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The French Revolution
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1789
French Rev.
Absolute Monarchy
Louis XVI
People wanted equality
Bad economy, Little food,
Louis XVI’s spending
Enlightenment Ideas
Influence of American Rev.
American Rev.
Type of
Gov.
Limited Monarchy
King George and
Parliament
Reasons Britain views Americans as
colonists, Americans view
for
Conflict themselves as loyal British
subjects, Enlightenment
Ideas,
Unfair Estate
Actions
System, High taxes
that led
on the poor,National to war.
Assembly, Storming
of the Bastille
High Taxes on
Colonists, Intolerable
Acts, Boston Massacre,
Boston Tea Party,
Common Sense
Causes of French Revolution
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Ideas of liberty and equality from
the American Revolution (note:
Constitution was signed 2 yrs
before in 1787)
Enlightenment ideas of John
Locke
Causes of French Revolution
 Vast
majority of people were
broke and hungry.
 Vast majority were in the
lowest estate
 Video
I. The Old Régime
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A society of order and inequality
No movement (social and geographic)
No rights for the poor
A society of privileges for the rich
A society led by customs and traditions
A society dominated by religion
1st Estate
2nd Estate
Louis XVI
Bourgeoisie
Workers
3rd Estate
Three
Estates
Peasants
A. The First Estate: The Clergy
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A tiny majority entitled to many privileges
But an order providing important services
Ministry and sacraments
 Charity
 Education
 Social Promotion
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Less than 1% of population, owned 10% of
the land, Very little if any taxes
B. The Second Estate: The Nobility
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Born into money
Proud of its origins but
feeling threatened
Attached to its
privileges
An order opposed to all
changes
2% of the population
Owned 20% of the land
No Taxes!!!!!!!!!
C. The Third Estate: Everybody Else
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97% of society
50% taxes
3 classes within 3rd estate
Bourgeoisie- Middle Class,
merchants and artisans,
leaders of the Rev., believed
in enlightenment ideas
City workers, low wages,
often hungry
Peasants- 80% of
population, poor, mistreated,
very high taxes
C. The Third Estate: Continued
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A frustrated but
ambitious group
The “Go-Getters!”
Urban workers and
artisans
bourgeoisie
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Part of the third estate,
they were the “middle
class” of France.
They were bankers,
merchants, factory
owners (educated people)
Led the revolution
1st Estate
2nd Estate
Louis XVI
Bourgeoisie
Workers
3rd Estate
Three
Estates
Peasants
Enlightenment Ideas/American Rev.
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Many thinkers of the
Enlightenment are
French (Voltaire,
Rousseau, Montesquieu)
Poor, mistreated, people
like the ideas presented
in the Enlightenment
Battle Cry- Liberty,
Equality, Fraternity
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Also influenced by
the Americans
The French helped us
during the American
Revolution.
If the Americans can
do it, why can’t the
French????
Revolution - beginnings
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Royal family flaunts
their wealth.
Louis XVI and his
wife spend too much
$
High taxes = No
profit
Increase in the cost
of living
Price of bread
doubled because of
bad harvests
Bread riots
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People were hungry;
the country was
broke.
This picture is from
an all-woman bread
riot.
Marie Antoinette said
“let them eat cake”
King Louis XVI
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His grandfather Louis XIV was the
ultimate “absolutist” king.
This king was weak
He had so little control, he called
for the French congress to fix
some problems
Became King at age of 15 (17741793)
Inherited debt from his father
He gave $$$ to help the Americans
gain independence from Great
Britain
He was a weak leader
He would rather hunt or play with
toys instead of rule the country
Queen Marie Antoinette
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A very beautiful woman
Charming and light hearted
She was unpopular with the French
people
She was Austrian!
She referred to her husband as “The
Poor Man”
1774- Louis XVI takes the throne.
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They helped America in the American Rev.
This cost a large amount of money.
Louis tries to tax the 1st and 2nd estate.
They complain and basically refuse
May 1789- Louis calls the Estates- General,
which hasn’t been called since 1614
The reason he called them was so that he could
try to raise taxes on the 3rd estate
The Estates General
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An assembly of representatives from all three
estates.
Each Estate got 1 vote.
Therefore, the 1st and 2nd could always outvote
the third estate.
Basically 3% > 97% ??????????????????????
Met at Versailles.
