The French Revolution

The French Revolution

Setting the Stage

1788 King Louis XVI needs cash France bankrupt

Fighting the British during the 7 Years War (French and Indian War)

Supported America during the American Revolution

Upkeep on Palace of Versailles

Had to call a meeting of the Estates General to raise taxes

Ripe Conditions for Revolution

Debt. Increased taxes. Poor harvests and steady

economic decline led to food shortages - people flocked to Paris demanding bread

Spread of Enlightenment Ideas

American Revolution

Louis Calls the Estates-General

Estates General Similar to Parliament Representatives from each of the 3 classes of

French society1st Estate - Clergy

2nd Estate - Nobles

3rd Estate – Everyone else- bourgeoisie - artists, farmers,

Peasants, city workers etc

Estates General

1st Estate has 300 members and one vote 2nd Estate has 300 members and one vote 3rd Estate has 600 members and one vote

How do you feel about this if you are in the 3rd Estate???

WHY?

Demand for Change

3rd Estate wants to change voting procedures. Want to establish a

National Assembly where EACH representative has a vote

Wanted to create a limited monarchy

What is the Third Estate?

1. What is the Third State? Everything.

2. What has it been until now in the political order? Nothing.

3. What does it want to be? Something....

Pamphlet written by Abbe Sieyes in 1789

The Tennis Court Oath

Rumors spread that the King is ready to bring in an army from Austria to end the Estates General Meeting

Third Estate goes to meet When they found they were locked out of

their meeting place, they met on a tennis court.

Took an oath to meet regularly no matter what until France had a real constitution.

The Tennis Court Oath (Jacques Louis David)

Bastille Day On July 14th, 1789 Parisians stormed the Bastille, a prison for political

prisoners. Free seven prisoners and collected gun powder and weapons to protect

the National Assembly. Became a symbol of the Revolution. It is still a huge holiday for France today.

The Storming of the Bastille – July 14 1789 (Start of the Revolution!)

Revolts Various factions took to the streets of Paris

and the provinces. Marquis de Lafayette

Headed the National Guard, a middle class army formed in response to government troops arriving in Paris.

“Tricolor.” – New National symbol

Women march from Paris to Versailles demanding that the king return to the capital to help the people.

They demanded food and bread Force Louis and his family to live in Paris

The Women’s March

National Assembly Reforms The National Assembly, in its first efforts to

pass a constitution set forth the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It abolished feudalism It established natural rights and demanded an end

to the estate discrimination. Passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy

Took church lands and put the church under government control.

The Pope, Pope Pius VI condemned the French Revolution.

They passed the Constitution of 1791, which established a limited monarchy and encouraged free trade.

Flight of the Nobles Louis and Marie try to flee France, but are caught and

returned to Paris. Emigres (nobles, clergy an others) flee France and tell horror

stories of the events there, leading enlightened despots to condemn the revolution and begin to mass armies against a possible French threat.

NATIONALISM!!! Prussia and Austria vowed to destroy Paris if the

royal family was harmed. The Commune (revolutionaries) get the Legislative

Assembly to accuse Louis XVI of plotting against Constitution of 1791.

Revolutionary troops arrive in Paris from Marseillaise to fight invading armies.

The Monarchy officially suspends the office of the king on August 10, 1792.

La Marseillaise

Let's go children of the fatherland,The day of glory has arrived!

Against us tyranny'sBloody flag is raised! (repeat)

In the countryside, do you hearThe roaring of these fierce soldiers?

They come right to our armsTo slit the throats of our sons, our friends!

Refrain

Grab your weapons, citizens!Form your batallions!

Let us march! Let us march!May their impure blood

Water our fields!

Declaration of the Rights of Man

National Assembly votes to eliminate all classes, titles, nobility. Say nobles and clergy must pay taxes too

Serves as a basis for French Constitution

“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

Meanwhile: The Peasants get out of hand

Riots soon spread to countryside Peasants attack nobles in their houses. Kill

many nobles Nobles and Clergy living in fear

The Reign of Terror Begins (1793-1794)

King Louis XVI attempts to flee the country with his wife Marie Antoinette

Captured and brought back Radicals (Jacobins) getting

more say in how the government should be run

King Executed in 1793

War!

1792-1793 Other nations of Europe worry that revolution in France will spread to their countries. Austria, Prussia (Germany), Spain, Britain,

wage war on France. French fight them off

Radicals gain even more power

We must take extreme

measures to save our beloved

France!

Execute any

traitors!

The Jacobins – The Radicals Robespierre, Danton

and Marat Three leaders of the

Revolution and Reign of Terror.

Marat is a fiery orator who calls for more and more executions Eventually murdered

in his own bathtub

Radicals Gain Control Robespierre and the “Committee for

Public Safety” Begin hunting down all those seen as a

threat to the Revolution Supported by the sans culottes – urban

workers No room for disagreement

Radicals seek to create a “Republic of Virtue” based on reason and Rousseau Atheism encouraged All signs of monarchy and religion

removed

Robespierre“If the source of popular government in time of

peace is virtue, the sources of popular

government in revolution are at once virtue and terror: virtue, without

which terror is fatal; and terror, without which virtue

is powerless.” — Robespierre

We must kill all those who are a threat to the revolution!

Reign of Terror

“Reign of Terror” Begins Around 20,000 people

will be sent to the guillotine

Nobles, peasants, workers, anyone Robespierre saw as a threat to the revolution

End of Reign of Terror Thermidorian Reaction Robespierre accuses Danton

of treason. Danton has “gone soft”

Robespierre orders Danton executed

1794 – National Convention feels Robespierre has gone over the line He is arrested, tried, convicted

and executed

Impact of the Revolution Monarchy is gone Old feudal customs are gone Declaration of the Rights of Man New feeling of nationalism in France Universal Male Suffrage Land seized from nobles and Church turned over to peasants France becomes democratic country

The Directory 2 house legislature and committee of 5 Directors

Inefficient, quarrelsome, France has LARGE, experienced army

Rising young star in that army – Napoleon Bonaparte