TheFrench

Revolution &

Napoleon

Chapter 18

I. The Revolution Begins• French Revolution seen as major

turning point in European history:– Sought to change both political &

social order– Became a model for revolution world-

wide– Demonstrated the power of

nationalism– Showed the power of “enlightened”

ideas– The masses challenged the protected

interests of the privileged few…

“LIBERTY!!! EQUALITY!!! FRATERNITY!!!”

I. The revolution Begins• Causes of French Revolution

– The Three Estates: Population had been divided into groups since Middle Ages.

• 1st Estate: Clergy (no taxes)– 0.5% of pop., they own 10 % of the

land• 2nd Estate: Nobility (no taxes)

– 1.5% of pop., they own 25% • 3rd Estates: Commoners (pay all

taxes)– 98% of pop., own 65% of the land– Peasants, skilled craftspeople, and…– Bourgeoisie (middle class)

merchants, bankers, professionals• Common bond: distrust the

monarchy

“The Three Estates”

I. The revolution Begins

Peasant, King Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

• Causes of French Revolution– Financial Crisis

• Poverty rate soars thru countryside– Drought, Bad harvests– Food shortages, rising prices– Unemployment– 1/3 of pop. starving on eve of

revolution

• Enormous Gov’t spending of Louis XVI– Costly wars– Heavy spending to help U.S. defeat

British– Glamorous lifestyle of Marie Antoinette

I. The revolution Begins

King Louis XVI

• Causes of French Revolution– The Age of Enlightenment

• Challenged the Divine Right of Kings• Appealed to problems of middle class• Said economy would flourish w/ free

commerce (laissez-faire)– The Rule of King Louis XVI

• Preferred personal life to court life• Strongly influenced by Marie• Incapable of strong, decisive action

– American Revolution• Showed successful revolution

possible• French army introduced to new

ideas…

I. The revolution Begins

The Storming of the Bastille; July 14, 1789

• The Fall of the Old Regime– Debt forces Louis XVI to call Parliament

• Each of the 3 Estates get 1 vote• Third Estate (largest) demanded more

– Called themselves National Assembly• Locked out Tennis Court Oath

– Meet until they wrote a Constitution– Louis planned to use force on National

Assembly, but…– Storming of the Bastille

• Armory & Prison in Paris• Angry mob attacked & destroyed it,

“Great Fear” controls Paris, countryside• Louis can’t trust army, nearly powerless

I. The revolution Begins

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

• The Fall of the Old Regime (cont.)– Declaration of the Rights of Man and the

Citizen• Equality for all MEN (women excluded)• Access to public office based on talent• End to tax exemptions• Free speech and press

– Louis XVI concedes his power• Originally refused Declaration, but…• Becomes a prisoner in his own kingdom• Forced to move royal family to Paris

II. The Revolution Gets Radical

Paris Commune

• Paris Commune– 3 yrs later(1792) conditions had not

improved– Radical political groups form mob, attack

palace and legislative assembly• Hold Louis XVI captive• Call for a national convention for new

gov’t– based universal suffrage (all adult males)

– Members call themselves sans-culottes• “Without breeches (fancy pants)”• Wanted revenge…on who?• Thousands arrested, massacred

– Led by Georges Danton

II. The Revolution Gets Radical

Flyer supporting the execution of Louis XVI

• Paris Commune (cont.)– At the National Convention…

• Abolished the monarchy• Split over fate of Louis XVI

– Girondins (rural): let him live– The Mountain (urban, radical):off w/ his

head– Louis, Marie condemned to death by

guillotine

– Other nations appalled, join to attack France

– Fear of invasion, internal unrest leads to Committee on Public Safety

• Takes control of govt. beginning “Reign of Terror”

II. The Revolution Gets Radical

The guillotine was used to kill over 16,000 French citizens.

• The Reign of Terror– Led by Maximilien Robespierre– Goal: Unify, Protect, Cleanse France– 40,000 enemies of revolution executed

• 15% Nobles & Clergy, 85% Commoners

– Policy of Dechristianization• Churches pillaged and closed• “Saint” removed from street names• Cathedral of Notre Dame: Temple of

Reason• New calendar (why?)• Efforts ignored by largely Catholic public

– Radicalism ends with death of Robespierre

II. The Revolution Gets Radical

The Eighteenth of Brumaire, by Francois Bouchot

• The Directory– 1795: New constitution, more stability

• Bi-cameral (?) legislature– Lower house (500 members) wrote

laws– Upper house (250) approved or

rejected laws

• The Directory– 5 men to serve as executives– Shared power w/ legislature– Time of corruption– Could not fix economy– Relied heavily on military

– 1799: coup d’etat by Gen. Napoleon Bonaparte