1. Paris 1780’s

2. Palace of Versailles

7. Who was King Louis XIV (14th?)
When did he reign over France?
What was the Palace of Versailles?
How did Louis XIV use the palace to increase his power?

8. Enter King Louis XVI Who was King Louis XVI? When did he reign?
Who was the Queen of France (Louis XVI’s wife?)
Where was she from?

9. Marie Antoinette, later known as “Madame Deficit” for her lavish spending.
Louis XVI was the great grandson of Louis XIV. Most of that time he was an absolute monarch like his grandfather.
Born an Archduchess in Austria

11. France in 1780s In severe debt Budget was a mess
50% spent on loan interest
25% military (helping American Revolution)
6% lifestyle at Versailles
So, an increase in taxes needed
Who’s gonna pay? Commoners? Clergy?
On top of that, recent bad crops created out of control bread prices

12. So, how bad was the situation in France on the poor? Let’s find out…
Read your role card
Peasants begin to produce food.
Done? Time to pay taxes…
Noble Lord goes first, collect all from peasants…
10% to Church Clergy
50% of what’s left to Controller-General
50% Noble/Lords keep for themselves
- Peasants get back what’s left
What do peasants end up with?
A special message from the Controller-General…

13. So, The taxes
Were not enough.
France is in
a Debt Crisis!
What to do?

14. The Meeting of the Estates General

15. The Meeting of the Estates General
To solve $ crisis, King Louis XVI called for a meeting of the “Estates General”
Medieval representative group
Voting based on what estate you’re in, not on population
Hadn’t met since 1614
Clergy = 1st estate
Less than 1% of population, not taxed
Nobility = 2nd estate (Royalty, Nobles/Lords)
1-2% of population, almost not taxed
Commoners = 3rd estate
95-98% of population, peasants + workers + bourgeoisie (French “middle” class; big Enlightenment thinkers)
Conclusion: 1st and 2nd estates voted and agreed the 3rd estate will just have to pay more.

16. The Tennis Court Oath

17. The Tennis Court Oath 3rd Estate refuses to meet
chooses new name: National Assembly
June 19th, 1789 clergy joins
June 20th, oath to write a new constitution
King accepts
with his veto power
takes church land to solve crisis

18. Tennis Court Oath
“I swear an oath to God and nation never to be separated until we have formed a solid and equitable Constitution as our constituents have asked us to.”

19. The Storming of the Bastille

20. The Storming of the Bastille
In 1789, 25% people of Paris starving, unemployed
Rumor of King’s troops in Paris
Mob seizes arms for defense from prison
July 14, 1789 invade Bastille (fort and prison)
Guard fires, kills 98
Crowd takes Bastille
* Symbolic beginning of revolution

21. The March on Versailles

22. The March on Versailles
Conditions worsen – unemployment and hunger
October 5th, 1789, 7000 women march to Versailles for bread
Invade palace, kill guards
King promises bread
Royal family never returns to Versailles

23. France 1792-93 Financial crisis continues No noble privileges
National Assembly makes laws
Constitutional Monarchy drawn up

24. The Execution

25. The Execution June 1791, royal family caught escaping to Austria
King signs a constitution, then vetoes it
National Convention elected
Jan King sentenced to death
King must die for new government

27. Reforms Declaration of Rights of Man and the Citizens
Guaranteed equal justice freedom of speech and religion
Influenced by the Declaration of Independence
“men are born and remain free and equal in rights”
State Controlled Church

28. Reign of Terror

29. Reign of Terror Imposed by the new gov’t
Revolutionary Maximillian Robespierre calls for saving France from “enemies of the nation”
Attempted to erase France’s royal past
Later claimed all power and briefly rules as dictator
2 years, 40,000 killed
France at war w/ European kingdoms
July 1794, Robespierre executed by own revolutionaries

31. The Coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte
5 yrs. of disastrous rule by 5 man Directory
Napoleon rules as emperor/dictator for 15 yrs.
Armies took Europe until Russia 1814
Centrally controlled police state
Freedom of speech and press violated
But moderate reforms kept (no priveleges, mid class advances)

32. Summary

33. Impact of French Revolution