Download The French Revolution and Napoleon

The French Revolution and Napoleon
The Beginnings of the Revolutionary Era
1.
2.
The American Revolution
a.
The War for Independence
b.
A New Nation
c.
Impact on Europe
Background to the French Revolution
a.
Class Grievances
b.
Social Structure of the Old regime
c.
First and Second Estates
d.
Third Estate
e.
Problems for the Monarchy
The French Revolution
1.
2.
3.
Estates General to National Assembly
a.
The National Assembly
b.
Common People
The Destruction of the Old Regime
a.
The Declaration of the Rights of man and the Citizen
b.
The Church
c.
A New Constitution
The Radical Revolution
a.
Execution of the King
b.
A Nation at War
4.
c.
The Committee of Public Safety
d.
Reign of Terror
e.
The "Republic of Virtue"
The Directory
a.
Consulship (1799-1804)
b.
Emperor (1804-1815
c.
Napoleon's Domestic Policy
i.
Concordat with the Church
ii. Napoleonic Code
iii Napoleon's Administration
d.
Napoleon's Empire and Europe's Response
e.
Elba, Waterloo, and St. Helena
Conclusion
American Revolution
 The significance of the American Revolution 1776
 Many French soldiers fought in the Revolutionary War
 Ideals were taken to France by soldiers who belived in them Marquis de Lafayette
returned home from America with love of liberty and firm republican convictions
 French intellectuals and publicists engaged in analysis of constitutions of U.S. and
other states
Liberty and Equality
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Political revolutionaries were fueled by the ideas of liberty and equality
Liberty was a call for human rights
Liberals protested governmental controls:
a) an end to censorship
b) freedom of religion
c) freedom of speech and expression
Equality meant all citizens were equal with the nobility having no extra
rights
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Declaration of the Rights of Man liberty consists of being able to do anything
that does not harm another person
This concept was extremely radical to monarchists and absolutist regimes
It was call for a new kind of government
People were sovereign
Liberals believed that men and women were not equal. Women should not
have the same rights
People were not economically equal - everyone should legally have an equal
chance
Classic liberalism reflected the Enlightenment
a) human dignity
b) human happiness
c) faith in science, rationality, and progress
Attracted the well-educated and rich
Representative government did not mean democracy - because those who
could vote would own property
John Locke Second Treatise on Government and Baron de Montesquieu
Spirit of Laws
Liberalism lacked was popular support:
i) comfortable Liberals did not have to worry about food
ii) traditional practices and institutions that the Liberals wanted to abolish
were important to the peasants
French Revolution was a direct consequence of the American Revolution, but
it was more radical and more controversial.
It opened a new era of politics
Locke "Life, liberty, and property"
Montesquieu "Power checks power"
Louis XVI
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Old Regime (ancien regime)
Absolute monarch
Weak monarch
Weak economy
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Most of the debt held by the nobles
No central bank, paper currency, or means of credit
Marie Antionette
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Wife of Louis
Sister of Austrian King Leopold II
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Older and vivacious - not interested in politics
Give them cake (?) - did not understand the situation
THEORIES
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Historians have long believed the struggle between the nobility and the
bourgeoisie
But bourgeoisie was riddled with internal problems
New theories include
:
i) nobility remained fluid and open, commoners could seek positions and
titles
ii) the nobility and the bourgeoisie formed the bulk of enlightened thinkers
iii) nobility and bourgeoisie not really at odds
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Chateaubriand, "The patricians began the Revolution, the plebeians finished
it"
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
The Estates General
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25 million people divided into 3 Estates
First Estate - Clergy - 300 seats
Divided into:
a) upper -bishops and abbots - sold offices - usually wealthy
b) lower - priests - usually poor
i) 10% of land
ii) paid "voluntary tax once every five years"
iii) Could levy a 10% tithe on landowners
Second Estate - Nobility- 300 seats
Nobility of the Sword - lineage
Nobility of the Robe - appointed offices
i) 400,000 noblemen
ii) owned 25% of land
iii) labor dues (corvee)
iv) could tax peasants for privileges, i.e. wine press or mill.
v) supported the philosophes - but criticized by them
vii) wanted a constitutional monarchy to limit the king
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Third Estate - The rest - 600 seats
i) The peasants, Middle Class,
Urban workers
ii) some commoners were educated and rich - bourgeoisie
iii) they wanted status which was not recognized through wealth
iv) felt frustration with the second estate
v) wanted positions in the church, government, and army open to the most
qualified
The Three Estates
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
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Population
Debt
Food shortages
Inflation
Disease
Recession in textiles
Nobility demanded more power
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The cause of the revolution was financial problems:
50% interest
25% military
6% Versailles
AGRARIAN PROBLEMS
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Four-fifths of the population were rural
Foreign trade had increased fivefold between 1713 and 1789
Consumer prices rose 65%; wages rose 22% between 1730-80
But lord peasant relations were not master/man.
