Download French Revolution

French Revolution
Ch 23
Warm Up:
What would it take for you to take
part in an armed revolution
against the government?
Background
• In the 1700s, France was considered the
most advanced country in Europe
• Large population
• Prosperous foreign trade
• Center of the Enlightenment
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
• Great unrest
– Bad harvests
– High prices
– High taxes
– Questions raised by the Enlightenment
The Old Order
• Old Regime- political and social system
that existed in France before the French
Revolution
• Under the Old Regime people were
divided in 3 estates, or social classes
The Privileged Estates
• Two of the estates had privileges
– Access to high offices
– Exemption from taxes
First Estate
• First Estate- made up of the clergy of the
Roman Catholic Church
– Owned about 10% of the land
– Paid 2% of income to government for taxes
Second Estate
• Second Estate- made up rich nobles
– Made up 2% of the population
– Owned 20% of the land
– Paid almost no taxes
Third Estate
• Third Estate -97% of the population
• Paid about half of their income in taxes
• 3 Groups make up the 3rd Estate
– Bourgeoisie – middle class- bankers,
merchants, artisans
– Workers- poorest group
– Peasants – 80% of France’s 26 million
people
Causes of the French
Revolution
Resentment of the Third Estate
• Third Estate resented the nobles for their
privileges and special treatment
• Resented the heavy taxes they had to pay
What specific ideas from the
Enlightenment inspired the
French Revolution?
Enlightenment Ideas
• New ideas about power and authority in
government were spreading among the
Third Estate
• Inspired by the success of the American
Revolution
• Quoting Voltaire and Rousseau, they
began demanding equality, liberty, and
democracy
Economic Troubles
• By the 1780s, France’s once prosperous
economy was in decline
• Heavy tax burden made it nearly
impossible to conduct business profitably
• Cost of living was rising
• Bad weather in the 1780s led to crop
failures and a severe shortage of grain
• Government was in debt
Weak Leader
• Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette- King and
queen of France
• Indecisive
• Allowed matters to drift
• Paid little attention to his advisors
Dawn of the Revolution
• To raise money for his debt Louis XVI tries
to tax the nobles
• After he tried to raise taxes the nobles
forced Louis XVI to call a meeting of the
Estates-General – an assembly of
representatives from all three estates
• First meeting in 175 years
• May 5, 1789
National Assembly
• Many members of the Third Estate are
eager to make changes in the government
• Third Estate representatives decide to
create the National Assembly – French
congress established by the Third Estate
on June 17, 1789 to enact laws and
reforms in the name of the French people
Importance of the National
Assembly
• Proclaims the end of absolute monarchy
and start of representative government
• First deliberate act of revolution
Tennis Court Oath
• After creation of the National Assembly,
the Third Estate was locked out of
Versailles
• They broke down a door to an indoor
tennis court and made an oath not to leave
until the National Assembly had created a
constitution
• Tennis Court Oath – agreement made by
the National Assembly agreeing not to
disband until a constitution was drafted
Storming the Bastille
• Rumors began to spread around Paris that Louis
XVI would use military force to dismiss the
National Assembly
• People began to gather weapons to defend
themselves
• July 14, 1789, an angry mob attacked the
Bastille, a prison
• The angry attackers hacked the prison
commander and several guards to death, then
paraded around the streets with their heads on
pikes
Great Fear
• Great Fear- wave of senseless panic that swept
the French countryside after the storming of the
Bastille in 1789
• Peasants began to turn on the nobles attacking
their homes and stealing food
• In October 1789, thousands of Parisian women
rioted over the prices of bread
• The women marched to Versailles, broke into
the palace killing several guards and demanded
that the king and queen return to Paris
What were the causes of the
French Revolution?
