What Did the French Revolution Look Like?

(1789-1799)

France is located on the continent of Europe. Its capital is Paris.

What other countries does it border?

““Getting Sick” – Phase 1Getting Sick” – Phase 1Three EstatesThree Estates

11stst Estate - Roman Catholic Estate - Roman Catholic ClergyClergy (less than 1%) (less than 1%)

22ndnd Estate - Estate - NoblesNobles who hold who hold land & highest government land & highest government offices (about 2%)offices (about 2%)

33rdrd Estate - Estate - bourgeoisie bourgeoisie (merchants & artisans - well (merchants & artisans - well educated but no status or educated but no status or power), urban lower class, power), urban lower class, peasant farmers peasant farmers (98%)(98%)

1st two estates tax exempt!Clergy owned 10% of land & gave 2% of its income to the govt., nobles owned 20% of land.

Louis 16th & Marie Antoinette

Fountain at the Palace at Versailles

(Versailles is 10 miles from Paris, France)

Aerial View of the Palace at Versailles

The Chapel at

Versailles

Louis XVI

- Was 15 when he was given the Crown

- Loved the hunting grounds that surrounded Versailles

- Wanted to be liked by all

- Very easily influenced

- Allied himself with the Nobility (2nd estate)

- Was condemned as a traitor

- Executed January 21st 1793

Marie Antoinette- Originally from Austria

- Job as queen was to produce an heir

- Eventually had 3 sons, 2 of which died in their childhood

- Many exaggerated reports and propaganda about her lavish spending and lifestyle

- Rumored to have been unfaithful to Louis XVI

- Had great influence over her husband

- Was also beheaded: October 16th 1793

Economic Woes- Economic Woes- Phase 1Phase 1

1. 1780s - widespread 1. 1780s - widespread crop failures; price crop failures; price of bread doubles in of bread doubles in 1789.1789.

2. $$ and resources to 2. $$ and resources to help American Rev. help American Rev. doubles France’s doubles France’s debtdebt

Louis XVI:Weak & Indecisive

Marie Antoinett

e:“Madame Deficit”

““The Fever Starts” – Phase 2The Fever Starts” – Phase 2- Estates General meets.- Estates General meets.

- Louis tries to tax 2nd - Louis tries to tax 2nd Estate (1Estate (1stst time in 175 time in 175 years).years).

- Estates have 1 vote each.- Estates have 1 vote each.

- 3- 3rdrd Estate wants all Estate wants all estates to meet together estates to meet together with votes counted “by with votes counted “by head”.head”.

- Louis refuses.- Louis refuses.

Tennis Court OathTennis Court OathJune 17June 17thth, 1789, 1789

33rdrd Estate declared themselves the Estate declared themselves the National Assembly & voted for National Assembly & voted for representative gov’t. representative gov’t.

• They invited delegates from the other estates to help them write a constitution.

• After finding their meeting hall locked, the National Assembly moved to a nearby indoor tennis court in Versailles.

• The delegates took the famous Tennis Court Oath swearing to “never separate and to meet wherever the circumstances might require until we have established a sound and just constitution”.

Storming Bastille in

Paris

July 14th, 1789

The Storming of the Bastille The Paris mob, hungry because of the lack of food from

poor harvests, took the law into their own hands.

On July 14th, 1789, the mob rioted and attacked the royal fortress prison called the Bastille.

They saw the Bastille as a symbol of everything that was wrong with France.

It was a symbol of the King and his government and the Paris mob wanted it destroyed.

The Paris mob killed the governor of the prison, Marquis de Launay.

The soldiers in and around Paris refused to stop the attack, showing that King Louis XVI had lost control of the army.

Here’s where the Bastille used to

stand…

Wings

Torch

Chains

Slogan of the French Revolution

Phases of the Revolution

1.) Moderate Phase (1789-1791)- National Assembly wanted France to become a Constitutional Monarchy

2.) Escalating Violence (1792-1793)

3.) Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

4.) The Directory (1795-1799) – reaction against extremism

All of this violence caused chaos – France needed a strong leader to take charge NAPOLEON!

