The French Issues Inequalities between the Three Estates First
Estate: Clergy About 10% of the population Higher ranking members
shared interest with the nobility Lower ranking members were often
as poor as the commoners Exempt from the tallie (French primary tax
on the population) Second Estate: Nobility About 10-15% of the
population Owned 25-30% of French Land Held prominent positions in
French Government Exempt from the tallie
Slide 4
The French Issues Third Estate: Commoners About 90% of the
population Much wider range of occupations and incomes Collectively
owned 35-40% of the land Stuck with some obligations considered to
be Relics of Feudalism Inflation during the 18 th Century crippled
buying power of the Third Estate Paid 100% of the Tallie
Slide 5
The French Issues Financial Crisis Food Shortages Bad harvests
in 1787 and 1788 drove the cost of food up Inflation Unemployment
Lavish spending by the Monarchy Aiding the Americans in their war
with the British 1/3 of the entire French Population were now
living in poverty
Slide 6
From Estates-General to National Assembly In 1789With France
all but broke, King Louis XVI was forced to call a meeting with the
Estates-General, French Parliament, to raise taxes The
Estates-General, made up of representatives of all three orders of
French society, had not met since 1614 (175 years ago) The First
and Second Estates had about 300 delegates each, while the Third
Estate had about 600 delegates
Slide 7
From Estates-General to National Assembly The Third Estate
wanted to set up a constitutional government that would abolish the
tax exemptions of the First and Second Estates. The First and
Second Estates want just to raise the taxes on the Third Estate.
Tradition stated the each estate would only get one vote. So the
First and Second Estates together could outvote the Third Estate.
Outraged the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly
and would draft a new constitution. When the met the next day they
found the doors to their meeting place locked
Slide 8
The Tennis Court Oath & Storming of the Bastille
Undiscouraged the leaders of the National Assembly moved to a
nearby Indoor Tennis Court and pledged to not leave until they had
a constitution. An angered King Louis XVI prepared to use force
against thesePEASENTS, but the Third Estate was saved by the people
of France as they Stormed the Bastille to protect the Third Estate.
Later Louis XVI was captured and held under house arrest at
Versailles by a band of Parisian Women and other Revolutionary
forces.
Slide 9
Fall of the Old Regime Shortly after King Louis XVI is
captured, other revolts broke out all over France in both cities
and the countryside. The rampant hatred around France toward the
landholding system led to more revolts, becoming called The Great
Fear Fearing Foreign Troops would come in to aid the Monarchy the
People of France formed Militias for Defense The National Assembly
was now fully in charge of France.
Slide 10
New Government Under the Government of the National Assembly:
Abolished the rights of landlords (The Relics of Feudalism)
Abolished the tax exemptions for the First and Second Estates
Adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
Inspired by the American Declaration of Independence and the
English Bill of Rights Recognized the natural and inprescriptible
rights of man to property, security and resistance to
oppression
Slide 11
New Government Proclaimed freedom and equal rights for all men
Access to public office based on talent, not birth All citizens
were granted the right to take part in making laws Freedom of
speech and the press was affirmed
Slide 12
Olympe de Gouges Recognized that women were not being granted
Political Rights, though they were on the front line with the other
revolutionaries Declaration of the rights of Women and the Female
Citizen, which insisted that women should have the same rights as
men. The National Assembly ignored her demands
Slide 13
The King Concedes King Louis XVI refused to accept the new
governments demands On October 5, 1789 thousands of armed Parisian
woman marched on Versailles and forced the King accept the new
decrees
Slide 14
Church Reforms Church land was seized and sold. Secularized the
Church Bishops and Priests would be elected by the people Clergymen
would be paid by the state Soon after many Catholics became enemies
of the Revolution.
Slide 15
France under the National Assembly With a new constitution in
place, the National Assembly met in 1791 to establish their new
government based on a Limited Monarchy The Assembly would consist
of 745 represenatives, chosen by popular vote of all adult males,
over 25 who paid a specified amount in taxes could vote This
excluded much of the Third Estate (again)
Slide 16
The King Escapesalmost Though King Louis had been under house
arrest at Versailles, he tried to flee to allies in Austria in late
1789. However he was recognized at the Swiss Border, re-captured
and returned to Paris. Other European powers began to fear that the
French Revolution would spill over into their countries. Prussia
and Austria threatened to use force against the National Assembly
to restore Louis XVI to the throne.
Slide 17
War with Austria Insulted by the threat that Austria and/or
Prussia would attack France and undo gains made by the National
Assembly, France foolishly declares war on Austria The French
Militias of the National Assembly faired disastrously and the
finger pointing began
Slide 18
War with Austria The government of the National Assembly
crumbles in 1792 because of military failures and economic hardship
at home.
Slide 19
Paris Commune Disgusted with the state of French government, a
group of French Radicals calling themselves a commune attacked
Versailles and captured King Louis XVI Demands of the Commune of
the Assembly Suspend the Monarchy Establish Universal Male Suffrage
Many members of the Paris Commune called themselves sans-culottes
Ordinary patriots, without fine cloths.
