1. The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era Chapter 18

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

3. 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

4. Structure of “Old” French Society  Estates – First Estate: consisted of the clergy who managed church affairs. They paid no taxes. – Second Estate: French Nobility [less than 2% of population] and only they could serve as officers in the Army or hold high posts in government. – Third Estate: majority of French citizens were in this estate. Included poor peasants and wealthy bourgeois merchants

5. 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

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

7. Monarchs  King Louis XVI (1774-1792) – Incapable of strong action – Was disinterested in politics – Marie Antoinette made most decisions

8. 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 levy new taxes.

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

11. 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. 10 --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.

12. Today’s Lesson  the start of the Revolution  Constitutional Monarchy  War in Europe

13. 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?

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

15. 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

16. 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

17. National Assembly Oath of the Tennis Court : On June 20, 1789;Third Estate met on a Tennis Court and agreed to not disband until France had a constitution. -Many Nobles and clergy decided to join the National Assembly.

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

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

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

21. – 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

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

23. 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.

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

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

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

27. -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)

28. 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?