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Chapter 19
The French Revolution
And
Napoleon
Chapter 19 Section 1
The Old Regime
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Louis XVI was the king of France in 1789 – what
was called the Old Regime (Ancient Order)
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Was kind, stupid, dull & slow-witted
Married to Marie Antoinette –unhappy with her arranged
marriage & unpopular with the French people.
Under the Ancient Regime, or old order, everyone in
France belonged to one of three classes
Population of France prior to outbreak of Revolution
is 25 million
The First Estate
The Clergy
 Enjoyed enormous wealth and privilege
 Less than 1 percent of the population
 Owned about 10 percent of land, collected
tithes, and paid no taxes
 Provided some social services
 Upper clergy came from nobility while lower
clergy were commoners
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The Second Estate
The Nobility
 Less than 2 percent of the population
 Controlled about 20 percent of the land
 Enjoyed great wealth and privileges
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Only nobles could be army officers, high church
officials and high ranking court officials
Feared losing traditional privilege, especially
exemption from public taxes
The Third Estate
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The Bourgeoisie - wealthy middle-class most
outspoken group—peasants-the largest group
made up 98% of total population—paid taille (head
tax) and gabelle (tax on salt)
Controlled 70% of land
City-workers or sans-culottes
Resented privilege of first and second estates—
excluded from social and political privileges
Burdened by taxes
Many earned miserable wages and faced hunger and
even starvation
Jeopardized by the lettre de cachet (government
could imprison anyone without charges or trial)
French Troubles
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Economic woes added to the social unrest and heightened
tension
For years, the French government had engaged in deficit
spending that is, a government spending more money than it
takes in.
Louis XIV had left France deeply in debt. Recent wars, a
general rise in costs in the 1700s, and the lavish court were
incredibly costly—the government borrowed more and more
money.
Louis XVI appointed Jacques Turgot as finance minister in
1774—followed physiocrat policies—tried to end corvee
(requirement that peasants perform labor on the roads)—
sought to cut government expenditures—forced out by nobility
Jacques Necker replaced Turgot—resumed traditional policy
of borrowing money and increasing spending
French Troubles
Bad harvests in the late 1780s sent food prices
soaring and brought hunger to poorer peasants
and city dwellers
 Discontent among the people led Louis XVI
to call the Estate General – the legislative
assembly of France – the first meeting in 175
years
 Parlement of Paris, French high court, ruled
that new taxes could not be levied without
consent of Estates General
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The Estates General
Each Estate was to draw up a list of
grievances (cahiers) to be discussed
 Many cahiers called for reforms such as fairer
taxes, freedom of the press, or regular
meetings of the Estates General.
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The Estates General
Traditionally the three Estates met separately
with each estate having one vote
 The Third Estate wanted to meet together with
each deputy having one vote
 Louis XVI ordered them to met separately
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The Estates General
the Third Estate took a daring step. Claiming
to represent the people of France, they
declared themselves to be the National
Assembly. They then invited delegates from
the other estates to help them write a
constitution
 A few days later, the National Assembly
found its meeting hall locked and guarded
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The Tennis Court Oath
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Fearing that the king planned to dismiss them, the
delegates moved to a nearby indoor tennis court.
Taking the Tennis Court Oath. swearing “never to
separate”
The National Assembly
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When reform-minded clergy and nobles
joined the Assembly, Louis XVI grudgingly
accepted it.
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This is the first step in the French Revolution
Louis XVI also orders royal troops gathered
around Paris, and rumors spread that the king
planned to dissolve the Assembly.
The Bastille
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On July 14, 1789, more than 800 Parisians gathered
outside the Bastille, a medieval fortress used as a
prison. Seen as symbol of royal injustice. They
demanded weapons believed to be stored there.
The commander of the Bastille opened fire on the
crowd, and a battle ensued, in which many people
were killed (98 killed 73 wounded)
The storming of the Bastille quickly became a
rallying cry of the French Revolution, a blow to
tyranny.
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Today, the French still celebrate July 14 as
Bastille Day.
Chapter 19 Section 2
The Start of the Revolution
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The political crisis of 1789 coincided with the
worst famine in memory. Starving peasants
roamed the countryside or flocked to the
towns. Even people with jobs had to spend
most of their income on bread.
The Great Fear
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In such desperate times, rumors
ran wild and set off what was
later called the “Great Fear.”