Revolution Brings Reform and
Terror
Sec 2
3 Phases of the French Revolution
• Moderate Phase- National Assembly and
Storming of the Bastille
• Radical Phase- Reign of Terror
• Conservation- Rule of Napoleon
The Assembly Reforms France
• August 4, 1789
• Many noblemen and church clergy make
speeches declaring their love of liberty and
equality- mostly out of fear
• Feudal privileges of the First and Second
Estates are gone
• Old Regime is dead
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
• Declaration of the Rights of Man –
statement of revolutionary ideals similar to
the Declaration of Independence
• Rights included liberty, property, security
and resistance to oppression”
• Liberty, Equality, Fraternity- slogan of
the revolution
State Controlled Church
• National Assembly took over the church
lands and declared that church official and
priests would be elected and paid as state
officials
• After this the Assembly lost support from
many peasants who thought the church
should be ruled only by the pope
Louis XVI Tries to Escape
• Believing he and his family were in danger
Louis XVI tried to escape France in June
1791
• As they neared the border they were
captured by someone who recognized the
king’s face from his portrait on bank notes
Limited Monarchy
• September 1791, the Assembly finally
finished the new constitution
• The new French constitution created a
constitutional monarchy-system in
which the ruler’s power is limited by law
• It also created the Legislative Assemblypolitical body with the power to create laws
and approve or reject declarations of war
• King retained power to enforce laws
Factions Split France
• Despite the new government the old
problems still remained – food shortages
and government debt
• Legislative Assembly split into 3 groups –
Radicals, Moderates, and
Conservatives
Other Factions
• Other factions outside the government
wanted to influence the direction of the
government
• Emigres – nobles who fled France and
wanted to bring back the Old Regime
• Sans-culottes- radical group of workers
and shop owners who wanted a greater
role in the Assembly
France at War
• Austria and Prussia were pressuring France to
restore Louis XVI to absolute monarch
• The Assembly responded by declaring war in
April 1792
• Prussian leaders threatened to destroy Paris if
the King was harmed
• The enraged Parisians responded by attacking
the palace where the king and his family were
staying and slaughtered the royal guards and
took the king and his family captive
Another New Government
• Under pressure from radicals the
Legislative Assembly agrees to set aside
the constitution
• A new body of government, the National
Convention, abolishes the monarchy and
establishes France as a republic
Jacobins
• Jacobins- radical political group that was
behind the governmental changes of
September 1792
• Guided by radical Jacobins the National
Convention tried and convicted Louis XVI
for treason
• January 21, 1793 the former king was
executed by guillotine
Guillotine
• Invented by Dr.
Joseph Guillotine
• Fast, effective and
democratic
• How did the guillotine
embody the ideals of
the Enlightenment?
The War Continues
• France scored a victory against Prussian
and Austria but Great Britain, Holland, and
Spain then declare war as well
• Jacobin leaders order a draft that
increases the size of the army to 800,000
Reign of Terror
• The Jacobins had many enemies inside of
France
• Many peasants were horrified with the
king’s execution
• Priests were not happy with government
control
• Rival leaders who wanted power
• How to control their internal enemies
became a major problem
Robespierre
• Maximilien
RobespierreJacobin leader who
ruled France as a
virtual dictator
• Set out to build a
republic of virtue by
eliminating every
trace of the past
•
Reign of Terror
• Reign of Terror – period of rule under
Robespierre when thousands of people
were executed for being enemies of the
revolution
• As many as 40,000 people were executed
from July 1793 to July 1794
• Many of those who had helped lead the
Revolution were executed for not being
radical enough
End of the Terror
• Members of the National Convention
began to fear for their own safety and
turned on Robespierre
• July 28, 1794, Robespierre goes to the
guillotine
• National Convention then creates a
moderate government
What was the goal of the
Reign of Terror?
Napoleon Forges an Empire
Sec 3
Napoleon
• Napoleon
Bonaparte- military
genius who seized
power and made
himself emperor of
France
• From 1794-1799 he
rose from officer in
the French army to
emperor
War Hero
• Oct 1795, young Napoleon successfully
defended the National Convention from
royalist rebels
• In 1796, he was appointed to lead a
French army against Austria. He won a
series of victories in Italy.
Coup d’Etat
• By 1799, the Directory had lost control of
the political situation and the confidence of
the French people
• In November 1799, troops under
Napoleon’s command surrounded the
national legislature and drove out most
of its members.