Nobles had the right of "Eminent Property"
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
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Louis’ minister of finance proposed a general tax on all landed people, he
persuaded the king to call an Assembly of Notables
Louis attempted to rule by decree, but Parlement of Paris interfered
Louis attempted to exile the Parlement but there was a huge outcry
The Assembly promised support if the provincial assemblies could control
spending
The king dismissed the Assembly of Notables and tried to reassert his
authority
Parlement declared the king’s power null
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In July 1788 Louis was forced to call the Estates General first time since
1614- absolutism was collapsing
People started to elect representatives and organize their demands
Two-thirds of the clergy delegates were commoners by birth; one-third of the
nobility were committed to liberalism; but no delegates were actually poor.
The Estates wanted:
a) absolutism to give way to constitutional monarchy
b) liberties would have to be guaranteed
But how would they vote?
The old system virtually guaranteed control by the first and second estates
The government "doubled" the Third Estate but still useless as long as they
voted as estates.
Abbe Sieyes wrote, "What is the Third estate?" - the neglected Third Estate
was the strength of France
May 1789 the Estates General met at Versailles
June 13, delegates from the Third Estates refused to transact business, a few
clergy moved into the Third Estate
June 17 Third Estate became the National Assembly
Tennis Court Oath
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Moved to an indoor tennis court and pledged not to disband until they had
written a new constitution
Louis allied with the nobility - attempted to assert divine right to rule
The king moved the army to Versailles and dismissed the Liberals
The Bastille
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August Assembly ends feudalism
By 1789 almost half the people needed relief
July 14 1789
Symbol of power
7 prisoners
Turned a political event into revolution
Great Fear
Lafayette proclaimed commander of the city's armed forces
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
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August 1789
"All men are born free and equal"
Natural rights
- liberty, property, security
freedom from oppression
innocent until proved
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Didn’t
guarantee economic equality
Riots
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October 1789 7,000 women marched to Versailles to protest the price of
bread.
King, queen and National Assembly taken to Paris
National Assembly
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The National Assembly passed major reforms
July 1790, Louis agreed to a constitutional monarchy.
New laws increased opportunities for women, but still no vote.
Reorganized the provinces into 83 departments
weights and measures were standardized (metric), guild restrictions lifted.
Abolition of special privileges for the nobility
Wrote a constitution which limited the monarchy
Torture was abolished, citizen juries introduced, sale of offices was abolished
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customs tax on internally transported goods was lifted
The government used assignats as paper currency
Subordinated the church to the state
The clergy was required to take an oath of loyalty to the state. Only half did first failure and caused deep divisions
By September 1791 the National Assembly announced its work completed,
Louis accepted the constitution.
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Most lasting reforms in place, little gained in following years
Robespierre declared the Revolution over!
By 1792 the Revolution had turned radical because of:
a) a counter revolution led by the king, church, and Catholic peasants
b) economic, social, and political discontent among the peasants, artisans,
and wage earners (sans-culottes)
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Louis made several concessions to the Assembly but he never intended to
keep them
The people still loved the king and blamed his ministers for the problems
Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France intellectual defense of
conservatism
But in June 1791 Louis and his family had tried to escape to Austria, "flight
to Varennes" (Leopold was Marie’s brother)
Louis was captured at Varennes and returned to Paris
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August 1791, Declaration of Pillnitz - Austria and Prussia to show support
for the king "if"
Political clubs take over the Assembly
In April 1792 France declared war on Austria
July 25, Brunswick Manifesto: Austria and Prussia promise revenge if the
monarch is hurt
Prussia joined Austria to create the First Coalition
The French were easily defeated, but the leaders of the Coalition argued
amongst themselves
Gradually the French the gained the upperhand and a wave of patriotism
swept the country
The Second Revolution
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The sans-culottes insisted it was the duty of the government to protect them
Wanted the government to increase wages, fix prices, and end shortages
They wanted to prevent extremes of wealth
Wanted a democratic republic liked the ideas of Thomas Paine
In August 1792 they attacked the palace and killed several hundred guards
Storming the Tuileries Palace
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The second phase was much more radical
By September Paris was in turmoil
"September Massacres" slaughtered prison inmates
On September 1st, 1792 France was declared a Republic
The king was imprisoned and tried in December - executed by one vote
After the execution the Assembly became the National Convention
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British Prime Minister Pitt said France had to leave Belgium
Problems stopped them from being successful
February 1, 1793 France declares war on Britain, Holland, Austria, and
Prussia (later Spain)
Members of the National Convention were republican and Jacobins
But divided into two groups: Girondists from western France, and the
Mountain led by Robespierre and Danton
Both advocated war
In the spring France was pushed from Belgium
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National Constitutional Convention
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Republican armies captured Nice, invaded the Rhineland and occupied
Austrian Netherlands
Girondists and Mountainist became very suspicious of each other
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May 31 1793, the Commune, under sans-culottes pressure, has the Girondists
arrested
Sans-culotte emerge as the most powerful group in Paris
Robespierre (disciple of Rousseau) formed the Committee of Public Safety to
ensure success of the revolution
Mandated economic controls, but too weak to enforce, except the price of
bread
Nationalized the war effort
Arrested thousands of suspected counter-revolutionaries
Robespierre wanted to create a Republic of Virtue
To ensure his ideals he implemented the Reign of Terror (1793-4)
Reign of Terror
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Leaders of the Girondins were executed including Danton
Revolutionary courts tried enemies of the state
Dictatorship
40,000 executed, 300,000 imprisoned
Levée en masse
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Robespierre tried to dechristianize the country
New calendar with no Christian holidays or Sundays - Sept. 1, 1792 was day
one, year one.
