France: A Case Study

How did nationalism develop in France? How did Napoleon contribute to French nationalism? How has nationalism developed in recent times?

During the French Revolution a series of events and conditions prompted the French people to revolt against the King and form a new nation Before 1789, France was an absolute monarchy and a feudal society that favoured the aristocracy and the Catholic clergy

Absolutism- a system where the monarch (king, queen) is given the power to rule by divine right of kings. They answer only to God. Feudal ism – a system that allowed the King and nobility to own all the land in the country. Peasants could farm the land but were forced to give a portion of their crops the nobles who owned the land

Aristocracy – a privileged group of people that owned most of the land and wealth. A small fraction of the population Catholic Clergy – Religious leaders in the Catholic church. The church was powerful, wealthy and owned a tremendous amount of land in France. Serfs – poor peasant farmers. They could not own land and represented the majority of the French population.

From about 400 – 1500 CE, powerful kingdoms in Europe developed such as England and France. Before the French Revolution the political system in France was called the ancien regime. The ancien regime divided French society into 3 estates.

The First Estate was the Roman Catholic Clergy Male dominated 250, 000 people Landowners paid no taxes Had political decision making power

The Second Estate was the nobility 250, 000 people Landowners paid no taxes Political decision making power Enjoyed other privileges such as hunting rights, and access to high ranks in clergy and the military not available to the third estate

The Third Estate included serfs/peasants, merchants (bourgeoisie), and artisans/ workers 25, 000, 000 people (mostly serfs) Could not own land Paid heavy taxes Little/no political power

1. How might the division of members of society into three separate estates have affected identity in pre France? 2. How might a member of the Third Estate feel about members of the First and Second Estate? 3. To what extent might the members of all three estates have shared a collective identity?

Inequalities in society Lavish lifestyle of royal family King Louis XVI, shy and indecisive Unpopular, self-indulgent queen, Marie- Antoinette Rest of French society divided into three classes, called estates Rise of a middle class - they demanded democracy. French treasury was empty Widespread starvation / unemployment

European intellectuals began thinking about the world in a new way in the 17 th (1600s) and 18 th (1700s) centuries Instead of looking to religion for answers Enlightenment philosophers looked to reason, evidence and proof French writers such as Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau questioned the authority of the monarch and the church.

May 1789 Louis XVI calls representatives of Estates General The representatives bring lists of grievances to encourage the King to make political changes Louis XVI was stubborn and little was agreed upon Meeting considered a failure

After failed Estates General meeting, representatives of Estates General declare themselves the National Assembly June 20 th Louis XVI locks them out of their meeting room and they meet on a nearby handball (tennis) court. They swear to continue until France had a written constitution – called the “Tennis Court Oath”

King does not recognize the National Assembly Royal troops are assembled in Paris and National Assembly fears an attack July 14 th Crowds sympathetic to the National Assembly storm the Bastille to release political prisoners and collect weapons

Poor economy, scarcity of food and rising prices cause attacks on the nobility in the countryside On August 4 th 1789 the National Assembly abolishes the Estates General and the Feudal System This gives the National Assembly legislative power in France

August 1789 the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was passed by the National Assembly. Described rights of individuals and democratic principles “All people shall have equal rights upon birth and ever after: the right to freedom, property, safety and the right to resist oppression.”

1790 – National Assembly wrote a new Constitution for France that kept the monarchy but limited the powers of the king. It eliminated the nobility as a legally recognized class Granted the same civil rights to all citizens Stripped the clergy of property and special rights

– during this period two political groups emerged, the radical Jacobins, and the moderate Girondins Girondins wanted to keep the monarchy Jacobins wanted to eliminate the monarchy and establish a republic – Robespierre and Marat

In 1792 – the Jacobins stormed the palace wher e the royal family was staying and the Legislative Assembly suspended the king from his duties Many nobles flee to Austria and Prussia where they attempt to mobilize forces against the new French government Sept – The National Convention is formed with representatives from the Jacobins and the Girondins where they vote to remove the monarchy and establish a republic

1793 – Both Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette are found guilty of treason and executed by guillotine This was controversial as many still saw Louis XVI as a representative of God

Committee of Public Safety established by the revolutionary government to eliminate those who threatened the goals of the Republic Maximilien Robespierre was instrumental in the reign of terror

Up to 40,000 perceived enemies of the state were executed, mostly by guillotine In 1794 Robespierre himself was arrested and executed The Guillotine was invented as a more humane way to execute people

Napoleon emerges as a strong military leader during the early years of the revolution Nov Napoleon is approached to lead a coup against the government He manipulated the situation and was elected first counsel, the new leader of France

Historical Since 14 th century the Ancien Regime had divided the country into three estates Catholic church had a long history of strong spiritual and political influence Political King was an absolute ruler Political power in the hands of the First and Second Estates Lack of cohesion and structure in government (no central bank or federal taxation system) No political representation by population

Economic France was on the edge of bankruptcy Third Estate heavily taxed to pay government debt Inflation and unemployment were increasing Food shortages Social Factors Feudal society that forced serfs and peasants to work land of nobility Nobility and Clergy lived a life of privilege and freedom Third estate lived in poverty and opression Rise of the middle class

In a one page response explain how France was changed by the revolution and whether you think the changes made by the revolution were positive or negative for the people of France.