The French Revolution 1789

Four phases of the French Revolution 1. “Liberal” Phase (1789-1791) 2. “Radical” Phase (1792-1794) 3. Directory Rule (1795-1799) 4. Napoleonic Era (1799-1815)

Pre-Revolutionary France (up to 1789) Why did revolution break out in 1789? What were the causes of the French Revolution?

#1: The French Monarchy (1774-1793) Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI

Marie Antoinette and the Royal Children

Marie Antoinette’s “Peasant Cottage”

Marie Antoinette’s “Peasant Cottage”

Cardinal Louis René de Rohan & Jean de La Motte The Necklace Scandal Cardinal Louis René de Rohan & Jean de La Motte 1,600,000 livres ($100 million today)

Let them eat cake! “Madame Deficit” “The Austrian Whore”

#2: An Outdated Social Structure Legal division into 3 orders, or estates: First Estate: Clergy Second Estate: Nobility Third Estate: Commoners (bourgeoisie & peasants)

Inequitable Distribution of Land

“The People under the Old Regime”

#3: Enlightenment Ideas Classical Liberalism: Liberty Equality

Liberty A call for: individual human rights a new kind of government

John Locke (1632-1704) “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions”

Montesquieu (1689-1755) “When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner.”

Equality All citizens should have equal rights and liberties, except: women excluded economic equality excluded

right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

#4: Model of the American Revolution The Boston Tea Party, 1773

The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776

#5: Financial Problems French Budget, 1774

Where is the tax money?

Phase 1: The “Liberal” Phase (1789-1791)

Convening of the Estates General May 1789 Last time it was called into session was 1614!!

The Suggested Voting Pattern: Voting by Estates 1 1st Estate – Clergy 2nd Estate – Aristocracy 1 1 3rd Estate – Commoners

The Number of Representatives in the Estates General: Vote by Head! 300 1st Estate – Clergy 2nd Estate – Aristocracy 300 648 3rd Estate – Commoners

“The Third Estate Awakens” June 17, 1789 – Formation of the National Assembly

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

Storming the Bastille July 14, 1789

Revolutionary Paris, 1789

The French Urban Poor

The Great Fear: Peasant Revolt July 20, 1789

March of the Women October 5-6, 1789 We want the baker, the baker’s wife and the baker’s boy!

Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité! National Assembly 1789-1791 August Decrees (August 4-11, 1789) Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité!

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen August 26, 1789 “Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights.” (…but NOT of Woman)

The WHITE of the Bourbons + the RED and BLUE of Paris The Tricolor, 1789 The WHITE of the Bourbons + the RED and BLUE of Paris

83 Revolutionary Departments February 26, 1790

Civil Constitution of the Clergy July 12, 1790 national church clergy elected oath of allegiance

They were backed by the sale of Church lands. Assignats They were backed by the sale of Church lands.

constitutional monarchy Louis XVI “accepts” the constitution and National Assembly, September 1791 absolute monarchy ↓ constitutional monarchy (CONSTITUTION #1)

French Constitution of 1791: A Constitutional Monarchy the king got the “suspensive” veto (prevented passage of laws for 4 years) he could not pass laws his ministers were responsible for their own actions a permanent, elected, single chamber Legislative Assembly had the power to grant taxation an independent judiciary

While the revolutionaries seemingly got off to a good start… A foreshadowing of events to come….

Phase 2: The “Radical” Phase (1792-1794)

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

Royal family attempted to flee France June 1791 Marie Antoinette risks her body to save her son, the crown prince.

War (1792-1815) European monarchs feared spread of revolution (émigrés spread rumors) ↓ offered help to French monarchy French revolutionaries declared war 1792 – Austria & Prussia (“First Coalition”) 1793 – Britain, Holland, Spain

The Storming of the Tuilieres August 10, 1792 Royal family imprisoned.

National Convention (1792-1795) replaced Legislative Assembly elected by universal male suffrage legislative branch of the new republic

The September Massacres, 1792 Over 1,000 Parisians killed!

The First French Republic (1792-1795) “second revolution”: constitutional monarchy ↓ republic (CONSTITUTION #2)

New pop culture: The Tricolor is the Fashion!

New pop culture: Revolutionary Playing Cards

New pop culture: A New Republican Calendar 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.

New pop culture: A 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 New pop culture: A 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

The Jacobins Jacobin Meeting House Parisian political club younger, more radical than Nat’l. Assembly members dominated Legislative Assembly & National Convention Jacobin Meeting House

A Jacobin Club Meeting

The Politics of the National Convention Montagnards “The Mountain” Girondists More radical. Power base in Paris. Main support from the sans-culottes. Leaders: Robespierre & Danton More moderate. Power base in the provinces. Feared the influence of the sans-culottes.

The Political Spectrum Today The Plain (uncommitted) Jacobins Montagnards (“The Mountain”) Girondists Monarchíen (Royalists)

The Sans-culottes: The Parisian Poor

Depicted as savages by a British cartoonist. Sans-culottes Depicted as savages by a British cartoonist.

Attempts to Control the Growing Crisis Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris  try suspected counter-revolutionaries A. Representatives-on-mission B. Watch Committees C. Trial & execution of rebels & émigrés Printing of more assignats to pay for war Committee of Public Safety * oversee and speed up gov’t. work Committee of General Security * responsible for pursuit of counter-revolutionaries, treatment of subjects, & other internal security matters

Committee of Public Safety Est. April 1793 12-member executive gov’t. during Reign of Terror revolutionary tribunals 300,000 arrested 16,000-50,000 executed

Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794)

Georges Jacques Danton (1759-1794)

The Economy – Committee of Public Safety’s “Total War” Legislation planned economy – “embryonic emergency socialism” fixed prices rationing gov’t.-mandated production levels nationalization of businesses Aug. 1973 – conscription EFFECT: France achieved victory in wars.

Reign of Terror (1793-1794) Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible. - Robespierre

Those convicted await their fate. Reign of Terror (1793-1794) Those convicted await their fate.

The Guillotine

The Paris Mob

The “Monster” Guillotine The last guillotine execution in France was in 1939.

Execution of Louis XVI January 21, 1793

Execution of Marie Antoinette October 1973

Thermidorian Reaction (1794-1795) July 26 Robespierre gave a speech illustrating new plots & conspiracies alienated members of the CPS – many felt threatened by his implications July 27 (9 Thermidor)  Convention arrested Robespierre July 28 Robespierre was tried & guillotined!

Arrest of Robespierre

The revolution consumes its own children… Robespierre lies wounded before the revolutionary tribunal that will order him to be guillotined, 1794. Danton awaits execution, 1793.

Phase 3: Directory Rule (1795-1799)

Directory Rule (1795-1799) Constitution of 1795: republic ↓ Directory 5-man Directory 2-house legislature But problems continued…

Phase 4: Napoleonic Era (1799-1815)

Napoleonic Era (1799-1815) coup d’etat – overthrew Directory and established dictatorship

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)