French Revolution 1789-1815

Europe on the eve of Frech Revolution

Periods of French Revolution Five sub-periods distinguished by form of government Estates Legislative Assembly National Convention Directory Consulate First Empire

Causes of French Revolution

Estates King Louis XVI called the Estates General in order to ask for new taxes Privilegees did not accept to pay The third estate complained because of Vote system Their lack of participation

Estates Representatives of the Three Estates agreed in continuing together to write a Constitution This agreement is know as the Oath of the Tennins Court

Estates The rumor that the king was planning a military coup against the National Assembly The mobs in Paris attacked the Bastille It was considered as a token of Absolutism

Estates The Government tried to stop the revolution Groups in the Assembly began to discuss among themselves People were afraid of Aristocrats taking measures against them: The Great Fear spread

Legislative Assembly 1789-91 The feudal regime in France was abolished All Frenchmen were, at least in principle, subject to the same laws and the same taxes and eligible for the same offices

Legislative Assembly 1789-91

Legislative Assembly 1789-91 The Declaration of the Right of the Citizen was written But: Feudal dues were not renounced Peasants would compensate their landlords The Assembly safeguarded the property rights

Legislative Assembly 1789-91 On March 1789 Parisian women organised a demonstration asking for bread The King was forced to move to Paris, to the Tuilleries The Government started thinking about how to finance the state

Legislative Assembly 1789-91 Financiation of the state: Confiscate church lands Print Assignats, that were depreciated quickly, increasing inflation

Legislative Assembly 1789-91 Other works of the Assembly were: Civil Constitution of the Clergy Govenment would maintain church The state controlled the church New Constitution, that was accepted by the King

Constitution of 1791

Legislative Assembly 1789-91 The Royal Family tried to fleed but they were caught at Varennes Foreign countries organised to attack France Austria, Prussia, Britain, Spain and Piedmont were members of the coalition

French Expansion 1791-99

National Convention 1793-95 The Convention tried to answer to the problems

National Convention 1793-95 There were three periods in the Convention: Girondin Rule: 1792-93 Jacobin Rule: 1793-94 (Reign of Terror) Thermidorian Reaction: 1794-95

National Convention 1793-95 Their first act was the abolition of the Monarchy The Decree of Fraternity offered help to any country who wanted to overtrown their government

The Politics of the National Convention 1792-95

National Convention 1793-95 The trial of the King started The King was executed on January 1793 Great Britain, Spain and Holland declared war

National Convention 1793-95 Reign of terror: Robespierre came to dominate politics: Levy of males Execution of the Queen Army push France enemies out of its borders First apparition of Napoleon

National Convention 1793-95 In order to control the crisis the Government created: Commettee of Public Safety: to oversee and speed up the work of the Government Commettee of General Security: to pursuit counter revolutionaries

National Convention 1793-95 Laws passed by the Convention: Law of General Maximum: limited prices Law of Suspects: against not enthusiastic revolutionaries Terror was instaured

National Convention 1793-95 There was a revolt in the Vendee: The need for 300,000 French troops for the war effort. Rural peasantry still highly taxed. Resentment of the Civil Constitution the Clergy. Peasants had failed to benefit from the sale of church lands.

National Convention 1793-95 Religious terror: The Catholic Church was linked with real or potential counter-revolution. Religion was associated with the Ancien Régime and superstitious practices. Very popular among the sans-culottes. Therefore, religion had no place in a rational, secular republic! New Calendar

National Convention 1793-95 New Name Meaning Time Period Vendemaire Vintage September 22 – October 21 Brumaire Fog October 22 – November 20 Frimaire Frost November 21 – December 20 Nivose Snow December 21 – January 19 Pluviose Rain January 20 – February 18 Ventose Wind February 19 – March 20 Germinal Budding March 21 – April 19 Floreal Flowers April 20 – May 19 Prairial Meadow May 20 – June 18 Messidor Harvest June 19 – July 18 Thermidor Heat July 19 – August 17 Fructidor Fruit August 18 – September 21

National Convention 1793-95 Religious terror: Public exercise of religion was banned Encourage the clergy to leave their vocations Notre Dame became the Temple of Reason Priest were deported Decree of Freedom of Cults

National Convention 1793-95 Robespierre made an speech opposing the Committees Many groups felt threatened Robespierre was arrested and guillotined This is known as the Thermidorean Reaction 1794

National Convention 1793-95 In October 1795: Paris royalists instigated outbreak of sections in opposition of 2/3 self protection measure of convention for 1st term council Napoleon’s “whiff of grapeshot” led to complete victory for convention At the end of the month the Convention was dissolved

The Directory 1795-99 In 1795 a new constitution was approved It created a bicameral government The executive power was in the hands of a group of five directors

The Directory 1795-1799 Measures taken during the Directory: They used the force to keep in power They continued with the war Babeuf’s conspiration was stopped In Novembre Napoleon gave a coup d’etat begining the Consulate

The Consulate 1799-1804 The constitution was left appart The Government was in the hands of three consuls, being Napoleon the first of them Work: End of Wars Civil Code Concordat Administrative reform

The 1st Empire 1804-1815 Napoleon was given all the powers France was involved in several wars: Prussia, Russia, Spain, Poland

The 1st Empire 1804-1815

The 1st Empire 1804-1815 The Empire was linked to the army, whose early victories exported many ideological features of the French Revolution throughout Europe. Seigneurial dues were abolished Introduction of the Civil Code Napoleon reordered the map of Europe and granted many noble titles. His rule was highly nepotistic( he placed relatives on the thrones of several European countries).

The 1st Empire 1804-1815 Napoleon was defeated by an European coalition He came back from his exile in Elba but was defeated again One Hundred Days Empire He was exiled to Santa Helena until his death

End of French Revolution After Napoleon’s abdication the Monarchy was restored in France The revolution was over.