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The French Revolution

The French Revolution. 1789-1815. The Old Regime. Peasant Distress More than 4/5 of France’s 26 M people Taxes paid: Paid ½ income in taxes Feudal dues to nobles Tithes to church Royal taxes Land Taxes ( taille ) Forced labor ( corvee )

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The French Revolution

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  1. The French Revolution 1789-1815

  2. The Old Regime Peasant Distress • More than 4/5 of France’s 26 M people • Taxes paid: • Paid ½ income in taxes • Feudal dues to nobles • Tithes to church • Royal taxes • Land Taxes (taille) • Forced labor (corvee) • Grain shortage led to increase in price of bread: major cause of discontent

  3. The Old Regime • Government Debt • Economic Troubles • High cost of fighthing Seven-Year war • Cost of financing American Revolution • King Louis XIV& Marie Antoinette spend money extravagantly • Louis XVI doubles nation’s debt; banks refuse to lend more money

  4. Aristocratic Resistance Exempted from paying taxes 1st Estate is the Catholic clergy, they are < 1% of population, own 10% of land 2nd Estate, rich nobles, 2% of population, own 20% of land The Old Regime

  5. The Old Regime Royal Weakness • Louis’ XV (1715-1774) weak and indecisive • Luis XVI (1774-1792) and Marie Antoinette spent money extravagantly • The Parliament (high court of Paris) assumed the right to approve or disapprove the king’s decrees.

  6. Hall of Mirrors /Peasant Home

  7. Cost of Versailles is disputed by historians. Anywhere from $2 billion to $300 billion

  8. Size of Versailles/ Peasant Life

  9. The King’s Chapel

  10. The Estates General • Calling The Estates • Spring 1789 the French Government was almost bankrupt • The Assembly of Notables refused to support Louis XVI’s program of tax reform • The king called a meeting

  11. The Estates General The Three Estates • First Estate: Clergy • Catholic Church had 20% of land • Paid no direct taxes. Gave government a ‘free gift’ of 2% of income • Second Estate: Nobles • 2-4% of the population • Owned 25% of land • Third Estate: everyone else • 95% of the population: Peasant, farmers, merchants, lawyers • Resented Aristocracy

  12. The Estates General The Tennis Court Oath June 1789 • Fearing dismissal by Louis XVI, members of the delegation swear an oath to establish a constitution on a nearby tennis court. • Original voting system: each estate had 1 vote. The 3rd estate was always outvoted by the other two. • Third Estate, led by Abbe Sieyes, wanted the votes counted by number of peopleand requested a general meeting • King refused and the Third Estate declared itself the true National Assembly and met in a Tennis Court

  13. The Tennis Court Oath Marked the beginning of the French Revolution

  14. The National Assembly 1789-1791 • The Storming of the Bastille • Louis XVI ordered Swiss mercenaries to march to Paris • Political crisis combined with famine in 1789 • Peasants were starving and left their homes • Price of bread rose • Rumors told of government troops seizing peasants crops • Peasants panicked, attacked homes of nobles, destroyed feudal records, and stole grain • Mob attacks and seizes Bastille killing guards on July 14, 1789. • Symbolic Act. • Paris as the forefront of Revolution

  15. The National Assembly Reforms France • Declaration of Right of Man and The Citizen, August 1789 • Modeled on U.S. Declaration of Independence • All men were “born and remain free and equal in rights” • Right to property, liberty, security and resistance to oppression • Freedom of religion, from arbitrary arrest, speech and press and right to petition government

  16. The Right of Women • Gained increase rights to inherit property and to divorce • Mary Wollstonecraft in A Vindication of the Right of Women” appearance of inferiority because of lack of education • In October 1789, Parisian women revolt over the price of bread • They demand action, forcing Louis XVI to return to Paris from Versailles. • The National Assembly also moved to Paris

  17. National Assembly Reforms… • Create a constitutional Monarchy • Divided France in 83 departments governed by elected officials • Established the metric system • Abolished internal tariffs • Abolished guilds • The Assembly DID NOT • Give women the right to vote • Abolish private property

  18. Slogan of the French Revolution “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”

  19. The Legislative Assembly, 1791-1792 Conservative Right Radical Left: Jacobins and Girondists Moderate Center

  20. The Legislative Assembly, 1791-1792 France vs. Austria and Prussia • Leopold II of Austria and Frederick William II of Prussian issued the Declaration of Pillnitz (August 791): restoration of absolutism in France is of common interest to all European sovereignties. Austrians and Prussians want Louis in charge of France • The Legislative Assembly ()Radicals in declare war: War of the First Coalition • Prussian forces threaten Paris • The war went on from 1792 to 1815

  21. The Legislative Assembly, 1791-1792 The Second French Revolution • With Prussians threatening the capital, Parisian mobs are able to stop the Austro-Prussian army. • During the Summer of 1792, Radicals (sans-culottes) took control of the Paris Commune (city government). • Pressured by the mob, the Legislative Assembly deposes the king and call for election of a National Convention • The National Convention takes office in December, forming the French Republic • Radicals start the “September Massacres” marking the beginning of the Second French Revolution.

