The French Revolution

1. The French Revolution Introduction to The Terror Period 1789 - 1795 Mr Scully Preliminary Modern History

2. Outcomes for this Lesson - • Understand the requirements of the HSC for this topic. • Describe the social structure of France in 1789. • Conduct source work.

3. Important Fine Print... • Syllabus Stuff – • Key features and issues: • political, economic, social and technological features of the selected case study • forces for change that emerged in the period of the selected case study • the nature of the political, social, economic and technological change that occurred in the period of the selected case study • the impact of change on the society or period of the selected case study The “Key Features and Issues” in a syllabus normally give you the basis for a HSC Question....

4. Concepts (where relevant to the case study): Autocracy Democracy Nationalism Socialism Liberalism Revolution Terrorism Industrialisation • Individuals and groups in relation to: • their historical context • their personal background and the values and attitudes that influenced their actions • significant events and achievements • their contribution to the society and time in which they lived and the legacy of this contribution • Events in relation to: • factors contributing to the events • main features of the events • impact of the events on the history of an individual nation, region and/or the world as a whole.

5. Module 1 – France Pre-Revolution • emergence of the Democratic Republic and the impact of the Treaty of Versailles • political, economic and social issues in the Weimar Republic to 1929 • collapse of the Weimar Republic 1929–1933 • impact of the Great Depression on Germany • Module 2 - The rise of the Nazi Party • rise of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) from 1923 • Hitler’s accession to power • initial consolidation of Nazi power 1933–1934

6. Module 3 - Nazism in power • Hitler’s role in the Nazi state • Nazism as totalitarianism • the role of propaganda, terror and repression; SA and SS; opposition to Nazism • social and cultural life in the Nazi state: role of Hitler Youth, women, religion • Nazi racial policy; anti-Semitism: policy and practice to 1939 • Module 4 - Nazi foreign policy • nature of Nazi foreign policy: aims and strategies to September 1939 • impact of ideology on Nazi foreign policy to September 1939

7. Introduction • Prior to 1789, the concept of Feudalism, or the legal and military customs relating to the running of a land, was generally accepted throughout Europe. Kings ran countries, nobles and lords ran lands within them and the armies on behalf of the king, and peasants were exploited for their labour and services. • In France, the period of 1789 to 1795 signifies the end of Feudalism, and sets up a social revolution that spread the world over the next 115 years.

8. How did it happen? • Several events lead to the chronology on the left. The sheer scale of social and political upheaval in such a short time is only repeated in history a few times (for example, The Russian Revolution, Germany’s Weimar Republic)

9. The AncienRégime • The AncienRégime (French for Old Regime) refers primarily to the aristocratic, social and political system established in France from (roughly) the 15th century to the 18th century under the late Valois and Bourbon dynasties. The administrative and social structures of the AncienRégime were the result of years of state-building, legislative acts, internal conflicts and civil wars, but they remained a confusing patchwork of local privilege and historic differences. • By the time Louis XVI (the last Ling of France) took power in 1774, France was on the brink of revolution. The reasons had been building up over many years, and mainly concerned the great divide between the nobility and the clergy, and everybody else.

10. Social Structure • The French population was divided into three estates. The First estate was made up of the clergy. It numbered around 100,000 people. The Second estate was made up of the nobility. It numbered around 400,000 people. The Third estate was made up of the bourgeoisie, wage earners, and the peasantry. It made up the majority of the French population. • The first and second estates enjoyed certain privileges that that the third estate did not. Firstly, although they were the richest, they did not have to pay taxes. They were also the only members in society who could hold positions of importance such as Officers in the army. This caused great discontent within the Third Estate.

12. Source Work • Using your handout, complete the course questions.