HIST136: French Revolution Causes

Overview of the French Revolution

• Focus of the lecture: The decline into terror, radicalization of the revolution, rise of Napoleon, and preparation for essay topics on French, American, or 1848 revolutions.

France Before the Revolution

• Discussion of France's status in the late 18th century before the revolution.

  • Absolutism: King Louis XVI ruled as an absolute monarch, but his power was contingent on public support and the need for negotiation to govern.

  • Economic Stability: France was not always a failing state; it was considered prosperous by the standards of the time.

  • Social Hierarchy: Society was divided into three estates:

    • First Estate (Clergy): Representing about 25,000 people.

    • Second Estate (Nobility): Approximately 20,000 to 400,000 members depending on definitions.

    • Third Estate (Commoners): Constituting 98% of the population, included peasants, workers, bourgeoisie.

Estates System and Representation

• Imbalance of Power: Each estate had an equal say despite disproportionate representation, leading to political tensions.

• Estates General: Last convened in 1614; nominally represented the interests of the clergy, nobility, and commoners but was ineffectual and outdated.

• Taxation Issues: First and Second Estates often exempt from taxes, while the Third Estate bore the burden.

Factors Leading to Revolution

• Multiple factors that contributed to the revolution's genesis:

  • Economic Hardships: Increased national debt from wars (Seven Years' War, American Revolutionary War). Bad harvests leading to food scarcity and inflation exacerbated discontent.

  • Enlightenment Ideas: Growing influence of rational thought, criticism of traditional authority, and emerging public opinion advocating for consultation.

  • Factious Politics: Rising awareness among the bourgeoisie and wider public of their political rights and the need for reform.

Historical Approaches to Understanding the Revolution

• Different historiographical interpretations:

  • Marxist Perspective: Seen as a bourgeois revolution, a push for power by the increasingly wealthy and educated classes against the nobility.

  • Revisionist View: Focus on fluid social class dynamics and cultural factors influencing politics, rather than strict class struggle.

Contextual Analysis of Pre-Revolutionary France

• Public Discontent: The late 18th century was marked by a rise in literacy and public discourse criticizing the elite. Political pamphlets, libels, and satire targeted the monarchy and the clergy.

• Role of Marie Antoinette: The Queen became a focal point of much criticism and was seen as corrupt and disconnected from the populace.

• Conflict of Loyalties: Nobles began to align more with burgeoning public opinion against the King, creating a complex dynamic.

Events Leading to the Revolution

• Financial and Political Maneuvering: Kings faced struggles in raising taxes due to noble resistance and popular demand for reform.

  • Attempts to Reform Taxation: Finance Minister Calonne's proposed universal land tax faced backlash from privileged classes.

  • Estates General of 1789: Called for the first time in over a century to address the financial crisis, marked by severe public unrest.

National Assembly and the Oath

• Formation of the National Assembly: The Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly on June 17, 1789, calling for a new constitution and representation of all French people.

• Tennis Court Oath: Following their exclusion from the king's assembly, deputies from the National Assembly vowed to remain united until a new constitution was established.

Storming of the Bastille

• July 14, 1789: The Bastille was stormed by Parisian crowds, a pivotal event symbolizing the uprising against royal authority and the beginning of revolutionary action.

• Importance of the Bastille: Captured despite its fewer than ten prisoners at the time, it represented the oppression faced by the people and led to the establishment of the National Guard.

Conclusion and Future Lectures

• Preparation for studying changes in France post-Bastille events, decline into terror, and the rise of Napoleon.

• Suggested readings for deeper understanding: Works by Blanning, Jones, Blackburn, Fitzsimmons, and others for elaboration on topics discussed in the lecture.

Suggested Readings for Deeper Understanding:

• Works by Blanning

• Works by Jones

• Works by Blackburn

• Works by Fitzsimmons