It represents both ends of the political spectrum
Radicals-Moderates-Conservatives
Tennis Court Oath
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Delegates of the 3rd Estate
Kicked out of Estates General
Broke into an indoor tennis court at
Versailles
Pledged to not leave there until they had
finished a constitution
Wanted a new constitution constructed to
give more power to the lower estate
The National Assembly
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June 17, 1789, the 3rd Estate renamed the
themselves to “The National Assembly”
Mostly bourgeoisie class citizens
Abbe Sieyes- Clergy who sided with the 3rd
Estate
They began to pass laws and reforms in the name
of the French People!
1st official act of revolution
This ended absolute monarchy in France
Storming the Bastille
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Louis stationed Swiss Guards in Paris
People wanted to gather weapons and powder to
protect Paris from an invasion from the Austrians
July 14th, 1789 mob stormed the garrison and
killed the kings guards
Symbolic act of revolution
Like USA - 4th of July
Bastille Day
Video
The Great Fear
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October 1789
A wave of senseless panic
Rumors start to fly that the nobles are going to
kill the peasants
Peasants became outlaws and attacked upper
class citizens
Broke into houses and tore up legal papers and
burned property
Video
Women Riot!!!
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6,000 Parisian women riot in the city over the price of
bread!
Anger quickly turned against the king and queen
With knives and axes, march on Versailles and killed 2
guards
Demand the king and queen come to Paris
They are basically taken hostage by the crowd and taken
to Paris
Assembly Reforms In France
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Nobles join the NA out of fear, this gives it
legitimacy
Declaration of the Rights of Man- “men are born
and remain free and equal in rights.”
Modeled after Declaration of Independence
Rights of free speech, religion and equal justice
“Rights of liberty, property, security and
resistance to oppression.”
Did not apply to women
Assembly Reforms
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The National Assembly took control of the
church. Now the church was run by the
government
The assembly took church lands and sold
them to pay off French debt
Clergy was now paid by government.
Peasants angry because they think the
church can do no wrong.
This will cause tension between the
peasants and the middle class.
King Tries to Escape
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Louis tried to get out of town
Took his wife and kids to Austria
They were caught by a mail man who
recognized him from his face on the
money!
Sent back to Paris
His fate was sealed- Why would he try to
escape unless he was guilty?
War with Austria & Prussia
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Early 1792
Foreign countries don’t like revolution in
France
They think it may start revolutions in their
country
Armies invade France and help save King
Louis and family
Death of the King
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20,000 stormed the kings home and killed the 900
Swiss guards
Jacobins captured the king
Louis XVI is charged with “conspiring against
the liberty of the nation.” Basically he was tried
with being an absolute monarch.
He is convicted and beheaded.
1st time this has happened in Europe.
Kings had been assassinated, but never put on
trial and/or assassinated
Mob and Gang Rule
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Mob made of poor people
Leaders were Bourgeoisie
Jacobin-radical political club (gang)
Led by Maximillian Robespierre, Jean Paul
Marat, Georges Danton
Reign of Terror
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Maximilien Robespierre- gains control of
power
He made laws that hurt France and it’s
people
Became a Dictator
Used Secret Police
Begins killing people he didn’t like
Video
Maximillian Robespierre
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Tried to build a
“Republic of Virtue”
Wiped out all traces of
the monarchy and
nobility
Decks of cards were
changed.
The calendar was
changed
Robespierre- became
leader of the Committee
of Public Safety
Committee for Public Safety
 Robespierre decided
who were the enemies
of the Republic
 300,000 arrested.
 16,000 – 50,000
executed.
 People were tried in
the morning and
guillotined in the
afternoon
End of the Reign of Terror
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People get tired of Robespierre and his scare
tactics
He, along with Marat are killed by the people.
Marat killed in his tub, Robespierre beheaded by
the guillotine.
1795- New constitution gave power to the
Directory and Legislature
Directory was a council of 5 men called directors
Ineffective so people look to army for leadership
They find Napoleon
The Guillotine
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Invented in 1792 by Dr. Joseph Ignace
Guillotine
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Efficient-Humane-Democratic
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“Would not feel the slightest pain”
Effects of the French Revolution
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Both the King and
Queen were beheaded
French monarchy no
more
In addition to the Royal
family, 17,000 people
were executed with the
guillotine.
PERIODS OF THE REVOLUTION
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Five sub-periods distinguished by form of
government
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Estates
Legislative Assembly
National Convention
Directory
Consulate
First Empire
Effects continued. . .
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Napoleon
Bonaparte was
elected leader,
then appoints
himself
emperor of
France.
