French Revolution

Toward a New Political Order

The French Revolution Caused a

…

T.E.R.R.O.R.

**Write the headings, not the content on the slides … this is just a preview … we‟ll go

into depth in the near future …

T. The Influence of the

Enlightenment & American

Revolution1. What kind of govt. did enlightened thinkers like Locke,

Montesquieu, Voltaire, & Jefferson NOT like? What did

they like?

2. What did Locke, and then Jefferson in the Declaration of

Independence, say people should do if they govt. doesn‟t

protect their rights?

3. What would the Enlightenment & the American

Revolution influence the French to do if they were

unhappy w/ their govt.?

- Want democracy

- Willing to revolt to get it

E. Estate System - 3rd estate

treated unfairly by 1st &

2nd• 3rd estate = poor & middle class

• 1st = clergy, 2nd = nobility

Q: What does this picture represent?

Q: What will the 3rd estate want to

do if they feel social injustice,

economic distress, & that there

is an unpopular method of rule?

R. Revolution Begins: Storm of

the Bastille

• 3rd estate wants rights & equality

• July 14th, 1789: take over Bastille prison

• 3rd estate forms new govt. people sovereign

Q: What would Hobbes say should happen now that the people are sovereign?

R. Reign of Terror - kills anyone

against the revolution

• 3rd estate radicals use

guillotine to execute

opponents (17,000)

Q: Does the 3rd estate seem at

all hypocritical?

Q: Does Hobbes seem right or wrong

in this case?

O. Off With Absolute Monarch

Louis XVI‟s Head!

Q: According to Hobbes, would a govt. without a

king be able to meet the needs of the people? Why

or why not?

New Govt. =

Weak &

Corrupt

R. Rise of Napoleon becomes

a dictator after coup d‟ etat

- Coup d‟ etat = quick take

over of govt.

Q: Would Hobbes say things

would be better or worse

now that an absolute

ruler is in charge?

Stages of the French

Revolution

Hope Fear Terror Recovery1788-89 1789-91 1791-94 1794-95

French Revolution:

CAUSES

Background:

• French pop: 27

million

Q: What does this picture

imply about the social

structure in pre-

revolutionary France?

Causes:

• Social

• Economic

• Political

Social Causes:

Enlightenment

Estate System

Social: First Estate

1. CLERGY

2. 130,000 ppl.

3. Owned 10% of land

4. PRiVILIEGE:

• Exempt from taille

5. Radically Divided:

• Higher clergy shared interested w/ nobility

• Parish priests often poor; from class of

commoners

Social: Second Estate

1. NOBILITY

2. 350,000 ppl.

3. Owned 25-30% of land

4. Crucial Roles:

• Govt., military

5. Sought to expand

power @ expense of

monarchy

6. PRIVILEGE:

• Exempt from taille

Social: Third Estate

1. COMMONERS

2. Maj. Of FR pop

3. Divided: occupation,

level of edu, & wealth

4. Peasants=75-80% of

pop

• Lgst. segment of 3rd

• Little of no land to

survive

5. Relics of feudalism:

obligations to local

landlords

3rd Estate (cont)

7. Bourgeoisie

• 8% of pop

• Owned 20-25% of land

• Bankers, prof. ppl.,

lawyers, docs

• Drawn to ideal of

Enlightenment b/c

upset with

monarchical system

Upset With:

Immediate Cause:

Economic1. Spending Too

Much

• Spent enormous

sums on costly

wars & court

luxuries

• Spent lg. amt to

help Am. Colonists

against Britain

• Fr. Govt. was

bankrupt

Economic (cont)

2. Bad Harvest (1787-1789)

• Food Shortages price of food &

unemployment in cities

• Poor = 1/3 of pop on eve of revolution

• Louis hires Jacques Necker as finance

minister

- Advises him to call Estates General

Political

1. Louis XVI calls the Estates General (May, 1798)

• For the 1st time since 1614!!

