Ch. 3, Sec IThe French Revolution

Before we begin…• Why will the French Revolution & Age of Napoleon be

important to study? Here are a few reasons…– ***Helped begin modern world***

– Bourgeoisie (Fr. middle class) became dominant power

– Feudalism died

– Promoted nationalism everywhere

– Will lead to independence of Latin American countries from Spain & Portugal

– Began era of modern, total warfare

– 1st major SOCIAL revolution

– Despite violence it promoted elections, representative gov’t, and constitutions

Timeline

• Louis XIV (1643-1715)

• Louis XV (1715-1774)

• Louis XVI (1774-1793)

• American Revolution (1775-1783)

• French Revolution (1789)

• Tennis Court Oath (1789)

• Declaration of Rights of Man (1789)

            

            

Catchphrase of the French Revolution:

“Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite”

Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood

A. The Old Regime – French social & political system of 1770’s in 3 social classes, or estates.

1. 1st Estate – Clergy.

2. 2nd Estate – Rich nobles (2% of pop.; owned 25% of land).

3. 3rd Estate – Commoners & bourgeoisie (middle class), workers & peasants (97% of pop.).

Each of the three estates voted as a group in the Estates-General (gov’t).

Cartoons of the Three Estates

B. Causes

1.Inequalities in Representation.

2.Unequal social system.

3.Enlightenment ideas.

4.Success of U.S. Revolution.

King Louis XVI andMarie Antoinette 5. Not enough food.

6. Louis XVI was a weak leader.7. Marie Antoinette was unpopular.8. Bad economy.

Louis XVI was 15 and Marie Antoinettewas 14 when they married in 1770.

“Madame Deficit”(Marie Antoinette)

-- In one year, Marie Antoinette lost $1.5 million gambling!-- Expensive dresses, jewels, and parties.

The Queen of fashion

BIG PROBLEM

France is in debt. People w/o money pay taxes. People w/ money exempt from taxes. You do the math.

Ok, so there’s really no math to do. Just figure it out. France can’t fix this problem through its government b/c people w/ money can out-vote, not out-number, people w/o money.

French Revolution (1789)

C. From Estates-General to National Assembly.

1. Louis XVI called a meeting of Estates-General (representatives) at

Versailles.

a) Commoners not fairly represented.

b) 3rd Estate forms National Assembly.

The palace of Versailles (10 miles outside Paris, France)

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

2. The National Assembly – To pass laws/reforms in the name of the

people.

a) Tennis Court Oath – Pledged to draw up a new

constitution.

The Oath of the Tennis Court: The Representatives of the Third Estate Swear to Give France a Constitution, 20 June 1789, by Jacques-Louis David (1790-91)

Mirabeau and Dreux-Brézé, by Alexandre Fragonard (1st half of 19th century)

The archi-tecture looks like the hall where the Estates General originally met.

b) Adopted the ‘Declaration of Rights of Man’ (1789).

i. Constitution made France a limited monarchy.

ii. Influenced by Enlightenment & U.S. Declaration of Independence.

iii. Rights of “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression” to all people. -- Female writer, Olympe de Gouges, published ‘declaration of rights of women,’

but her ideas were rejected.-- The Declaration of Rights of Man led to a slave revolt in Haiti and the abolition of slavery in French colonies.

Jean-Baptiste Belley, Deputy of Santo Domingo to the Convention, by Anne-Louis Giridet (1797)

• In 1793, the Convention outlawed slavery in French colonies.

• There were about a ½ million slaves in Santo Domingo (now Haiti).

• The bust is of Raynal, who wrote a book on trade and condemned slavery.

“Declaration of Rights of

Man and Citizen”

3. July 14, 1789, people of Paris stormed the Bastille, a hated prison that

symbolized oppression.

a) Peasant uprisings spread in France.

b) Fight for democratic freedoms began.

-- Only had 7 prisoner’s (2 of them insane), but was also an arsenal.

The Bastillein Paris, France

4. The ‘Great Fear’ (1789) – Peasants took the law into their own hands.

a) Thousands of women rioted over ↑ price of bread.

b) Marched on Versailles, forced Louis & Marie to Paris.

c) Change in power.

Women march to Versailles - 1789

“The Great Fear”

“ The Fall of the Monarchy,” 10 August 1792.

The National Guard and a mob of Parisians invaded the residence of the royal family, called the Tuileries, in Paris.

The Legislative

Assembly

declared war on

Austria and

Prussia in 1792.

French Revolution

Ch. 3, Sec 2Radical Revolution & Reaction

A. Jacobins – Network of political clubs started in 1792 (Jacobins were most radical).

1. Wanted to establish a republic & remove king from power.

B. The National Convention (1792 – 95).

1. Newly elected due to rioting & unrest (replaced National

Assembly).

2. Jacobins took charge & created a republic.

3. Louis XVI was convicted of treason (executed by guillotine in 1793).

The execution of Louis XVI, 21 January 1793, painting by Decaux.

King LouisXVI’s executionin 1793, he was

38 years old.

The convention was divided into 3 factions: the radicals, the moderates,

and the conservatives.

● Radicals – Opposed the monarchy; sweeping changes; sat on Left.

● Centrists – Moderates; wanted some change; sat in Middle.

● Conservatives – Upheld limited monarchy; no changes; sat on

the Right.

4. Due to unrest, the National Convention gave broad powers to ‘Committee of Public Safety’ (12 members).

a) Danton and Robespierre.

Georges Danton Maximilian Robespierre

5. Period called the ‘Reign of Terror’ followed (1792-1793).

a) Nearly 40,000 people were beheaded w/ guillotine for

their beliefs.

A guillotine in Cartagena, Colombia.

2010.

Percentages of people who died by class:

31 % workers & crafts man

28 % farmers

20 % Bourgeoisie

8-9 % Aristocrats 

6-7 % Priests

80 % = Third Estate

Execution of Danton

Anne Louise Germaine de Staël (1766-1817), Commonly known as Madame de Staël.

• One of the greatest woman in literary history and the foundress of the romantic movement.

• During the “Reign of Terror,” she helped friends escape France.

• Established a powerful Salon.

Anonymous print, "It is dreadful but necessary" ("Cest affreux mais nécessaire"), from the Journal d'Autre Monde, 1794.

Marat once wrote that “five or six hundred heads [should be] cut off” to rid France of the

enemies of the Revolution.

The Death of Marat, by Jacques-Louis David (1793)

• Jean-Paul Marat needed medicinal baths b/c of skin condition.

• Charlotte Corday (royalist) stabbed him to death while he read her petition.

Robespierre is Arrested, 27 July 1794

C. The ‘Directory’ – The “Constitution of 1795” created a legislative

branch & executive branch (5 members).

1. Lasted from 1795-99; very corrupt.

The Directory named

Napoleon Bonaparte to command the French Army.

D. Coup d’état (sudden overthrow of gov’t) – 1799, General Napoleon Bonaparte turned on the gov’t and toppled the Directory.

Activity• Create a

‘Cause and Effect’ chart for the people, events, and groups of the French Revolution.

Cause Effect1. The ‘Old Regime’

2. The American Revolution

3. Enlightenment ideas

4. Declaration of Rights of Man

5. Storming the Bastille

6. Committee of Public Safety