• The remaining lawmakers voted to
dissolve the Directory.
Coup d’Etat
• The Directory was replaced with a group
of three consuls one of which was
Napoleon
• Napoleon quickly took the title of first
consul and assumed the powers of a
dictator
• Coup d’etat- sudden seizure of power,
“blow to the state”
Peace in Europe
• At the time of the coup France was still at
war with Britain, Austria, and Russia
• Through war and diplomacy, all 3 nations
signed peace agreements with France
• By 1802, Europe was at peace for the first
time in 10 years
• This gave Napoleon time to focus on
restoring order in France.
Napoleon Rules France
• At first Napoleon pretended to be the
constitutionally chosen leader of a free
republic.
• In 1800, a plebiscite- vote of the people,
was held to approve a new constitution.
• Desperate for strong leadership the people
voted overwhelmingly in favor of the
constitution that gave all real power to
Napoleon as first consul.
Restoring Order
• Even though he was a dictator he didn’t
want to return to days of Louis XVI
• Kept many changes of the revolution
• Supported laws that strengthened the
central government and supported the
goals of the revolution
Economic Reforms
• Set up efficient method of collecting
taxes
• Established a national banking system
• Ensured a steady supply of tax money,
promoted sound financial management
and better control of the economy
Political Reforms
• Dismissed corrupt officials
• Set up lycees, government run schools
• Graduates were appointed to public office
based on merit as opposed to family
connections
Social Reforms
• Restored the position of the church
• Signed a concordant, agreement, with
Pope Pius VII that recognized the
influence of the church but rejected church
control in national affairs
Napoleonic Code
• Napoleonic Code- comprehensive
system of laws
• Forbid privileges based on birth
• Freedom of religion
• Stressed clearly written and accessible
laws
• Strong influence on law around the world
Napoleon as Emperor
• 1804, Napoleon
decided to make
himself emperor
• December 2,
Napoleon took his
crown from the pope
and crowned himself
emperor of France
Empire
• Napoleon’s goal was to control all of
Europe and to reassert French power in
the Americas
Loss of American Territories
• After the revolution, the French colony in Haiti
demanded the same privileges as French
citizens
• Slaves in Haiti also wanted their freedom and a
civil war erupted in Haiti
• The enslaved Africans were led by Toussaint
L’Ouverture
• Napoleon tried to take the colony back but the
French troops were devastated by disease and
the rebels proved to be fierce fighters
Louisiana Purchase
• Napoleon decided to cut his losses in the
Americas and sell Louisiana to the US for
$15 million
• Why would Napoleon sell such a huge
piece of land for so little money?
Benefits of Louisiana Sale
• Gained money to finance operations in
Europe
• Punish the British
– Assures power of the US
– Gives England another rival
Conquering Europe
• Annexed the Austrian Netherlands and
parts of Italy
• Set up a puppet government in
Switzerland
• Britain persuades Russia, Austria, and
Sweden to join them against France
Austerlitz
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Austerlitz- Napoleon’s greatest victory
1805
75000 French troops
73000 Russian and Austrian troops
27000 Russo-Austrian Casualties
Austria surrenders
Russia retreats home
Battle of Trafalgar
• Battle of Trafalgar- naval battle between
France and England resulting in the loss of
the French fleet
• Major loss for France
• Ensured English naval supremacy for the
next 100 years
• Forced Napoleon to give up his plans of
invading England
French Empire
• Napoleon’s victories in Europe gave him
control of everything except Britain,
Portugal, Sweden, and the Ottoman
Empire
• Many countries that appeared to be
independent were controlled by puppet
governments
• The Empire was huge but unstable
• Maintained at its greatest extent from
1807-1812
Napoleon’s Empire Collapses
Sec 4
Napoleon’s Mistakes
Continental System
• Continental System- blockade intended
to prevent all trade between England and
Europe
• Not tight enough, smugglers were
successful
• Napoleon’s allies disregarded the
blockade, including his brother Louis, king
of Holland
