french revolution & napoleon

The French Revolution

& Napoleon1789-1815

(Chapter 23)

Section 1: French Revolution Begins

Main Idea: Economic and social inequalities in the Old Regime helped cause the French Revolution

Why it matters? Throughout history, economic and social inequalities have at times led people to revolt against their government

Lady Gaga’s French Revolution Intro

What was France like in the 1770’s?

OLD REGIME= the social and political system of France

Under this system, the people of France were

divided into social classes, or ESTATES

Social Class: The Privileged Estates

First 2 estates privileged

Privileges: High offices Exempt from paying taxes Didn’t like Enlightenment ideas-

threatened their power

First Estate= Roman Catholic Church Owned 10% of land in France

Second Estate= Rich nobles 2% of the population Owned 20% of the land

The Third Estate97% of population

3 Groups in the 3rd Estate: 1. BOURGEOISIE= middle class, bankers, factory owners, merchants,

professionals, artisans…etc Paid high taxes Educated in Enlightenment ideas Could be rich as nobles

2. WORKERS Poorest & hungry Tradespeople, apprentices, laborers, domestic servants

3. PEASANTS 80% of France’s population Gave ½ their $ to nobles & Church

Wife Swap: French Estates

Enlightenment Ideas:New ideas of power

and authority

Third Estate was inspired by American Revolution

Questioned the structure of society and what government should be

Economic TroublesBy 1780s, France’s

economy was declining…

Burden of taxesCost of living was

risingBad weather crop

failure (shortage of grain) price of

bread doubled starvation

Bread Riots

Weak LeadersLouis 16th (XVI) Marie

Antoinette•Inherited debt from previous kings

•Borrowed $ in order to help Americans in revolutionaries in the war against Britain (France’s chief rival)•Lacked ability to make decisions

•Cared little about government affairs

•Interfered often in politics and would give bad advice•Member of the royal family of Austria (enemy of

France) and wasn’t popular•Spent larges amounts of $

(nicknamed, “Madame Deficit”)

Cribs: Louis XVI

Estates-GeneralWhen Louis tried to raise

taxes on the nobility, the Second Estate formed him to call a meeting of the

ESTATES-GENERAL to approve the tax

=an assembly of representatives from all 3 estates First meeting in 175 years Met at Versailles, May 5,

1789

The National Assembly

Medieval Estates-General everyone gets one vote from each estate

Problem: 3rd Estate felt that they were not represented

Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes= clergymen who suggested the 3rd estate should assembly their own NATIONAL ASSEMBLY and pass laws for France

Tennis Court Oath

Arrived at the Estates-General and they were locked out- broke down a door to an INDOOR TENNIS COURT

Stayed till they drew up a new constitution

TENNIS COURT OATH= pledge of the National Assembly

Storming the BastilleRumors started that Louis was

going to use military force to dismiss the National Assembly AND that foreigners were coming to attack Paris

July 14 (Bastille Day)- mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the

BASTILLE (Paris prison)Hacked the prison commander

and several guards- putting their heads on pikes and taking them around town

SYMBOLIC- revolution of France

HH: Storming the Bastille News Report

Bastille

Bastille Day

Great FearGreat Fear= wave of panic

Armed with pitchforks & farming tools

Broke into nobles’ manors and houses and destroyed documents that bound the to pay feudal dues

Women rioted over rising prices of BREAD and marched on Versailles

Next, they went after the King and Queen- broke into palace, killing guards, demanded they leave Versailles and return to Paris- they did

HH: French Revolution Recap

Section 2: Revolution, Reform & Terror

Main Idea: The revolutionary government of France made reforms but also used terror and violence to retain power

Why it matters? Some governments that lack support of a majority of their people still use fear to control their citizens

The Assembly Reforms France

1789

Most likely motivated by fear, some nobles joined the National Assembly

What they did? Got rid of the First & Second Estates the Old Regime was dead

The Rights of ManNational Assembly adopted the

Rights of Man and of the Citizen= a statement of revolutionary ideas, that reflected the Declaration of Independence

“life, liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression…”

Slogan- “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

Women tried to declare the “rights of women,” but they were rejected, saw as enemies of the Revolution and some were even executed.

