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The French Revolution & Napoleon Bonaparte

The French Revolution & Napoleon Bonaparte. World History Chapter 11. Unit Objectives. Articulate the causes of the French Revolution Describe the major events along the timeline of the French Revolution

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The French Revolution & Napoleon Bonaparte

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  1. The French Revolution & Napoleon Bonaparte World History Chapter 11

  2. Unit Objectives • Articulate the causes of the French Revolution • Describe the major events along the timeline of the French Revolution • Explain how the French Revolution took a radical turn & its connection to the Enlightenment • Detail how Napoleon rose to power • Articulate the immediate & lasting impact of Napoleon’s and his Empire

  3. Important Things to Know • 1789: The United States of America is reborn under the newly ratified Constitution • 1789: The French Revolution began • Attempted to create a new political order • New government based on Enlightenment ideals • Attempted to create a new social order • End the inequality of the estates! • Also based on Enlightenment ideals

  4. What the heck are estates?? • Since the Middle Ages (1000-1500 CE) French society had been divided into three estates • 1st Estate: Clergy • 2nd Estate: Nobility • 3rd Estate: commoners

  5. 1st Estate: The Clergy • 0.5% of the total population (130,000 people) • Owned 10% of the land • Exempt from paying the taille – main tax in France; main source of revenue for the King • Higher clergy, who were members of wealthy families, shared interests w/ the nobility • Lower clergy, such as local parish priests, were often from the ranks of the commoners

  6. 2nd Estate: The Nobility • 1.5% of the total population (350,000 people) • Owned 25 – 30% of the land • Held most of the top positions in the gov’t, military, legal system, & high church offices • Given many privileges by the King • Also exempt from paying the taille

  7. 3rd Estate: Commoners • 98% of the population (26,520,000 people) • Owned 65% of the land • Paid 100% of France’s taxes! • Unlike the first two estates, the 3rd Estate was made up of widely varying groups of people • Occupation • Education • wealth

  8. Divisions of the 3rd Estate I • Peasants • Made up 75-80% of the population • Owned 35-40% of the land • Over half had little or no land of their own • Burdened by relics of feudalism • Obligations of the peasantry (poor people) to the nobility (rich people) from an earlier age • Payment of a fee to use the community flour mill & oven • Payments to the clergy

  9. Divisions of the 3rd Estate II • Skilled craftspeople, shopkeepers, & wage earners in the urban (city) areas • Struggled during the 18th century: • Prices on consumer goods increased • Wages did not increase at the same pace • Play a vital role in the Revolution

  10. Divisions of the 3rd Estate III • Bourgeoisie: the French middle class (and later in socialist/communist terminology the middle class of all capitalist nations!) • ~8% of the population (2.3 million people) • Owned ~ 25% of the land • Mostly educated & drawn to ideas of the Enlightenment • Merchants • Bankers • Lawyers • Doctors • Writers • Industrialists • Professors

  11. Two Main Causes of Revolution • Long Range Cause: • The unequal social structure of the estates • Immediate Cause: • The near collapse of France’s finances!

  12. France’s Financial Crisis • PROBLEM 1: Bad harvests in 1787-1788 • Led to…food shortages, increased price for food, and rapidly rising unemployment • PROBLEM 2: Spending lots of $$ on war • Aid to the American colonists vs. Great Britain • PROBLEM 3: Lavish spending by the King • Personal luxuries • Court lifestyle

  13. Calling the Estates General • Called by King Louis XVI for the 1st time in 275 yrs. • Began meeting on May 5, 1789 • It is a meeting of representatives from all 3 estates • Clergy & Nobility had ~ 300 delegates each • 3rd estate had ~ 600 delegates • Many members of the 3rd estate wanted to establish a new, constitutional government in France that would eliminate privilege (mainly exemption from the taille) and promote equality

  14. A Dispute over Voting • The tradition of the Estates General gave each estate one vote each • This is known as “voting by order” • The 3rd estate demanded that each delegate at the Estates General cast a vote • King Louis XVI ruled that tradition would stay intact • This set the course of the rest of the French Revolution in motion

  15. Here we go… Revolution in Motion! • June 17, 1789: 3rd estate declares itself the National Assembly & declares it will draft a constitution • June 20, 1789: Deputies of the 3rd estate find their meeting place at Versailles locked • They moved to an indoor tennis court and swore to continue meeting until they had produced a constitution for France • This is known as the Tennis Court Oath

  16. France’s Independence Day • July 14, 1789: a mob of Parisians storm the Bastille, an armory and prison believed to hold political prisoners • They take control of the Bastille & tear it apart • Paris was abandoned to the rebels • Royal authority totally collapsed – King Louis XVI could no longer trust the royal troops to enforce his royal authority • THIS IS FRANCE’s INDPENDENCE DAY!!! • Bastille Day – July 14

  17. Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen • Adopted by the National Assembly on August 26, 1789 • Inspired by: • Enlightenment Documents • U.S. Declaration of Independence • U.S. Constitution • English Bill of Rights • Enlightenment Ideals • Freedom & equal rights for all man • Merit based system for public office • Freedom of speech & of the press • All citizens participate in making the laws

