Chapter 11: The French Revolution

Section 1 The Revolution Begins

The Background The causes of the French Revolution are deeply tied to French Society French Society was separated into 3 estates 1st Estate: Clergy 2nd Estate: Nobility 3rd Estate: Ordinary People

The Three Estates Major problems began existing with three estates Even though the majority of the people were in the third estate, much land and almost all the power rested with the first two estates As well, the third estate paid all of the country’s taxes

1) What was the first estate. A: Nobility. B: Clergy C: Peasants 1) What was the first estate? A: Nobility B: Clergy C: Peasants D: Merchants 2) Which estate had the most people in it? A: 1st B: 2nd C: 3rd D: They were =

Inside the Third Estate Within the third estate there existed more classes The lower class workers and unskilled laborers still had feudal like obligations to landowners The new middle class or bourgeoisie owned land and had significant monetary power but no noble titles

Financial Issues The French Economy suffered setbacks in 1787 and 1788 with poor harvests and manufacturing slowdowns Coupled with debts from the American Revolution Louis XVI called the Estates-General to order to discuss new taxes

3) Frances debt from what aided in the financial hardships of 1788-1789? A: 100 Years War B: World War I C: American Revolution D: Age of Exploration

Estates-General >> National Assembly Estates-General was a representative body of all three estates 1st Estate: 300 Delegates 2nd Estate: 300 Delegates 3rd Estate: 600 Delegates The 3rd Estate wanted to change the voting from 1 vote for each estate to 1 vote for each delegate

Estates-General >> National Assembly The King refused the third estates demand The third estate separated themselves and created the National Assembly The Assembly met in a tennis court and swore to draft a constitution (This became known as the Tennis Court Oath)

4) What was the original representative body of France known as 4) What was the original representative body of France known as? A: National Assembly B: Parliament C: Congress D: Estates-General

The Bastille Louis XVI prepared to use force to break up the National Assembly However, on July 14, 1789 a group of Parisians stormed the ancient stronghold known as the Bastille to gather weapons and free prisoners

Revolution Spreads As the Storming of the Bastille continued popular revolts broke out across France against the landowning system By the summer of 1789 France was in total chaos

5) What building did revolutionaries in Paris storm 5) What building did revolutionaries in Paris storm? A: The Mayor’s Palace B: The Bastille C: Versailles D: National Treasury

Declaration of the Rights of Man As part of legitimizing the revolution the National Assembly passed the Declaration of the Rights of Man on August 26 The Declaration was patterned after the US Declaration of Independence and Constitution

Declaration of the Rights of Man The Declaration was built upon Enlightenment principles The Declaration gave freedom and equal rights to all men, equal opportunity for employment, and equal taxation

6) The Declaration of the Rights of Man was patterned after what two documents? A: Magna Carta B: U.S. Declaration of Independence C: U.S. Bill of Rights D: U.S. Constitution

Louis XVI Louis XVI was still in “power” at Versailles during the revolts The King regretfully accepted the new governments terms and came to Paris as a virtual prisoner along with his wife Marie Antoinette

New Constitution In 1791 the National Assembly passed a new constitution setting up a Limited Monarchy Political trouble soon erupted as relatives of Louis XVI in Prussia and Austria declared war to restore the monarchy

7) The Constitution of 1791 set up a what kind of government 7) The Constitution of 1791 set up a what kind of government? A: Absolute Monarchy B: Limited Monarchy C: Republic D: Dictatorship

Radical Revolution and Reaction Section 2 Radical Revolution and Reaction

The Paris Commune Radical revolutionaries in Paris began attacking monarchical forces These radical groups became known as the Paris Commune Its members became known as the sans-culottes

Depicted as Savages by a British Cartoonist. The Sans-Culottes Depicted as Savages by a British Cartoonist.

Maximillian Robespierre (1758 – 1794)

Georges Jacques Danton (1759 – 1794) “Rise up people of France and crush your enemies!

The September Massacres, 1792 Rumors that the anti-revolutionary political prisoners were plotting to break out & attack from the rear the armies defending France, while the Prussians attacked from the front. Buveurs de sang [“drinkers of blood.”] over 1000 killed! It discredited the Revolution among its remaining sympathizers abroad.

