowing such a movement to begin was dangerous

  • took power to hire/fire local officials VS public elections

The Republican Calendar

• replied Christian calendar by Convention

• renamed months of year (seasonal characteristics), made weeks ten days long, + began w/ yr. one

  • attempted to reduce power of Catholic Church

  • took religion out of calendar system → separation of church state

• new Republican calendar

  • 12-30 day months, each w/ 3 10-day cycles…

  • months based on season al characteristics

  • catholic holidays replaced w/ new feasts + festivals celebrating republican values

    • “festival of reason”

• Eliminate church from gov’t system

The Thermidorian Reaction

• used to describe a reactionary movement in a revolution where a radical regime is replaced by more conservative one

  • after fall of RBSP, Convention revoked harshest laws + released prisoners → much less radical

The Directory

• new system of gov’t established after new constitution

  • bicameral legislature that selected executive body: 5 directors

• 2.3 new assembly = members of convention, 1/3 elected

  • resistance from royalists: believed republic supporters wanted more power → rebellion quashed by Napoleon Bonapart

• governed w/o consent of ppl: had power b/c was backed by ARMY

  • “adjusted” elections when too many royalists were elected

• overthrown by Napoleon, Sieyè + Ducos 1799

The Consulate

• Napoleon Bonaparte’s new gov’t

  • inspired by Abbé Sieyès (3rd estate member who proposed NA (joining 3 estates together))

  • belief that only authorities gov’t could solve internal + external threats

• made of 3 “consuls” and BP = #1 → most powerful + ruled France w/ power concentrated in his hands

  • outmaneuvered Sieyès + Roger Ducos

• established more efficient gov’t + solved struggle w/ Catholic Church w/ agreement w/ pope

• restricted political expression… but reformed legal system

• NB established new gov’t, rewrote Constitution, made self head of state → “First Consul” → “Consul for LIFE” 1802 (no re-election)

  • 1804: proclaims self EMPEROR

The Concordat of 1801

• agreement b/w NB and Pope of Catholic Church

  • made peace b/w gov’t + church

  • legitimized NB’s power + gained state control over religious groups (pay priests + later Protestant pastor salaries)

• agreement b/w NB + Pope

• det. that “Catholicism = religion of great majority of Rance” but NOT official state religion

  • maintain rel. freedom

• state selected bishops + paid clerical salaries

• clergy swore oath of allegiance to state

• did NOT return church lands sold during rev.

• catholic clergy returned from exile + return to traditional. positions

  • fw parties continued employment of priests who accepted civil const. of clergy

    • return of more conservative priests

The Napoleonic Civil Code

• finished breakup of Ancient Regime

  • confirmed all sales of prop since 1789 → church + noble prop’s seized were not reclaimed

• husbands + fathers = nearly complete control over wives + children

• only men inherit property

• divorce by mutual consent abolished

• reduced rights illegitimate children

• all male citizens → equal rights under law (NO hereditary nobility)

• freedom religion

• slavery reintroduced in FR. Caribbean colonies

• STATE-RUN education

  • make kids think SAME

    • lycée established in every imp. town, teachers

    • tech school, civil service, military regulated by state

    • univ. FR.

      • maintain uniformity

    • centralize recruitment + training of teachers

• more CONSERVATIVE values reinstated

Napoleon Bonaparte

• corsica born minor noble

• extremely gifted war general; used military skill to climb to power + outmaneuver republic to become authoritarian state

• “First Consul” → Emperor = absolute power

• gained support by reinstating ways of old regime

  • concordat: make peace w. Catholic church + legitimize power

  • religious state-controlled freedom: control all groups w/in society

• made peace w/ enemies -< ended France’s non-stop war + stabilized finances (slavery)

• fell from power b/c of ambition + desire for world wide empire; couldn’t outperform British navy nor Russia

  • coalition formed against him to put him down

  • gave up power to KLXVIII + tried to kill himself → exile

  • took back power from exile w/ 100 Days

  • exiled once more by coalition + died

• revolutionary ideals + authoritarian control

• strong reputation; admired for military + ruling skill

• born 1769 in Corsica, parents descendents of minor Tuscan nobility

  • → Fr. @ age 9 → military academy

• 1784:

  • École Militaire in Paris → trained as artillery officer

    • control of battle field → skilled

• rose to prominence after key role inhaling rev. army recapture Toulon from Brit’s

• after fall RBSP → successfully put down royalist rebellion outside Convention

  • PROUD: “whiff of grapeshot”

• Treaty w/ defeated Austrians + new territory for French = returns a war hero

• Egypt campaign= military disaster, but propaganda → triumph

“hybrid state”

• form of gov’t ideals that NB ruled w/

• combined revolutionary ideas w/ authoritarian state structure

  • religious freedom, equality under law, merit VS brith based careers, abolition of feudalism

    • new nobility??? b/c based on merit

  • absolute power, no freedom of press/ speech, meaningless elections…

New nobility

• based upon NB’s Legion of Honor

  • rewarded military service to state; based on MERIT vs birth right

• began to resemble court of old regime???

Continental System (1806)

• NB’s attempt to defeat Great Britain b/c couldn’t defat their navy/ invade by land (island)

• tried to isolate GB commercially through embargo of goods

  • FAILED: France couldn’t provide same manufactured goods as GB for similar low prices

    • couldn’t compete w/ “rapidly industrializing” British…

“the Hundred Days”

• period of time when NB came BACK from exile

  • escaped from island Elba w/ 1,100 men

  • had learned ppl were unhappy under reform of now KLXVIII

  • gained power b/c troops came back to NB and left KL’s control

  • allies defeated NB + sent him to exile in Saint Helena further away → NB stayed until death

• adopted many LIBERAL principles during time

  • ppl skeptical but caused many to support him

    • “Napoleon of the Ppl”

    • peasants happy b/c of higher salaries for rural agriculture workers b/c of all wars

Constitution of 1815

• written by Benjamin Constant

Legion of Honor (1803)

• 1st order of merit (military + civil)

• no restrictions based on birth/ religion

  • title + monetary benefits

    • grand officer (5K), coronadeur (2K), officer (1K), legionaire (250)

• NB: soldiers need incentive + reward to keep fighting

NB’s Censorship

• Jan 17, 1800

  • suppressed 50/63 political newspapers

• all books for sale → Commission of Revision

• NB→ surveillance over ALL books

• all potential plots + characters must → approved by censors

• AIM: stop ideas against state in art

  • military discipline + boredom VS “best aspects” of revoultion kept?