Study Notes on the Moderate Stage of the French Revolution
French Revolution - The "Moderate" Stage (1781-91)
Louis XVI
Ruled France from 1774-1793.
Married at age 15.
Ascended the throne at age 20.
Fourth in line of eight siblings.
Parents favored his older brother, who died at age 9.
Louis's father died when he was 11, and his mother passed away when he was 13.
Marie Antoinette
Origin: Austrian princess, marriage was meant to ensure peace between France and Austria.
Notorious for her extravagant spending, leading to public discontent and blame for the economic crisis.
Infamous incident: Affair of the Diamond Necklace, which further tarnished her reputation (see also Affair of the Diamond Necklace).
Perceived as an unwelcome foreigner by the French populace.
2nd and 3rd Estates Clash
Cahier de dolences ("book of complaints") compiled grievances and suggestions in January and April 1789.
Nobles' demands:
Manorial rights.
Honorific rights (liberal nobles aligned with some issues of the 3rd estate).
3rd Estate's demands:
Abolition of serfdom.
Hopes of reformers clashed with aristocrats; the pivotal issue in 1789 was representation (voting) in the Estates General.
Estates General
Convened in May 1789.
Encountered a stalemate over procedural issues:
Nobility preferred traditional group voting.
Third Estate insisted on voting by the number of delegates.
Composition of delegates:
610 from the 3rd Estate.
610 from the 1st & 2nd Estates combined.
Stalemate resolved on June 10 when Third Estate invited everyone to a common assembly; some priests attended, but no nobles.
On June 17, 1789, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly.
On June 20, 1789, when locked out of the meeting hall, they took the Tennis Court Oath, promising not to leave until a constitution was established.
Louis XVI subsequently ordered clergy and nobles to join the National Assembly, signaling France's proximity to revolution.
Storming the Bastille
Occurred in July 1789 amidst rising tensions:
The calling of the Estates General gave citizens hope for reform.
Bread prices were rising, worsening food scarcity.
There were fears of an aristocratic plot against the National Assembly.
On July 14, approximately 800-900 men gathered at the Bastille (a prison) to seize gunpowder and cannons.
In response to the crowd, troops were ordered to fire, leading to violence:
98 people were killed and 73 were wounded.
The attack resulted in a significant defensive shift, with 5 de Launay's men killed as well.
National Assembly Reforms
The National Assembly initiated a series of reforms aimed at dismantling the Old Regime:
Abolishing special privileges of the nobility.
Issuing the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” on August 26, 1789, which asserted the rights and freedoms of individuals (LINK to Declaration).
Subjecting the church to state authority.
Creating a new constitution through the National Assembly.
Implementing administrative and judicial reforms.
Providing aid for business and trade initiatives.
The Great Fear (August-October 1789)
A wave of paranoia spread concerning aristocratic plots against French citizens.
The National Assembly voted to abolish feudalism on August 4, 1789.
Economic conditions deteriorated for peasants, exacerbating fears leading to violence:
Rising bread prices led to concerns about food shortages.
Peasants attacks on food convoys.
Refusal to pay royal taxes.
Assaults on manor houses.
The March on Versailles occurred on October 5, 1789, a spontaneous protest led by thousands of women from urban fish markets.
The event culminated in the ransacking of the palace and forced relocation of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette to Paris.
This marked the definitive end of the Old Regime in France.