1. The French Revolution and Napoleon

2. France

3. France in the 1700’s Most advanced country in Europe
Center of the Enlightenment
Cultural Center
Large population> 25 million
Prosperous foreign trade
BUT………..

4. Underlying issues Old Regime- 3 Estates
$ division between the “haves” and “have-nots”= revolution
Enlightenment ideas- Equality, Liberty, democracy- American Revolution- “Popular sovereignty”
Economic problems: High taxes, debt from wars
Weak leader: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

5. Causes-Social Inequality
Social Inequality - three estates
Three estates
First Estate (upper clergy) - 1% of population, taxed peasants
Second Estate (nobles) - 2-3% of population, paid no taxes, taxed peasants
Third Estate (Bourgeoisie, peasants, workers) - paid up to 1/2 of income in taxes
1st estate - about 100,000 Roman Catholic clergy
2nd Estate

6. Causes-Ideas Enlightenment Ideas/ American Rev.
Belief all men should have liberal freedoms
Right and just to remove unjust gov’t
Equality for all
United States Dec. of Independence and Constitution-France helped Colonies win their independence

7. Causes-Political King Louis XVI Weak leader
Preferred personal interests, delegated authority
Incapable of decisive action
Wife- Marie Antoinette-Not well-liked-Austrian- Married Louis 14 years old- Lived luxuriously (diamond necklace affair)

8. Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

10. Causes - Economic Economic Crisis French economy bankrupt
Wars, Louis XVI lifestyle
Nobles not taxed
Crop failures
Debt - 1/2 budget goes to interest
Bourgeoisie begin questioning King

11. Revolution Dawns
Votes: Each Estate received one vote (Usually the 1st and 2nd estate voted together)
Delegates from the 3rd Estate wanted to change that though-they believed everyone should have the same value to their vote. Therefore, the 3rd estate would always out vote the 1st and 2nd estates.

12. On June 17, 1789 the third estate voted to have a National Assembly
On June 17, 1789 the third estate voted to have a National Assembly. This was the 1st move toward revolution.
The 3rd Estate was immediately locked out of the Estates General and they broke into an indoor tennis court where they agreed to stay until a new constitution was written.
They called their agreement the Tennis Court Oath.

13. Tennis Court Oath
National Assembly declared (June 20, 1789)

14. The Bastille
Louis realized he needed to do something before he lost all of France, so he ordered the clergy and the nobles to join the National Assembly. He also brought in Swiss guards to protect him in Paris.
People heard about the Swiss guards and they immediately began to gather weapons in order to protect themselves from a possible massacre. On July 14th an angry group went to the Bastille, a prison, looking for gunpowder. The angry crowd overthrew the kings guards and the people took control of the Bastille. July 14th is known as a French national holiday.

15. Bastille

16. A Great Fear Sweeps France
People began to panic which led to a period called the Great Fear. This period occurred when rebellion spread to the countryside. Peasants began to attack their feudal lords and demand their freedom.
A group of 6,000 women protested the rising cost of bread. “Let them eat cake”

17. Revolution Brings Terror
The National Assembly adopted a statement of Revolutionary Ideas— A Declaration on the Rights of Man.—All men are born and remain free and equal in rights. It also included equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.
Olympe de Gouge wrote—a Declaration on the Rights of Women

19. Conflicting Goals Cause Division
A limited constitutional monarchy was created—the king would still hold executive powers but the assemblymen would make the laws.
1791-the National Assembly closed because the constitution was complete and the Legislative Assembly took over.

20. 3 Divisions of the Legislative Assembly
Radicals (Liberals)-They sat on the left side of the hall and were called “left winged” They wanted extreme changes in the government---common people should hold the power
Moderates—sat in the middle—wanted some changes, but not as extreme as the radicals.
Conservatives- They sat on the right side of the hall and they liked the limited monarchy.

22. War and Extreme Measures
Austria and Prussia demanded that Louis be brought back to the crown. In response the Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria.
The French were not prepared to fight Austria and Prussia who joined in when war was declared—(why??)
When the Prussians threatened to destroy Paris if the revolutionaries hurt Louis and his family, Parisians invaded the Royal Palace and Louis and his family were kept in a stone tower.

23. The Jacobins
The people in the street had more power than the National Convention and the most radical group was called the Jacobins.
Jacobins were middle class people who wanted to get rid of the king and create a republic. They were able to have France abolish the monarchy and create a republic.

25. The death of a king
Jacobins tried Louis for treason, found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Louis was killed by the guillotine in front of thousands.
Jacobins realized they still had a war to fight, so they initiated the draft—women were included in the draft.

26. Terror Grips France
A group developed in France that wanted to create a “republic of virtue”—they wanted to rid France of all of its past nobility and monarchy.
This group led by Maximillien Robespierre changed the calendar to be more scientific—they divided the calendar into 12 months and 30 days and they closed all churches in Paris.

27. Maximilien Robespierre

29. Committee of Public Safety (?)
Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety, which would get rid of people that were deemed by Robespierre to be enemies of the Republic. People would be tried in the morning and guillotined in the afternoon.
July 1793-July 1794 Robespierre ruled France as a dictator and his rule was called the Reign of Terror— the most famous victim was….

30. Marie Antoinette
On her way to the guillotine she said, “Monsieur, I beg your pardon. I did not do it on purpose.”

31. Guillotine

32. End of Terror
National Convention turns on Robespierre in 1794 and they put him to death by guillotine…The Reign of Terror ended with his death.

33. Napoleon Forges an Empire
Great military genius
Took control of France in a coup d’etat
Gains peace agreement w/Britain, Austria and Russia
France under Napoleon:
Fairer taxes
Improved schools
Napoleonic Code- some restrictions

35. Napoleon Creates Empire
1804- Crowned Emperor
New World Problems Haiti- Defeated by slaves.
Sells Louisiana Territory to United States
Turns attention to Europe-Builds empire
Only able to control empire from

37. Napoleon’s Empire Collapses
Three big Mistakes:
Continental system- designed to hurt Great Britain & make Europe more self-sufficient- weakened economy of France
Peninsular War- conflict w/ Spain & Portugal-
fuels “nationalism”
Invasion of Russia- scorched earth- Decimates Napoleon’s army
April Surrenders to Coalition Forces

38. Hundred Days-March-June, 1815
Banished to Elba (1814)
New King Louis XVIII (Louis XVI’s brother)- becomes unpopular- Napoleon comes back (March 1815)
Defeated at Waterloo 1815 (Hundred Days ends)
Banished to St. Helena’s –dies 1821