French Revolution Beginning

Class Division King First Estate: Clergy (100,000) Second Estate:Nobles (400,000) Of the sword, gown, or hat Third Estate: “Commoners” (26 million) Peasants Bourgeosie

Catapult to Crisis Louis XIV Absolute Monarchy; wars Louis XV pleasure-seeking; wars Louis XVI weak leadership; wars French and Indian War (1763) American Revolution (1776-1781) Example of Prussia “enlightened” despotism and England constitutional monarchy Enlightenment Ideals

Monarchy Louis XVI poor public image: too separate from the people, wife’s reputation Nobles had begun to use parlement judicial system to preempt his authority

French Finances Country was overburdened with debt Third Estate could not bear greater tax load (nobles using force to extract money, in addition to high taxes) Crown could not borrow more money because of danger of default Necker’s Report: discount cost of American war, budget okay

Calonne’s Reform Plan 1786 Calonne, Minister of Finance, proposed reform through more internal trade, lowering some taxes, peasant’s services converted to cash payments, and NEW TAX ON LAND to be paid by all landholders Plan rejected by Assembly of Notables (1787), made up of aristocrats and clergy; they demanded convening of medieval Estates General

Medieval Estates General Had not been convened since 1614 Each Estate debated and voted individually, and king had a vote Power in Estates General was weighted towards First and Second Estates

To a New Estates General Calonne’s replacement, Brienne, found situation as bad as Calonne had presented; Brienne also called for tax on land Parlement of Paris refused, demanded convening of Estates General 1789 King agreed to convene E.G.; Brienne resigned, Necker returned

Estates General breaks down Local committees selected representatives to E.G.; this made members of Third Estate aware of inequity in representation Nobility and clergy had been attacking each other publicly before convention, which roused Third Estate against both Third Estate requested all Estates meet together, and that Third Estate have greater representation Sept. 1788 Parlement of Paris ruled that each Estate would continue to vote independently Dec. 1788 royal council gave Third Estate twice as many reps as First or Second Estates (to buy allegiance of 3rd E.)

Grievances: Cahiers de Doléances Government waste Indirect taxes Church taxes Corrupt clergy Hunting rights of aristocracy Wanted regular meetings of Estates General Equitable taxes More local control Unified weights and measures Free press Equality of rights of all subjects

Creation of National Assembly Third Estate refused to convene as separate Estate June 1 Third Estate invited clergy and nobility into a new government body: National Assembly June 19 Second Estate voted to join National Assembly June 20 Tennis Court oath to create French constitution June 27 Louis XVI asked first and second estates to join National Assembly and vote by head, not estate

Fall of Bastille Louis tried to cow the National Assembly by calling 20,000 troops into Paris Merchants, small business owners, regular people in Paris roused by rumors of soldiers coming, sought to protect Assembly June 14, 1789 stormed Bastille looking for weapons 98 killed; command post at Bastille killed, heads paraded through Paris on posts

New symbols of France Many groups, many interests erupted in beginning of Revolution Militia of Paris offered leadership to Marquis de Lafayette, who suggested cockade, new flag King “bowed to force of events” and adopted cockade

The Great Fear News of changes in Paris traveled to countryside; a “Great Fear” swept countryside, and peasants attacked nobles Aug. 4, 1789, in reaction to calm peasants, aristocrats in National Assembly renounced feudal rights, dues, and tithes—inspired others to renounce privileges Now all citizens on same footing

Environmental and Economic factors Poor harvests in 1787 and 1788 Winter of 1788-1789 unusually cold Wages had not kept pace with rising food prices =People suffering severely from hunger

Problems with Assembly Used fear generated by popular uprisings to intimidate the king Assembly was not unified; each faction fought against each other for its own goals Shopkeepers and artisans best-organized

Declaration of Rights of Man Aug. 27, 1789 All men born free and equal Inalienable rights to liberty, property, and personal security Government exists to protect citizens Due process of law, freedom of religion, and innocent until proven guilty Taxes proportional to ability to pay Property a right ordained by God

Paris Women March on Versailles Louis XVI slow to ratify Declaration Rumors spread that king would try to use military to end revolution Oct. 5, 7,000 women from Paris marched to Versailles to demand help to end bread shortage Insisted royal family move to Paris; they marched him and family to Tuileries on Oct. 6, 1789

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2006/november/marieantoinette.php