Download The French Revolution

Unit IV: The French Revolution
The Old Regime
Old Regime: A social classification (estates)
of France before the revolution.
I. First Estate- clergy (Church officials)
made up 1% of the total population
II. Second Estate- aristocracy and nobility
made up 2% of the total population
III. Third Estate- combined three lower
classes that made up 97% of the
population
A. Bourgeoisie-merchants, lawyers,
doctors.
B. Laborers and artisan
C. Peasants- poor people
Causes of French Revolution
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Growth of the French population left
many people in the major cities
hungry and homeless.
Inflation- many people in France could
not pay their rent, or feed their family.
Shortage of food in 1788 (drought),
drove the food prices up.
No representation in government
(Enlightenment ideas had spread)
No social mobility
The Estates-General
 Louis
XVI called upon the Estates
General to solve the nations financial
problems.
 The
Third Estate proclaimed itself the
National Assembly, because they
represented the majority of the
people. (First act of the French
Revolution)
The Tennis Court Oath
 The
representatives made a pledge
that they would not adjourn until a
constitution for France was
adopted.
Storming of the Bastille

July 14, 1789
people of Paris
took the prison by
force looking for
weapons to defend
themselves. (This
date is France’s
independence day)
The Bastille Today
“The Great Fear”
 National
Guard- General Lafayette
formed a militia army to defend the
people of Paris from Louis XVI
military
 People across France were afraid that
nobles were planning to crush the
rebellion and the revolution which
became known as the “GREAT FEAR”
Declaration of the Rights of Man

The National Assembly writes a document
that addresses human rights and political
power.
– Freedom of Religion, Speech, and Press
– All men have the right to hold public office
– Right to a fair trial
Emigres- nobles that fled France for safety
Sans-Culottes- Patriots of the Revolution
March on Versailles (Oct. 5, 1789)

Women in Paris
marched to Versailles
to bring back the
King by force to Paris.
– Two Reasons
 To Keep a
watchful eye on
the Royal Family
 To demand more
food in the city
The Constitution of 1791
 The
National Assembly wrote a
Constitution that limited the authority
of the king and divided the government
into three branches.
 The National Assembly was dissolved
and the Legislative Assembly was
formed.
–Law making body of France and male
tax paying citizens would vote for
them.
Radical, Liberal, Moderates
Conservatives- a group of legislatures that
felt the revolution had gone far enough.
Thought to have constitutional monarchy.
(limited authority of the king)
 Radicals- a group that wanted more drastic
changes than those proposed. They wanted
to get rid of the King and establish a
republic.
 Moderates- group who had no extreme
measures. They would agree with either
side depending on the issue

Political Spectrum
Left
(Radicals)
Middle
(Moderates)
Right
(Conservatives)
Foreign Wars
 Marie-Antoinette’s
brother (Leopold
II), king of Austria declared war on
French Revolutionaries.
 Discussion Question?
Why would foreign countries care
about a revolution in France?
 Answer- Because they would be afraid
that if it was successful then it could
spread to their country.
A New Constitution
 Fear
that the King (Louis XVI) was aiding
the Prussians and Austrians to overthrow
France the Legislative Assembly abolish
the monarchy.
 Establish a new constitution (government)
called the National Convention.
 Universal manhood suffrage- every adult
male could vote, whether he owned
property or not.
Parties of the National Convention
 Girondin-
Republicans from the
southwestern part of France
 Jacobins-Republicans who favored
domination of Paris.
– Georges-Jacques Danton and Maximillien
Robespierre-were the two most powerful
members of the party.
– Jean Paul Marat- leader of the radicals
Robespierre
Danton
Jean Paul Marat
Death of a King
 January
21, 1793
Louis XVI was
guillotined for
treason
Works of the National Convention
 Committee
of Public Safetyestablished to crush the invading
armies to stop the revolution
–Adopted Conscription (the draft), all
unmarried men between 18 and 45
were subject to military service.
Reign of Terror

Widespread fear of
putting down the
opposition of the
Revolution through
means of the
Guillotine.
Death of Robespierre
A
sigh of relief
came when
Robespierre was
dead. (July 28,
1794)
 The end of the
Reign of Terror
The Directory
1795 the National Convention created
another Constitution.
 Included a 2 house legislature
– 500 members of the lower house proposed
the laws
– 250 members of the upper house accepted
or rejected the laws
– Upper House selected the 5 members of
the Executive Branch.
– VERY UNSUCCESSFUL

Napoleon Bonaparte
Corsican General who
won many battles for
France.
 Became a French war
hero.
 Napoleon’s followers
developed a plan to
overthrow the
government with the
military. Coup d’ etat.

The Consulate
 Napoleon
reorganized and centralized
the government to give himself
unlimited power.
 Developed three consuls to the head
the government and made himself
First Consul.
 Put the government to a vote, called
a plebiscite, where the citizens could
only vote yes or no.
Napoleon the Emperor
Napoleon made himself
emperor of France.
 He established the
Napoleonic Code.
– Recognized that all
men were equal
before the law.
– Guaranteed freedom
of religion and the
right for a person to
work in any
occupation.

The Continental System
Napoleon conquered all of Europe except
Great Britain.
 Ordered all countries not to trade with
Great Britain (blockade) in order to
weaken the country.
 The Plan backfired! Instead inflation rose
rapidly throughout Europe.

The Napoleonic Empire (1805-1815)
Downfall of Napoleon’s Empire
Nationalism- A sense of pride for ones own
country, customs, and traditions.
 Countries began to rebel under Napoleon’s
Empire. They wanted to install their own
government; but Napoleon’s army was too
strong.
 Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812 with
600,000 men. (Largest army ever assembled
in Europe)
 Russians used Scorched Earth Policy
– burn everything as you retreat.
Napoleon Abdicates
 With
an alliance of Prussia, Russia, and
Great Britain Napoleon is defeated.
 Sent to exile on the island of Elba.
 Louis XVIII (brother of Louis XVI) was
installed as the king of France by the
allies.
 Napoleon learned of the discontent within
the government and in France; he
escapes back to France.
 The
The Hundred Days
time period when Napoleon came
back to rule France is known as The
Hundred Days.
 An Alliance formed quickly (Prussia,
Great Britain, Russia, and the
Netherlands) met Napoleon’s army at
Waterloo.
 After his defeat the allies sent
Napoleon to St. Helena in the South
Atlantic.
The Congress of Vienna


1.
2.
3.
Hundreds of delegates from European
countries met at Vienna, Austria, to
discuss the future of Europe.
Three purposes:
Retribution to the countries that had
suffered under Napoleon.
Balance of Power had to be restored in
Europe.
All former kings would be placed back
on the throne (legitimacy)
Congress of Vienna, 1815
The Age of Metternich
Prince of Austria that believed in
Absolutism
 To prevent liberals from spreading
ideas he:
1. abolished freedom of speech
2. established a Central Investigating
Commission to spy on revolutionary
organizations.
