Chuck Norris Fact:

1. Chuck Norris Fact: “Chuck Norris destroyed the Periodic Table because he only recognizes the element of surprise.”

2. The French Revolution Heads are Gonna Roll!

3. Part 1 • A number of important issues were at the heart of the French Revolution. To understand why the revolution occurred, you must first understand the problems in France during the late 1700’s. • Social Structure • Impact of the Enlightenment • Tax Problems • Effects of the American Revolution • Weakness of the Monarchy Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy Livin’

4. The Old RegimeProblems with the Social Structure • France is split up into three social classes known as Estates • 1st Estate – The Church • Very wealthy, pays no taxes • 2nd Estate – Nobility • Pay little taxes, given many rights and privileges • 3rd Estate – Everyone else • Bourgeoisie: Shopkeepers & Merchants • Urban Workers • Peasants • Note: Bourgeoisie was at the top of the 3rd Estate, like upper middle class today…educated & wealthy

5. Impact of the Enlightenment • Due to the nature of The Enlightenment, people all over France are questioning the Old Regime. • Does Divine Right exist? • Are these social classes fair? • Should we have a more democratic style of government? • Should we be able to get rid of things with which we do not agree? I’m Famous!

6. Tax Problems • France does NOT tax its citizens equally. Taxes are divided by both social classes and regions. As a result, taxes are not adequately collected by the government and not fair to the citizens. • 3rd Estate pays 50% of their earnings in taxes • The French King had sold his rights to collect taxes in many areas of France • Towns & Provinces tax each other’s goods, hurting trade

7. Effects of the American Revolution I’m on a boat and…I’m goin’ fast and…well, not really fast because it’s a row boat and there is all this ice around…I’m still awesome! • The American Revolution brought the ideas of The Enlightenment to life. France supported the British Colonists with money, supplies and troops during the Revolutionary War. This created several issues for France. • France helped British Colonists fight for rights they (The French) didn’t have. • Helping the Colonists cost the French a ton of money, more than they could truly afford

8. God Kill the King…and a few years later the Queen • Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette rule all of France as Absolute Monarchs. • Louis XVI is a weak king, makes poor decisions and doesn’t have the ability to control the nobility in his own country. • Marie is hated for a number of reasons, the most popular being her spending habits, lack of children & her Austrian roots. • Its hard to say if a great monarch could have saved France, but these two certainly didn’t do the job. • Fun Fact: Marie Antoinette is famous, perhaps infamous, for saying, “Let them eat cake.” Hello, my name is Marie…and I have a gambling problem.

9. End Part 1 • Because of the poor conditions in France, King Louis XVI needs to do something dramatic to fix the problems. The biggest problem being France’s national debt and its tax situation. The King will eventually call The Estates General in an effort to make the necessary changes. This decision will be the beginning of the end for France. Its about to get bad!

10. Part 2 • Several events lead to the start of the French Revolution. • Calling of the Estates General • Formation of the National Assembly • Storming of the Bastille • The Great Fear

11. The Estates-General • All three estates chose delegates and they met at Versailles with King Louis XVI to solve problems. • Who wants what? • King wants 2nd Estate to give up some of their tax privileges • 2nd Estate wants 1st Estate to support their argument to keep the privileges • 3rd Estate wants to make dramatic changes to society in general, including tax privileges

12. Tennis Anyone? • 3rd Estate quickly realizes that the King is not interested in their ideas and they are unlikely to get any changes. • 3rd Estate decides to move to a Tennis Court and take an Oath promising to stay at Versailles until they draft a new national Constitution. • They now call themselves the National Assembly and essentially black mail the King into supporting them This is the biggest trust fall ever

13. Storming of the Bastille • The King pretends to support the National Assembly, but calls for troops to assemble in Paris • When National Assembly gets wind of the troops, they call on Parisians to rebel in the streets…citizens happily oblige • The Bastille was a famous prison, which contained both weapons and gun powder • This event, July 14, 1789, is the official start of the French Revolution

14. The Great Fear The 1st rule about fight club is that you don’t ask coach if we can watch the movie • Emulating the riots in Paris, citizens all over France begin to riot in the weeks following the Storming of the Bastille • Other major cities experienced rebellion in the streets. • Peasants stormed country estates to seize legal documents • Like Fight Club…if you understood the ending or at this point have even seen the movie. • An angry mob marched to Versailles and forced the Royal Family to move to Paris Brad is so hot…no homo

15. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen I am standing near lots of dead people • The National Assembly issues the DRM • Declares a number of basic rights essentially ending the Old Regime • France becomes a Constitutional Monarchy • The National Assembly declares that all citizens are equal • As long as you are white, male and Catholic • Liberty, Equality and Fraternity becomes the slogan for the revolution

16. Changes in the church • The National Assembly seizes church land and makes it available to raise revenues and grow food • The Separation of Church & State takes hold • Church officials make a modest salary and are no longer part of elite society

17. End Part 2 This is so much different than I thought it would be. Although a number of dramatic things have happened, France has not seen anything like what will soon follow. Moderate Rebels first controlled France and made many of the changes desired by the Bourgeoisie. This will change after the first few years when the initial changes do NOT bring prosperity to France. Radical Rebels will eventually take over France and this will usher in a time period where the death toll will be unprecedented.

18. Part 3 • As the problems of France continue, both the King and the people become increasingly upset. • King Louis XVI begins to plot an escape to Austria, only to return with an army of his own. • The people of France will begin to follow much more radical groups, hoping this action will bring the prosperity they desire.

19. The King Makes a Break for it No, No, No…when I run away I need to head north • In the first two years of the revolution the King at least pretends to cooperate and accept a Constitutional Monarchy • Many other countries in Europe support Louis XVI & the Old Regime. Because of the connection between Marie Antoinette & Austria, the Royal Family plans to flee France. • This attempt to escape fails and ushers in the radical period of the revolution

20. Heads are Gonna Roll! • The people depose the monarchy and establish a republic • The National Convention is created as a new style of government • Other European nations declare war on France • France begins to fall apart and counter-revolutions spring up all over France

21. Committee of Public Safety • This organization was created to bring France back under control • The Committee used extreme violence to achieve this goal • Tens of thousands of citizens from all areas and groups are arrested, many executed • Basic rights are suspended • All power rests in a small group • Much attention is paid to the war effort, Conscription is established • This period, about a year, is known as… • The Reign of Terror

22. Maximilien Robespierre • Passionate revolutionary from the beginning • Leader of The Committee of Public Safety • Trueleader of France • Removed anything that brought back France’s Monarchy • Playing Cards, Calendars, Family names – all changed

23. The End of Terror • Robespierre becomes too radical and is sent to the Guillotine, ending the ROT. • Power shifts from radicals to moderates • The Directory is established as a “middle of the road” style of government Be honest…do I look like Stripe from the Gremlins?

24. The End of the French Revolution Hi-ho Silver…away! • The French Revolution ends in 1799, 10 years after it began. The Directory is overthrown by a coup d’etat. Napoleon Bonaparte will seize power in France and rule for the next 15 years. • Though the road was a rough one, many positive ideas emerged as a result of the revolution. Ideas that are important today.

25. Moment of Zen Its true…we are nerds…but someday we will rule the world