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The French Revolution
I. The Old Order
• French Society Divided
• First Estate – Catholic clergy (1% of the pop.)
• archbishops, bishops, abbots, etc.
• Exempt from taille
• Gave government a “fare gift” of 2% of their income
• Second Estate – Nobles (2% of the pop.)
• nobles
• paid no taxes
• held positions of power in
government
I. The Old Order (continued)
• Third Estate – (97% of
the pop.)
• peasants, sans-culottes,
bourgeoisie
• peasants paid ½ their
income to landlords
• Sans-culottes income
lagged behind food prices
and rent
• Bourgeoisie were lawyers,
office holders, doctors,
writers, manufacturers, etc.
• Lacked social and political
rights of nobles
I. The Old Order (continued)
• Growing Unrest
• Third Estate called for change
• Nobles resented the king’s
absolute power
• Financial problems (higher
prices/fees)
• Louis helped the American colonies
in their Revolution
• Banks would not lend more money
to the crown
• Crop failures in 1787 and 1788
raised prices even more
I. The Old Order (continued)
• Calling the Estates Together
• Louis XVI was forced to call the Estates-General
• Had not met since 1614
• Nobles wanted to gain control of the government
• Third Estate wanted a joint meeting
• formed the National Assembly and promised to draft a Constitution
(Tennis Court Oath)
I. The Old Order (continued)
• A Call to Revolt
• Third Estate wanted social/representative
equality
• The Fall of Bastille
• Spreading violence against upper classes
II. Constitutional Government
• End of the Old Order
• Nobles gave up feudal dues
and agreed that all males
could serve in govt., military,
church office
• Declaration of the Rights of
Man and of Citizen
• French Constitution (August
of 1789)
• All people are equal before
the law
• Freedom of speech, religion,
and press
• King Louis XVI forced to
return to Paris
II. Constitutional Government
• A New France
• The Assembly sold off
church land to pay debt
• The Church was placed
under government control
• Constitution of 1791 – onehouse assembly
• Most moderates were happy
with the Constitution results
• Left, center, right wing ideas
• Unrest begins
III. The Decline of Monarchy
• Louis decided to flee to Austria, but was
discovered and arrested
• Louis was forced to accept the limited
monarchy proposed by the National Assembly
• French Revolutionists declared war on Austria
• The “September Massacres” – killing of nobles
IV. Dawn of a New Era
• The French Republic
• The National Convention met from 17921795
• Political power placed in the legislature
• Death of Louis XVI (Jan. 1793)
• Was beheaded for conspiracy against
liberty
• No turning back, the republic would
remain
• Jacobins (sans-culottes) and Girondists
IV. Dawn of a New Era
• Spreading the Revolution
• Leaders were determined to
overthrow all royalty
• Bring liberty, equality, and
fraternity to all
• Strong opposition from their
enemies
• Conscription was implemented
(men 18-45)
Factions in the New Government
• The Mountain (Jacobins) – most radical; support
came from middle and lower classes
• Girondins – moderates; support came from
provinces and those who resented the Paris mob
• The Plain – swing voters; originally supported the
Girondins, but later changed to the Mountain
Factions in the New Government
• Radical Leaders
• Jean-Paul Marat – advocated
violence, leader of the sans
culottes (considered the most
radical)
• Georges-Jacques Danton –came
to be known as the
“compromiser” (opposed
Revolutions excesses)
• Maximilien Robespierre –
became more radical as the
Revolution progressed (led the
National Convention)
Quotes
– Maximilien Robespierre
• Any law which violates the
inalienable rights of man is
essentially unjust and tyrannical; it
is not a law at all.
• Pity is treason.
• The secret of freedom lies in
educating people, whereas the
secret of tyranny is in keeping
them ignorant.
• The king must die so that the
country can live.
IV. Dawn of a New Era (cont.)
• The Reign of Terror (July, 1793 – July, 1794)
• Those suspected of treason were hunted down and
punished (often times the victims were innocent)
• 85% of the 40,000 were commoners
• The Committee of Public Safety & Robespierre
• Church was turned into a “temple of reason”
• By mid 1794, many favored a restoration of monarchy
IV. Dawn of a New Era (cont.)
• The Directory (1795 – 1799)
• 1795: the Convention wrote a new constitution
• Executive council of 5 directors was set in
place
• Used the army to put down uprisings by both
the royalists and radicals
• Ineptness and financial
difficulty led to the end
of the Directory
Napoleon Bonaparte
V. Napoleon Takes Over
• Had become a military
hero while protecting the
Directory (1795, age 26)
• Was promoted to
general, gained
command of French
forces in Prussia
• Napoleon defeated the
Austrians and forced
them to relinquish most
of northern Italy
V. Napoleon Takes Over
• Returned to Paris (from Egypt) in 1799 and joined
revolutionary leaders in a coup d’état
• Established a dictatorship; concentrated power
• Replaced elected officials with men he appointed
• Created the Bank of France; required all to pay taxes
• Gradually brought inflation and high prices under control
• Approved by the popular vote (plebiscite)
VI. Napoleon Builds an Empire
• Napoleonic Code: clear and consistent
laws
• Placed the state above the individual; allowed
censorship
• The Concordat of 1801: recognized
Catholicism as the official religion of
France
• Treaty of Amiens (1802):
• Between Great Britain and France
• Battle of Trafalgar: an attempt to invade
England
• Admiral Lord Nelson defeated the French Navy
• Economic Blockades:
• Ordered all European nations to stop trade with
Britain
• Britain proclaimed all ships must first port in G.B.
• French Economy worsened
VII. Downfall of the Empire
• Confederation of the Rhine – German States
• Spaniards and Wellington (Wesley)
• 1812: Spain overthrew French occupiers with the
help of the English
• Failed invasion of Russia – harsh winter
• 400,000 of 600,000 French soldiers died
VII. Downfall of the Empire
• Napoleon forced into exile (Elba)
• King Louis XVIII was restored to the throne
• Hundred Days (March – June, 1815)
• Napoleon’s return was met with both
acceptance and opposition
• Was defeated at Waterloo by Wellington
Peace in Europe
• Congress of Vienna
•
•
•
•
Compensation, Legitimacy, and balance of power
Redrawing maps (France relinquished most)
Restoring Monarchies (divine right was necessary)
Buffer States – neutral territories around French
territories
Peace in Europe
• Changing Forces
• Reactionaries:
opposed change
(traditional)
• Liberalism: accepted
new ideas (change)
• Alliances:
representatives were to
meet regularly
• Concert of Europe
• Two alliances met
regularly
• Helped avoid major
European conflicts