The French Revolution 1789

France 1789

French Society: 18 th Century

The 3 Estates Late 18th Century, French Society divided into 3 Estates (classes) 1 st Estate Church (owned 10% of the land) paid no taxes 2 nd Estate Nobles (owned 20% of the Land) paid no taxes 3 rd Estate Everybody Else paid all taxes

The 3 Estates (con’t) 1 st Estate Clergy 1% of French Society 2 nd Estate Wealthy Nobles 2% of French Society 3 rd Estate Everybody Else Mostly Peasants 97% of French Society Paid all taxes

Breakdown of the 3 rd Estate Bourgeoisie (merchants and artisans): They were well-educated believed strongly in the ideas of Enlightenment philosophers Wage laborers (cooks, servants etc.): paid low wages and often out of work Peasants (formed 80% of France’s population): they paid half of their incomes in dues to nobles, tithes to the church, and taxes to the king

Who’s Above All the Estates? King Louis XVI (16 th )

King Louis XVI 1780’s French King was Louis XVI, great grandson of King Louis XIV “Sun King” Lived in the Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Forces of Change in French Society Enlightenment Ideas Economic Problems Weak Leadership

Enlightenment Ideas Enlightenment : New views about the nature of political power and the role of government people began to see government role to help the people be Happy and harmonious, not oppressive people began to see themselves as the source of governments’ power, not God (reject Divine Right)

Enlightenment Ideas (con’t) Economic Problems France population was expanding rapidly in the late 1700’s heavy taxes made it impossible for people to make any profits King Louis XVI kept taxing the people to pay for his debts and elaborate lifestyle

Enlightenment Ideas (con’t) Weak Leadership King Louis XVI allowed problems to linger: He paid no attention to his advisors Louis put off dealing with France’s economic problems until France became bankrupt

Queen Marie Antoinette

Queen Marie Antoinette (con’t) Louis’ wife Marie Antoinette was hated by the French people: because she was Austrian (France’s enemy at the time) because she spent so much money on jewels and gifts

Estates General Not until it was too late did Louis finally do something May 5, 1789 King Louis XVI called for the Estates General a meeting of representatives from all three estates to discuss tax reform and getting France out of debt This was the first such meeting in France in over 175 years!

Estates General (con’t)

The National Assembly Estates General meeting the first two estates sided with the King: tried to silence members of the third estate (the majority of French society) On June 17, 1789 members of the third estate voted to establish the National Assembly (like Parliament) This vote was the first step of revolution against King Louis XVI and the first two estates

Tennis Court Oath

Tennis Court Oath (con’t)

June 20, 1789: third estate representatives were locked out of their meeting room at the Estates General: they broke down the door to an in-door tennis court They pledged to stay there until they drew up a new constitution for France This pledge is called the Tennis Court Oath

Bastille Day: July 14, 1789

Treated as France’s Independence Day (Like 4 th of July in America) Members of the Third Estate were still upset about being locked out of the Estates General Meeting Bastille: A Prison in Paris where political prisoners were held: people jailed for speaking out against the King Weapons for the French army were also stored in the Bastille

Storming of the Bastille: July 14, 1789 Hundreds of members of the Third Estate storm the prison, free prisoners, and steal weapons: They’re armed now!! The French army was unprepared and unable to stop them Storming was the symbolic beginning of the French Revolution against the King

Declaration of the Rights of Man August 27, 1789 the National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man Guaranteed equal justice, freedom of religion and speech Influenced by English Bill of Rights Next step in the French Revolution

Declaration of the Rights of Man

The Great Fear 1789 Peasants became angry and decided to strike first broke into nobles’ mansions, stole things, burned records of their debts, burned mansions Revolution spreads From Paris into French countryside Peasants in the countryside heard that nobles hired bandits to terrorize them in the countryside

Bread Riots

Bread Riots 1789 October ,000 women in Paris rioted over the price of bread They then marched on the palace of Versailles and killed two guards They demanded the King and Queen leave their palace of Versailles and return to Paris (13 miles) This signaled the change of power from the King to the people

The Legislative Assembly The National Assembly created a limited Constitutional Monarchy The National Assembly handed its power over to the newly formed Legislative Assembly. September 1791 the National Assembly completed a new constitution new constitution stripped the King of his power: gave Legislative Assembly power to create laws The Legislative Assembly had the power to create laws Legislative Assembly had power to approve/disapprove of any wars the King declared on other nations

Legislative Assembly Divided into 3 groups Radicals: opposed the King, wanted sweeping changes (Left Wing) Moderates: wanted some changes in society, not as many as radicals (Center) Conservatives: wanted limited monarchy, wanted few changes in society (Right Wing)

The Emigres Nobles and clergymen who fled France during the peasant uprisings. They hoped to undo the Revolution and restore the old regime

The Sans-Culottes wage laborers and small shop-keepers from Paris They wanted a greater voice in government, lower food prices, and an end to food shortages did not get a voice in government but they found a way to exert their will in government: by influencing a political party that later seized control of France (the Jacobins)

The Jacobins Formed an alliance with the Sans-Culottes Jacobins: extreme radical revolutionaries, wanted to end the monarchy and establish representative democracy (The people vote for elected officials to establish laws) They eventually do take over the Legislative Assembly and the whole government

The Reign of Terror The Guillotine

Maximilien Robespierre Maniac leader of the Committee of Public Safety: responsible for tens of thousands of deaths

Committee of Public Safety

The Reign of Terror July 1793-July 1794 A Group of 15 Jacobins take over the French Government: The Committee of Public Safety Led By Maximilien Robespierre Publicly Executed anyone they deemed an enemy of the revolution (no trials)

Reign of Terror (con’t) Impact Over 40,000 people killed in one year 75%+ of those killed from 3 rd Estate! (The Revolution was supposed to be for them!

Reign of Terror (con’t) Death of King Louis XVI January 21, 1793 Louis publicly executed by the Jacobins; Marie Antoinette executed 10/16/1793

Death of Robespierre Eventually the public withdrew support of Robespierre: too many senseless killings Other members of the Committee of Public Safety wanted to kill him before he killed them July 28, 1794 Robespierre publicly executed in Paris His death signals the end of the Reign of Terror

The Directory After the Reign of Terror a new group of 5 Moderates take over the government: The Directory The people wanted new less violent leadership The Directory rules France from November 1795-November 1799 The Directory was ineffective and corrupt: allowed for ________to eventually take over……

Napoleon Bonaparte