The French Revolution

1. The French Revolution

3. Fundamental Causes of the French Revolution Abuses of the Old Régime

4. (1) Political • 1.) King was an Absolute Monarch with “Divine Right” • 2.) King selected officials basis of noble birth not ability • 3.) King censored speech and press • 4. ) King imprisoned his enemies indefinitely • 5.) King denied people a voice in the government

5. Three Estates-- (1) First Estate: Clergy (less than 1%) (2) Second Estate: Nobility (less than 2%) (3) Third Estate: All the Rest (97 % of the people) (2) Social

6. Third Estate bore almost the entire tax burden (1)Taxes to Government (2) Tax to the church (3) tax to the feudal lords (3) Economic

7. Other Basic Causes of the Revolution

8. Most powerful group in France Wanted the French government to stay out of business affairs Called Laissez-faire Ideas written by Adam Smith in “Wealth of Nation” (1776) 1. French Bourgeoisie

9. Intellectual Revolution Also called the Enlightenment They believed that people possessed natural rights and that society could be changed for the better. 2. French Philosophers

10. a. Montesquieu • Proposed separation of powers • Three branches of government • Wrote “Spirit of Laws”

11. b. Voltaire • Urged religious freedoms • Praised England’s limited monarchy • Wrote “Philosophical Letters” and “Candide” • Exemplified the spirit of the Enlightenment

12. c. Rousseau • Wrote “The Social Contract” • He believed: • 1.) humans in their original state were happy and possessed natural rights • 2.) submitted themselves to the majority for the greater good • 3.) people created a government as a necessary evil to enforce the general will of the people • 4.) if government fails then people have the right to overthrow and replace it.

13. d. Diderot • Editor of “The Encyclopedia” • Included many articles attacking the Old Régime

14. 3. Influence of the American Revolution • France was influenced by the Puritan and Glorious Revolutions in England because: • 1.) Two countries were geographically close • 2.) Many members of the revolutions took refuge in France • 3.) French philosophers praised the English government

15. France was influenced by the American Revolution because: • 1.) Lafayette and other French citizens fought for the American cause and spread liberal ideas • 2.) Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, popular diplomats sent to Paris, inspired French thought

16. 4. Incompetent and Unpopular Government • King Louis XVI was incompetent during difficult times • Dull of mind, weak in character, and lacked leadership qualities. • His queen, Marie Antoinette, was an unpopular foreigner • Member of Hapsburg family

17. DAY TWO

18. Immediate Cause of The French Revolution

19. (1)Louis XVI Brings France to Financial Bankruptcy • Took over an impoverished treasury • 1.) Spent heavily on the support of the American Revolution • 2.) Maintained a lavish court • 3.) Refused to tax the noble class • Ignored his financial ministers (had them removed) • By 1788, France was bankrupted

20. (2)Louis Summons the Estates General • For over 175 years, the King had ruled without the help of the Estates General • Showed that the King could not solve the countries problems alone

21. Representation of the Estates General Privileged Class First Estate: 300 Reps 1 Vote 1.5% of population Privileged Class Second Estate: 300 Reps 1 Vote 1.5 % of population Unprivileged Class Third Estate: 600 Reps 1 Vote 97% of population

22. Undemocratic Features of the Estates General • First and Second Estates (clergy and nobles) didn’t pay taxes • Only Third Estate (commoners) paid taxes • King’s advisors told him to tax the first two estates • Clergy and nobles nearly revolted • Wanted to limit the Third Estate

23. Cahiers: Lists of Grievances--loose leaf notebooks called cahiers • Demanded far reaching reforms • An end to the Old Regime abuses

24. The French Revolution Begins

25. 1.) Estates General becomes National Assembly • Formed by representatives of Third Estate on June 17, 1789 • Asked the First two estates to join them • King had Third Estate locked out of meeting place • They instead met at nearby indoor tennis court • Tennis Court Oath: • Would continue to meet • Demanded a written constitution and popular sovereignty

26. Supported by Paris mobs, who demonstrated against the King Louis consented to the formation of the National Assembly

27. Rumors that the king sent troops to break the National Assembly Paris mobs stormed and destroyed the hated prison on July 14, 1789 Looking for weapons Also attacked nobles and destroyed feudal dues 2.) Bastille is Destroyed

28. By such violence the commoners: • 1.) expressed their support of the National Assembly • 2.) gave warning to the king and nobles not to resist reforms. • July 14 (Bastille Day) is National Holiday in France (Independence Day)