In the countryside, peasants
attacked the homes and manors
of nobles. Burned documents
Lords forced to renounce dues
and tithes
Commune of Paris became the
Municipal government in Paris
The National Assembly
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Peasant uprisings and the storming of the Bastille
stampeded the National Assembly into action. On
August 4, in a combative all-night meeting, nobles in
the National Assembly voted to end their privileges.
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They agreed to give up their old manorial dues
exclusive hunting rights
special legal status
exemption from taxes.
Ended serfdom/feudalism
The National Assembly
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August 27, 1789 – Declaration of the Rights of Man
and the Citizen – written by Marquis de Lafayette
with the help of Thomas Jefferson
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the Marquis de Lafayette, the aristocratic “hero of two
worlds” who had fought alongside George Washington
in the American Revolution. Lafayette headed the
National Guard, The Guard was the first group to wear
the tricolor (symbol of Revolution)—a red, white, and
blue badge which was eventually adopted as the
national flag of France.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizens
All citizens equal before the law
 Innocent until proven guilty
 Freedom of religion, press, & from arbitrary
arrest
 Property is unbreakable and sacred
 “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” became the
slogan of the Revolution
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“March on Versailles”
October 1789 - Women of Paris, protesting
the shortage and cost of bread marched on
Versailles.
 Lafayette – calmed them down but Louis XVI
was forced to wear the Tricolor
 The royal family was forced to move to the
Tuileries – a royal palace in Paris
 National Assembly followed the king to Paris
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France and the Church
To pay off the huge government debt –
National Assembly took over church land and
sold it—will alienate Catholic clerics and
believers
 Civil Constitution of the Clergy
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French government controls the Church
 Bishops & priests elected salaried officials
 Ended papal authority over French Church
 Condemned by the pope & many French peasants
rejected it
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The Constitution of 1791
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The National Assembly completed its main
task by producing a constitution.
set up a limited monarchy in place of the absolute
monarchy – radicals wanted a republic
 Lawmakers would be elected by tax-paying male
citizens
 Many nobles called émigrés (political exiles) will
flee France
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The Constitution of 1791
The constitution set up the Legislative
Assembly – they had the power to create laws
and to approve or prevent any war the king
declared
 The Legislative Assembly was split into three
general groups
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The radicals
 The moderates
 The conservatives
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The Radicals
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Radicals – leftists – sat on the left side
of the hall (Jacobins)
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Opposed the idea of a monarch
Wanted the common people to have full
power in a republic (democracy)
Extreme left were the sans-culottes
The Moderates
Moderates – centrists - sat in the center of the
hall
 Wanted some changes in the government but
not as many as the radicals
 Could lean to the right or left
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The Conservatives
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Conservatives – rightists – sat on the right
side of the hall
Wanted a limited monarchy
 Wanted few changes in government
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Émigrés were on the extreme right
The Legislative Assembly
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They will govern for less than a
year – faced internal and
external enemies
Monarchs throughout Europe
wanted to stop the spread of the
revolution—imposed
repressive policies at home
Revolutionary leaders – many
of them Jacobins (political
club of radical lawyers)–
wanted to spread it throughout
Europe
Attempted Escape
Many were urging the king and royal family to
flee France (king’s brother)
 Leopold II, Marie Antoinette’s brother and
emperor of Holy Roman Empire included
 Royal family tried to reach Austrian
Netherlands
 Caught at the city of Varennes (Flight to
Varennes)—Louis XVI agreed to Constitution
of 1791
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War
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In 1791, the monarchs of Austria and Prussia had
issued the Declaration of Pilnitz, in which they
threatened to intervene to protect the French
monarchy.
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April 1792 Legislative Assembly declares war
on Austria & Prussia
War
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At first the war goes badly for France
 Poorly organized, equipped, & led
Summer of 1792 enemy forces advancing on Paris
July 1792 – Duke of Brunswick issued Brunswick
Manifesto – any harm done to royal family, he will
destroy Paris & execute Revolutionary leaders
French will rally and defeat Brunswick at the battle of
Valmy
War will cause high prices and food shortages
Results
20,000 Parisians invade the Tuileries –
massacred 600 Swiss guards and imprisoned
the royal family in a stone tower
 September Massacre – Parisians raided the
prisons & murdered over 1,000 prisoners—
ordered by Georges Danton who was leader of
Jacobins
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The Radicals
September 1792 - Radicals took control of the
Assembly and called for the election of a new
legislative body called the National
Convention.