““The Fever Starts”- Phase 2The Fever Starts”- Phase 2

- Feudalism ends -- Feudalism ends -Burning of feudal Burning of feudal

& tax & tax documents.documents.

Abolish….Abolish….1. feudalism1. feudalism2. serfdom2. serfdom3. paying church 3. paying church taxestaxes4. privileges of 4. privileges of the nobilitythe nobility

Did France make any reforms?

YES!

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Reorganizing the Church

Constitution of 1791

The Declaratio

n of the Rights of

Man

(Aug. 1789)

Declaration of the Rights of Man:

Modeled after the AmericansPassed by the Estates now called: The

National AssemblyAll French men were “born and remain free

and equal in rights”They enjoyed natural rights like “liberty,

property, security, and resistance to oppression”

Every Frenchman had a right to hold officeAll male citizens are equal before the lawFreedom of religion and speech

Who is left out of this document?

Women March on Versailles (October 5, 1789)

As famine gripped Paris, poor mothers did not have enough food for their children! On October 5, 1789, thousands of women decided to bring Louis XVI back to Paris, where he could NOT ignore their suffering!

Constitution of 1791 Written by National Assembly

Set up a limited monarchy

A new legislative body (Legislative Assembly) would make laws, collect taxes, and decide on issues of war and peace

French men who owned property could vote

Ended Church interference in government

Revolution Over????Revolution Over???? Many worried that the National Assembly didn’t Many worried that the National Assembly didn’t

REALLY change France since there were still REALLY change France since there were still little to no rights for peasants and workers.little to no rights for peasants and workers.

Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI attempted to escape France in June of 1791, but were caught

and returned to Paris. Many believed the King was a traitor to the Revolution!

What were the reactions outside of France?

Other absolute monarchs in Europe were mad about the revolutionary forces! Many of them were related to Louis and Marie Antoinette.

Many of them wanted to restore the French Monarchy and end the Revolution.

This made the people of France upset and further pushed them to extremes during the Revolution.

How did France React? In Paris, working class men (sans-

culottes) pushed the revolution into more radical action.

Many like the Jacobins (a group in the Legislative Assembly) wanted to abolish the monarchy completely and have a REPUBLIC.

Eager to spread the revolution to other countries the Legislative Assembly went to war in April 1792 with Austria, Prussia, and Britain.

““Fever Crisis”- Fever Crisis”- Phase 3Phase 3

• Reign of Terror begins!!!

- Execution of all counter-revolutionaries.

The Monarchy is Abolished

The Paris mob took control of the Legislative Assembly.

Radicals wanted the right to vote (suffrage) for all male citizens (not just property owners)!

The legislative body was now called the National Convention and was more radical.

Completely abolished (ended) the monarchy and declared France a republic.

What should they do with the King and Queen?

NO MORE NO MORE ROYALTY....ANYWHERE!!!ROYALTY....ANYWHERE!!!

No kings, No kings, queens, or queens, or

jacks in decks jacks in decks of cards!of cards!

King Louis XVI was executed January 21, 1793 and his wife

Marie Antoinette was executed that October.

Both were beheaded using a guillotine.

Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

Maximilien Robespierre was the leader of the new Committee of Public Safety whose job it was to deal with threats to France and to the Revolution (12 member committee).

They conducted quick trials and killed approx. 40,000 people! Guillotine in regular use!

Lists of those to be executed were posted for all to see.

After about a year, weary of bloodshed and fearing for their own lives, the National Convention turned on the Committee and executed Robespierre.

Reign of TerrorReign of Terror1793-94:1793-94: Robespierre (leader of Robespierre (leader of

radicals) kills over 40,000radicals) kills over 40,000

Robespierre:Robespierre: “One’s duty is to “One’s duty is to punish traitors, to help the punish traitors, to help the needy, respect the weak, defend needy, respect the weak, defend the oppressed, do good to ones’ the oppressed, do good to ones’ neighbor and behave justly.” neighbor and behave justly.” “Terror is nothing but quick and “Terror is nothing but quick and hard justice.” “..in a revolution hard justice.” “..in a revolution the state is at war, it doesn’t the state is at war, it doesn’t have to follow all the laws.”have to follow all the laws.”