Video
Hero of the Hour
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October 1795- Royalists march on the National
Assembly wanting to restore the monarchy
Napoleon, who happens to be in town, leads a
group of artillery and disperses the crowd
Napoleon becomes a celebrity, seen as the savior
of the Republic, known as the “Hero of the Hour”
Put in charge of the army that is set up to fight the
Austrians, he wins
Napoleon gets more powerful by the day
Coup d’Etat
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By 1799 the directory is losing control
Napoleon and his wife, Josephine, work behind
the scenes to try to get support
By this time Napoleon is in charge of the entire,
French army and is very popular
Napoleon with his army marches on the National
Assembly
The National Assembly dissolves the directory
During the coup Napoleon becomes 1st consul,
basically the dictator
Plebiscite
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Plebiscite- a vote of the people
Napoleon calls for a vote of the people to
approve his takeover and other reforms
They approve him and also approve new
constitution, set up a national bank, create
public schools.
Now merit gets you ahead, not birth
Legal System-Napoleonic Code
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Equality of all in the eyes of the law
No recognition of privileges of birth (i.e. noble rights
inherited from ancestors.)
Freedom of religion
Separation of the church and the state
Freedom to work in an occupation of one's choice
Strengthening the family by:
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Placing emphasis on the husband and father as the head of the
family
Restricting grounds for divorce to three reasons: adultery,
conviction of a serious crime, and grave insults, excesses or
cruelty; however divorce could be granted by mutual
agreement, as long as the grounds were kept private.
Defining who could inherit the family property
Napoleonic Code
 Confirmed
Abolition of Privileges
 Established a meritocracy
 Regulation of Labor
 Outlawed worker’s organizations
 Abolished laws of primogeniture
 Extended to all French territory
Napoleonic Code – Results
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A woman could not vote.
A wife owed obedience to her husband, who had total control over
their property.
A unmarried woman had few rights and could not be a legal guardian
or witness wills.
It was easier for a man to sue for divorce on grounds of adultery,
while a man had to cohabit with his mistress for two years for his
wife to justify a divorce.
If a man surprised his wife in bed with another man, he could kill her
legally. If a woman did so, she could be tried for murder.
Minors had few rights. (A father even could place his child in jail for
up to six months.)
Illegitimate children had no rights of inheritance
Napoleon becomes Emperor
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1804- Napoleon learns about an assassination plot
sponsored by Louis XVI’s family.
He kills his enemy in secret, but is worried about
his legacy.
He uses this as a reason to restore a hereditary
“monarchy” to France with him as Emperor.
Dec. 2, 1804- Napoleon crowns himself Emperor.
Napoleon expands the Empire
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During this time Napoleon and his army fought in
several wars to conquer many parts of Europe and
the Mediterranean including Italy, Egypt,
Germany, and Spain.
During this time his main foe was Great Britain,
who he could never conquer.
Napoleon needed $, so he sold the Louisiana
Purchase to the U.S. for less than 3 cents an acre.
Napoleon’s Family Rules!
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Jerome Bonaparte  King of Westphalia.
Joseph Bonaparte  King of Spain
Louise Bonaparte  King of Holland
Pauline Bonaparte  Princess of Italy
Napoléon Francis Joseph Charles (son)
King of Rome
Elisa Bonaparte  Grand Duchess of
Tuscany
Caroline Bonaparte  Queen of Naples
This allegorical print celebrated the general
peace. Bonaparte in the centre is crowned by
Victory, who brings with her Abundance,
whilst Time closes the doors to the Temple of
Janus (these were famously closed by the
Emperor Augustus to signify that Rome was
not at war). The sovereigns of Europe come to
receive from the hands of the First Consul the
olive branch of peace. From left to right: The
Grand Turk, the King and Queen of Portugal,
the Pope, the King of England, Bonaparte, the
King of Spain, the Holy Roman Emperor, the
King of Prussia, the King of Naples, The Tsar
of Russia.
Famous Napoleon Quotes
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“I love power as a musician loves his violin.”
“Even when I am gone, I shall remain in people's
minds the star of their rights, my name will be the
war cry of their efforts, the motto of their hopes.”
“I can no longer obey; I have tasted
command, and I cannot give it up.”
“I should have conquered the world.”
Napoleon’s 3 Mistakes
1.
2.
3.
Continental System
Peninsular War
Invasion of Russia
1. Continental System- 1806
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Napoleon knew he couldn’t defeat Great Britain because
of their powerful navy.
