CHAPTER 11 FRENCH REVOLUTION

THE OLD ORDER 3 Estates Determine position in society First Estate Clergy 1% of pop. 10% of land High Clergy Bishops - noble by birth Lower Clergy Priest - power backgrounds Tithe - 10% tax on income

2 ND AND 3 RD ESTATES Second Estate Nobility Roughly 2% of Population Owned 25% of land Third Estate Peasants, Christians Bourgeois – Middle Class Lawyers, Merrchants, etc Poor life High taxes and fees from first and second estates No voice in the government

THREE ESTATES

IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT People start to question authority and government spending on luxury and war. The poor lived in squalor and saw the luxury of the 1 st and 2 nd estates. Example - Marie Antoinette - Lavish lifestyle. Jealousy and anger spread

ESTATES GENERAL Each Estate sent representatives to meet in the Estates-General. Each Estate had ONE vote. The 3 rd estate was constantly outvoted by the other two. The members of the 3 rd Estate wanted to set up a Constitutional Government that would reform France. Abolish tax exemptions of the clergy and nobility 3 rd estate wanted each Rep. to vote.

1789 King rejected the voting proposal - 3 rd estate walks out in protest. Locked out by other two. Tennis Court Oath - 3 rd estate swore (while standing on a tennis court) to continue meeting until they draft a new constitution. This created a new body called the National Assembly.

KING LOUIS 16TH Tries to stop the National Assembly Commoners rise up in revolt. Raid the Bastille Prison. Release political prisoners. King’s authority collapses. REBELLION SPREADS!!

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND CONSTITUTION OF 1791 Wanted a new government with more reform Ended feudalism by abolishing titles and taxing nobles Limited Monarch Men over 25 who paid taxes could vote King tries to flee France but is stopped. End of Old Order

DECLARATIONS OF RIGHTS All people are equal before law Protected Free speech, Press, and Religion Rights for men not women

RADICALS Sans-culottes – seek to push Revolution further Working class and poor who want more change Seek revenge on those who supported the king. Thousands are killed.

1792 National Assembly ends Monarchy and creates a Republic. King is beheaded by Guillotine. Creation of the Committee of Public Safety Lead by Danton and Robespierre

REIGN OF TERROR – C.P.S. seeks to identify and punish the enemies of the Revolution. Defend France from its enemies! CPS kills approx. 40,000 people - anyone who opposes the Sans-culottes. 15% were clergy or nobles- rest were merchants or peasants. Church attacked for its policies. CPS tried to de-Christianize France. Robespierre soon realizes that France is too Christian to do this. France arms itself CPS creates a huge army (1.7 million) to defend France from its enemies.

EXECUTION OF ROBESPIERRE He was obsessed with ridding France of its internal enemies. National Assembly fears Robespierre. Executes him in 1794! Terror ends!

THE DIRECTORY Revolutionary council of 5 members Stilled feared loyalist takeover Gap between rich and poor still existed French men not satisfied People turn to the Army watch?v=VEZqarUnVpo watch?v=VEZqarUnVpo