 They granted suffrage, or the right to vote, to
all male citizens, not just to property owners.
 Left—Jacobins (the Mountain)
 Right—Girondins (Conservatives)
 Middle—(the Plain, or Marsh or the Belly)
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The National Convention
Wanted to erase all traces of the old order. It’s
first act was to abolish the monarchy and
declare France a republic.
 The Jacobins, who controlled the Convention,
seized lands of nobles and abolished titles of
nobility.
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All French now called “citizen”—king known as
“Citizen Capet”
The National Convention
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Led by radical Jacobins like Jean
Paul Marat –editor of the Friend
of the People who will be
murdered by Charlotte Corday
the Convention put Louis XVI on
trial for treason and on January
21, 1793 he was beheaded by the
guillotine (invented by Dr.
Joseph Guillotin)
The National Convention
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By the start of 1793 the French armies were
still suffering but will begin to have success by
the end of the year
Captured the Austrian Netherlands
 Threaten Dutch & Prussia
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The National Convention issued a
proclamation promising to aid “all peoples
wishing to recover their liberty”
 Issued the Constitution of 1793
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The First Coalition
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March 1793 – Great Britain, the Dutch
Netherlands, & Spain joined Austria and
Prussia to form the First Coalition
French at War
War caused hardships on the home front
 Rebellions against the Revolution in Vendee
region of W. France caused internal strife
(used barges to drown thousands)
 French armies were hard pressed to survive
against First Coalition
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Chapter 19 Section 3
REIGN OF TERROR
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the National Convention set aside
the Constitution of 1793 and set up
the Committee of Public Safety
(COPS)
they will wage a brutal campaign
against those suspected of being
enemies of the state (domestic and
foreign)—this was the bloodiest
period of the French Revolution
which is known as the "Reign of
Terror"
REIGN OF TERROR
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Maximilien Robespierre gained
control of the Committee of
Public Safety and was ruthless
when dealing with so called
enemies of the Revolution
(governed as dictator)
wanted to establish a "Republic
of Virtue" whereby all citizens
would have high moral standards
and be dedicated patriots
REIGN OF TERROR
Committee of Public Safety believed that
religion was old-fashioned and dangerous—
churches were closed throughout France
(Cathedral of Notre Dame renamed the Temple
of Reason)
 no Sundays on the new calendar (weeks were
10 days long and the names of the months
were associated with the seasons and climate)
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Reign of Terror
COPS passed the levee en masse which
demanded all citizens contribute to war
effort—mass conscription (18-45)
 Passed the law of suspects which allowed the
arrest, imprisonment, and death of citizens
with little or no evidence
 COPS also instituted price and wage controls,
food rationing, metric system and censorship
of all written materials
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REIGN OF TERROR
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Revolutionary Tribunals tried those
suspected of being counterrevolutionaries
Marie Antoinette became one of the
first victims of the Reign of Terror
many were tried in the morning and
executed in the afternoon
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estimated that some 40,000 people were
executed during the Reign of Terror (July
1793 to July 1794)
Twice as many bourgeoisie than nobles—
three times as many peasants/laborers than
all other classes
REIGN OF TERROR
all classes went to the guillotine—bourgeoisie
(16%) nobles (8%) clergy (6%) and peasant
and working class (70%)
 Put down largest anti-revolutionary movement
in the Vendee, Western France
 It will finally end when Robespierre will
finally be arrested and sent to the guillotine on
July 28, 1794
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Thermidorean Reaction
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power was now in the hands of the wealthy middle-class
(Moderates now in control)
a new constitution - 1795 (3rd since 1789) was prepared
creating an executive body called the Directory, a five man
body
a two-house legislature
 a Council of 500 (lower house)
 a Council of Elders (elected the Directory) (upper
house)—accepted or rejected legislation
 Only men who possessed property allowed to vote
 Only men with significant property could hold public office
WOMEN IN THE REVOLUTION
women played an important role in the
Revolution
 Olympe de Gouges wrote the Declaration of
the Rights of Woman which demanded equal
rights for women—be educated, to vote, hold
public office—she was later executed
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WOMEN IN THE REVOLUTION
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women’s rights
divorce was made easier
 women allowed to inherit property
 as the Revolution progressed women will lose
most of what they had gained
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Other developments of the Revolution
compulsory elementary education
 extended religious toleration
 outlawed slavery in French colonies in the
West Indies
 the most important new development in
France was the rise of nationalism, an
aggressive feeling of pride in and devotion to
one's country
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Chapter 19 Section 4
RISE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the island
of Corsica (1769)—French citizen by birth
(France had acquired Corsica in 1768)
 sent to military school in Fr. at age 9—showed
great promise and graduated as an artillery
officer (age 16)
 during the Revolution and Napoleon became a
strong supporter of the Jacobins