A State-Controlled ChurchEarly reforms all focused on

the ChurchChurch lost their lands and its

political independence

Proceeds from the sale of Church lands helped pay of France’s debts

Results: Angered peasants who thought that the Pope should rule over the Church independent of the state (separation of Church and state)

Louis Tries to EscapeAs the Church was under

attack, Louis feared what would happen to him

Many supporters of Louis fled the country, and soon, Louis did too

Tried to escape to Austria (Marie’s home), but were apprehended at the gate and returned to Paris

Divisions DevelopLimited Monarchy was

created by the new constitution

Stripped the king of his authority, but he still held the executive power to enforce laws

Legislative Assembly= created laws and to approve or reject declarations of war

Factions Split FranceProblems split the new government:

Food shortagesGovernment debt

Radicals (Left

winged)

Moderates (Centrists)

Conservatives (Right winged)

Extreme change

Want some change

Few changes

Emigres San-Culottes

Nobles and others who had fled France who wanted to restore the Old Regime

“those without knee breeches” (aka regular trousers)

War & Execution (Page 658-660)France at War

•Who attacked France?•Why did they attack France?•What are the September Massacres?•What is the National Convention?

Jacobins Take Control

•Who are the Jacobins?•Who is Jean Paul Marat?•What power did Louis have under the Jacobins?•How did Louis die?

Guillotine=

The War ContinuesWhat was the extreme step the Jacobins took to increase

their army size?

Guillotine

Terror Grips France Jacobins had many enemies: peasants,

foreigners, church leaders

Maximilien Robespierre= Jacobin leader, governed as a dictator Set out to build a “ republic of virtue” by

wiping out every trace of France’s past

Reign of Terror= period of Robespierre’s rule

“enemies” were tried and guillotined Enemies went against Robespierre, radicals Justified that he was returning France to a

virtuous state

Famous victims: George Danton (member of National Convention), Marie Antoinette

40,000 killed during the reign of terror

Robespierre

Marie’s Execution

Marat & Marie Antoinette’s Death

End of TerrorFearing for their own

safety, many turned on Robespierre- he was guillotined

New Government:Power went to the

upper middle class2 house legislative and

an executive body of 5 men (Directory)

Homework:

Chaper 23:3 (Napoleon Forges an

Empire

Section 3: REVIEWNapoleon

Napoleon Music Video

Historical Misconception: Napoleon is short?

After his death, he was measured 5’2 according to French height, which would’ve made him 5’6 according to British standard

Napoleon BonaparteCoup d’Etat (“blow to the state”)

Plebiscite

Lycees

Concordat

Napoleonic Code

Crowned as Emperor

Napoleon’s Cout d’Etat (Blow to the State) Speech

Napoleon’s Empire

Napoleon’s Empire

American

Colonies

Europe

Battle of Trafalgar

French Empire

Louisiana Purchase

Section 4: Napoleon’s Empire Collapses

Main Idea: Napoleon’s conquests aroused nationalistic feelings across Europe and contributed to his downfall

Why it matters? In the 1990s, nationalistic feelings contributed to the breakup of nations such as Yugoslavia

Mini Bio: Napoleon

Napoleon’s 3 MistakesNapoleon’s personality and greed let to his

downfall

When he tried to expand the French Empire and crush Great Britain, it eventually led to his downfall

Mistake #1: The Continental System

Blockade= a forcible closing of ports

Continental System= Napoleon’s policy of preventing all trade and communication between Britain and other European nations- it was suppose to make continental Europe more self sufficient Result 1: Blockade was not tight

enough- British and others would smuggle things in

Result 2: British returned the blockade onto the French, who couldn’t compete with the British navy (British stopped American ships coming into France)

Mistake #2: The Peninsular War (1/2)

Why did it start? Napoleon attempted to force Portugal to accept the Continental System, by

sending an invasion force through Spain

Result: Napoleon removed the Spanish king

and put his brother in charge Spanish people felt more nationalism

and fought back Spanish worried that the French

would weaken the Catholic Church because of what they saw in the French Revolution

Mistake #2: The Peninsular War (2/2)

Peninsular War= named because Spain lies on the Iberian PeninsulaHow long? 6 years

Guerillas= Spanish peasant fighters, worked in small groups and ambushed French troops while hiding

British sent aid to the SpanishNapoleon lost 300,000 men

Lesson learned Nationalism can win wars

Mistake #3: The Invasion of Russia-1812 (1/2)

Why did it start? The Russian czar refused to stop selling grain to Britain AND both Russia and France had competing claims on Poland

