The French Revolution

A Timeline of French Events1789-1815

Pre-1789: Causes of the French

Revolution• French society was divided into Three Estates:

– First Estate: Church– Second Estate: Nobles– Third Estate: Bourgeoisie, Peasants, Workers

• King Louis XVI (an absolute monarch) was spending LOTS of money.

• France had costly debts from the American Revolution, Marie Antoinette, and the military.

• The American Revolution inspired the Third Estate to begin fighting against the King.

The Beginning of the French Revolution:

France is an Absolute Monarchy

May 1789: King Louis called the Estates General to get permission to raise taxes.

The Third Estate got mad at their lack of representation (2/3 vote of estates to pass new law).

June 1789: Third Estate separated from the Estates General and began to call themselves the National Assembly.

The National Assembly took the Tennis Court Oath, swearing to write a new constitution -- some of the First and Second estate joined the National Assembly.

Storming of the BastilleJuly 14, 1789 People in Paris were

starving and began rioting.

Parisians broke into the Bastille, a political prison in Paris.

July 14 became Bastille Day, the French Independence Day.

Effects of the Fall of the Bastille

1. The Great Fear broke out in the countryside where peasants began to mob nobles and city dwellers started rioting.

2. The mobbed nobles began fleeing France for Austria and Prussia; they were titled the “emigres.”

3. Officially, France was divided into two opposing groups: The King and the Third Estate.

August 1789

• The National Assembly began ruling.Wrote the

Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen (a declaration of independence)

Continued trying to fight against King Louis XVI

Overthrow of the King• October 1789

– King Louis XVI and his family were forced to move from Versailles to Paris and live under watch

– The King was not fighting the National Assembly at this point.

END OF THE SANE REVOLUTIONBy the end of 1789, the Radicals took

over in Paris and began forming “clubs”

ex. Jacobin Club

France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy

September 1791National Assembly wrote a new

constitution, creating a constitutional monarchy in France.

France ruled as a constitutional monarchy for almost a year, with King Louis XVI as the limited monarch, and several clubs part of the National Assembly.

August 1792Radicals stormed the Tuileries and

took the King into custody.

France Becomes a Republic

September 1792 -- the “September Massacres”

The National Assembly began executing nobles without a trial.

The National Assembly was changed to the National Convention.The government changed to a “republic”

-- a representative democracy.King Louis XVI was no longer needed for

the government.

January 1793• King Louis XVI was put on trial and

executed by the guillotine for treason.• Peasants broke out in rebellion against

the nobles.• HOWEVER: Some peasants and nobility

were still loyal to the King.--> Those loyal to the monarchy were

termed “counterrevolutionaries” and they became the adversaries of the radicals in charge of the new Republic

1793-1795:The Real INSANITY Reigns

France Becomes a “Dictatorship”

1793-1794: The Reign of Terror– France becomes a dictatorship– Leaders are the “Committee of Public

Safety,” a nine-member group led by Maximilian Robespierre

– The CPS were the “revolutionaries,” or radicals that killed all opponents•Opponents included nobles, the first

estate, the second estate, some third estate who liked the first and second estate, and anyone else considered counterrevolutionaries

Robespierre Killed, Revolution Changes (again)

1794-1795Opponents of Robespierre in the National Convention kill him and his followers.

The revolution gets more sane, not as violent.

France Becomes a Republic (again)

1795-1799: The Directory is established– Five officers as the executive– Two legislative bodies– Military is used to maintain control of

countryENTER NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

The French people loved Napoleon and the Directory was unable to maintain order without him . . .

Directory Overthrown

• Napoleon used the power and influence of the military to win the support of the people.

• The Directory was overthrown by Napoleon in 1799.

• Napoleon organized a new government.

France Becomes an Absolute Monarchy

By 1801, Napoleon had gained absolute power and crowned himself “Emperor of the French.”

Napoleon’s Policies (that made him popular)

1. Helped the economy by setting prices, supporting new industry, and building roads and bridges

2. Created a government-controlled school system

3. Established the Napoleonic Code (a set of laws) that supported equality and religious toleration

Napoleon’s Empire

• From 1789-1812, Napoleon took over many countries with military force.

• Napoleon build up an empire for France, peaking in 1812.

Napoleon’s Fall

Why did his empire begin to crumble?1. People in the conquered states

revolted against French rule.2. Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812.

Russia used the “scorched earth policy” so the French had no supplies --> Most of the army was lost during the Russian winter.

3. An 1813 alliance of Russia, Great Britain, Austria, and Prussia defeated Napoleon.

Napoleon’s Final Defeat

• Napoleon was forced to step down in 1814, and Louis XVIII became the King of France.

• Napoleon tried to return from exile in 1815 to fight the Battle of Waterloo, but was defeated by the British and Prussians.

• Napoleon returned to exile on the island of St. Helena, in the South Atlantic, and died in 1821.

Effects of the French Revolution

• Democratic ideals of “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” were spread throughout Europe.

• People wanted a change in government from absolute monarchies, and were inspired by the changes in France.

• Nationalism, or strong feelings of pride in one’s country, were built up by Napoleon’s conquests.