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RISE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
designing the plan that broke the British siege
of Toulon in 1793 and became a general (24
yrs. old)
 gained further fame for suppressing an
uprising (“Whiff of grapeshot”) in Paris
against the Directory and was proclaimed the"savior of the Revolution"
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RISE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
Napoleon will be given command of the
French army sent to Italy in 1796 against the
First Coalition—he won battles against the
Austrians and Sardinians (Fr. gained control of
northern and central Italy) forcing them to sign
treaty (France received Austrian Netherlands)
which effectively ended the First Coalition
 Britain now isolated
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RISE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
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1798 invaded Egypt and
Napoleon's troops will
conquer Egypt (threaten
British control of Eastern
Mediterranean)
British fleet under Admiral
Horatio Nelson defeated the
French navy at the Battle of
the Nile in 1798 (left French
army stranded)
Napoleon Takes Power
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Nov. 10, 1799 Napoleon (30) along
with two of the Directors staged a
coup d'etat, seizure of power by
force against the Directory (helped
by his brother Lucien)
Set up the Consulate, made up of
three consuls, one being Napoleon—
a new constitution (1799) was issued
with Napoleon as First Consul
(1802 made First Consul for life)
France at war with the Second
Coalition
NAPOLEON'S DOMESTIC POLICY
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issued a general amnesty, which allowed emigres to
stream back to France
required public servants to swear loyalty to him (used
monarchists-as well as Jacobins) so he will be able to
use the talents of many people
set up a secret police force to root out his opponents
Used plebiscite (popular vote) to make everything
legal
Deprived French people of political and freedom of
expression (he believed it served to encourage
anarchy)
Centralized Government
Napoleon reorganized and centralized the
assessment and collection of taxes (French
government on solid financial footing)
 Placed prefects to administer each of the
country’s 83 departments and a sub-prefect in
each district to help centralize authority
 Established new state-controlled system of
elite secondary schools (lycees)
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NAPOLEON'S DOMESTIC POLICY
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Concordat of 1801 - Catholicism will be recognized
as the religion of French citizens
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Pope Pius VII agreed not to challenge the titles of all
those who had bought Church lands confiscated by the
revolutionary
state agreed to pay salaries of bishops and priests with an
oath of loyalty to the government
French bishops would be selected (invested) by the papacy
with the recommendation of the First Consul
toleration of Jews and Protestants remained in effect
went back to the Christian calendar
Napoleon’s Foreign Policy
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Victories against Third Coalition (1805-1807)
allowed Napoleon to dissolve the Holy Roman
Empire—he will set up the Confederation of the
Rhine which he ruled as protectorate
Won victories at Austerlitz and Jena(greatest victory)
Napoleon made his brothers Jerome (King of
Westphalia), Louis (King of Holland) and Joseph
(King of Naples and later King of Spain) monarchs
(nepotism)
Louisiana sold to USA (1803)—rebellion in Haiti led
by Toussaint L’Ouverture gained independence
for Haiti in (1804)
Napoleon’s Foreign Policy
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Napoleon ruled the Austrian
Netherlands and Dutch
Netherlands directly
Austria, Prussia and Russia
were tied to him as allies
Napoleon will divorce his first
wife Josephine and marry
Marie Luisa, the daughter of
the Austrian emperor, Francis I
Napoleon’s Foreign Policy
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Napoleon set up the Continental System which was
a plan designed to force Britain to surrender by
destroying its economy
 all European ports were ordered closed to British
ships and goods
 French privateers were authorized to attack British
ships
 Lost Battle of Trafalgar (1805) which forced
Napoleon to give up his plans to restore French
empire in America—Nelson killed
 system proved almost impossible to enforce
(smuggling and black marketeering was
widespread)
Chapter 19 Section 5
THE END OF NAPOLEON
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In Spain Napoleon became involved in what became known as
the Peninsular War
1807 French troops moved into Portugal (failed to support
Continental system)—supply lines through Spain
 Spanish patriots became upset when Napoleon placed his
brother. Joseph on their throne in 1808
 Spanish peasant fighters practiced guerrilla warfare
Spanish we're aided by the British under the leadership of
Arthur Wellesley who will later become the Duke of
Wellington (naval power allowed reinforcements with ease
Drained French resources (500,000 troops)
THE INVASION OF RUSSIA
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In 1812 Alexander I, Tsar of
Russia decided to resume trading
with Great Britain in violation of
the Continental System
THE INVASION OF RUSSIA-1812
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to punish Alexander I Napoleon assembled
the Grand Army of some 600,000 men and
invaded Russia—Napoleon's plan was to meet
the Russian army in one huge battle, winning
and forcing Russia to surrender
THE INVASION OF RUSSIA
the Russian army did not stand and fight but
retreated pulling the French army further into
Russia—as they retreated they practiced the
"scorched earth" policy of burning and
destroying anything that the Grand Army could
use
 Fought battle of Borodino with both sides
suffering heavy casualties
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THE INVASION OF RUSSIA
Napoleon's army reached Moscow in Sept.
