Download The French Revolution

The French Revolution
Open your notebooks to page 8 and get out
something to write with (pen preferably)
Causes of the Revolution (all of p.8)
1. Social inequality within the 3 Estates (see page 7)
2. Educated members of the 3rd Estate were inspired by the
Enlightenment and the success of America’s revolution against
their king
3. Financial Crisis in France!
 Tax system was outdated and unfair (esp. to 3rd Estate)
 King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette spent most of France’s $$
on luxurious lifestyle while the commoners starved.
 The need to pay for French & Indian War led to a need to increase taxes.
In order to raise taxes, the king had to call a meeting of the ESTATES
GENERAL, which had not met since 1614
p. 9
The Estates General (France’s version of Parliament)
 Composed of delegates from the 3 Estates
1st = 300 delegates
2nd = 300 delegates
3rd = 300 delegates
Equal representation???
 Each Estate had 1 vote
Equal representation???
Here’s the problem: When the king calls a meeting of the E.G. to vote
to increase taxes, what will be the decision?
p. 9
Because of this blatant inequality, the 3rd Estate finally decides
to do something and on June 17, 1787, the delegates of the
3rd Estate form the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY and decide to
start drafting a constitution.
Actions of the National Assembly p. 10
 When they arrive back to the Estates General building 3 days
later, they find they’ve been locked out. So they move their
meeting to a nearby tennis court and vow not to leave until
they’ve drafted their new constitution (known as the TENNIS
COURT OATH)
Actions of the National Assembly p. 10
 The King quickly moved to break up the Assembly. When word
of this got to Paris in July, they stormed the Bastille (a French
prison and armory) looking for weapons. (known as the
STORMING OF THE BASTILLE)
The French celebrate Bastille Day (July
14th) much like we celebrate the 4th of
July.
Actions of the National Assembly p. 10
 August 1789, National assembly abolishes the privileges of the
nobles, confiscates church lands & issues to DECLARATION OF
THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZEN
Declaration of the
Rights of Man
and Citizen
Glue the paper
I’m passing out to
page 11.
The Revolution continues...
P.12
 Oct. 1789 – bad harvests led to food shortages. 1000 hungry,
Parisian women marched to Versailles & forced the king to
accept the DRMC.
 Constitution of 1791 – set up a limited monarchy w/ a 745
member Legislative Assembly (called Nat’l Convention) to
make all the laws in France
 June 1791 – king attempts to flee but is captured and
imprisoned
War w/ Austria
p.12
Over time, European rulers feared the revolution would spread
to their countries. Rulers of Austria and Prussia threatened
to use force to restore Louis XVI. Nat’l Convention declared
war on Austria in 1792.
Even more problems in France p. 13
 2 factions arose over the fate of the
king: the Girondins (stay in prison) &
the Mountain (die)
 Mountains convinced Nat’l Convention
to condemn Louis XVI and on Jan. 21,
1793, Louis was beheaded on the
guillotine.
 As a result of the king’s death, a
coalition of Spain, Portugal, Britain,
and the Dutch Republic join Austria
and Prussia in declaring war on France.
p. 13
To defend France
from foreign and
domestic threats, the
Nat’l Convention
gave broad powers to
the Committee of
Public Safety
The “Reign of Terror” and the
Committee of Public Safety (p.14)
 Directed by Maximilian Robespierre
 Used force to achieve their goals and savage
repression to crush rebels
 Laws passed allowing gov’t to arrest anyone
and took away the right for people to defend
themselves
 Nobles, priests, and suspected traitors were
executed. An estimated 300,000 arrested;
30,000-50,000 people killed, 16,000 of those on
the Guillotine (Marie Antoinette included!)
The Thermidorean Reaction
 Robespierre overthrown on 9 Thermidor (July/August in our
calendar, its weird, just go with it) He and his followers sent
to the guillotine.
p.15
 With the terror over, the Nat’l Convention reduced the
power of CPS and established the Constitution of 1795, with
a:
 Bicameral [“2 house”] legislature: Council of 500, Council
of Elders
 Elected by men over 26 who owned or rented property called
“electors
 Created an “Executive branch” called the Directory. Made
up of 5 directors elected by the Council of Elders
 The Directory ruled France from 1795-1799 – very corrupt
Rise of
Napoleon
Bonaparte
In 1799, a coup
d’etat, a sudden
overthrow of a gov’t,
led by Napoleon
seized power and
topped the
Directory.