1. The French Revolution

2. THE BACKGROUND

3. The Old Order: 3 Estates (classes)
1st Estate: The Clergy
130,000 people (1%)
Owned lots of land
Received tithes + fees
2% of income paid to taxes
2nd Estate: The Nobility
Hereditary
300,000 people (2%)
Owned 30% of the land
Controlled almost everything, paid no taxes
3rd Estate: Everybody Else
Wealthy Commoners=17%
Peasants=80%
Lacked political privileges
50% of income paid to taxes

4. 3rd Estate Top Component: The Bourgeoisie
Involved in commerce, finance, manufacture
Basically this means, they had some money
Bourgeoisie= wealthy and growing middle class in France.
Literate, influenced by Enlightenment ideas

5. 3rd Estate Lower Component
Sans-Culottes= Urban Poor People
Life was OK when crops were good
 if they weren’t.
Violent protests and anger over
Increased bread prices
taxes

6. THE CAUSES

7. I. National Bankruptcy Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette Unfair tax system
Expensive wars (American War for Independence)
“Madame Deficit”- spent $ on gowns, jewels, gambling, and gifts.
No more loans to support their spending
Unfair tax system
Versailles = 1/3 of national budget

8. “Till Death Do Us Part…”

9. II. New Ideas About Government
Locke; natural rights
Rousseau; government = a contract
Okay to overthrow a government not doing its job
Bourgeoisie (Middle Class) began to demand to have a say in their government

10. III. No Food Bad harvests Hungry people = angry people
Between bad weather conditions led to poor harvests
Hungry people = angry people

11. THE EVENTS
MODERATE PHASE

12. IV. Crisis
Louis XVI called the Estates General (Parliament) to a meeting to help gain support for new taxes (taxing the nobles)
Estates General = members from each estate who met to help advise the King
Argued over how to vote – by estate or one man, one vote

13. The Number of Representatives in the Estates General:
300
Clergy
1st Estate
Aristocracy
2nd Estate
300
648
Commoners
3rd Estate
Traditional Voting
1st=1 Vote 2nd= 1 Vote 3rd= 1 Vote

14. V. National Assembly 3rd estate walked out
They proclaimed themselves the “National Assembly” of France.
Gave the Tennis Court Oath – would not disband until France had a Constitution
Night of August 4th - Abolished nobility
France now a Constitutional Monarchy

16. VI. Storming of the Bastille Prison
Paris urban workers (sans culottes) attacked the Bastille (gov’t prison)to find guns and gunpowder in order to defend city.
July 14, 1789

17. March of the Women, October 5-6, 1789
*A spontaneous demonstration of women wanting cheaper bread.
*Broke into Versailles, killed some guards.
*Women demanded the return of the king and his family.

19. The French Revolution
The Radical Phase

20. The Reign of Terror ( )
Austria & Prussian rulers invade France to stop the revolution (absolute monarchs feared their own people would rise up and overthrow them)
Fear & panic grip France
Radical “Jacobin” political party takes control of Paris. France run by the Committee of Public Safety (led by Robespierre)
Guillotine used to execute “enemies of the revolution” including Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

21. Order Restored

22. BACKGROUND

23. Napoleon Bonaparte from Corsica
1769 (the year of Napoleon’s birth), France invaded and took control of the Corsican Republic.
Napoleon graduated from Brienne Military Academy in Corsica and was accepted into
the prestigious Ecole Royale Military Academy in France.
At 16 he became one of the
youngest French officers ever!
Exiled from Corsica in 1793
Loyalty Shift
Success at Toulon- kicked Britain out of
France
Augustin Robespierre

24. Napoleon Gains Attention
October 1795
Loyalty to Enlightenment ideas, not Reign of Terror
Napoleon ordered to guard members of the Directory
Successfully defended and became a national hero
Napoleon appointed to lead the French vs. Austria and Sardinia
Sweeps into Italy and conquers
Covers up his defeat in Egypt by the British.

25. POWER Successful war general
Has a coup d’etat (military takeover)
Declares himself EMPEROR-1804 (ironic, right?!)
Conquered almost all of Europe – stopped by the Russian winter & “scorched earth” policy of the Russians
Napoleonic Code = equality before the law & merit but NOT “freedom” [rights like speech, press, and assembly restricted]
“If the Press is not controlled, I shall not remain in power 3 days.” - Napoleon

27. Napoleon’s Downfall
British and others defeat his army at Waterloo – he is exiled to St. Helena Island in the Atlantic
Constitutional Monarchy (not absolute!) restored in France. Very few rich men = voters. Napoleonic Code = still used.
Congress of Vienna – reestablishes the old monarchs overthrown by Napoleon…Europe moving toward democracy but not there yet!