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French Revolution

French Revolution. I. Old Regime - Three Estates A. Many ways a feudal society 1. Person’s social status, political rights, and economic privileges all depended on his or her estate B. First Estate

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French Revolution

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  1. French Revolution I. Old Regime - Three Estates A. Many ways a feudal society 1. Person’s social status, political rights, and economic privileges all depended on his or her estate B. First Estate 1. All members of Roman Catholic clergy from small town priests to wealthy archbishops = 1% of pop 2. Bishops & archbishops very wealthy, powerful, and prestigious a. Only open to men of noble birth b. Lower clergy resented restrictions on advancement 3. French people required to pay 10% of income to church - tithe a. Resented wealthy bishops, elaborate cathedrals, and expensive works of art b. Most people never saw any benefit from their taxes

  2. C. Second Estate- Nobility 1. 2% of the population owned 20% of the land, collected taxes and rents, and received feudal dues and had special privileges. 2. Upper nobility legally entitled to the highest posts in the government, courts, army, and Church D. Third Estate- 97% of the population 1. Bourgeoisie- wealthy city dwellers a. Lawyers, doctors, merchants, manufacturers b. Great range in wealth from very poor to very rich 2. Skilled artisans, household servants, laborers a. Usually lived in cities b. Conditions overcrowded and unsanitary c. Often job and food shortages d. Angry violent mob tendencies 3. 80% of French Population- peasant a. Poorest and most oppressed b. High rents and high taxes c. Dues of money, crops, and labor to clergy and nobles

  3. "People under the Old Regime" This image shows "the people" as a chained and blindfolded man being crushed under the weight of the rich, including both clergy and nobility. From: http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/chap1a.html#

  4. "Two Peasants Repairing a Cart" This image of peasants repairing a cart demonstrates both the hard work done by cultivators and their fragile economic situation, which could easily be imperiled by a broken cart. Under such circumstances, poor people constantly repaired durable and personal goods, such as carts or clothing, because they could not afford to replace them with new ones.

  5. II. Financial Problems A. Tax System 1. 1st, and 2nd Estate excused from taxes 2. Richest members of 3rd could buy exemptions 3. Burden fell on poorest members of society B. Excessive Spending in 17th and 18th century 1. Caused need for increased revenue needed to tax 1st and 2nd estates but no king was savvy enough C. Louis XVI – began reign in 1774 1. Tried to tax 1st and 2nd estates 2. They said ‘no’ w/o approval of Estates General 3. Louis XVI didn’t want to give up power but he had no choice because he was bankrupt

  6. "Louis the Sixteenth, King of France and of Navarre"

  7. III. Revolution • A. Estates General • 1. Last met in 1614 • 2. Dispute over voting • 3. Before - each estate had one vote. 1st and 2nd voted together to suppress 3rd • 4. Now- wanted one vote per member Louis XVI declared that 3rd estate could elect as many members as 1st and 2nd could • 5. Dispute not solved by May 1789 when Estate General met • a. Consensus could not be reached and 3rd Estate would not give in • b. Louis XVI ordered 3rd Estate locked out of meeting hall

  8. "Awakening of the Third Estate" With the Bastille being destroyed in the background, a member of the Third Estate breaks his shackles. Here, the clergy and nobility recoil in fear, thereby emphasizing the conflict between the estates

  9. B. Tennis Court Oath 1. Members of the 3rd Estate met on nearby tennis court and declared themselves the National Assembly 2. Swore not to separate until they had written a constitution for France 3. Act of Revolution- since sought to change government against the standing law

  10. "The Tennis Court Oath at Versailles” by Jacques–Louis David This amazingly rich sketch by Jacques–Louis David is one of the most famous works from the French revolutionary era. The thrust of the bodies together and toward the center stand for unity. Even the clergy, so vilified later, join in the scene. David is commemorating a great moment of the Revolution on 20 June 1789, in which the deputies, mainly those of the Third Estate, now proclaiming that they represent the nation, stand together against a threatened dispersal.