29. Work of the National Assembly • 1. Abolition of Special privileges: no feudal dues by peasants or tax exemption of the privileged class • 2. Declaration of Rights of Man: men are born free; equal with rights of liberty, property, and security; resistance to oppression • 3. Financial Measures: seized church lands and broke them up and sold them

30. 4. Religious Measures: abolished church taxes, seized church land, guaranteed religious freedoms to all groups, and subjected the church under state control • A.) Church in France is a national church, separate from the Pope • B.) Catholic clergy are elected officials • Pope condemned the revolution and devout Catholics became enemies of the revolution

31. 5. Reform of Local Government: replaced old provinces with 83 departments ruled by local assemblies 6. Constitution of 1791: provided limited monarchy

32. DAY THREE

33. French Revolution Quiz # 1

34. 1. Name the three Estates of the Old Régime in France. • 2. Name the three institutions that Third Estate had to pay taxes to. • 3. Name two principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man. • 4. What was created by representatives of the Third Estate on June 17, 1789? • 5. What were the cahiers?

35. 6. Name the two principles of the Tennis Court Oath. • 7. Name two reasons that Louis XVI was a terrible leader. • 8. Name the three reasons why France was bankrupt by 1788. • 9. Name the two American diplomats that influenced French thought. • 10. What was the important democratic principle that Montesquieu wrote about in “Spirit of Laws”?

36. ANSWERS • 1. Clergy, Nobles, Rest of the People • 2. Government, Church, Feudal Lords • 3. • a. Men are born free • b. equal rights of liberty, property, security • c. resistance to oppression • 4. National Assembly • 5. List of grievances

37. 6. • Keep Meeting • Wanted a written Constitution and popular sovereignty • 7. • Dull of mind • Weak in character • Lacked leadership qualities • Married a foreign princess • 8. • Supporting of the colonists in American Revolution • Lavish court of Louis XIV • Refused to tax nobles • 9. Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin • 10. Separation of power between 3 branches

38. Limited monarchy has a short life 1791-1792

39. Most of the bourgeoisie and peasants were satisfied with the revolution Supported the limited monarchy Wanted end of chaos Not possible Too many people unhappy 1. Supporters

40. 2. Opponents Favoring a Republic • A. Girondists: moderate political party, supported by middle class • Wanted a middle class republic (Like USA) • B. Jacobins: radical political party, represented the city workers • Opposed both the king and middle class • Wanted a republic dominated by the poorer people • Sans-culottes: extreme radicals led by Jean-Paul Marat

41. 3. Opponents Favoring Old Regime • 1.) Louis XVI • 2.) Devout Catholics • 3.) French Nobles • 4.) Foreign Monarchs: European nations invaded France to suppress the revolution (Austrian and Prussian armies)

42. 4.) End of Monarchy • Limited monarchy did not survive invasion of foreign nations • Antiroyalist mobs rioted, blaming the king for the invasions • French legislature deposed the king and called for election of National Convention • The Commune, a group of radicals, seized control of Paris for a time and convinced the National Convention to have the monarchy abolished

43. The National Convention Protects and promotes the Revolution 1792-1795

44. 1.) The First French Republic • Replaced National Assembly under new Constitution of 1791 • Convention abolished the monarchy and proclaimed France a republic • King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette executed in 1793 • Alarming the other monarchs, more countries invaded

45. 2.) Jacobin Domination • Formed The Committee of Public Safety • 1.)The radicals Jacobins seized control of the Convention • 2.) Determined to protect the revolution against foreign and domestic enemies • 3.) Centralized all governmental powers to the CPS • 4.) Led by Georges-Jacques Danton and Maximilien Robespierre

46. 3.) Conscript Armies Repel Foreign Invaders • The CPS appealed to nationalism of the French people • All Frenchmen were drafted (conscripted) into the army • The citizen soldiers successfully drove out the invading forces

47. (4) The Reign of Terror Crushes Domestic Enemies • Jacobins arrested, tried, and executed all opposition • Guillotine was created to make executions quicker • In reality, more people from the lower classes were executed than the upper classes (Girondists) • Turned into paranoia

48. Eventually, Robespierre had Danton executed Convention finally realized the executions must end Reign of Terror ends with Robespierre being guillotined in 1794

49. 1.) abolished debt prison 2.) abolished slavery in French colonies 3.) adopted the metric system and uniformed weights and measures (5.) Reforms

50. A conservative reaction against the excesses of the Convention New Constitution was adopted in 1795 Incompetent and corrupt Established an executive branch of 5 directors Created the Directory The Directory, 1795-1799