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FRENCH REVOLUTION

LIBERTE , EGALITE , FRATERNITE. FRENCH REVOLUTION. From the Seeds of Discontent to the Reign of Terror. Charles Dickens wrote…. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” opening lines from A Tale of Two Cities. What was happening in France prior to the Revolution?.

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FRENCH REVOLUTION

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  1. LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE FRENCH REVOLUTION From the Seeds of Discontent to the Reign of Terror

  2. Charles Dickens wrote… “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” • opening lines from A Tale of Two Cities

  3. What was happening in France prior to the Revolution? • Regarding: • Trends/ Ideas? • Kings? • Wars? • Seven Years War 1756-1763 ? • American Revolutionary War ?

  4. The Roman Catholic Church Priests and clergy were about ½ % of the entire population Powerful in France • 98% France was Catholic (remember Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes) • Owned 10% of the land • Collected a tithe from everyone for running the church • Gave a free gift of 2% of earnings to king

  5. Nobles 1.5 % of the population Owned approximately 20% of the land

  6. The Third EstateBourgeoisie…

  7. Sans Culottes

  8. Peasants

  9. Leftovers from Serfdom • 80 % of all French people (26 m) • Paid about 50 % in taxes • Feudal dues to local nobles • Tithe to church • Royal taxes to king • Corvee : 3 or more of days of work, year unfree labor!

  10. Louis XVI Reign started in 1774 Describe his style and character.

  11. Habsburg Flag Marie Antoinette • Married at 15. • Describe her character and attitudes.

  12. Estates General How did it work? • 1st Estate - Church Leaders: Bishops, Cardinals, etc • About 300 reps • 2nd Estate - Nobles - Dukes and Earls • About 300 reps • 3rd Estate – about 600 reps • Bourgeoisie • Peasants • Serfs • Parish priests and monastic leaders often • Sans-culotte (urban poor) (cool people wore short pants, they had long ones!)

  13. Rebellion Starts – Locked out, the 3rd Estate Representatives leave the Estates General to create their own Government • Tennis Court Oath: what was it? • Who led it?

  14. Storming the Bastille! 14 July, 1789 • Today the “French Fourth of July” is the 14th!

  15. What does the Unicorn Tapestry below have to do with the GREAT FEAR?? • The Great Fear - Peasants nervous about that the King and Nobles were massing troops, ransacked Nobles homes in the countryside • March of the Women: • With rampant inflation, peasants demanded that Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette vacate Versailles Unicorn Tapestries now at the Cloisters were originally owned by a Noble French family, they were later stolen (during the great fear bypeasants who used them for potato sacks!!!!)

  16. Alarmed King Louis XVI calls for Swiss troops and… Orders the 1st and 2nd Estates to meet with the 3rd Estate • Many feared the King would break up the new National Assembly, but he did not

  17. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Becomes the “Legislative Assembly”with new elections • 4 August 1789 - National Assembly established • Assembly wipes out the old days, forms the new official government of France • Limited Monarchy - King with limited rights • Protections to the Citizens • New limits to the Catholic Church • Divide the country into departments rather than provinces

  18. Declaration of the Rights of Man Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite • Assembly passes A FRENCH BILL OF RIGHTS • Right to • Equal justice • Freedom of Speech • Freedom of religion

  19. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite LEFT v. RIGHT • Members of the Legislative Assembly had different views • Radicals - Sit on the far left of the chamber • Complete change - create a republic, attack religion • Moderates • Some change is needed • Conservatives – Sit on the right of the chamber • Keep the Limited Monarchy, protect the church • Today - Radicals are known as Leftists and Conservatives are known as on the Right

  20. READ ALL ABOUT - LATEST NEWS - 20 April 1792PRUSSIA AND AUSTRIA AT WAR WITH FRANCE!!! • Marie Antoinette’s brother, Francis I of Austria threatens War with France • French Leftists see War as an opportunity • to unite the country and spread the REVOLUTION • France declares War on Austria, • Prussia thereafter makes alliance with Austria • French Conscription begins • France will amass an Army of 800,000 Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

  21. The Limited Monarchy becomes a Republic • In 1791 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were discovered trying to flee France for Austria • under guard, brought back • After Prussia and Austria go to war with France, a Mob attacked the Kings’ Paris Palace • The left takes control • Legislative Assembly officially ended office of King • Leg Assembly changes to the National Convention • Finally, Louis was tried for treason (Jan 1793) • ordered executed and suffered the fate of the guillotine. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

  22. A New France COUNTRY IS DIVIDED INTO DISTRICTS Disliked by the 1st Estate and many French who were religious Catholic church comes under state control Church loses land Church officials elected and paid by government! Metric System Developed, too a meter is one ten millionth of distance from North Pole to equator

  23. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite Reign of Terror A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE? Radicals demand complete change… • Many frightened nobles flee • about 1000 priest and clergy as killed • some in massacres • churches converted to museums • New playing cards -A NEW CALENDAR!!!

