Causes of the Rev. in Fr.

“Little by little, the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him.”

― Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution * In regards to Louis XVI

Objectives

Understand the causes that led to the French Revolution

The Old Regime

The Estates General 1st & 2nd estates have privileges 3rd estate pays most of the taxes

Why would this lead to a revolution?

Enlightened Ideas Montesquieu:

divide power so no 1 person can have absolute power

Rousseau: Believed in individual freedoms Direct Democracy

Locke: 3 natural rights: Life, Liberty, Property If govt fails to protect, people can overthrow

Why would this lead to a revolution?

Economic Crisis

Unemployment rate extremely high, especially among lower

class workers

Taxes Tax system - corrupt The ppl w/o money were paying the

most

Economic Crisis Food Shortage/High Prices

The harvest of 1788 was extremely small If not a lot of bread, what happens to the

price? Price of bread skyrockets

High Debt Louis XIV & XVI fought many wars: Fr. support the American Rev The kings rich lifestyle

Versailles Marie – “Madame Deficit”

Why would this lead to a revolution?

Weak Ruler

Indecisive king Put off dealing with the problem

until it was too late Marie

interfered w/Govt Gave bad advice She was Austrian

Why would this lead to a revolution?

Review

The Estates General

Enlightened Ideas Division of Power Individual rights

Economic Crisis Unemployment Taxes Food

shortage/high prices

High debt

Weak Ruler

Solution?

Louis XVI has a huge debt, & needs to pay it off to restore the nations economy

How can he solve this? Can’t tax the lower class or middle class

they have no more money to give Tax the upper class?

When Louis wants to tax the upper class he needs to ….

call the Estates General and the real problems begin

Objectives: Dawn of Revolution

• Explain the outcome of the Estates General meeting

• Explain the effects of Louis the XVI stationing troops at Versailles

The Estates General Meets• The Rules

– 1st & 2nd Estate wanted old rules

– 3rd Estate wanted to meet together

– King sided w/nobles

• The National Assembly– Created by the 3rd

Estate– Pass laws in the

name of the French people

– Declared end to the Absolute Monarchy

– 1st deliberate act of the revolution

The Suggested Voting Pattern:

Voting By Estates

Pattern suggested by the 3rd Estate: Vote by Head!

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy

2nd Estate

Clergy 1st Estate1

1

1

• Commoners• 3rd Estate

• Aristocracy• 2nd Estate

• Clergy• 1st Estate

• 300

• 300

• 648

Tennis Court Oath

• 3rd Estate– Locked out of the meeting

room

• Broke into a tennis court– Wanted a new constitution– Stay there until they get it– “Tennis Court Oath”

• Louis stations troops in Versailles

• Predict what happens…

The Bastille• WHO:

– City people/third estate

• WHAT:– Parisians storm the Bastille

• WHY:– Swiss guards at Versailles – What message is this

sending?– feared troops were coming to break up the assembly &

kill citizens– Mobs decided to storm the Bastille to get gunpowder

• Great symbolic act of the revolution– still celebrate today – “Bastille Day”

Storming the Bastille, July 14, 1789

Y A rumor that the king was planning a military coup against the National Assembly.

Y 18 died.

Y 73 wounded.

Y 7 guards killed.

Y It held 7 prisoners [5 ordinary criminals & 2 madmen].

The Great Fear

• WHO:– Peasants in the country

• WHAT:– rebellion spread to the country – peasants attacked nobles – broke into their

houses– tore up papers that show feudal dues they owe

• WHY:– rumors of a plot against common people

Bread Riot• WHO:

– Parisian women

• WHAT:– and broke into Versailles– Demanded that the National Assembly provide

bread– demanded that Louis and Marie return to

Paris

• WHY:– joined in the “Great Fear”– mad about bread prices

• Louis XVI and his family left Versailles, never to return

• Signaled a change of power and reforms• “Let them eat cake”, not really

Objectives

Identify the rights adopted by the National Assembly

Explain the division in the Legislative Assembly

Video: Chapter 4-5 (19:57-30)

The National Assembly adopted:A Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

Some nobles and clergy responded to the uprisings• August 27, 1789 – adopted “A

Declaration….”• Stated that men are equal:

“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”

Guaranteed equal justice, freedom of speech and religion• Women? Slaves?

Go over answers to the reading

Louis & family tried to escape France

Advisors warned, he was in danger• Tried to escape to the Austrian Netherlands

He was caught• What does this do to his reputation?

people didn’t trust him anymore Increased the influence of his enemies

• Radicals

The National Assembly completed a new constitution

Created a limited constitutional monarchy• like Britain• Their job was done

(remember the Tennis Court?)

Elected the Legislative Assembly• This body could create the laws• the king still had power to enforce the

laws

The Legislative Assembly

split into 3 groups

Radicals - left side

-Opposed the monarchy

-wanted major changes

-wanted a republic

Sans-culottes

Moderates - center

- wanted some reforms

Conservatives – right

-few changes

-liked the king wanted limited monarchy

Émigrés

People influence the government

Sans-culottes

– Parisian workers & shopkeepers

– Wanted revolution to bring change

Émigrés

– Nobles who fled France

– Hoped to undo the revolution

– Restore the Old Regime

Objectives

Identify of the National Convention cause the revolution to become violent.

Analyze how the Directory was formed.

September Massacre

Rumors spread king supporters were going to take over the city

Citizens responded Raided prisons, murdered over 1,000 prisoners nobles and priests were killed as well

Under pressure from the radicalsSet aside the constitutionKing was deposedThe Legislative Assembly ended

The Revolution Gets ViolentThe National Convention

The National Convention Abolished the monarchy declared France a

republic every man had the

right to vote

Leaders were Radicals – Jacobins wanted to remove the

king Jean-Paul Marat

Called for death of all king supporters

Set the revolution on a violent path Louis is tried for treason beheaded by the

Guillotine

Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793)

c The trial of the king discovered a secret cupboard of documents.

c Proved Louis’ knowledge of foreign intervention.

c The National Convention voted 387 to 334 to execute the monarchs.

Robespierre begins the “Reign of Terror”

Set out to build a “Republic… of virtue”wiping out any trace of Monarchydetermined who was an “enemy” of the

stateCommittee for Public Safety

Many killings by Guillotinesome of the Jacobin leaders

Marat

Ruled as a dictatorThis period was the “Reign of Terror”

National Convention turned on Robespierre

Nobody was safe Turned on Robespierre

to save themselves“Down with the

tyrant”

Killed by Guillotine

The Directory is formed

because people were sick of the terror– moderate leaders drafted a new plan – A new Constitution (again)

The Directory– Called for a two-house legislature– 5 man executive body

some were corrupt All moderates but they brought order

– found a general to command France’s armies

Napoleon Bonaparte