Each month had 30 days, with 10 day weeks
June 1794 Robespierre introduced the cult of the Supreme Being in which
the Republic acknowledged the existence of God
Alienated Catholics
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Marie Antoinette
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Beheaded Oct. 16
"Terror is the order of the day"
1794 French armies successful on all fronts
Thermidorean Reaction
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Robespierre wanted an ideal democratic republic without rich or poor
Through despotism and the guillotine he eliminated all opposition
Robespierre was arrested by the Convention and executed (July 28, 1794) by
fearful middle class
Inflation increased, self-indulgence increased, people turned to religion
National Convention abolished economic controls and wrote a new
constitution
The Directory
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1795 leadership passed to five Directors, but same old leaders - people who
had survived
Lowered prices; alleviated hunger; reorganized the tax system; won military
victories; wrote a constitution which incorporated Belgium
Faced revolts from the left - "Gracchus" Babeuf and the "conspiracy of
equals"
from the monarchists - Barthelemy and Carnot
1795 Louis "XVII" died, the Count de Provance claimed to be Louis
"XVIII"
Declaration of Verona:
a) restore the Old Regime
b) return all confiscated land
c) restore old privileges, taxes, and dues
18 Fructidor (Sept 4, 1797) three Directors occupy Paris and stage a coup
They annulled the elections, imposed censorship, and exiled troublemakers
Napoleon sent deputy to Paris to ensure the success of the coup
Napoleon Bonaparte
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Born 1769, a child of the Enlightenment
1795 married Josephine de Beauharnais (former mistress of Barras)
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March 1795 France signed a treaty with Prussia
June Spain dropped out of the coalition
Napoleon had sweeping success in Italy
April 1796 defeated the Austrians at Millesimo
The British had problems: social unrest, rebellion in Ireland, cost of the war,
naval mutinies and started talks with the French
The French demanded more concessions and talk stopped
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October 1797 the Hapsburgs signed the Treaty of Campo Formio, which left
only Britain at war
November 1797 Napoleon returned to Paris a hero, and planned to invade
Britain
He persuaded the Directory to let him invade Egypt to cut Britain off from
India
August 1, 1798 Admiral Nelson annihilated the French fleet at Abukir
In Egypt he lost to the British but kept his reputation
Dec. 1798, Tsar Paul I signed with Britain to create the Second Coalition,
later Austria and the Ottomans joined
May 1799 Sieyes was elected a Director and started to plot against the
government
"confidence from below, power from above"
In October Napoleon appeared on French soil
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18 Brumaire Napoleon led a coup and almost messed up the coup saved only
by his brother Lucien
By December the Consulate ran the country and Napoleon was in charge
The Consulate
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Napoleon offered King George III peace but Britain refused to negotiate
June 1800 at Marengo he crushed the Austrians
1801 Treaty of Luneville expanded French control over Italy and western
Germany
1802 Peace Amiens with Britain restored peace to Europe
Napoleon could now focus on France
Created a new administrative system run by prefects
Wanted peace with the Catholic Church
The Concordat of 1801
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Pope recognized the sale of church land and the govts. right to appoint
bishops
Pope gained an acknowledgment of Catholicism as the main religion of
France - but not state religion
Church was allowed to hold services
State pays salaries
1802 Organic Acts stated the state was supreme over the church
May have been the height of Napoleon’s career
1800 Bank of France created
1801 government discusses Civil Codes
1802 educational reform
1802 issues amnesty to émigrés
a) swear an oath of loyalty
b) had no claim on lost property
Old Regime was dead and most very happy
Consulate suggested Napoleon be made consul for life - 3,568,885 to 8,374
Napoleon created the Legion of Honor headed by himself - with pay and
privileges for a selected few - despite Constituent Assembly
Napoleon becomes involved with Switzerland
May 1803 Britain declares war on France
French troops prepare to invade Britain, sold Louisiana to gain money (15c
an acre)
Napoleon makes himself Emperor
Made himself consul with a lie, emperor with a murder
December 1800 assassination attempt
Duke d’Enghien the chief suspect
Fouché rounds up all suspects
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May 1804 Senate declare him "First Consul of the Republic" became
Napoleon I
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Dec. 1804 Pope Pius VII at Notre Dame Cathedral, attempts to crown
Napoleon
Napoleon crowns himself
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Civil Code of 1804 reasserted two principles of the Revolution:
a) equality for all male citizens
b) absolute security for wealth and property
Very rationalistic:
strengthened laws on property, religious toleration, equality before the law
for all- except women, strengthened the rights of employers
1807 the Civil Codes became the Napoleonic Codes
Napoleonic Empire
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Absolute control
Eliminated corruption
Women lost nearly all their rights
Freedom of religion
State over individual, freedom of speech and press were continually violated
Joseph Fouché’s Secret police arrested potential troublemakers
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Alexander I of Russia sees himself as Napoleon’s eastern counterpart
August 1805 Russia, Austria, Britain form the Third Coalition
At Ulm Napoleon defeats the Austrians but lost French-Spanish fleet at
Trafalgar
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Defeated Austria at Austerlitz (favorite victory)
Treaty of Pressburg with Austria gave him full sovereignty over Italy
1806 forms the Confederation of the Rhine and dissolves the Holy Roman
Empire
1806 Prussia joins the war against France
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"nation of shopkeepers"
1806 Berlin Decree closed continental ports to British ships
1807 Milan Decree - ships not
complying would be
treated as hostile
President Jefferson
passes the Embargo Acts
French soldiers wore
English cloth
Peninsular War
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1808 Napoleon forced the king of Spain to abdicate - Joseph becomes king
Civil uprising forces Joseph to flee and Nap. has to send and army to help
Joseph
Nap. found himself in a guerrilla war against Spain (supported by Britain)
Wellesley (Wellington) drove the French from Portugal
1813 Napoleon forced from Spain
"It was the Spanish ulcer that ruined me"
Friedland French defeated the Russians
Tsar signs the Treaty of Tilsit, Prussia lost half her population and Russia
accepted Napoleon’s control of Europe and promised to help blockade
Britain
Napoleon’s empire had three parts:
i) The core - France
ii) dependent satellite kingdoms
iii) independent, but allied states
1809 Austria rose against France but crushed at Battle of Wagram - Treaty
of Schonbrunn
Europe 1810
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Metternich arranges for Napoleon to marry Princess Marie Louise
1811 Marie Louise has a son "king of Rome"
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But neither Russia nor France trusted the other
France had occupied Holland and not helped Russia fight the Ottomans
Napoleon blamed Russia for the failure of the Continental System
June 24 1812 the Grande Armee invades Russia
Battle of Borodino, France win costly victory
September 14 he occupies Moscow
Five weeks later he retreats to France, only about 30,000 men escaped
Prussia deserts France to join the Russians
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Austria joins the Grand Alliance - subsidized with British money
Battle of the Nations France is defeated
Talks start about abdication
Allies could not all agree on terms
Problem was:
a) future of Napoleon
b) borders of France
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Nov. 1813 Frankfort Proposals were drawn up by Prussia, Russia, Austria,
and agreed to by Britain: a)France would return to her natural borders; b)
Napoleon would still be emperor; c) Prussia would be compensated
Napoleon wanted better terms - so allies refused
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March 9, 1814 Treaty of Chaumont created the Quadruple Alliance to last
for 20 years
Napoleon offered the Island of Elba
Napoleon was allowed to keep his title and a pension of 2m. francs a year
The allies wanted to restore the Bourbon monarchy
May 3 Napoleon abdicated, Louis XVIII became king of a constitutional
monarchy
May 30 "first’ Peace of Paris signed with plans for Congress in Vienna in
September
Congress of Vienna
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a) Not punish France - make sure she could not wage war again
b) Restore the balance of power - no one dominates
c) Compensation -States should be compensated for the loss of land or people
d) Legitimacy - restore the monarchs that ruled prior to Napoleon, if possible
e) Victors should be rewarded
Prince Karl von Metternich of Austria was in charge
he believed in conservatism not liberalism
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Quadruple Alliance - Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia agreed to meet to
review the situation
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March 1, 1815 Napoleon re-enters France
But not overwhelming support
Napoleon invaded Belgium
At Waterloo he met the Duke of Wellington and was defeated
Waterloo
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"Second" Treaty of Paris - much harsher
a) borders would the same as 1790
b) indemnity of 700 million francs
c) 150,000 troops occupy France for 3 to 5 years
d) renewed the Quadruple Alliance
Napoleon exiled to St. Helena
Russia persuaded Austria and Prussia to form the Holy Alliance to rule
under Christian principles
Quadruple Alliance later admitted France