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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Explore the three estates, clergy, nobility, and everyone else, and the revolutionary wave that sparked the French Revolution. Learn about the challenges faced by France, the Estates General, the Tennis Court Oath, the storming of the Bastille, and the transition from monarchy to republic.

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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

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  1. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION THE 3 ESTATES 1. The clergy 2. The nobility 3. Everyone else

  2. American “Revolution” - removed British rule, kept British systems of government - somewhat orderly - clean transition French Revolution - goal - to create a new French Society - extremely violent, chaotic - resulted in decades of political & social instability

  3. FIRST ESTATE - THE CLERGY - High Clergy - came from wealthy noble families - Lower Clergy - parish priests who came from the lower & middle classes - nearly exempted from taxes The lower clergy resented the high clergy & were more in touch w/ the suffering of the common people -100,000 in #, owned 10% of the land and collected a 10% tax for their services

  4. 2ND ESTATE - THE NOBILITY - owned 1/4 of the land - very privileged, but still jealous of king’s power 400,000 people - less than 2% of the total population

  5. 3rd ESTATE - EVERYONE ELSE - included peasants, city workers, & middle class - included rich and poor - both peasantry & lawyers, merchants, bankers, etc, - owned 1/2 the land, comprised 98% of the population

  6. I. Revolutionary Wave - 1787-1789 Atlantic Revolutions: Dutch Republic, Austrian Netherlands, France - A result of Enlightenment ideas, an educated public, prosperity, & higher expectations France - wealthiest, most powerful state in Europe - Its revolution was the longest, most violent, most influential

  7. Dutch Revolt - middle class revolt against the House of Orange - Orange was tight with the British, gov’t sponsored banks held 40% of the British debt - Angry bankers, supporters of America, merchants demanded political reform - Revolt failed due to divisions among the rebels and military intervention by Prussia to support Orange

  8. Belgian Independence Movement Joseph II - Austrian emperor - Enlightened despot - initiated enlightened reforms that threatened the Church and nobility - democrats jumped on the opportunity to challenge the nobles and demand representative gov’t - divisions amongst the rebels resulted in a defeat for the democrats, who decided to support the Austrian emperor against the nobles

  9. Poland -Partitioned by its neighbors due to its decentralized nature and lack of effective leadership -Polish Patriots - tried to create a centralized gov’t w/ a parliament - movement eventually crushed by Catherine the Great

  10. That makes 4 Revolutions since 1776: American Dutch Belgian Polish Their inspiration - The Enlightenment

  11. France’s Problems: - social inequality - debt incurred from war & insufficient tax base - King had no authority to tax the 1st or 2nd estates - he asked them to accept taxation, but they refused - financial crisis led to a calling of the Estates General (meeting of reps from all 3 estates)

  12. Estates General - had not met since 1614 Text LEFT - 3rd estate sat on left side (left = liberal) RIGHT - 1st & 2nd est. sat on right (right = conservative)

  13. Estates- General - form and function - each estate chose reps to be sent to Paris - each estate met separately to vote on the issue - w/ 3 votes cast, you could never have a tie - 1st & 2nd estates shared interests & often voted the same May 1789 - 1/2 of the 1200 delegates were from the 3rd estate, most were bourgeois - 3rd estate demanded that all 3 estates meet together and each delegate cast one vote (vote by head, not by order)

  14. Intense public scrutiny of the proceedings: 1788 - poor harvest led to near starvation for many - selection of delegates at local level heightened awareness of the proceedings - created local interest - recent crash of textile industry caused high unemployment - people looked to the meeting of the Estates General for answers to their problems - daily newspapers kept people informed on the proceedings

  15. THE TENNIS COURT OATH -1st & 2nd Estates - insisted on voting by order - 3rd Estate - insisted on voting by head 3rd Estate - declared themselves the National Assembly representing all of France - 1st Estate joined them - Locked out of the meeting hall, they met on a tennis court and swore not to disband until a constitution for France was created - 2nd Estate was forced to join

  16. STORMING OF THE BASTILLE Text - angry commoners thought army would crush N.A. - July 14, 1789 - they overran the Bastille, a prison that was a symbol of royal tyranny - heads of Bastille commander & mayor of Paris paraded through the streets

  17. II. From Monarchy to Republic The Great Fear: - rumors spread that nobles were organizing militia to crush peasants and take their land - Peasants lashed out - centuries of anger were unleashed on the nobles & clergy - Peasants burned documents that granted nobles privileges that dated from feudal time

  18. Revolution of Rights and Reason Great Fear convinced noble members of the NA to give up their feudal fees (seigneurial dues) & tax privileges - Gov’t administration - NA banned feudalism- Talent, not birthright would dictate gov’t hirings - Nat. Assembly issued Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen- preamble to new constitution inspired by Amer. revolution, Enlightenment, Bill of Rights -granted freedom of speech press, religion, equal taxation & equality before the law

  19. And the Rights of Women? - did the Dec. apply to women? - women organized clubs, printed pamphlets, demanded more participation in gov’t Olympia de Gouges - Declaration of the Rights of Women, 1791- used language from the official Dec. to call for the inclusion of women - The National Assembly ignored the demands

  20. MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT -English author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1792 -felt “Rights of Man” should be naturally extended to women

  21. Women’s March on Versailles - Oct. 5, 1789 Women march to the Palace to protest bread shortages, rising prices - force K & Q back to Paris to fix it

  22. The Church - Lands confiscated by the NA - assignats - printed money that was derived from the newly confiscated lands - Priests’ wages paid by gov’t - Clergy forced to swear oath of loyalty to new Contitution, 1/2 refused & were exiled - many people turned on the revolutionaries, including the royal family, which attempted to flee from France

  23. End of the Monarchy - Royal family attempted to flee France to seek aid from Marie Antoinette’s family - the Habsburgs of Austria - in the Austrian Netherlands - they were recognized on the road and arrested on their Flight to Varennes near the border of Austrian Netherlands - impact - the king became a “traitor” - the king was not viewed as an enemy until he fled

  24. War with Austria and Prussia - Abroad, reformists praised the revolution, monarchs & noblesfeared it could spread and unseat them - French revolutionaries feared the emigres (nobles who fled France) were recruiting help from the queen’s Habsburg relatives for a counter-revolution - 4/20/1792 - France declared war on Austria - Prussia backed Austria, they invaded France and threatened to destroy Paris if the king or queen were harmed

  25. The Second Revolution (Aug. 10, 1792) - doubts about the king led to calls for elimination of the monarchy entirely SANS CULOTTES - literally “w/out pants” - culottes were fancy knee britches worn by the wealthy - The name used by those who wanted to eliminate the monarchy - They attacked the residence of the king, forcing him to seek refuge with the LA

  26. Note the culottes (knee pants) of the nobleman A Sans Culotte

  27. Legislative Assembly called for elections for a new legislature - universal male suffrage for the first time The National Convention (the newly elected gov’t) = The First Republic - all royal influence abolished - Jacobins - a radical faction w/in the Convention took control of the new gov’t - they were middle class lawyers and professionals - ardent republican beliefs

  28. Execution of the King Girondins - moderates of the Convention who wanted to spare the king The Mountain - radicals of the Convention who wanted to execute the king - called for vote to execute Extremely close vote in favor of executing the royal family

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