1. Causes of the French Revolution

2. Essential Question
At what point did the French Revolution become irreversible?

3. Louis XVI Married age 15 Crowned age 19 Introverted Uninterested in
government
Isolated & Clueless
Louis XVI

4. Marie Antoinette Princess of Austria Married at age 14
Lavish in dress “Madame Deficit”
Scandals
Marie Antoinette

5. Government Estates General-each estate has 1 vote
First Estate-Roman Catholic clergy (1% pop.)
Second Estate-Nobility (1% of pop.)
Third Estate-Bourgeoisie, Artisans, Peasants (98% of pop)
Bourgeoisie-Middle class people (Doctors, Lawyers, Merchants)

6. Estates Nobles Owned 33% of land Clergy 10% of land
Bourgeoisie & Artisans 17% of land
Peasants Owned 40% of land

7. Causes of French Revolution
Long Term
Corrupt & inconsistent leadership
Resentment of 3rd Estate towards privileges of 1st & 2nd
Enlightenment Philosophy

8. Immediate Causes Government Debt Poor harvest & rising cost of bread
Louis XVI rejected financial reforms
Formation of National Assembly
Storming of the Bastille

9. Financial Problems in 1789 Urban Commoner’s Budget: King’s Budget:
Food %
Rent %
Tithe %
Taxes %
Clothing 20%
TOTAL 170%
King’s Budget:
Interest %
Army %
Versailles 25%
Coronation 10%
Loans %
Admin %
TOTAL %

10. French Budget, 1774

11. Where is the tax money?

12. Convening the Estates General May, 1789
Last time it was called into session was 1614!

13. “The Third Estate Awakens”
3rd Estate proclaimed themselves the “National Assembly” of France.

14. The National Assembly
June 17, 1789
Third Estates created new governing body
Tennis Court Oath– Will not leave till they have Written Constitution

15. Storming the Bastille, July 14, 1789
Rumor>king was planning military coup against National Assembly.
18 died.
73 wounded.
7 guards killed.
It held 7 prisoners

16. Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen
Slogan of French Revolution:
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”-Rousseau
Written by Marquis de Lafayette

17. Women’s March on Versailles
Fighting for bread
Forced King to return to Paris and deal with the people

18. Church and State
National Assembly confiscates and sells off church lands to pay for government debt
Civil Constitution of the Clergy>Weakens power of Catholic Church

19. The Royal Family Attempts to Flee
June, 1791
Helped by the Swedish Count Hans Axel von Fusen [Marie Antoinette’s lover].
Headed toward the Luxembourg border.
The King was recognized at Varennes, near the border & arrested

20. Call for Help
Declaration of Pillnitz -Austria and Prussia willing to aide French royal family
Austrian Emperor Joseph II is Queen’s brother
French response: Declared war on Austria
Other European countries feared France’s fate and that their ideas might spread

21. The Great Fear: Peasant Revolt
Rumors : feudal aristocracy were sending hired brigands to attack peasants and pillage their land.

22. The Path of the “Great Fear”

23. September Massacres Aug 1792
Paris mobs attack and kill nobles and priests whom they accused of political crimes
Radicals take over National Assembly
Call for new constitution

24. The French Republic National Convention (Sept. 1792)
Wrote first democratic constitutions
Monarchy abolished
Extend vote to all males with or without property
Metric system
New calendar