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French Revolution. Versailles Palace. This palace would house France ’ s royal family from 1682-1789. The palace was built by Louis XIV in order to move the royal family away from Paris. This was done to avoid corruption and conspiracy (plot against) among the court. Louis XIV: The Basics.
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Versailles Palace • This palace would house France’s royal family from 1682-1789. • The palace was built by Louis XIV in order to move the royal family away from Paris. • This was done to avoid corruption and conspiracy (plot against) among the court.
Louis XIV: The Basics • Louis became His Most Christian Majesty at the age of 5 in 1643. • He did not assume power until he was 23 in 1661. • He was supreme ruler of France until his death in 1715. He was 77. • He referred to himself as the Sun King because he felt the court and France should revolve around him.
Louis XIV: Politics • Louis didn't rule as a child. He ruled under an Italian, Cardinal Mazarin, and his mother until the age of 23.
Examples of Enlightenment Ideas: • People should be equal and free, and take part in public life. • People of all faiths should be accepted as equals. • People should be allowed to publicly criticize the government or the press without fear of being arrested or killed. • Against torture • Wanted education to be widely available.
The English Revolution • In the late 17th century, King James II tried to establish an absolute monarchy (king has total control).
British law makers (Parliament) felt threatened by this and decided to draft the Bill of Rights. • This document would limit the king’s powers. • James II was overthrown and fled to France.
Parliament offered the throne to Mary (king’s daughter) if she agreed to the Bill of rights.
Importance of English Revolution: • Monarchs no longer had absolute power. • Parliament would make all of the important decisions. • They had to respect habeas corpus and the Bill of Rights (set of laws).
HABEAS CORPUS: • People have the basic freedom not to be imprisoned without a trial. • Anyone who is arrested has the right to know why they are being arrested and what the charge is. • They can be released on bail and must be brought before a judge within 3 days.
The French Revolution • Before the F.R., France operated under a social system in which there were 3 classes of people: the clergy, the nobility and the commoners (lowest). • Members of this lowest estate, called the Third Estate, paid all the taxes.
France and the Ancien Régime • It refers to social classes, wealth, and power that existed in France before the Revolution. • The king had absolute/total power. • Frenchmen believed it was the king’s divine right (god given) to rule.
First Estate • The First Estate was the clergy, who were people, including priests, who ran both the Catholic church and some aspects of the country. • In addition to keeping registers of births, deaths and marriages, the clergy also had the power to levy a 10% tax known as the tithe. • They paid no taxes
Second Estate • The Second Estate consisted of the nobility of France, including members of the royal family, except for the king. • Members of the Second Estate did not have to pay any taxes. • They were also awarded special privileges, such as the wearing of a sword and hunting. • Like the clergy, they also collected taxes from the Third Estate.
King Louis gave his nobles pointless titles. • Although his nobles had no real power, they were happy and remained loyal to him. • To distract the nobility the king threw lavish parties at the palace of Versailles. • With all this, Louis could make any decision he wanted to.
Third Estate • The Third Estate was made up of everyone else, from peasants to the bourgeoisie – the wealthy business class. • While the Second Estate was only 1% of the total population of France, the Third Estate was 96%, and had none of the rights and privileges of the two other estates. • High unemployment • They paid all the taxes!
Inequalities between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Estates. France was bankrupt due to too much (excessive) spending The monarchy ran France to the ground with its reckless spending . That’s why Louis XVI called the Estates-General in hopes of ending the debt crisis
Hunger and poverty • Bad harvests meant that majority of people were broke and hungry. This led to food riots! • Reform fails! Estates-General dead-locked and can not agree on issue of voting.
Indirect causes of the French Revolution • Enlightenment ideas of John Locke: • It is the elected government’s responsibility to protect the people’s natural rights. • The people have the right to overthrow that government if it fails to do this. • American Revolution ideas of liberty and equality. • *(U.S. Constitution was signed 2 years before, in 1787)
The Enlightenment of the 3rd Estate • Many members of the Third Estate were inspired by Enlightenment ideas. • They wanted representation in government • They no longer believed monarchs had “divine right” – ruler’s power comes from God. • They were also inspired by the American Revolution
King Louis XVI • This king was spoiled and weak. • He led France deeply into debt (spent more money than he had) • He had to call on the Estates-General to help fix some problems, but his reforms failed.
Louis calls the Estates-General meeting • The last time it was called into session was in 1614!
Estates-general • King told the Estates-General to make a list of all their problems. • Third Estate’s main problem is representation • It was the largest group with only one vote in the Estates-General. • Third Estate wanted each person’s vote to count.
The 1st or 2nd Estates did not want to hear what the 3rd Estate had to say or compromise on voting fairly. • 3rd Estate also demanded a constitution. This was a set of rules which would limit the king’s power and give them a say in running France.