  11. C. Storming of the Bastille 1. Background a. July 1789 b. Food scarce, unemployment high, prices high c. Peasants and workers suffered 2. Louis XVI sent 20,000 troops into Paris to break up National Assembly 3. Peasants and workers defended Assembly and raided the Bastille killing the guards and administrators and stealing the munitions 4. Bastille a. French fort guarding Paris used as a political prison b. Symbol of oppression 5. Mob then stormed city hall and killed mayor a. Set-up new city government 6. Louis XVI, did not want to agitate further so he withdrew troops and nominally recognized new government 7. Great Fear- rumor spread that nobles hired bandits to harass peasants a. Wave of violence across country side b. Peasants destroyed tax-related documents and burnt nobles’ estates

  12. Taking of the Bastille

  13. “It’ll be okay” Oh. It'll be okay, be okay, be okay,Hang the aristocrats from on high!Oh. It'll be okay, be okay, be okay,The aristocrats, we'll hang 'em all. Despotism will breathe its last,Liberty will take the day,Oh. It'll be okay, be okay, be okay,We don't have any more nobles or priests,Oh. It'll be okay, be okay, be okay,Equality will reign everywhere,The Austrian slave will follow him,To the Devil will they fly.Oh. It'll be okay, be okay, be okay,To the Devil will they fly.

  14. IV. New Government A. August 4- Nobles and clergy joined N.A. 1. Gave up Feudal dues, political privileges, and tax exemptions 2. Ended centuries old feudal system B. August 26, 1789 1. “Declaration of the Right of Man and of the Citizen” a. Based on ideas of Enlightenment 1)Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights combined b. Inalienable rights - Life, liberty, and property, security, resistance to oppression c. Equality before the law d. Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press C. Women’s riots 2. Two causes a. Skyrocketing cost of bread b. Louis XVI called troops to Versailles 1) Result – royal family captured and brought to Paris D. New Constitution - 1791 1. Abolished Estates system 2. Created Legislative Assembly a. Poorest 1/3 couldn’t vote b. Only wealthy could be elected 3. Kept king but reduced powers 4. Government controlled clergy and took church land 5. Louis XVI accepted because he had to a. Constitutional monarchy

  15. "Vanguard of Women going to Versailles” --> Publicity about political machinations, coupled with the continued high price of bread, mobilized market women and encouraged many men to support them. They hoped to fetch the King and his family to end attempts against the Revolution and stabilize prices.

  16. E. Foreign Wars • 1. European monarchy afraid of revolution spreading • a. Encouraged by nobles who fled France- émigrés • 2. 1791 – Louis XVI caught trying to escape Paris • 3. 1792 - France declared war on Austria and Prussia • 4. Army was not winning war • F. Radical Revolution • August 1792 angry radicals forced assembly to arrest kings’ family and disband and suspend constitution • 2. Sept 1792- Ordered 2,000 royalists to be executed • 3. Sept 1792- France ruled by National Constitutional Convention which • was elected by a vote of all males • G. The Republic • 1. Convention declared France a republic • 2. Put the royal family on trial January 1793 • a. Louis XVI sentenced to death by guillotine • 3. Must liberate human race from tyrants and overthrow all thrones • 4. Invaded Belgium and Germany • a. War did not go well • 5. Food shortages throughout France • 6. Peasants revolted against Revolution because of attack on Church • 7.Afraid - the convention voted to arrest its most moderate members

  17. H. Reign of Terror • 1. Convention created Committee of Public Safety to run government • 2. Maximilien de Robespierre headed committee and really became violent dictator • - “Terror is the order of the day” in order to subdue enemies at home and abroad- save the revolution • 3. August 1793- July 1794 (1year) • 4. 2,500 people executed including Marie Antoinette • I. War Machine • 1. Committee began national draft • 2. Organized production of food, uniforms, and other supplies • 3. Very successful Spring 1794, Largest army in Europe and patriotic too • a. Young qualified officers led army • 4. With things organized now and going better people saw no need for Committee of Public Safety • 5.Robespierre would not give up power • a. He and 20 followers were sent to guillotine

  18. “Nine Emigrants go to the Guillotine” "An Ordinary Guillotine " The guillotine was first introduced as a humane, efficient, and above all modern form of execution in April 1792; during the radical phase of the Republic, it would become the symbol of the Terror.

  19. J. The Directory • 1. Moderate leaders came to power as all others were killed • 2. October 1795 wrote new constitution that established Directory • a. 5 directors elected by a 2 house legislator • b. Only property owners vote (men who pay taxes) • 3. Directory made of upper middle class and former nobles • 4. Excluded radicals and royalists • 5. Often had to bend constitution to remove extremists • 6. Became corrupt and inefficient

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