  18. What do the women have to say?? • Olympe de Gouges: author of plays & pamphlets • Wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen • Early statement for the woman’s rights movement • Argued women should have the same rights as men • Her response to the National Assembly’s Declaration was ignored by the Assembly

  19. The March on Versailles I • All through the summer and into the fall King Louis XVI had remained at Versailles, refusing to accept the work of the National Assembly • End of feudalism • Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen

  20. The March on Versailles II • October 5, 1789: 1000’s of Parisian women marched to Versailles to demand the King accept the orders of the National Assembly due to the children starving from a lack of bread & other nourishment!! • Forced the royal family to return to Paris as a sign of good faith • Brought wagonloads of flour with them • Royal family became virtual prisoners in Paris

  21. Church Reforms • Church lands seized and sold b/c of the need for $$$! • Church was secularized: The French government was now in control of the Catholic Church in France • MANY CATHOLICS BECAME ENEMIES OF THE REVOLUTION

  22. Constitution of 1791 • Set up a limited monarchy in France • King still in power • Laws made by an elected legislative assembly • Voting requirements: • Male • Age 25 or above • Paid a certain amount of taxes • What do the voting requirements tell us about who was able to participate in governing France??

  23. Fear of Revolution Spreads in Europe • Other European monarchs began to fear Revolution would spread to their countries • Austria & Prussia threatened to use force against France should they not restore Louis XVI to power • Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria • Early fighting did NOT go well for France • Prompted demonstrations against the Legis. Assembly & the King

  24. The Paris Commune • Took the king hostage & forced the Legislative Assembly to call a National Convention elected by universal male suffrage to decide France’s future form of gov’t • All adult males have the right to vote [Suffrage = right to vote] • Power was passed to the Paris Commune • Sans-culottes: self tagged nickname for many of its members. Literally means “without breeches (knee-length pants worn by the rich)”. • They were the more radical group of the commune that would lead the French Revolution into its more violent stage.

  25. Radical Revolution & Reaction Chapter 11 section 2

  26. A Move to Radicalism • Georges Danton & the sans-culottes sought revenge against supporters of the king and those who had resisted the rise of the Paris Commune • 1000’s of people were arrested and executed! • New revolutionary leaders emerge from the sans-culottes who led the revolution down a more radical & violent path

  27. The Fate of King Louis XVI • Nearly all members of the newly elected National Convention distrusted the King • Their 1st action was to abolish the monarchy and establish the French Republic • September 21, 1792 • Their distrust of the monarch was about the only thing they could agree on….soon the National Convention was split into factions • Factions: dissenting groups (w/ different opinions)

  28. Factions of the National Convention • The two most powerful factions were the Girondins & the Mountain • Similarities: • Both were members of the Jacobin club – a large network of political organizations throughout France • Differences: • Girondins • Feared the radical mobs in Paris; represented the provinces (rural areas outside of France’s cities) • Leaned towards keeping the king alive • Mountain • Represented the interests of the radicals in Paris • Wanted to kill the king for treason

  29. R.I.P. King Louis XVI • January 21, 1793 King Louis XVI meets his fate at the hands of the National Razor (guillotine!) • Execution of the King made the revolutionaries & France many new enemies & created a new crisis

  30. Domestic Crisis - 1793 • Members of the Paris Commune put pressure on the National Convention to adopt more and more radical policies • Peasants in Western France & residents of other French cities refused the authority of the National Convention

  31. A New Foreign Crisis - 1793 • Executing Louis XVI made the rest of European monarchs extremely angry at the French Republic • A coalition of nations took arms against France • Austria • Prussia • Spain • Portugal • Great Britain • Dutch Republic • By the spring of 1793 they were ready to invade!

  32. France’s Response • The National Convention created a special 12 man committee & gave it far reaching powers • Committee of Public Safety • Its mission was to defend France from all enemies, foreign & domestic • Dominated social & political life in France 1793-1794 • Led by George Danton at first • Taken to a whole different level of violence & radicalism under the direction of Maximilien Robespierre

  33. The Reign of Terror • In France, the CPS set up revolutionary courts to prosecute enemies of the Revolution • In the course of 1 year nearly 40,000 people were executed; 16,000 under the blade of the guillotine • Prominent figures: Marie Antoinette, Olympe de Gouges • Peasants & others who opposed the sans-culottes • Most executions took place in areas of France that had openly rebelled against the authority of the National Convention • People from ALL CLASSES of society were executed • 15% clergy & nobility • 85% bourgeoisie & peasants

  34. The Republic of Virtue • Robespierre’s vision of a democratic republic full of good citizens reflecting belief in reason • The titles “citizen” & “citizeness” replaced the traditional “mister” & “madame” • Slavery was abolished in all French colonies • Women’s role during this time • Remained actively involved in revolutionary action • Observed sessions of the National Convention & made their demands known to its leadership • Formed their own groups to defend the Republic

  35. De-Christianization • To create an order that believe in & worshiped reason the National Convention worked hard to get rid of Christianity & people’s devotion to it • The word “saint” was removed from street names • Churches were pillaged and closed • Priests were encouraged to marry • A new calendar was put into place • 12 months • 3 weeks per month • 10 days per week • Goal was to eliminate Sunday, Sunday church, & religious holidays • Despite the efforts, France was still Catholic!!

