The French Revolution

Inspiration for a Change #1 - The Enlightenment  Presented new beliefs about authority – outrageous monarchs or elected representative?  Reformed the role of government – to control or protect the people?  Natural Rights – should be protected from govt.  John Locke: If govt. doesn’t work for the people, the people should overthrow it.

Inspiration for a Change #2 - The American Revolution  The colonists were unhappy with England  Govt. wasn’t working for them  Govt. wasn’t protecting their natural rights  Overthrow it and establish a new one  Served as a model for the French people

Cause #1 – Social Imbalance “The Old Regime”  First Estate: Roman Catholic Clergy Owned 15% of the land 1% of population  Second Estate: Nobility Owned 25% of the land 2% of population  Third Estate: everyone else Paid all taxes 1st 2nd 3rd

Cause #2 – Absolutism King Louis XVI  Weak  Extravagant  Bad for a time of crisis  Incurred great debts  French alliance in the American Revolution  Banks would not loan King any more money

Cause #3 – Financial Crisis Economic Depression:  Economy slows down  Job shortage  Incomes shrink  Hunger, homelessness, unable to pay taxes

#1: King calls the Estates- General  Needed to raise taxes to pay debt  French legislative body - “Estates-General” (kind of like Congress, Parliament)  Third Estate wants fair representation & voice  Demanded that every male citizen have a vote  Change would guarantee them a greater representation in the Estates-General  Request denied

moderate Change in government takes a moderate turn…

#2: National Assembly forms  When Third Estate is refused a voice in the Estates-General, they seceded (leave; pull support)  Formed a representative government called the National Assembly  Symbolized the end of an absolute monarchy  Return to Estates-General and were shut out

radical Change in government takes a radical turn…

#3: Revolutionary Changes  National Assembly, the representative govt. of the Third Estate meet on the king’s tennis court  Write a new constitution: “Tennis Court Oath”  Riots break out  The Bastille (prison and armory) is stormed by a mob of angry peasants

#4: The National Convention  King imprisoned  Legislature takes over as government  Raises an army to protect France from outside invasion  Uses the guillotine to stop “enemies” inside France

#5: The Committee of Public Safety  A group called the Jacobins became most powerful within the National Convention  Form a new govt. leadership with Robespierre as leader: Committee of Pub. Safety  Becomes like a dictator  Uses guillotine to stop enemies during the time of the “Reign of Terror”  Mass executions of 25,000-40,000 “enemies of the Revolution”  Mostly nobles and the king and queen  Robespierre deemed too radical and is executed as well

conservative Change in government takes a conservative turn…

#6: The Directory  A group of five moderate leaders  Lasted 4 years  Napoleon Bonaparte begins to make a name for himself in the military – a “rising star”

#7: Napoleon’s Empire  Napoleon stages a coup d’etat in 1799  Takes the title of “First Consul”  Establishes a national banking system  Sets up an efficient taxing system  Ends govt. corruption  Restored Church’s position in France, pleases the Pope  Creates system of laws called “Napoleonic Code” legal system  Crowns himself emperor