17941794 - economy is - economy is recovering….need to end terror!recovering….need to end terror!

The execution of Maximilien Robespierre in 1794 brought the Reign of Terror to an end.

Reaction and the Directory (1795-1799)

In reaction to the Terror, moderates took control and passed another constitution (the 3rd since 1789).

This Constitution set up a five-man Directory and a two-house legislature elected by male citizens who owned property.

Peace was made with Prussia and Spain. But war with Austria and Great Britain continued. The Directory was too weak and corrupt to hold

power for long; it failed to solve France’s financial problems.

To avoid chaos, politicians turned to war hero Napoleon Bonaparte.

““Slow Recovery”- Phase 4Slow Recovery”- Phase 4

Rise of Napoleon BonaparteRise of Napoleon Bonaparte1794 – Robespierre beheaded 1794 – Robespierre beheaded

1795 – new constitution/power 1795 – new constitution/power rests with 5 men, the rests with 5 men, the DirectoryDirectory

1799 - coup d’etat (1799 - coup d’etat (overthrow overthrow of a gov’tof a gov’t) by ) by Napoleon/general of French Napoleon/general of French armyarmy

1804 - crowns himself Frances’ 1804 - crowns himself Frances’ 11stst emperor, more powerful emperor, more powerful than church than church (so much for (so much for divine right!!!)divine right!!!)

Napoleon was on a mission to build a French Empire.

Napoleonic CodeNapoleonic Code Equal TaxationEqual Taxation Stable EconomyStable Economy Public Education (ordinary citizens access to Public Education (ordinary citizens access to

education & public office based on merit) education & public office based on merit) Religious tolerationReligious toleration Govt. control of church lands & bishops who Govt. control of church lands & bishops who

appoint priestsappoint priests Women lose right to sell propertyWomen lose right to sell property Restriction of free speech & pressRestriction of free speech & press Restore slavery in French coloniesRestore slavery in French coloniesMany of these reforms made the people of France Many of these reforms made the people of France

like Napoleon, even though he was a dictator! like Napoleon, even though he was a dictator! He gave France order, stability, and the kind of He gave France order, stability, and the kind of

equality that the Revolution had called for.equality that the Revolution had called for.

Foreign Expansion Shortly after Napoleon took control of the French

gov’t, he defeated the Austrians and made peace with Britain.

But in 1803, the treaty with Britain fell apart. Britain persuaded Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Naples to renew the fight against France on land and sea (the Napoleonic Wars: 1805-1815).

Napoleon showed his military genius by leading the armies of France to victories over Austria, Russia, and Prussia. He also invaded Portugal and Spain.

By 1807, Napoleon controlled most of the countries on the continent of Europe. Only Britain remained fighting.

““Oh, who is Oh, who is it dares it dares interrupt interrupt me in my me in my Progress”Progress”

End of the Napoleonic Era The long wars had caused great bloodshed

and destruction throughout Europe.

After Napoleon is defeated in April 1814, The leaders of Europe decide to hold a conference to determine how to keep the peace.

They met in Vienna, Austria beginning in September 1814.

Representatives came from most countries in Europe. Even France was allowed to send one delegate.

Congress of Vienna: 1815Congress of Vienna: 1815• Attempted to keep Europe at peace Attempted to keep Europe at peace

by establishing a balance of power by establishing a balance of power among the nations.among the nations.

• It wanted to prevent any one nation It wanted to prevent any one nation from becoming militarily stronger from becoming militarily stronger than its neighbors.than its neighbors.

• The royal families who had ruled The royal families who had ruled before the French Revolution were before the French Revolution were restored.restored.

• Bourbon king, Louis XVIII was placed Bourbon king, Louis XVIII was placed on the throne of France & France lost on the throne of France & France lost all its territory it had taken in Europe. all its territory it had taken in Europe.

• The Congress of Vienna ended the era The Congress of Vienna ended the era of the French Revolution & Napoleon!of the French Revolution & Napoleon!

Prince Klemens von Metternich

Austria’s foreign minister1809-1848

Napoleon’s Empire 1810

Europe 1817