  36. The French Revolutionary Army & the Beginnings of Modern Nationalism • To defend against the coalition of foreign enemies, the Committee of Public Safety ordered universal mobilization of the French people • By September, 1794 the army was more than 1 million members strong • Drove the enemy forces back from the French border • Creation of Modern Nationalism: • 1st time an army had been created by a government made up of individual citizens, not a ruling dynasty

  37. The Terror Ends • By the summer of 1794 France had defeated its foreign enemies, but Robespierre’s obsession with purifying France continued • On July 28, 1794 Robespierre met the same fate as the King, Queen, and 16,000 others (after a failed suicide attempt) • After his death more moderate leaders took control of governing France, and the Reign of Terror was over

  38. Changes After the Terror • Power of the CPS dramatically reduced • Churches reopened for worship • A new constitution was created reflecting France’s desire for more stability • Constitution of 1795 • Goal was to prevent one group of the government from gaining too much power • Which Enlightenment thinker’s idea is this???

  39. The Directory I • The Constitution of 1795 created a bi-cameral legislature, with an upper and lower house • Lower House: Council of 500 • Developed and proposed legislation • Upper House: Council of Elders • 250 members • Accepted or rejected the proposed legislation • Chosen by electors: • people who meet the qualifications to vote in an election • To be eligible to vote for members of the Councils… • You had to own or rent property worth a certain amount • Limited the number of potential electors to ~ 30,000

  40. The Directory II • Executive Branch: 5 person panel called the Directory • Council of 500 submitted a list of potential Directors • Council of Elders elected 5 Directors from the list • France was filled w/ corruption under the Directory • Gov’t was constantly fighting internal enemies: • Royalists who wanted to return to a monarchy • Radicals who were unhappy with the moderate gov’t • Directory couldn’t solve France’s economic woes • Still carrying on wars started by the CPS

  41. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte • The Directory had to rely on the military to maintain power • It was overthrown in 1799 by a coup d’etat: • A sudden overthrow of a government in power • It was led by the young military genius and popular general Napoleon Bonaparte

  42. The Rise of Napoleon • Born in 1769 in Corsica, a French Island in the Mediterranean • Early military career • Received a commission as Lieutenant in 1785 at age 16 • Promoted to Captain in 1792 • Promoted to Brigadier General in 1794, at age 24 • Named Commander of French armies in Italy in 1796

  43. The Italian Campaigns • Napoleon’s leadership abilities • energy • quick decision making • intelligence • confidence • willingness to lead the charge • Returned to France as a hero in 1797

  44. Early Military Career • First conflict with the British • Given a command to attack the British in 1797 • France not ready to invade England • Strategy was to take Egypt and threaten India • British Navy was still too strong for the French • Abandoned Egyptian campaign, returned to Paris

  45. Consul and Emperor • Took part in 1799 coup d’etat that overthrew the Directory • The new government was known as the Consulate • Napoleon had absolute power • Controlled the entire government • Appointed all positions • Led the military • Conducted foreign affairs • Influenced the legislature • In 1802 he was named consul for life • In 1804 Napoleon crowned HIMSELF emperor

  46. Napoleon’s Domestic Policies • Peace with the Church • Napoleon had no religious faith – believed in reason • Saw the Catholic Church as a way to stabilize France • Recognized Catholicism as the religion of France • Pope could not ask for land taken during the revolution to be returned • Those who seized church lands became strong supporters of Napoleon as Emperor

  47. Codifying the Laws • Napoleon’s most famous domestic achievement • Before the revolution France had almost 300 different legal systems • Napoleon simplified the chaos into 7 codes of law

  48. The Civil Code • Civil Code – Napoleonic Code • Preserved the gains of the Revolution • Equality of all citizens under the law • Right to choose your profession • Religious toleration • End of serfdom and feudalism • Protection of property rights • NOT a positive for women! • Hard for women to obtain a divorce • Property became their husband’s upon marriage • Seen as minors in the courts • Women were “ Less Equal” then men

  49. A New Bureaucracy • Created a government of capable officials • Promotion was based on ability, not birth • This was one of the goals of the Revolution! • Napoleon also created a new aristocracy – nobility • More then 3,000 new nobles from 1808-14 • Only 22% came from old nobility • 60% were from the middle class

  50. The French Empire • There was a break in European war from 1799-1802 • 1803 – Renewed war with Britain • British Alliance • Austria • Sweden • Russia • Prussia • Between 1805-1807 Napoleon had great success • Defeated the Austrian Army • Prussian Army • Russian Army

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