Slide 20
Radicalism Once the Paris Commune seized power they appointed a
minister of justice named Georges Danton. The Sans-culottes under
Danton sought revenge against all who supported the king and the
popular will They had thousands of people massacred
Slide 21
Jean-Paul Marat Radical leader within the Commune Government
Workaholic: I allot only two of the twenty-four hours to sleep. I
have not had fifteen minutes play in over three years Would even
work from his bathtub, because is soothed a severe skin
disorder
Slide 22
Jean-Paul Marat Published Friend of the People; Radical
propaganda Mob violence The right of the poor to take whatever they
wanted from the rich, by force Radicalized the Jacobins A political
network throughout France, especially condemning the Girondins Led
to his death by a Girondin named Charlotte Corday, who stabbed him
to death in his tub
Slide 23
Fate of the King Once the Paris Commune assumed control, they
had to determine what to do with the King, whom has almost escaped
once before. Two factions formed over this issue The Girondins The
Mountain
Slide 24
Girondins vs Mountain Both factions were members of the Jacobin
Political Network The Girondins feared radical mobs in Paris and
wanted to imprison Louis XVI in the Bastille The Mountain were
these radical mobs and called for Louis XVIs execution
Slide 25
Slide 26
Aftermath of Louis XVIs Death The Commune continued to push for
more and more radical changes to France The National Convention did
not have 100% control of France under Commune rule, and many major
towns, outraged at the execution of Louis XVI, refused to accept
the authority of the National Convention under the Commune.
Slide 27
Aftermath of Louis XVIs Death The death of a royal outraged the
rest of Europe. A loose coalition formed among Europes Powers
Austria Prussia Spain Portugal Britain Dutch Republic All took arms
against France to reestablish the old order
Slide 28
French Response The National Convention gave broad powers to
the Committee of Public Safety, first headed by Georges Danton,
later Maxmillion Robespierre This was all to fend off this
coalition of 6 European countries
Slide 29
War with the European Powers The Committee of Public Safety was
charged with raising a military and defending against foreign
invasion By September 1794 the French Military had raised a
military of over a million people. This was a peoples army,
fighting a peoples war on behalf of the peoples government. Wars
prior to this were fought between governments or dynasties by a
small group of professional soldiers
Slide 30
Reign of Terror With their broad powers the Committee of Public
Safety effectively took control of France Enemies of the
revolutionary republic were arrested, tried, convicted and
executed. ~40,000 people were executed 16,000, including Queen
Marie Antoinette and author of the Declaration of the Rights of
Women and the Female Citizen, Olympe de Gouge were executed via the
Guillotine
Slide 31
Reign of Terror Rebellious cities, such as Lyon, were brought
under the iron fist of the Committee of Public Safety In Lyon
~1,800 citizens were executed When the guillotine proved too slow,
the French used a Grape Shot Firing Squad and condemned many to
mass graves In Nantes the most heinous of executions took place
where rebels were sunk in the holds of Barges in the Lorie River
and drowned a slow, painful, terrifying death.
Slide 32
Republic of Virtue In this new French Government under control
of the Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety the following
changes took place. Citizen and Citizeness replaced the terms
Mister and Madame Women wore dresses inspired by the Republic of
Rome Representatives on Mission were sent all corners of France to
enforce new radical laws A public school system was established, by
not widely implemented Slavery was abolished in France and its
colonies Enacted price controls on food, clothing and fuel
Slide 33
Republic of Virtue The National Convention of France also made
many attempted changes in French society Dechristianization The
word Saint was removed from street names Churches were pillaged and
closed Priests were encouraged to marry The Cathedral of Notre Dame
was redesignated The Temple of Reason
Slide 34
Republic of Virtue Robespierres government went as far as to
adopt a new calendar Years would be numbered from September 22,
1792 (the first day of the French Republic) Months were renamed to
reflect seasons, tempreture or the state of vegetation Weeks
consisted of 10 days, with the 10 th day being the day of rest
Eliminated Sundays, Sunday services and Church holidays However
Robespierre came to realize that France was too Catholic to accept
these changes and abandoned the idea
Slide 35
Fall of the Committee of Public Safety France had defeated its
foreign foes in less than a year, so there was no farther need for
the Committee of Public Safety. Robespierre became obsessed with
rooting out domestic enemies of the revolution, really to the point
of madness The National Convention began to fear this obsessive
Robespierre and ordered his execution. Robespierre was Guillotined
July 28, 1794
Slide 36
The Directory With Robespierres death the Revolution began to
cool. The National Convention wrote a new constitution in 1795 that
established a Bi-cameral legislator Council of 500 Council of
Elders 750 legislators would be elected, by only 30,000 French
citizens due to property requirements The Legislator appointed a
group of five directors to serve as the executive branch, called
the Directory
Slide 37
The Directory The reign of the directory was short lived due to
corruption. There were continuing problems between royalists and
radicals. The Directory could not solve the countries economic
problems. Wars started by the Committee of Public Safety continued
The Directory relied more and more on the military to remain in
power, at least until..
Slide 38
Slide 39
Napoleon Boneparte Born: Corsica School: French Military
Academy on a royal scholarship True Student of War Appointed
Brigadier General in the French Army at age 24, by the Committee of
Public Safety In a Coup detat Napoleon overthrows the Directory and
appoints himself Consul of France Stood only 5ft 6in
Slide 40
French Governments 1789-1799 Louis XVI-Reign ended 1789
National Assembly: 1789-1791 Paris Commune: 1791-1792 Committee of
Public Safety: 1792-1795 The Directory: 1795-1799 Napoleon
Boneparte: began 1799
