1. Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

2. Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 – January 21, 1793)
Name: Louis Capet
Birthplace: Versailles
Religion: Roman Catholic
Leadership:
Spouse: Marie Antoinette

3. Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 – January 21, 1793)
Took the throne at the age of 20
4 children
Enjoyed lock making, hunting & fishing
Shy, dull, corpulent & VERY indecisive 3

4. Louis’ Successes… Liberated French serfs
Emancipated French Protestants
Banned the use of torture
Did away with the oppressive “Jewish” tax
Reformed health care & education 4

5. Louis’ Failures… Lived an EXTRAVAGANT lifestyle
Could not say “NO” to Marie
Politically indecisive
Did NOT want to be king 5

6. Marie Antoinette (November 2, 1755 – October 16, 1793)
Name: Marie Antoinette Josephe Jeanne de Hapsbourg-Lorraine
Birthplace: Vienna
Religion: Roman Catholic
Leadership:
Spouse: Louis XVI 6

7. Marie Antoinette (November 2, 1755 – October 16, 1793)
15th child of Maria Theresa (Queen of Hungary) & Francis I (Holy Roman Emperor)
Enjoyed music & gambling
Devoted mother
In one year she ordered 90+ dresses…SHOPAHOLIC! 7

8. The Beginning of the French Revolution
From Estates-General to National Assembly

9. Causes of Revolution Enlightenment ideas American Revolution
Extravagant royal court
Old Regime
Privileges of 1st & 2nd estate
Financial crisis – impending bankruptcy

10. The Extravagant Royal Court of…
Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI

11. French Financial Crisis
Debt from wars
Extravagance (Versailles)
Aided American Revolution
Banks refuse to lend money
Crop Failure

12. French Financial Crisis
France Needed Money!!!!
Louis XVI called The Estates General hoping to agree on new taxes to be applied to the First & Second Estates

13. Estates-General 1789 Had not met since 1614
Delegates of the 3rd Estate wanted a joint meeting of all Estates with each delegate voting as an individual
King refused – locked out 3rd Estate

14. National Assembly & Tennis Court Oath
3rd Estate delegates met & created the National Assembly…

15. National Assembly & Tennis Court Oath
Met on indoor tennis court & took the Tennis Court Oath - promised not to disband until they had written a constitution for France

16. Call to Revolt
King ordered other estates to join the National Assembly, BUT called for troops in Paris
Debates raged in streets, sometimes violent

17. Call to Revolt Rebellion grew – sans culottes joined
King gathered more troops
Paris citizens became fearful that the King would dissolve the National Assembly & halt reforms so...

18. Storming the Bastille
Bastille (Paris prison); symbolized injustices of the monarchy
Huge mob surrounded Bastille & attempted to steal weapons to defend the National Assembly
Forced way into prison; freed prisoners

19. Storming the Bastille Soldiers opened fire 98 rioters killed
Rioters took over prison

20. Liberated prisoners parading later in the day

21. The Great Fear After Bastille, wave of violence swept France
Rumors that nobles hired robbers to kill peasants & take property

22. The Great Fear Peasants react; arm themselves
Swear to never pay feudal dues again
Drive off landlords & destroyed records
The First Wave of the French Revolution had struck!