Start of Invasion: Napoleon invaded with 420,000 troops Alexander retreated While the Russian retreated, they used the SCORCHED-EARTH POLICY, leaving nothing for the French

to eat

Israel 2009: Scorched-Earth Policy

Mistake #3: The Invasion of Russia-1812 (2/2)

After fighting in the Battle of Borodino, the Russian fell back, allowing the French to

attack Moscow Instead of surrendering the “holy

city” to the French, the Russian burnt it down

French couldn’t hang on with the cold and lack of supplies. When they retreated they only had 10,000 soldiers left

Napoleon’s Invasion of Russia

Napoleon’s DownfallMany other

countries saw Napoleon’s downfallBritainRussiaPrussiaSwedenAustria (even after

he married Marie Louise)

Napoleon Suffers DefeatNapoleon was able to raise

another army

Problem: his army was untrained and ill prepared for battle

All the allies against France, team up and easily defeated Napoleon

Russia & Prussia’s leaders led a victory parade through Paris

Napoleon wanted to fight on, but his generals did not

Napoleon was banished to Elba (a tiny island off the coast of Italy)

Count of Monte Cristo: Meet Napoleon

100 Days (1/2)

Many Frenchmen thought the new king (Louis XVIII) wanted to do some of the French Revolution’s progress

Napoleon escaped from Elba and received by joyous crowds who marched him to Paris

Within days, Napoleon was the emperor of France

Return from Elba

100 Days (2/2)

In response, European allies gathered an army and

prepared for a Battle at Waterloo (village of Belgium)

French vs. British (Duke of Wellington) & Prussia

Result: after a few days, the French had to retreat

100 Days= Napoleon last effort for power, disposing the king and becoming emperor

End of NapoleonBritish exiled Napoleon to St.

Helena, a remote island in the South Atlantic

Lived in exile for 6 years, writing his memoirs

Died in 1821, of a stomach ailment, perhaps cancer

“He was as great as a man can be without virtue”(Said of Napoleon by French

writer Alexis de Tocqueville)

Eiffel Tower

Section 5: Congress of Vienna

Main Idea: After exiling Napoleon, European leaders at the Congress of Vienna tried to restore order and reestablish peace

Why it matters now? International bodies such as the United Nations plays an active role in trying to maintain world peace and stability today

Congress of Vienna= series of meetings in Vienna in 1814-1815,

during which the European leaders sought to establish long-lasting peace and security after the defeat of Napoleon

Prince Klemens von Metternich

= one of the most influential representatives in the Congress of Vienna, foreign minister of AustriaDidn’t trust the

democratic ideals of the French Revolution

He believed Napoleon’s behavior was because of this experiment of democracy

Metternich’s Plan for Europe

Metternich’s Plan

Balance of Power

Containment of France

Legitimacy

•Didn’t want to leave France powerless•Afraid if they splitFrance up than other Powers would do what France did

•Made countries aroundFrance strongerHow? Some united, some Were recognized asIndependent countries

= those who had lostPower under NapoleonShould be restored to power

Was it a success? YES

1. For the first time, the nations of an entire continent had cooperated to control political affairs

2. Did not lead to a future war3. Balance of Power/allies

formed4. Time of peace in Europe

Political Changes AFTER Vienna

Conservative Europe•Many were worried about the French Revolution spreading

•HOLY ALLIANCE= signed agreement between Kings of Prussia and Austria, pledging to relations with other Christian nations

•CONCERT OF EUROPE= series of alliances formed by Metternich, ensuring that nation’s would protect each other

•Despite their best efforts, the French Revolution had made it’s impact and given Europe it’s first dose of democracy

Revolutions in Latin AmericaExample of a consequence in

Latin America of the Congress:

1. Restored power to kings who had lost powerExample: King of Spain

kicked out, liberal Creoles (colonists born in Spanish America) seized control of many of the coloniesMany of these colonists

were angered and declared independence

Long-Term Legacy of the Congress of Vienna

1. Diminished the power of France, increased the power of Britain and Prussia

2. Nationalism spread (some exploding into revolutions, leading to new nations forming)

3. Many colonies broke off from Europeans

4. More people saw democracy as the best way to ensure equality and justice for all

What are the lessons learned through the French Revolution???

Example: When the people feel mistreated, they will rebelOne country can set an example for other

countries- good or bad If use terror as a weapon to control people- it can

work for a little bitDon’t get greedyConquering can only last so longMake the peasant happy peace

Freedom Peace Courage