He decides to try to defeat them by crippling them
economically by cutting off trade with the rest of Europe.
To do this he imposed a blockade- a forcible closing of
ports
It fails horribly because of several factors.
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Smugglers bring British goods in to Europe.
Too much coastline to monitor
British have a more powerful navy and they end up blockading
France and Europe (War of 1812)
This ends up hurting Napoleon more than the British.
2. Peninsular War-1808
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Spain basically ignores the Continental System. A
direct threat to Napoleon’s power.
Napoleon gets mad and deposes Spanish King
and puts his brother in charge.
Spanish Rebel and use guerilla warfare- loosely
organized fighting force that makes surprise
attacks on enemy troops occupying their territory
using hit and run tactics, to hurt the French Army
This war last for 5 years, costs countless $, and
Napoleon loses 300,000 men.
3. Invasion of Russia- June 1812
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Alexander I of Russia sells grains to Great
Britain. This makes Napoleon furious.
Napoleon raised army of 680,000 from all
of Europe
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Size of Army dictated direct approach
Only 200,000 French - depending on support
of defeated nations
RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN
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Numerous logistics setbacks in beginning of
campaign
Dilemma
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Couldn’t winter over at Smolensk (unable to
provision army & Sweden threatened rear)
Retreat before Winter or advance to Moscow
Napoleon advanced toward Moscow hoping for
decisive victory
DON’T INVADE RUSSIA IN THE WINTER!!
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Poor roads/hostile population didn’t support
mass/mobility
Russian “scorched earth” policy prevented
foraging
Weakened army fell prey to disease (lost 1/4
combat effectiveness before contact with
enemy)
Unwilling warriors deserted in droves
Video
RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN
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Sept 14th - entered Moscow - hollow victory
since Russians had burned city & retreated
Oct 19th - began retreat, hampered by:
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Snow & bitter cold
Russian Regular/Irregular Forces
Ineffective supply system
40,000 vehicles loaded with “loot” vice supplies
Breakdown of discipline wasted supplies
Video
RESULTS
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Napoleon loses ½ million men.
His army is seriously weakened.
Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria, and
Sweden all ally against France.
Napoleon and his army are defeated at the
Battle of Leipzig
Napoleon Abdicates!
e
Allied forces occupied Paris on March 31, 1814.
e
Napoléon abdicated on April 6 in favor of his son, but
the Allies insisted on unconditional surrender.
e
Napoléon abdicated again on April 11.
e
Treaty of Fontainbleau  exiles Napoléon to Elba with
an annual income of 2,000,000 francs.
e
The royalists took control and restored
Louis XVIII to the throne.
Don’t call it a comeback
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Louis XVIII takes over and is very unpopular.
Napoleon escapes from Elba, gets an army
together and marches towards Paris.
Louis XVIII sends an army after Napoleon, but
they end up joining Napoleon.
Napoleon marches into Paris, Louis XVIII flees
Napoleon makes peace offers towards the rest of
Europe, but they do not believe him.
Waterloo
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Coalition of European nations form an army to
defeat Napoleon.
They meet at Waterloo in Belgium.
One of the most famous battles in history
Napoleon defeated (Hemorrhoids??)
Time period known as the 100 Days.
Napoleon shipped farther away to St. Helena.
Napoleon dies in 1821. Poison???
Congress Of Vienna
Decisions in Vienna 1814-15
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5 great powers
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King Frederick William III of Prussia
Czar Alexander I of Russia
Emperor Francis I of Austria
Foreign Ministers of France and Britain
Metternich takes the Stage
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Prince Clemons Von Metternich – Foreign
minister of Austria.
“ First and greatest concern for the immense
majority is the stability of laws never there
change.”
3 Goal
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Surround France with strong Countries
Balance of Power
Restore Europe’s Royal Families
Results of Vienna
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Kingdom of the Netherlands
German Federation
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Joining of 39 German States
Switzerland was recognized
Kingdom of Sardinia was strengthened
Legitimacy- Restored all the Monarch’s
prior to the revolution and Napoleon.
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Louis XVIII
Concert Of Europe
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A series of Alliances between European
countries that they would help one another
if a revolution was to happen again.
Conclusion
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Is the world a better place because of the French
Revolution?
Was there anything positive that occurred? If so
what was it?
What were the negative aspects of the revolution
and Napoleon?
Change one event in the revolution and explain
how it would have changed all aspects of the
revolution? Explain in great detail.