The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era Chapter 18

3 Phases of the French Revolution  1st Phase - Constitution of 1791  2nd Phase - Reign of Terror  3rd Phase - Napoleon

Causes of Revolution  Structure of Old French Society  Strong to Weak Monarch  Financial Problems  Enlightenment Principles

Structure of “Old” French Society First Estate – Clergy (0.5%) Second Estate Nobility (1.5%) Third Estate (98%) Middle Class Doctors, Lawyers, Merchants Artisans Peasants

Structure of “Old” French Society  Estates – First Estate: clergy who managed church affairs. They paid no taxes. – Second Estate: French Nobility; only ones who could serve as officers in the Army or hold high posts in government. – Third Estate: Included poor peasants and wealthy bourgeois merchants, all paid huge tax sums.

Monarchs  Louis XIV (1643 – 1713) The Sun King – Louis XIV was an absolute ruler and domineering personality – He ruled during France’s Golden Age – His palace of Versailles was the envy of Europe

Monarchs  Versailles – exemplified the opulence with which the French Royalty lived.

Monarchs  King Louis XVI ( ) – Incapable of strong action – Was disinterested in politics – Marie Antoinette made most decisions

Financial Problems – Poor harvests led to starvation – Huge government debt from France’s wars. – Skyrocketing inflation: one loaf of bread = a month’s wage. – Louis XVI called the Estates General [Parliament] into session for the 1st time since 1614 to create new taxes.

Enlightened Principles – Civil liberties, Rights of Man (Voltaire) – Laissez Faire economics (Smith) – Constitution favored over Monarchial rule (Rousseau)

Write a letter to King Louis XVI giving advice on how he might avoid a revolution in his country. Teacher assessment for the letter will be aided by the following rubric Student addresses all components of causes of the revolution and is able to suggest specific compromise positions for the king. 8 --Student addresses some causes of the revolution and suggests solutions OR student cites all causes of the revolution and makes general suggestions to avoid crisis. 6 --Student addresses two or fewer causes of the revolution and letter is weak in giving reasonable solutions. Specific detail is not present. 4 --Student addresses the prompt, but fails to give any reasons for the revolution or suggest any solutions indicative of understanding the causes of the political crisis.

Brief Review What were the four main causes of the French Revolution? How did the division of society lead to the Revolution? How did the Weak monarchy cause revolution? How did Financial Problems cause the revolution Which Enlightenment principles led to the revolution?

Today’s Lesson  Stage 1 of the Revolution  Constitutional Monarchy  War in Europe

Estates General (May 5, 1789) - Composed of reps from three estates - 1 st and 2 nd /300 delegates, 3 rd had 600 delegates

Estates General (cont) - Voting based on Estate, 1 vote each - 3 rd wanted a constitutional gov’t to abolish tax exemptions -1 st and 2 nd refused and outvoted the 3 rd -Lead to frustration

National Assembly – Members of the 3rd Estate declared themselves a National Assembly and began writing a constitution. - Louis XVI banished them from their meeting hall and locking them out

National Assembly Oath of the Tennis Court : On June 20, 1789; Third Estate met on a Tennis Court and agreed to not leave until France had a constitution.

The National Assembly Responds Proposed Reforms: abolished tax exemptions for Nobles All citizens eligible for government and church Declaration of the Rights of Man: democratic principles would be the basis of government; called for equality of all citizens. The Clergy: –Abolished privileges –Government controlled Church –Sold church land

Meanwhile… The Revolt begins  Revolution – Summer of 1789: inflation, drought, food shortages and taxes sparked revolt. – Storming the Bastille, July 14, 1789: French Peasants storm the French prison as an act of rebellion against the “old” regime.

Revolution (Cont) – Peasants attacked landlords and destroyed their deeds of debt.

– October 1789: Parisian woman marched on Versailles, forcing Louis and his family to stay in Paris – Marie Antoinette, the Queen, was a target of hate. They resented her indifference to their struggles. Louis XVI: Prisoner in His Own Country

Constitution of 1791 [Stage 1] – made France a Constitutional Monarchy limiting the King’s power. – Legislature made laws, the King would sign them or veto them. The legislature could override his veto. – judicial system was created. – Guaranteed equal rights to all citizens – Very similar to the American system except it retained the Monarchy.

Louis XVI’s Great Mistake – Louis XVI attempts to flee to Austria – Louis and family are returned to Paris under house arrest; Louis is forced to accept the new Constitution.

France’s First Revolutionary Government – Legislative Assembly was bitterly divided – Right Wing: Girondins, moderate revolutionaries who wanted constitutional monarchy

– Left Wing: radical revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow monarchy and make France a Republic France’s First Revolutionary Government (Cont)

European Reaction -Monarchs feared revolution would spread to their country -prepared to use force to restore Louis XVI to his throne.

-April 1792, the Legislative Assembly preemptively declares war on Austria. - Prussia and Austria threatened Paris. Many believe Louis XVI is aiding the enemy. European Reaction (Cont)

Brief Review  Explain the movement from Estates General to National Assembly.  What was the significance of the Bastille?  What was stated in the Constitution of 1791?  Why were other European Countries threatened by the French Revolution?