Jean-Paul Marat (1744 – 1793)

The Assassination of Marat by Charlotte Corday, 1793

Marat and Radicalism The French Revolution began moving in a much more radical phase With the King powerless radical revolutionaries pushed for more violence and revenge against the aristocracy The newspaper publisher Jean-Paul Marat incited radicals further

The King The question of Louis XVI still loomed Two factions of the Jacobins argued The radical Mountain faction wanted to execute the king The Girondins wanted to spare his life The decision was made to execute the King on January 21, 1793

Marie Antoinette as a Serpent The “Widow Capet”

Marie Antoinette Died in October, 1793

Crisis and Response At this point in the revolution France began breaking apart Provinces refused to listen to the new lawmaking body the National Convention At the same time a coalition of countries prepared to invade

Crises and Response In an effort to quell the discontent and protect the people the National Convention created a 12 man group known as the Committee of Public Safety Headed by Maximilien Robespierre it had incredible power and began the Reign of Terror

Reign of Terror The Committee for Public Safety began executing hundreds of suspected enemies of the revolution Over 16,000 people, including Marie Antoinette were guillotined under the direction of Robespierre

National Motto of France Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood In French this is Liberte, Egalite, and Fraternite Blue and Red are the traditional colors of Paris White was the ancient color of France

Republic of Virtue Robespierre controlled France until he began to de-Christianize the country Robespierre replaced Christianity with a new god known as the Goddess of Virtue Calendars, street signs, and buildings were all replaced and secularized

Committee for Public Safety Revolutionary Tribunals. 300,000 arrested. 16,000 – 50,000 executed.

A Republican Calendar

The New Republican Calendar Vendemaire (Vintage) 22 September-21 October Brumaire (Fog) 22 October-20 November Frimaire (Frost) 21 November-20 December Nivose (Snow) 21 December-19 January Pluviose (Rain) 20 January-18 February Ventose (Wind) 19 February-20 March Germinal (Budding) 21 March-19 April Floreal (Flowers) 20 April-19 May Prairial (Meadows) 20 May-18 June Messidor (Harvest) 19 June-18 July Thermidor (Heat) 19 July-17 August Fructidor (Fruit) 18 August-21 September The New Republican Calendar 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

A New Republican Calendar Year Vendemaire (Vintage) 22 September-21 October Brumaire (Fog) 22 October-20 November Frimaire (Frost) 21 November-20 December Nivose (Snow) 21 December-19 January Pluviose (Rain) 20 January-18 February Ventose (Wind) 19 February-20 March Germinal (Budding) 21 March-19 April Floreal (Flowers) 20 April-19 May Prairial (Meadows) 20 May-18 June Messidor (Harvest) 19 June-18 July Thermidor (Heat) 19 July-17 August Fructidor (Fruit) 18 August-21 September A New Republican Calendar Year I 1792 – 1793 II 1793 – 1794 III 1794 – 1795 IV 1795 – 1796 V 1796 – 1797 VI 1797 – 1798 VII 1798 – 1799 VIII 1799 – 1800 IX 1800 – 1801 X 1801 – 1802 XI 1802 – 1803 XII 1803 – 1804 XIII 1804 – 1805 XIV 1805 The Gregorian System returned in 1806.

No God! No Religion! No King! No Constitution! The Radical’s Arms: No God! No Religion! No King! No Constitution!

The “Temple of Reason” Come, holy Liberty, inhabit this temple, Become the goddess of the French people.

The Festival of Supreme Being A new secular holiday

The Terror Intensified: March to July, 1794 Jacques Hébert & the Hérbetists Danton & the “Indulgents” Executed in March, 1794 Executed in April, 1794 Law of 22 Prairial [June 10, 1794]. Trials were now limited to deciding only on liberty OR death, with defendants having no rights. Were you an “enemy of the people?” (the law was so broadly written that almost anyone could fall within its definition!) 1,500 executed between June & July.

The End of the Terror Robespierre failed to realize how strongly Catholic the French people were Robespierre tried to garner more power but was guillotined himself, ending the Reign of Terror

The Directory With the terror over the revolutionaries set up a new government called the Directory The Directory compromised two representative bodies and restored stability until a young general named Napoleon Bonaparte took power