French Revolution

Before the Revolution • Government was a Monarchy called the Old

Regime.• During the Old Regime there were 3 Estates

(social classes)

Why Change?• The Enlightenment gave ideas of Revolution

(sudden or significant change in the old ways of doing things)

• Rich got richer – poor got poorer

The Three Estates • First Estate

– Clergy- owned 10% of land in France

• Second Estate – Nobility- 2% of

population• Third Estate

– Bourgeoisie (middle class)

– Urban Poor (laborers) – Peasants- 80% of total

population – 97% of the population

King Louis XVI – terrible leader; put France in debt

• More concerned about sports (hunting) than his people and the economy

King Louis XVI

• Queen Marie Antoinette – Upset many people with her dress style, loss up to

$1.5 million playing cards

Queen Marie Antoinette

The revolution • The 3rd estate

wanted a Revolution

• They needed weapons. They stormed the Bastille (prison w/ weapons) on July 14th 1789.

• This was the start of the Revolution

The Revolution • The leaders of the

Revolution execute Louis & Marie– Guillotine- method of

execution used • Robespierre takes

control of France. He creates the “Reign of Terror” which saw over 40,000 people killed-- most were of the Third Estate.

Napoleon Bonaparte • Revolution has no

leadership– got out of hand

• Napoleon= successful general who is loved by all!

• Military genius

• Controls France by 1795

• Napoleon kept many reforms of the revolution; this kept the 97% poor happy

• Napoleonic Code- Napoleons laws created to restore peace and stability

• 1804 times were good- he crowns himself Emperor

• By 1810 he controlled Europe

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon’s downfall• Napoleon wanted all of Europe: tried to

cut off Britain's trade • 1812 Napoleon invades Russia w/

420,000 men • The Russians retreated inland – they

burned their own land so the French could not use the Russians resources.

• The French moved to Moscow but it was burned

• The French tried to go home but the Russian winter wiped out the French troops

Napoleon’s downfall

• Napoleon was then defeated by the Brits. At Waterloo (city in Belgium).

• Napoleon was exiled (banished) to St. Helena & died

Napoleon’s downfall

Congress of Vienna• The Leaders of the European countries

went to Vienna for a meeting.

• There they re-drew country boundaries & restored peace throughout Europe.

• Many countries became allies (not so good)

Old and New

QUESTIONS???