French Revolution

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

"Liberty leading the People" by Eugène Delacroix

The Suggested Voting Pattern: Voting by Estates Clergy 1st Estate 1 Aristocracy 2nd Estate 1 1 Commoners 3rd Estate Louis XIV insisted that the ancient distinction of the three orders be conserved in its entirety.

Causes of the French Revolution 1. Social Causes Differences between three Estates 2. Enlightened Ideas 3. Economic Troubles 4. Weak Leadership

The Causes of Instability in France 1792 - 1795 Attitudes & actions of monarchy & court Fear of Counter-Revolution Religious divisions The Causes of Instability in France 1792 - 1795 Economic Crises Political divisions War

Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI The French Monarchy: 1775 - 1793 Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI

Let Them Eat Cake! Marie Antoinette NEVER said that! “Madame Deficit” “The Austrian Whore”

Immediate Cause of French Revolution Louis brings France to bankruptcy Predecessors debt Instead of making reforms he worsened the situation by: Doubling Frances debt by aiding American Revolution Maintaining a lavish court at Versailles Refusing to tax the privileged classes

Louis Calls the Estates General Estates General was assembly of all three Estates Louis tried to impose a tax on the nobility and they insisted he get the tax approved by the Estates General First time they had been called in 175 years The meeting was held at Versailles

Features of the Estates General 1st Estate – 300 members 2nd Estate – 300 members 3rd Estate – 600 members Each estate had only one vote, voting not done by the amount of members The first and second estates would gang up on the third estate.

French Revolution Begins The meeting started At first it was dominated by 1st and 2nd Estates 3rd Estate would demand that each member have a vote not each Estate Would be called National Assembly The king rejected this proposal

In response the 3rd Estate: Declared themselves a National Assembly Were locked out of the Estates General meeting Met in an indoor tennis court and founded the Tennis Court Oath - Vowed not to disband until a constitution had been written

“The Tennis Court Oath” by Jacques Louis David June 20, 1789

Storming the Bastille, July 14, 1789 A rumor that the king was planning a military coup against the National Assembly. 18 died. 73 wounded. 7 guards killed. It held 7 prisoners [5 ordinary criminals & 2 madmen].

The Great Fear: Peasant Revolt (July 20, 1789) Rumors that the feudal aristocracy [the aristos] were sending hired brigands to attack peasants and pillage their land.

March of the Women, October 5-6, 1789 A spontaneous demonstration of Parisian women for bread. We want the baker, the baker’s wife and the baker’s boy!

The Royal Family Attempts to Flee June, 1791 Helped by the Swedish Count Hans Axel von Fusen [possible Marie Antoinette’s lover]. Headed toward the Luxembourg border. The King was recognized at Varennes, near the border

The Jacobins Jacobin Meeting House They held their meetings in the library of a former Jacobin monastery in Paris. Started as a debating society. Membership mostly middle class. Created a vast network of clubs.

The Sans-Culottes: The Parisian Working Class Small shopkeepers. Tradesmen. Artisans. They shared many of the ideals of their middle class representatives in government!

National Convention City workers took over the National Convention Declares France a Republic. Jacobins (radicals/left wing) and Girondists (conservatives/right wings) struggled to control Convention Jacobins would seize power Louis became a prisoner and was tried for treason. Jacobins were determined to protect the revolution against its enemies both foreign and domestic. They established the Committee of Public Safety

The Political Spectrum TODAY: 1790s: The Plain (swing votes) Montagnards (“The Mountain”) Girondists Monarchíen (Royalists) Jacobins

Louis XVI’s Head (January 21, 1793) They proved conclusively Louis’ knowledge and encouragement of foreign intervention. The National Convention voted 387 to 334 to execute the monarchs.

Marie Antoinette on the Way to the Guillotine

Marie Antoinette Died in October, 1793

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

Committee of Public Safety Committee became a dictatorial group that led France. Maximillien Robespierre would head the Committee and implement a period known as the Reign of Terror They arrested all those suspected of treason and had them executed by guillotine. Estimated that 40,000 died by the guillotine from 1793-1794

Maximillian Robespierre (1758 – 1794)

Let terror be the order of the day! The Reign of Terror Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible. -- Robespierre Let terror be the order of the day! The Revolutionary Tribunal of Paris alone executed 2,639 victims in 15 months. The total number of victims nationwide was over 20,000! `

Different Social Classes Executed 7% 8% 28% 25% 31%

Jean-Paul Marat (1744 – 1793)

“The Death of Marat” by Jacques Louis David, 1793

The “Monster” Guillotine

End of Reign of Terror National Convention turned on Robespierre. They feared for their safety Robespierre was arrested and guillotined Nation convention drew up a new constitution for a republic headed by a 5 man Directory Directory was incompetent and lasted only 4 years before being replaced by one man.

The Arrest of Robespierre

The Revolution Consumes Its Own Children! Danton Awaits Execution, 1793 Robespierre Lies Wounded Before the Revolutionary Tribunal that will order him to be guillotined, 1794.

Napoleon Bonaparte would overthrow the Directory and have himself crowned emperor of France