• Britain declared their own blockade that
was much more successful
Peninsular War
• Peninsular War- war during the Napoleonic era
between Portugal, Spain, and England and
France on the Iberian Peninsula
• In order to get to Portugal, Napoleon sent troops
through Spain
• When the Spanish protested Napoleon removed
the king and put his brother Joseph on the
throne
• For the next 6 years Spanish guerillas attacked
French forces
• Britain sent troops to help the Spanish
• France lost about 300,000 troops in the
Peninsular War
Invasion of Russia
• Invasion of Russia
• June 1812
• The alliance broke down between Russia
and France
• Napoleon marched his Grand Army of
420,000 troops into Russia
• Russian Tsar Alexander I refused to be
drawn into an unequal battle so he pulled
back his troops
Scorched-Earth Policy
• Scorched-earth policy- military practice
where a retreating army burns grain fields
and kills livestock so as to leave nothing
for the enemy to eat
• September 7, 1812, Napoleon forces
score a victory at the Battle of Borodino
but take heavy casualties
Moscow
• Napoleon reaches Moscow on September
14, 1812, the city is in flames
• Alexander I had burned the city instead of
letting it fall to the French
• October 18, Napoleon retreats the
remaining 100,000 starving troops
• By December only 10,000 of Napoleon’s
420,000 troops remain
Napoleon’s Downfall
• Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and Austria all
come after Napoleon
• French resistance crumbles quickly
• March of 1814, Prussian and Russian troops
parade through Paris
• Napoleon wanted to fight on but his generals
refused
• April 1814, Napoleon accepts terms of surrender
and gives up his throne
• He is exiled to Elba
Hundred Days
• Hundred Days- brief time in 1815 when
Napoleon made his last bid for power
• With Napoleon in exile Louis XVI’s brother
assumed the throne but quickly became
unpopular with his subjects
• Napoleon escapes from exile and lands in
France on March 1, 1815
• As he marches to the Paris thousands of people
welcome him and volunteers join his army
• A few days later he was emperor again
Waterloo
• Waterloo- battle that put an end to
Napoleon’s rule as emperor of France
• France-72,000 troops
• Britain and Prussia 118,000
• France – 25000 casualties 7000 captured
15000 missing
• Britain and Prussia-22000 casualties
• Napoleon exiled again
Napoleon’s Legacy
• Military genius, brilliant administrator
• Made France a world power after the
revolution
• Reformed the government and economy
• Achievements overshadowed by the
millions of lives lost in his wars
Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
• Congress of Vienna- series of meetings
in 1814-1815, during which the European
leaders sought to establish long-lasting
peace and security after the defeat of
Napoleon
• Most decisions were made in secret by the
5 great powers-Russia, Prussia, Austria,
France, Great Britain
Metternich’s Plan for Europe
• Klemons von Metternich- foreign minister
of Austria
• 3 Goals
– Prevent French aggression
– Restore a balance of power- if all countries
are equal they will not be a threat to each
other
– Restore the royal families to their thrones
Containment of France
• Make the countries around France
stronger
• Combine 39 German states into German
Confederation
• Austrian Netherlands and Dutch Republic
united to become Kingdom of the
Netherlands
Balance of Power
• Wanted to weaken France but not to leave
it powerless
• France remained a major but diminished
power
Legitimacy
• Congress of Vienna affirmed the principals
of legitimacy-hereditary right of a monarch
to rule
• Ruling families in France, Spain, and
several states in Italy and Central Europe
regained their thrones
Short Term Effects of the Congress
of Vienna
• One of the most successful peace
meetings in history
• Kings and Queens regain their power
• Balance of Power is achieved
• Europe remains peaceful for nearly 40
years
Long Term Effects of French
Revolution and Napoleon
• Diminished size and power of France
• Nationalism spread to Italy, Germany,
Greece, and Latin American colonies
• Change social attitudes that had
dominated Europe
– Equality
• Change in political thought
– More and more people saw democracy as the
best way to ensure equality and justice