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The French RevolutionThe French Revolution

Liberty Equality

Fraternity

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Key Concept:Key Concept: How did the Enlightenment evolve and affect society and

government?◦ The scientific revolution shattered long-held views about

the universe. This encouraged Enlightenment thinkers to question

society and government:◦ Locke (contract between government and governed)◦ Montesquieu (checks and balances)◦ Rousseau (individual freedom and civilization corrupts)◦ Voltaire (freedom of thought and expression)

◦ Their beliefs in the natural rights of man inspired the American and French Revolutions.

◦ These ideas were RADICAL!

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Key Concept… Key Concept…

Scientific revolution

New thinking encouraged

New thinking leads to revolutions in America and France

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Ingredients for RevolutionIngredients for Revolution 1688: Glorious/Bloodless Revolution in England removes

James II◦ William and Mary take over

No more Catholic kings or queens No more absolute monarchy

◦ Parliament ◦ Bill of Rights

Enlightenment ideas American Revolution (1776) and Constitution (1789) The Estates in France

◦ 1st Estate = clergy = wealthy/no taxes = privileged ◦ 2nd Estate = nobles = wealthy/few taxes = privileged◦ 3rd Estate = everybody else

Bourgeoisie/middle class = some wealth = high taxes = some rights

◦ Bankers◦ Merchants◦ Professionals◦ Business owners

Farmers and peasants

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Ingredients for Revolution…Ingredients for Revolution… Monarchy: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

◦ Put country in debt Supporting American Revolution Personal luxuries

◦ Louis XVI Weak leader

◦ Couldn’t control country’s spending◦ Couldn’t control wife’s spending

Needed more money = taxes on the 2nd Estate◦ 1789: 2nd Estate forces Louis to call a meeting of

Estates-General First such meeting in 175 years First two estates could out vote the 3rd Estate,

even though the 3rd Estate had more people.

◦ Louis sides with 1st and 2nd Estates

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The Fuse Is Lit!The Fuse Is Lit!◦ Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes gets 3rd Estate to declare themselves

the National Assembly and become government of France National Assembly locked out of their meeting room by king Tennis Court Oath: National Assembly breaks down door to

tennis court and vows to stay until a constitution is created◦ Some nobles and clergy join

Painting of the National Assembly in the tennis court at Versailles

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The Revolution Goes Off!The Revolution Goes Off! Rumors

◦ King to use military against National Assembly◦ King to send troops to Paris to massacre French citizens

Citizens arm themselves with whatever they can July 14, 1789: The Bastille prison is stormed by a mob looking

for weapons◦ Release prisoners◦ Take some guards hostage and killed others

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The Great Fear SpreadsThe Great Fear SpreadsRumor

◦ Nobles hiring outlaws to attack peasantsCitizens break into houses of nobles

◦ Destroy legal papers (can’t owe king or lord what can’t be proved)

◦ Kill nobles◦ Burn houses

A chateau burns as peasants riot in the countryside

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The Great Fear Spreads…The Great Fear Spreads… October 1789: Women riot at Versailles

over cost of bread◦ Demands:

National Assembly provide bread King and queen return to Paris

August 1789: Great Fear spreads to clergy and nobles, more of whom now (out of fear) support National Assembly

◦ National Assembly ends Estate system

◦ Commoners/peasants now equal to clergy and nobles

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Statement of Revolutionary IdealsStatement of Revolutionary Ideals August 1789: National Assembly adopts Declaration of the

Rights of Man and of the Citizen◦ Influenced by Enlightenment & U.S. Declaration of

Independence “Men are born and remain

free and equal in rights.”◦ Rights included

Liberty Property Security Resistance to oppression Equal justice Freedom of speech Freedom of religion

Revolutionary leaders adopt “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” as motto (fraternity = brotherhood)

Illustration of Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

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State-Controlled ChurchState-Controlled ChurchNational Assembly goes after

Catholic Church◦ Takes lands

Sale of church lands helps pay off French debt

◦ Declares clergy will be elected and paid as state officials

◦ French peasants (mostly Catholics) take offense Creates division in

revolution Cartoon: “The Zenith of French Glory; The Pinnacle of Liberty.” A French revolutionary watches a beheading while resting his foot on the head of a hanging clergyman.