1812 finding the city on fire
 Napoleon was forced to order a retreat
 Russian winter set in—one of the worst in
recorded history
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THE INVASION OF RUSSIA
Russians attacked the retreating army in hit
and run attacks
 only 100,000 men came out of Russia of
which only 10,000 were in fighting condition
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The End of Napoleon
the Fourth Coalition was established and
attacked Napoleon and his hastily prepared
army at Leipzig at the Battle of the Nations
 Napoleon will be exiled to the island of Elba
in the Mediterranean Sea
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Louis XVIII, the Bourbon king and brother of
Louis XVI was placed on the throne
Napoleon’s Return
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Napoleon will escape from Elba and
return to France on March 1, 1815
people will rally to his flag forcing
Louis XVIII to flee
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this period is known as the Hundred Days
Waterloo
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Fourth Coalition forces will react quickly and met
Napoleons new army in Belgium at Waterloo
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the leaders of the forces were the British commander,
Duke of Wellington and Prussian general, Blucher
The End
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Napoleon suffered his final
defeat and was exiled to St. Helena in the
South Atlantic where he died in 1821
Effects of Napoleon
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The Napoleonic Code (1807) and the ideals of
political and social justice were lasting effects of the
Napoleonic Era—individual not as important as the
state
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Men granted greater authority over their wives and children
Replaced outdated legal system—uniform legal system
Equality of all citizens before the law and the abolition of
privileges based on birth
Citizens allowed to pursue occupations of their choice,
religious toleration, abolish serfdom and feudalism
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Legal reforms were among Napoleon’s most enduring
achievements (used in other European lands)
Effects of Napoleon
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French soldiers also spread the ideals of the French
Revolution throughout Europe
feelings of nationalism spread throughout Europe
Established elite secondary schools known as
lycees—free public education with uniform
educational standards
Established the Bank of France—everyone paid taxes
France was no longer the most powerful nation in
Europe—Great Britain became the dominate power
THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
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Leaders at the Congress of Vienna
 Prince Clemens von Metternich – most important person
at Congress—Austria—status quo—anti-democratic policy
(conservatism)—feared the spread of nationalism
 Alexander I represented Russia—establish Holy
Alliance—fight against revolutions
 Lord Robert Castlereagh represented Great Britain—did
not want France want become power again
 Maurice de Talleyrand represented the French
 Prince Karl von Hardenburg represented Prussia—get
Prussian land back
THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
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The chief goal was to create a lasting peace in Europe
 establish a balance of power
 protect the system of monarchy in Europe—promoted the
policy of legitimacy –returning power to ruling families
deposed earlier
 Principle of compensation was followed (one major state
made gains, then the other major states should be
compensated
The decisions made at Vienna set the stage for European
politics for the next 100 years
THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
to contain French ambitions the Congress
ringed France with strong countries'
(policy of containment)
 established the Concert of Europe, a
peacekeeping organization which included all
the major powers of Europe
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Leaders promised to maintain a balance of power
 suppress any uprisings inspired by the ideas of the
French Revolution.
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