2. Each estate had one vote (1st & 2nd could outvote 3rd estate)

3. 3rd estate: wanted a const‟l govt, all to pay taxes & each deputy to have 1 vote

4. King refused 3rd Estate calls a National Assembly to draw up a constitution

5. Tennis Court Oath (June 20, 1789): swore they would continue to meet until they produced a Fr. constitution

Tennis Court Oath

6. Storming of Bastille

• Louis prepared to use force against 3rd estate

• Bastille: prison in Paris; symbol of royal oppression

• Mob of Parisians stormed Bastille & dismantled it, brick by brick

• Royal authority collapsed

• Saved Natl. Assembly

July 14, 1789

Declaration of the Rights of

Man and the Citizen

Think & Respond:

1. According to this document, what are the

natural (imprescriptible) rights of man?

2. According to this document, can a person

be arrested or otherwise “disturbed”

because of his religious beliefs?

3. How do the rights listed in number 2 of the

document compare to the rights listed in

the Bill of Rights?

Declaration of the Rights of

Women and the Female

CitizenThink & Respond

1. What does the author of this document believe to be the “causes of public misfortunes and of the corruption of governments”?

2. What are the rights of women as listed in this document?

3. In point number 11, the document author says that “the free communication of thoughts & opinions is one of the most precious rights of women.” Add the word “men” to the statement also. As it reads now, do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.

Discussion of the Details:1. What was the purpose of this document?

2. Why do you think Olympe de Gouges felt a need to create a separate declaration of the rights of women?

3. Why did she apparently regard the use of the word „men‟ to refer to males rather than to humans of both sexes?

4. How did it compare to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen?

5. To the U.S. Bill of Rights?

Write 2 Responses to this doc: (on same sheet of paper)

1. One response from the viewpoint of a male in a male-dominated society

2. The other response from the viewpoint of a feminist.

Reform: Louis XVI is Forced to

Paris

1. During the turmoil: Louis remained quiet at Versailles; refused to accept Declaration of Rights

2. Women March to Versailles

• Women marched there and forced the king to accept the new decrees (angry over price of bread)

• Louis agrees to sign declaration; not enough

• Insisted that royal family return to Paris

• He returned, escorted by armed women

• King became virtual prisoner of Paris

• ** POWER now w/ the PEOPLE

Women‟s March for Louis

XVIThere were “detachments of women coming up from

every direction, armed w/ broomsticks, lances, pitchforks, swords, pistols, & muskets” … and upon Louis‟ return to Paris, he was escorted by “women armed with pikes, some of which held the severed heads of the king‟s guards.

“We are bringing back the baker, the baker‟s wife, and the baker‟s boy.”

Reform: Catholic Church

1. Thought to be pillar of the old order

2. Lands of church seized

3. New Civil Constitution of the Clergy

• Bishops & priests elected by the ppl & paid by

state

4. SIGNIFICANCE: French govt now controlled the

state

• Catholics became enemies of the revolution

Q: Do you see any similarities in the way many

people view Catholics and/or Catholicism today?

Reform: Constitution

1. National Assembly completed a

Constitution in 1791

• Set up a limited monarchy

Q: How is it “limited”?

• King & Legislative Assembly

• Kings power is waning (forced to sign

laws)

Q: Why is this event so historically

significant?

Louis XVI: Disloyalty1. Old order is now

destroyed: he needs help

2. Tried to flee FR in June, 1791

3. Captured, brought back to Paris

4. Disloyal monarch

5. Legislative Assembly called Oct. 1791

6. FR‟ relations w/ Europe led to Louis XVI‟s downfall

Q: Why?

War on Austria Radicals in FR

1. Austria & Prussia feared revolutions would

spread to their countries

2. Austria & Prussia: threatened to use force to

restore Louis XVI to full power

3. Legislative Assembly declared war on

Austria in spring of 1792

4. French ultimately defeated

5. Impact: new political demonstrations

• Emergence of radical groups (esp. against

king)

6. Called a Natl. Conv: to form new govt

radical stage

Meanwhile … A Radical

Revolution• Sans-culottes: w/o kneepads; symbol of non-aristocrat

• Sept, 1792: National Convention

• First Step: abolish monarchy & establish a republic.