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Royals ArrestedRoyals ArrestedJune 1791: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette try to

sneak out of country◦ Arrested near Austrian border◦ Attempted escape made revolutionaries even angrier

at royalty

Arrest of Louis XVI and his Family, Varennes, 1791

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Divisions DevelopDivisions Develop1791: National Assembly creates a new constitution

◦ Creates a limited constitutional monarchy Strips king of most authority Creates a Legislative Assembly King Louis XVI agrees (no choice!)

Old problems still exist◦ Food shortages◦ Government debt◦ Poverty

Factions split revolutionaries◦ Radicals/Left: get rid of king, redo

government◦ Moderates/Center: wanted some changes

in government◦ Conservatives/Right: wanted to keep a

limited monarchy with few changes in government

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Two illustrations of sans-culottes

Divisions Develop…Divisions Develop…

Émigrés (the rich who fled France during the revolution) took actions to try to undo the revolution to get back their land

Sans-culottes (the lower-class in Paris) wanted even more radical change

◦ They had no power in the assembly (but that didn’t stop them!)

Movie poster for A Tale of Two Cities, based on the novel by Charles Dickens about the French Revolution and an émigré

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War and ExecutionWar and ExecutionAustria and Prussia fear revolution will spread.

◦ They pressure France to restore monarchy.◦ 1792: France responds by declaring war.

Prussian commander warns that he will destroy Paris if royal family is harmed.

August 10, 1792: Parisians furious at threat.◦ They storm the Tuileries (place where the royals were

under arrest). Mobs massacre royal guard, takes royal family

prisoners

Storming of the Tuileries Palace, Paris

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War and Execution…War and Execution…Rumor: King’s supporters in Paris prisons are

going to break out and retake Paris◦ Mobs raid prisons, and murder over 1,000 nobles

= September MassacresRadicals force

◦ Legislative Assembly to set aside the 1791 Constitution◦ Creation of a new government, National Convention

New government◦ Abolishes monarchy◦ Declares France a republic◦ Adult males given right to

vote

Illustration by Armand Fouquier of the September Massacres

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War and Execution…War and Execution…

National Convention, led by radical Jacobians put Louis XVI on trial and sentence him to death

◦ January 21, 1793: Louis beheaded by guillotine. War with Prussia continues.

◦ Prussia and Austria are joined by England Holland Spain

◦ National Convention takes extreme step of ordering a draft of men and women

Illustration of the execution of Louis XVI

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Reign of TerrorReign of Terror Many groups in France fighting for power

◦ Peasants loyal to Catholic Church and/or king◦ Clergy resisting government control◦ Rival leaders in different regions of France

1793: Maximilien Robespierre gains power◦ Vowed to build a “republic of virtue” by erasing

France’s past. Changed calendar

◦ Eliminated Sundays Closed churches

Reign of Terror = Robespierre = leader of Committee of Public Safety and virtual dictator

◦ Goal = protect revolution from its enemies Bogus arrests, trials Lots of torture and death

◦ Many “enemies of the revolution” = personal enemies of Robespierre because of their challenges to his power

◦ Apprx. 40,000 killed◦ 85% = peasants or middle class, those

who were supposed to benefit from the revolution

Top: Robespierre Bottom: Poster for movie

version of the Scarlet Pimpernel, a story of intrigues and love during the Reign of Terror

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End of TerrorEnd of Terror 1794: Fearing for own safety, members of National

Convention turn on Robespierre◦ Demand his arrest and execution

Reign of Terror ends on July 28, 1794 with Robespierre’s execution

◦ Public opinion shifts Tired of terror Tired of inflation for necessities

◦ 1795: National Convention creates third government since 1789

Gives more power to upper middle class Creates two-house legislature (like U.S. Congress) Created Directory = five men acting as

executive body (like U.S. president) Directory gives command of France’s armies to

Napoleon Bonaparte

Top: Illustration of the execution of Robespierre Bottom: Painting of Napoleon Bonaparte

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ReviewReview Ideas are powerful!

◦ The scientific revolution shattered long-held views about the universe. Enlightenment questioned society and government:

◦ Locke (contract between government and governed)◦ Montesquieu (checks and balances)◦ Rousseau (individual freedom and civilization corrupts)◦ Voltaire (freedom of thought and expression)

◦ Their radical beliefs in the natural rights of man inspired the American and French Revolutions.

New thinking encouraged

New thinking leads to revolutions in America and France

Scientific revolution