Download meeting of the estates general

FRENCH MONARCHY IN CRISIS
1789-1815
King Louis XVI (16th)
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Louis XVI – terrible leader
Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette
spent money on themselves and
not the people
The people of France are MAD!
The Estates General
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First Estate – Church
Second Estate – Nobility
Third Estate – bourgeoisie, laborers, and peasants
Each estate had one vote
MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL
(ALL 3 ESTATES OF FRANCE MEET FOR
FIRST TIME SINCE 1618 IN 1789)
Beginning of the Revolution
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National Assembly (made up of 3rd estate) – wanted to
write a new constitution, but the king locked them out
of their meeting hall
Tennis Court Oath – meeting of 3rd estate; vowed
never to break up until a new Constitution is written
Tennis Court Oath
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (MADE UP OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 3RD ESTATE) MEET AND
TAKE OATH TO WRITE FRANCE A CONSTITUTION)
Revolution Continues…
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Crowds in Paris storm the
Bastille (prison) in July
because it represented royal
authority
** First major physical action
of the Revolution
Other Actions by National Assembly
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March of Versailles – 1789, (mostly women) protest over
high food prices and rumors King was plotting against the
National Assembly. The royal family was brought back to
Paris.
1791 Constitution
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Kept monarchy with very limited power
Gave taxpaying men ages 25 and older
many voting rights
Results:
Austria and Prussia threatened war;
French Legislative Assembly declared
war and lost
1792 Legislative Assembly became the
National Convention, which declared
France a Republic
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Maximillien Robespierre – leader of
Radical (extreme) group called the
Jacobins; led the National Convention
Changes in Society
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King executed to prevent return to monarchy in 1793
Everything with connections to royalty or the Church
was outlawed/changed
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Playing cards (no kings or queens)
Calendar – 3 weeks of 10 days in a month
Metric system
Churches in Paris were closed
Reign of Terror
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Many disliked the Radical changes
To prevent a counterrevolution, Radical leaders executed
anyone suspected of being an enemy
17,000 people in 10 months
Eventually Robespierre was executed
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“The springs of popular government in
revolution are at once virtue and terror: virtue,
without which terror is fatal; terror, without
which virtue is powerless. Terror is nothing
other than justice, prompt, sever, inflexible; it is
therefore an emanation of virtue.”
 - Robespierre, Justification of the Use of Terror
After the Terror
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New constitution: fewer people could vote
Elected body called Directory
Weak and corrupt Directors left France with a power
vacuum
RISE OF NAPOLEON
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Napoleon won lands for France in Italy and Spain.
Became a national hero for his efforts
November 1799 – armed supporters of Napoleon
surrounded the Directory and forced a coup d'état and put
Napoleon in power of France.
Soon elected emperor of France
NAPOLEON AS EMPEROR
Napoleon’s Empire
Introduced religious toleration
 Abolished serfdom
 Reduced power of the Catholic Church
 Drafted majority of men into the military and
enforced high taxes.
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Continental System
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A blockade to prevent French and allies from trading
with Britain
Britain required everyone else to ask permission to trade
with the French
Napoleon’s Downfall
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Napoleon sends 500,000 troops to invade Russia
France wins, but are out of supplies & food and
Napoleon is forced to retreat.
Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia join forces and
crush Napoleon and his army
Napoleon is forced into exile on the island of Elba.
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BUT he is FREED by
supporters and rebuilds the
army- Hundred Days (of
glory) begin
Europe unites again and
defeats Napoleon at the
Battle of Waterloo (Duke
of Wellington led British
forces)
Napoleon exiled until his
death on St. Helena Island.
Congress of Vienna
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Meeting of diplomats in support of monarchies
(reactionaries) to redraw Europe’s boarders
Led by Prince Klemens von Metternich
France went back to 1792 territory and had to pay
damages to countries occupied by Napoleon
German Confederation (loose gathering of city-states)
created
Monarchy restored in Spain, France, Portugal, Sardinia,
Sicily