• They didn‟t trust the king

Q: What would Hobbes say now that the ppl are sovereign?

4. Effects:

• Push for radical change: Danton (led the Commune)

- Rallied country against enemies; pushed for people to fight

- Sept. Massacre: Sans-culottes killed ppl against the rev.

5. Jan. 21, 1793: King executed (guillotine)

• Destruction of old regime complete

• “Kill king so revolution can live”

Louis XVI Killed Europe

Outraged

6. Informal coalition of

Austria, Prussia, SP,

Port, Brit, Dutch Rep, &

Russia:

- Took up arms against

FR

7. If coalition invaded:

- revolution &

revolutionaries would

be destroyed

- Old Regime would be

re-est‟d

Jean- Paul Marat Killed

• Radical leader of

revolution

• Urged popular violence

against anyone who

supported Louis XVI

• Killed by Charlotte Corde

- Girondin

• Martyred

• Symbol of revolution Death of Marat

Jacques-Louis David

Death of Marat

• How does the artist portray Marat?

• How is the lighting significant?

• Who does the artist seem to be comparing Marat to?

Marie Antoinette Executed

Oct, 1793

• Accused of incest

(excuse)

• Plead to mothers

of jury

• Sentence:

execution

• Symbol of court

culture and its

corruption

Reign of TerrorTo Strike Terror in Enemies of Revolution

1. Set in motion to protect

revolutionary France from internal

enemies.

2. In 9 months: 16,000 ppl killed by

guillotine (quick & efficient

separation of heads from bodies)

3. Said this method would only be

temporary

4. When guillotining proved too

slow, cannon fire & grapeshot

(sm. cluster of iron balls) used.

Reaction to Terror: The Directory• Needed Stability

1. By summer 1794: FR defeating their foes

2. Less need for Reign of Terror, but cont‟d

3. Robespierre guillotined July 28, 1794 moderate leaders took control & terror over

• The Directory

1. 5 directors = exec. auth. under new const.

2. Era of corruption (ppl reacted against terror)

3. Unable to solve FR‟s econ. Probs

4. Relied on military to maintain power coup d‟etat: Napoleon seized power (1799)

Following the Directory …

Napoleon

Bonaparte

Napoleon

I. Early Years

A. Born 1769, Corsica (only 5’2”!!)

B. FR mil. school (“foreigner”) army

C. Welcomed FR Rev.• Joined Ppl‟s Army

• Never liked crowds (witnessed attacks on nobles : cutting off ears & genitals)

• Promo: General Commander

• Many victories (1796-99)

D. Married Josephine (widow, lover of many men)

E. 1799: Joined conspiracy to overthrow Directory

• Appt‟d consul: reformed govt, edu, law, econ, rel (Rom Cath)

• 1802: Consul for life

Napoleon

II. Dictator (1804)

A. Crowned himself (after Brit. Plot to assassinate him,

Senate urged him to est. hereditary dynasty)

B. Victories: GB, Prussia, Austria, Russia

C. 1814: Abdicated throne in favor of son

• Sen.: only accept unconditional abdication

D. Exiled to Elba (annexed to FR in 1802)

• Treaty of Fountainbleu: N received Elba; still

Emperor

III. Personal Life

A. 1809: Divorced Josephine (no male heir)

B. 1810: Married Marie Louis (gave male heir)

Napoleon

IV. FR After Napoleon

A. Living in the past

B. Louis XVIII: so fat, can barely walk

C. Nobles: favoritism

D. Clergy: rising in power

E. Ppl yearn for Napoleon to return

V. “100 Days”

A. N leaves Elba for FR (“I must give FR a constitution … the time

for dictatorship is over”)

B. King‟s troops meet N in Alps troops join N

C. Louis XVIII flees N to Paris 100 Days

D. Defeated @ Waterloo (Allies don‟t want N) exiled to St.

Helena (off coast of Africa) Dies 1821