  22. The National Convention, 1792-1795 • The Execution of Louis XVI • Abolishment of Monarchy and declared France a Republic. • The Jacobins (more radical): demanded execution • Girondist: imprisonment • After a close vote, Louis XVI is found guilty of treason • European Reaction • At first Liberal supported Revolution • Edmund Burke: conservative critique • Mob rule= anarchy and military dictatorship • Foreign and Domestic Threats • In 1793, Britain, Spain, & Netherlands join forces against France • Girondists and Royalist Catholics rebelled against Jacobins

  23. The National Convention, 1792-1795 Robespierre assumes control • Jacobin leader rules France for a year • Becomes leader of the Committee for Public Safety. • Robespierre = dictator • “Liberty cannot be secured unless criminals lose their heads!” – Robespierre

  24. The National Convention, 1792-1795 The Reign of Terror • National Convention established the Committee of Public Safety to defend France and Safeguard the Revolution. • Led by Robespierre, the Committee exercised dictatorial power as it carried ot the Reign of Terror • In the name of creating the Republic of Virtue, Robespierre executes the queen, rivals and thousand of ‘enemies’

  25. The Reign of Terror • Revolutionary committees conduct hasty trials and issue thousands of death sentences to “traitors to the revolution.”

  26. End of the Terror • The Nation in Arms: • Robespierre turned to the danger posed by the First Coalition • 1793: Levee en Masse (compulsory military service) • National military based ion mass participation • Motivated by Patriotism, and led by young officers (Napoleon Bonaparte), France defeated the First Coalition • The Thermidorian Reaction • National Convention: arrests and executes Robespierre in July 1794 • Terror results in public opinion shifting away from radicals

  27. The Directory, 1795-1799 • Bourgeoisie Misrule • Moderate leaders write new constitution • Two house legislature and 5 man known as the Directory restore order • Middle class and professional people of the bourgeoisie were now the dominant force in government. • Proved to be corrupt and unpopular • Fall of the Directory • France made peace with Prussia and Spain, but war with England and Austria continued • Bread prices rose causing sans-culottes to riot • Émigrés returned to France, reviving reactionary, royalist feelings in peasants • Peasants upset about church reforms • During the election of 1797 Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the Directory and seized Power.

  28. Napoleon and the Consulate 1799-1804 • The First Consul • As first Consul he held power and made all the decisions • Popularity continue to raise as he restored order, stimulated prosperity and defeated the Second Coalition • Voters endorsed Napoleon’s rule. He successfully used all democratic process to destroy democracy • Transformed France into a modern state • Enlightened despot • Napoleonic code • Consolidation of hundreds of local laws codes into a uniform code that is still the basis of the French Law • Guaranteed equality before the law, freedom of religion, abolition of privilege, protection of property rights • Increased authority of husbands within the family • Women and children were legally dependent on their husband or father

  29. Napoleon and the Consulate 1799-1804 • Concordat of 1801 • Ended strained relationship of church and state • Special status granted to Catholic Religion as the religion of ‘majority of Frenchmen’ • Pope regained the right to confirm church dignitaries. • Church recognized government and accepted property loss

  30. The Napoleonic Empire, 1804-1815 • Europe was at my feet • Between 1805 and 1807, Napoleon defeated Austria, Prussia and Russia • Victory is Austerlitz solidified his reputation as a military genius • By 1808, French rule extended from the North Sea to Spain and included much of Italy • Lord Nelson’s naval victory at Trafalgar stopped Napoleon form controlling the seas and invading Great Britain. • The Reorganization of Germany • Dissolution of the Holy Roman empire • Independent German states become confederation of the Rhine • Abolished feudalism • Unwilling acceleration of German Unification

  31. The Napoleonic Empire, 1804-1815 • The Fall of Napoleon • Aura of Invincibility: Believe in his own power led him to make three tactical error. 2. The continental System • In 1806 closed all European ports to British ships and goods • He hoped this would cause an economic depression in Great Britain and prosperity in France 3. Guerilla warfare in Spain • In 1808 he deposed Spain’s Bourbon rulers and installed his brother Joseph. • Guerrillas ambushed French troops. France lost almost 300,000 men. Eventually contributed to Napoleons defeat 4. The Invasion of Russia • Continental System prevented Russia from exporting grain to GB. Tsar Alexander (1801-1825) refused and Napoleon invaded. • Russia did not surrender. Napoleon retreated and LOST

  32. Napoleon Final Battles • Napoleon enemies took advantage • Britain, Prussia, Russia and Austria formed Grand Alliance • Defeated napoleon at the Battle of Nations October 1813 • Allied armies entered Paris in March 1814. Napoleon abdicated and was sent to Elba • In March 1815 escaped and formed a new army. Lost at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 • Abdicated a second time and was sent to St. Helena. He died in 1821

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