French Revolution: Phase

1789: Financial State of Monarchy Seven Years’ War: France defeated and monarchy in debt Aristocracy refused to pay new taxes Necker declared possibility of a surplus if aristocrats’ pensions were cut and American war hadn’t been funded Necker, explaining deficits to Louis XVI

1789 Economic Downturn Necker’s successors, Calonne and Brienne, both suggested land tax, rejected by the nobles French peasantry could own land, and were by some definitions the freest in Europe Deep economic downturn from 1787: crop failures, food shortages and rising prices The Three Estates

The Estates General Paris Parlement and nobles demanded the king call the Estates General Three Estates: Clergy(1 st ), Nobility (2 nd ), Commoners (3 rd : wealthy lawyers, businessmen, et al) Vote by head, or by Estate? Louis XVI doubled size of Third Estate to counter nobles Third Estate broke away to become the National Assembly, and invited clergy & nobles Tennis Court Oath: not to disband until France had a constitution Awakening of the Third Estate

Bastille and Reaction King asked nobles and clergy to join newly named National Constituent Assembly Fall of the Bastille: urban uprising reacting to fear that Louis XVI might crush uprising “Great Fear:” rural uprising: burning chateaux, destruction of feudal records, refusal to pay dues, seizure of food supplies and land Nobility on Constituent Assembly surrendered their feudal rights Fall of the Bastille

Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen 26 Aug 1789: Enlightenment declaration of principles 17 Articles, defining freedom and central political philosophy “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon common utility.” “The source of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.” Did not end slavery or give rights to women

7,000 Parisian women force Louis to move to Tuileries palace in Paris so as to watch and control Louis’s movements 1791: Olympe de Gouges wrote “Declaration of Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen,” pointing out the inequality of the treatment of women “This revolution will only take effect when all women become fully aware of their deplorable condition, and of the rights they have lost in society”.

Initial Reconstruction of France Constitution of 1791: constitutional monarchy with unicameral legislature and monarchical veto “Active” and “passive” citizens defined by amount of taxes paid transferred political power from landed nobility to citizenry of moderate wealth France divided into departments Allegory of the Constitution of 1791

Reconstruction Continued Liberalized economy: workers’ organizations prohibited Confiscation and sale of church lands “Civil Constitution of the Clergy:” clergy to be elected as branch of government Austria, Prussia issued Declaration of Pillnitz: would intervene to preserve monarchy National Assembly