Chapter 18The French Revolution

Mayer

Causes

• Political Discontent• Social and Economic Discontent• Discontent of the Bourgeoisie• The Enlightenment• The American War of Independence

Causes: Political Discontent

• King Louis XV and King Louis XVI both led extremely extravagant lives.

• They spent lots of the government's money on luxuries even though the government had some financial problems.

Causes: Political Discontent

• One of the government's main jobs back then was to protect their country and manage wars.

• In the Seven Years War against England, France

spent large sums of money on the war effort but they still lost the war and had to give up their colonies in North America.

• Many people regarded this loss as a major humiliation.

Causes: Social and Economic Discontent

• In the late 18th Century the peasant population increased dramatically.

• This growth in population increased the demand for more land.

Causes: Social and Economic Discontent

• Land was being divided into smaller and smaller sections to cope with this problem.

• Eventually some sections of land were not even enough for a peasant to support his own family.

• The wars in America left France in huge debt. To try and pay this debt the nobility increased the feudal dues for the peasants.

Causes: Social and Economic Discontent

• The peasants' hardships increased greatly which further increased their resentment towards the nobility.

• Poor harvests in 1787 and 1788 led to a food shortage.

• The peasants could barely (if at all) feed themselves let alone pay taxes.

• The peasants started to threaten violence if their situation wasn't improved.

Causes: Social and Economic Discontent

• There was an increased competition from British textile manufacturers.

• This left many people without jobs, which meant a huge increase in unemployment.

Causes: Discontent of the Bourgeoisie

• Many of the Bourgeoisie grew quite wealthy and started to resent all of the economic, social and political restrictions that were placed upon them from the Ancient Regime.

• International trade expanded, which made merchants detest the trade restrictions.

Causes: Discontent of the Bourgeoisie

• Government instability made the financiers extremely concerned.

• Most of the bourgeoisie resented not being able to improve their social status even though some of them were wealthier than some of the nobles.

• Especially the upper Bourgeoisie was angered that their importance wasn't recognized by the government.

Causes: The Enlightenment

• A period when new ideas spread throughout the country which often were against the government.

• The vast majority of the Bourgeoisie criticized absolute government and the injustices of society.

Causes: The Enlightenment

• The philosophers' books were widely read by the educated class, the ideas in these books were very popular and many people agreed with the main concepts of the philosophers.

• The improvements in communications made the spread of ideas much quicker and easier.

Causes: The American War of Independence

• The ideas of the American constitution were published in France and were widely discussed by intellectuals.

• Many regarded America as a "perfect" society. French soldiers who fought in America returned with new ideas.

Causes: The American War of Independence

• The French involvement in the war led to a financial crisis.

• France borrowed heavily to finance the war but didn't get many benefits from it.

Causes: The American War of Independence

• Inefficient methods of government led to major financial difficulties.

• The Nobility paid no tax so revenue had to be raised in a different way.

• The French government had to borrow heavily which just increased the debt.

Causes: The American War of Independence

• The government continued to spend far more than it received in taxes.

• Eventually the government went completely bankrupt. This immediately led to the French Revolution.

The 3 Estates

• First Estate• Second Estate• Third Estate

The First Estate

• The First Estate consisted of the clergy, and was exempt from the taille, France’s biggest tax, numbered @ 130,000, and owned 10% of the land

The Second Estate

• The Second Estate was the nobility, numbering @ 350,000, and owned 25 to 30% of the land

• The Second Estate held many of the leading positions in government, military, law offices, and the church.

• They were also exempt from paying the taille

The Third Estate

• The Third Estate were the common people of France, were the overwhelming majority of the population, and varied greatly in education, occupation, and wealth.

• The Third Estate made up 96-98% of the population and owned 35 – 40% of the land, but unequal distribution of the land left over half the peasants with little or no land

The Third Estate

• Poor people were forced to pay for use of the flour mill, community oven, and winepress to the landowners they worked for.

• These obligations were called Relics of Feudalism.

• Another part of the Third Estate was made up of skilled craftspeople who were put out of work by rising consumer prices.

The Third Estate – Bourgeoisie• The bourgeoisie, or middle class was the final piece

of the Third Estate.• The bourgeoisie worked as merchants, bankers, and

industrialists, as well as professionals like lawyers, doctors, and writers.

• The middle class resented the privileges of the nobles, but could rise to nobility by obtaining public office.

• Both the nobility and the middle class were drawn to the enlightenment, and began to oppose the monarchial system in place

Financial Crisis

• Bad Harvests-1787, 1788– Leaves about a third of the population with little food• Food prices rise (inflation)• Majority of the French diet was bread

• Manufacturing slowdown– Unemployment, unhealthy, dirty, random/chaotic violence

• French Government continues to spend money– American Revolution– Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette-extravagant/opulent

lifestyle

Estates General• Composed of representatives from all 3 of the Estates

– 3rd estate has as many delegates as 1st and 2nd combined– 1st and 2nd estate always outvoted 3rd (similar interests) – 3rd estate wants reform

• 1 vote each representative rather than each estate• King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates-General to raise new taxes.• This was the first time the French parliament had met in over 150 years.• Louis XVI rejects this and 3rd estate reacts

National Assembly• Formed by the 3rd estate

– June 17th to July 9th of 1789•

“Is it a revolt?” – “No Sire, it’s a revolution”

• Tennis Court Oath• Locked out of Versailles• Go to a nearby tennis court and swore to meet until a constitution is

drafted• The Bastille (Paris, France)• Louis XVI plans to attack the 3rd Estate• The people strike first

– Storm Bastille and destroy it• Louis XVI loses control at this point• Peasants revolt throughout France

The People Win the Battle

• Old Regime Destroyed• National Assembly abolishes feudal taxes and

aristocratic privileges • King steps down, new declaration controls France.• The King tried to hide inn his palace, but thousands

of angry women surrounded him and forced him to accept the new decrees

• The king was forced to come back to Paris and show support for the National Assembly.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

• Inspired by the Declaration of Independence & Constitution (US) and English Bill of Rights

• Charted basic liberties: "the natural and imprescriptible rights of man" to "liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression"

• - speech & press• - equal rights for all men• - access to public office based on talent• - end exemptions to taxation• - right to take part in making of laws

Results of the National Assembly

• Created the Constitution of 1791 (very few changes to previous society)

• - Still had a King (Louis XVI still remained on throne)

• - Legislature would make laws - Voting & Lawmaking essentially did NOT change

• This system did not last a year.

Radical Revolution

• The Commune (local Parisian government) seeks revenge on those loyal to the king– Georges Danton (minister of justice)– Sans-culottes (plain clothes)

• Took Louis XVI hostage and wrested power away from the National Assembly