Before the Revolution in France

The Old Regime- feudal system

The Estates- social classes1- Catholic clergy- owned 10% of

land, paid 2% of taxes2- Rich nobles- owned 20% of land,

no taxes3- Third Estate- 98% of the people

A) Bourgeoisie- merchants & artisans, high taxesB) Workers- cooks & servants, low wages, barely survivingC) Peasants- 80% of population, 50% of income to nobles/ church

Seeds for the Revolution-Enlightenment- ideas of life, liberty, property,

democracy appealed to the Third Estate-American Revolution- gave French citizens hope-Poor Economy- outrageous taxes, crop failures, high

food prices (bread price doubled), govt. debt ($ to Amer. Revolution)

Bad GovernmentKing Louis XVI- poor ruler,

ignored problems

Queen Marie Antoinette- nicknamed “Madame Deficit” (they married at 15 & 14) spent millions- gowns, jewelry, parties, gambling (1 mil+ / 1 yr.)

The Revolution*The National Assembly-

formed by Bourgeoisie to make laws, act of treason

*Tennis Court Oath- King banned Assembly meeting- vowed to meet until they wrote a new constitution

Storming the Bastille

The Revolution

*Storming the Bastille- July 14, 1789- revolutionaries took a prison, gunpowder stored there, Bastille Day

*The Great Fear- panicpeasants & nobles attacked

each otherwomen rioted (bread prices)

stormed the Palace at Versailles

captured Louis and Marie

March on Versailles

The Revolution and the National Assembly

*Declaration of the Rights of Man- passed by Assembly- life, liberty, property, equal justice

*New Constitution- 1789- Assembly to pass laws, tax, declare war

War with Austria & PrussiaAustrian and Prussian kings

feared revolution- wanted Louis XVI put back on the throne.

France declared war on Austria and Prussia

French lose early battlesLouis XVI & Marie jailed1000’s of Louis supporters

killedFrench win

Death Louis XVIFrench citizens joined

political clubs - The Jacobin wanted Louis dead

Louis found guilty of treason and executed by guillotine (1/21/1793)

Guillotine

The Reign of TerrorMaximilien Robespierre

lawyer, great orator, controlled the assembly, wanted to abolish nobility

Committee of Public Safety closed churches, abolished Sundays, executed 1,000’s by guillotine, including Marie Antoinette

Execution of Marie Antoinette

The Reign of Terror

Jean Paul Marat- wrote articles from bathtub calling for more executions- Marat stabbed

40,000 executed including Robespierre himself

The National Convention

New constitutionPower to upper middle classNew govt. w/ a 2-house legislature“The Directory”- 5 member executive branch

NAPOLEON

Napoleon Bonaparteb. 1769 in CorsicaMilitary school at 9, finished at 16Artillery Lieutenant (cannons) in

Revolutionary Army1795- Defended National

Assembly against king’s army1796- Helped defeat Austrians1799- Commander of military, the

“Grand Army”- b/cm dictator

1802- Signed peace treaty w/ Russia, Austria & Britain

Napoleon Helps France

1- Stable economy- fair taxes, National Bank, new currency

2- Gov’t reform- Napoleonic Code- new laws for all, fired corrupt officials, limited speech/ press

*Lycees- schools for all children3- Brings back Church- w/ gov’t

control, concordat w/ Pope Pius VII

Napoleon and Josephine

The Empire

Napoleon wanted world conquest*1803- Sold Louisiana Territory to US

(Jefferson) - $15 million -hard to control –slave rebellions needed money for army

*1804- declared himself Emperor

Invaded Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Prussia

Put relatives/friends over new territories (Brother Joseph- king of Spain) - Nepotism

Napoleon Miscues*Battle of Trafalgar (1805)

British Admiral Horatio Nelson kept Napoleon out of Britain, both used blockades (Britain’s more effective), British defeated French SW of Spain

*Portugal- Napoleon tried to attack Portugal thru Spain, guerillas in Spain fight French, and killed 300,000 French in 5 years

Rise of NationalismBelief that people should be loyal to their country,

pride in your nationNationalism - spread thru Europe, resist the French

Napoleon in RussiaRussia- June 1812- Napoleon &

422,000 men invaded RussiaRussians retreated & scorched-

earth policyFrench - nothing to eat (horses),

soldiers desertedSept. 1812- French captured

Moscow but Czar Alexander had burned the city

Nov. 1812- French starving, no supplies (some barefoot)

Russian Winter (-30 F) French froze, starved, exhausted

The “Grand Army” destroyed

Battle of Leipzig (1813)Austria, Russia & Prussia

easily defeat NapoleonNapoleon surrenderedSent to live on Island of

Elba

Napoleon EscapesLouis XVIII very unpopular

Napoleon- escaped Elba, marched to Paris, gained support, arrived in Paris to cheers

“Hundred Days”- his 2nd rule

Waterloo- Napoleon defeated by British & Prussians

Battle at Waterloo

Napoleon ExiledNapoleon sent to remote

island of St. HelenaDied 6 yrs later

Congress of Vienna 1814-15

Leaders of Europe met to redraw the map of Europe

Est. a “Balance of Powers”