  24. Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite Committee of Public Safety-Robespierre, Marat and Danton Committee of Public Safety: Government by a few people -Created to watch over (spy) on people to make sure everyone is acting properly At least 14,000 are killed- - Many had once supported it • Many of all classes become horrified • BUT how to stop it? Who can speak out? • In reaction, Marat is stabbed by a rural peasant girl • When Danton questions, he is sent to guillotine • Robespierre rules through coercion on Committee

  25. Executions in France During the Reign of Terror By the numbers: Working Class: 4389 Peasants: 3961 Upper Middle Class: 1964 Lower Middle Class: 1488 Nobility: 1158 Clergy: 920 Total: about 14,000 As percentages, see pie chart Source: Lefebvre, George The Coming of the French Revolution. Princeton, NJ Princeton U, 1947.

  26. Why did The French Revolution de-Christianize the Calendar? A year was 365 or 366 days, 12 months of 30 days each, followed by 5 or 6 “extra days”. The months were: Months made of three décades (or weeks) of 10 days, of which the final day was a day of rest. Why would this be unpopular? Now there were 9 work days between each day of rest, The ten days were called: Primidi (1st), Duodi(2nd), Tridi(3rd), Quartidi(4th), Quintidi(5th), Sextidi, Septidi (7th), Octidi (8th), Nonidi (9th), Decadi(10th). Years are counted since the establishment of the first French Republic on 22 September 1792. That day became  Primidi, Vendemiaire of the year 1 of the Republic. HOW DOES THE CALENDAR REFLECT THE REVOLUTION AND THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT?

  27. The new Calendar associated each day with a fruit or vegetable or flower, a work animal or a tool………………... Wheezy, Sneezy and Freezy; Slippy, Drippy and Nippy; Showery, Flowery and Bowery; Wheaty, Heaty and Sweety!!! Mocking names given by the British to the new French months! 1.Raisin (Grape) 2.Safran (Saffron) 3.Châtaigne (Chestnut) 4.Colchique (Crocus) 5.Cheval (Horse) 6.Balsamine (Impatiens) 7.Carotte (Carrot) 8.Amarante (Amaranth) 9.Panais (Parsnip) 10.Cuve (Vat) To try to rid the culture of the various Catholic saints associated with various days….

  28. The Terror Tries to Extinguish the Christian Church… • Robespierre declares “The Festival of the Supreme Being” • A new state religion • Worship the Goddess of Reason • Honor the Saint Marat • Baptize with the new trinity… • Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite • A step too far for many • Prompted the… Thermidorean Reaction Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite

  29. Thermidorean Reaction: Ending the Reign of Maximillian Robespierre • Robespierre brings in a new list of accused • He is shouted down, and arrested • Executed • No more Committee of Public Safety • Another Constitution Is Written (1795) • Sane minds prevail • A 2 House legislature • The DIRECTORY of 5 men is the executive branch • Upper middle class moderates dominate • A Brief period of calm prevails---until…

  30. Napoleon Overthrows Directory! Directory Becomes Very Corrupt • 1799 - Coup d’etat • 3 consuls will rule instead… • The 5th different form of government in 10 years!!!

  31. QUESTIONS TO PONDERand perhaps see on a test… • Could Louis XVI have avoided his fate and remained as King of France? Explain. • If Louis had a good French queen would the Revolution still have happened? • Robespierre was a product of the Enlightenment, yet became as harsh as any absolute monarch (harsher, probably). Why did this happen? Why did he become so convinced of his own “incorruptibility”? (cont.)

  32. More questions to ponder 4. What is the relationship between the political philosophers of the Enlightenment to the French Revolution? 5. Unlike the American Revolution, the French Revolution is often considered a “People’s Revolution” in what ways do you think the ideals (motto) of the French Revolution still exist today? 6. How did the limits on the Church offend the people in France and lead to dissension?

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