The Estates-General meeting FAILS! • The king would not accept their demands. • On the morning of 20 June, the deputies were shocked to discover that the chamber door was locked and guarded by soldiers. • In anger the 3rd Estate went off to a nearby Tennis Court and formed a new government called the National Assembly. • It is in this court that the Assembly would stay together until the king agreed to a constitution. It became known as the Tennis Court Oath!
Storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789 • On July 14, 1789 the people (3rd Estate) stormed the Bastille, a prison, in search of gunpowder & weapons. • They acted on a rumor that the king was going to use military force to dismiss (send away) the National Assembly AND that foreigners were coming to attack Paris.
The great fear: peasant revolt (July 20, 1789) • Rumors that the king and the nobles were sending their military to attack peasants, pillage their land and put down the revolt.
What about King Louis’ European allies? • The 3rd Estate worried that Louis’ allies would send in an army to help him restore his throne. • From this point on, any supporter of the king, royals, nobles would be seen as a treat. • One way to eliminate this treat is to kill as many of them as possible.
Declaration of the Rights of Man • After the storming of the Bastille the National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man in August 1789. The main features: • Class privileges were ended - (no more “estates”) • Frenchmen were free and equal • Bill of rights for Frenchmen (freedom of speech, press, religion, etc.)
Shortcomings of the Declaration • It excludes women. • It does not outlaw slavery despite the fact that document discusses the freedom and equality of all men.
Legislative Assembly • By 1791, the Legislative Assembly replaced the National Assembly. • It wanted to keep the king but limit his powers. • This is called a constitutional monarchy (king has no real power). • Louis secretly hated this idea but had no choice to accept it.
How did members of the Legislative Assembly feel about having a constitutional monarchy? • Extreme radicalswere the sans-culotte. • They push the revolution into the radical phase • They demanded a republic – NO MONARCHY!
Moderates wanted a Constitutional Monarchy! • Extreme conservatives were the émigrés. (royals, clergy and nobles) • They wanted the king to have absolute power
Radicals create the National Convention • The legislative Assembly eventually gave up the idea of forming a constitutional monarchyand was forced to turn control over to the radicals • The radicals formed a new governing body & called itself the National Convention (1791). Goals: • Create a republic (vote for leaders) • Abolish the monarchy!
France declares war on Prussia and Austria in 1792! • Why? Both empires had been helping French nobles (called émigrés)who had fled from France. • Les émigrés had convinced Prussia to send in an army and crush the revolution. By doing so, Louis’ power would be restored and the nobles would have all of their privileges back.
The king’s escape attempt backfires! (1792) • Louis XVI had the title of King but no power. • In June 1791, the king and his family tried to escape from Paris to join members of the army at Metz.
The plan failed and they were captured in Varennes. • They were forced to return to Paris through silent and angry crowds. • The people of France feel betrayed by the king’s attempt to escape and see him as a traitor.
France becomes a republic in 1792 • The National Convention abolished the monarchy after Louis’ escape attempt and declares France a Republic. • King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette are put on trial for treason, found guilty and executed shortly after.
Robespierre • Nicknamed “The Incorruptible”. • Belonged to the Jacobin Club, who were strong supporters of the revolution • He was merciless. • He became president of the Committee of Public Safety. • Its role was to protect the newly established republic against foreign attacks and internal rebellion (traitors).
The next day, 28 July 1794, Robespierre was guillotined without trial in the Place de la Révolution. When clearing Robespierre’s neck the executioner tore off the bandage that was holding his shattered jaw in place, producing an agonised scream until the fall of the blade silenced him. Together with those executed with him, he was buried in a common grave at the newly opened Errancis cemetery (cimetière des Errancis) (March 1794 – April 1797) (now the Place de Goubeaux). Between 1844 and 1859 (probably in 1848), the remains of all those buried there were moved to the Catacombs of Paris. The night before his execution, Robespierre tried to kill himself with a pistol, but he was unsuccessful. He merely shattered his jaw.
The Terror • Under the direction of Robespierre, the Committee of Public Safety guillotined nearly 18 000 people, between 1793-1794. • The people that were executed were usually charged with treason or they did not agree with the drastic actions of the Committee of Public Safety.
Georges-Jacques Danton (Oct.26, 1759 – Apr.5, 1794 • Georges Danton,French Revolutionary leader and orator, often credited as the chief force in the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the First French Republic (September 21, 1792). He later became the first president of the Committee of Public Safety, but his increasing moderation and eventual opposition to the Reign of Terror led to his own death at the guillotine.
The end of the Reign of Terror • Many victims were fellow radicals who had upset Robespierre; including members of his own club • Robespierre was eventually arrested and executed for treason.
