Early Issues in the French Revolution: Causes, Great Fear, and Declaration of Rights

Honors World HistoryFrench Revolution and the Era of NapoleonLessons #15Early issues in the French Revolution

So, what were the causes of the French Revolution?...

The Great Fear: the peasant’s revolt • Meanwhile… in the countryside • Peasant disturbances • Estates burned – destroy documents of debt • Some nobles killed • Became known as GREAT FEAR • Nobles fled – mostly to Austria and England • Became known as EMIGREES • Those who remained – ready to renounce privileges • August 4, 1789 • Mandatory Church tithe abolished • Luxury market collapsed • Created more unemployment • Church was unable to help

Declaration of Rights of man and Citizen • Meanwhile… back in Versailles… • Official renouncing of privilege and rank • Declaration of Rights of Man – Aug, 1789 • Enlightenment ideals • “Men are born free and equal in rights” • Political sovereignty of representatives • Freedom of religion • Taxation based on ability to pay • END OF THE OLD REGIME

Women’s march on Versailles • Meanwhile… back in Paris • Bread prices soared • Women disgruntled – heard of lavish parties in Versailles • 25% unemployment • 6,000 women marched to Versailles to demand the king reside in Paris to see their issues • Women wanted to kill and slice up Marie Antoinette • Compromise (Lafayette) – force king to leave the luxury of Versailles

The end of an independent Church • Church property nationalized • National assembly confiscated all Church land • Including monasteries • Could now tax, or sell the former Church land • printed ASSIGNATS to back value of land • Sold like bonds • Speculated, and became inflated in value • Caused devaluation • Most land was bought cheaply by peasants • CIVIL CONSTITUTION OF THE CLERGY • Made all priests employees of the new government – established the national church • Priests had to swear allegiance to National Assembly • Only about half did this • Caused Peasants to rebel, and to not support gov.

Constitutional Monarchy • King reluctantly agreed • New constitution written by Haut Bourgeois • Mostly older wealthy gentlemen • (top ½ of society) • Kept king as head of state • An elected body would generate all laws • LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY • No nobility – they threatened rebellion • Voting only for wealthy land owning men • Only 50,000 people were qualified to vote • Still rather elitist • Privilege by birth… replaced by privilege by wealth

Constitutional Monarchy • EVERYONE WAS DISAPPOINTED • The King • He had no power but to veto laws • Even that was easily overturned • The Bourgeois • Wealthy landowners still had all the power • Only the wealthiest bourgeois could vote or hold office • The nobles • Lost all privilege • Constitution didn’t define who owned their land, much of it confiscated by peasants during Great Fear • The city workers • Hoped to be allowed to unionize – not addressed by document • The peasants • Hoped the constitution would define their ownership of land

Restructuring society based on rationality • Provinces replaced by departments • Monopolies and guilds outlawed • Trade restrictions eliminated • Full religious tolerance for Protestants and Jews

Olympe de Gouges • Declaration of Rights of Women - 1791 • Demanded full equality for women • She became involved in almost any matter she believed to involve injustice • She opposed the execution of Louis XVI • opposition to capital punishment • she preferred a tame and living king to a rebel regency in exile • This earned her the ire of many hard-linerepublicans • As the Revolution progressed, she became more and more vehement in her writings. • in 1793, her allies, the Girondins were arrested, imprisoned, and killed • She was denied an attorney • She condemned the Terror. • This is what killed her. She was sentenced to death.

Group Activity • With your group, go out in the hall… • Choose any three (or more) entries of the Declaration of Rights of Man • Choose any three events • Make a correlation between the two • Be prepared to discuss how the Declaration supports the event, or the event was a reaction to the “essence” of the Declaration.

Enter… the violent phase…

Mary WollstoncraftVindication of Rights of Man, 1791 • 18th-century British feminist • she attacked aristocracy, and advocated for republic • She was mainly responding to Burke’s conservative slant • Wollstonecraft attacked not only hereditary privilege, but also the rhetoric that Burke used to defend it. • Most of Burke's detractors deplored what they viewed as his theatrical pity for Marie Antoinette, but Wollstonecraft was unique in her love of Burke's gendered language

Mary WollstoncraftVindication of Rights of Man, 1791 • “You were so eager to taste the sweets of power, that you could not wait till time had determined, whether a dreadful delirium would settle into a confirmed madness; but, prying into the secrets of Omnipotence, you thundered out that God had hurled him from his throne, and that it was the most insulting mockery to recollect that he had been a king, or treat him with any particular respect on account of his former dignity…. ‘ • “I have, Sir, been reading, with a scrutinizing, comparative eye, several of your insensible and profane speeches during the King's illness.” • “I disdain to take advantage of a man's weak side, or draw consequences from an unguarded transport—A lion preys not on carcasses!”

The revolution started getting out of control. The king feared for his family’s safety. What should he do?

Attempted Escape!!!

Flight to Varennes • Marie Antoinette’s brother (Leopold of Austria) encouraged the royal family to escape • 1791 – King and family dressed as servants and headed to border • Discovered at the town of Varennes, just 30 miles from Montmedy, their goal • 10,000 loyal troops there • Planned by Count Fersen, close friend to MA • Foiled mostly by Louis’s indecision and delays, turning small issues into large problems • Also, Louis misjudged peasant support outside Paris. • He believed, mistakenly, that he was still beloved by the peasants and the common folk

So, the king was returned to Paris in disgrace. The Legislative Assembly tried to keep this a secret… why? So, the king still had executive power… to veto… an nothing else.

In the meantime, back in Paris… The Legislative Assembly met for the first time… Political factions formed immediately.

The new Legislative Assembly The Mountain (ultra-radicals) POLITICAL RIGHT POLITICAL LEFT The Plain (moderates) The Constitutional Monarchists (conservatives) The Jacobins (radicals)

Outbreak of War • Legislative Assembly was angry at Declaration of Pilnitz – saw this as a declaration of war • Declared war on Austria, April 1792 • Chief supporter of counter-revolution • France saw they were fighting for all anti-monarchial people • Lots of losses

The Convention • The king’s attempted escape led to the Leg. Assembly to choose to write him out of government • They drafted a new constitution, and had new elections – FULL MALE SUFFRAGE • The new government consisted of a single-chamber assembly, called THE CONVENTION, which elected it’s executive from within almost as often as they met • The Convention adopted the new constitution in Sep 1792 • Committed to war • Anti-monarchial • Would put king on trial for his life

Demise of King Louis XVI • He was happy for war • If France won, he’d declare victory • If France lost, he’d still be king • Played sides off each other • Jacobins saw him as dangerous • Girondists disagreed • King put on trial for treason Dec. 1792 • Verdict was obvious; sentencing was close • By a single vote (361-360), he was condemned to death by guillotine • Executed Jan, 1793 • Convention then wrote a new constitution • CONSTITUTION OF YEAR #1 (1793) • Driven by Sans Culottes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB5fyimVXUo

The instrument of death • Dr. Guillotine invented this machine as a humane gesture, and something for rational equality. • How could this possibly be humane? • Why did it come to symbolize the French Revolution? • Fun fact #1: the guillotine was the official form of execution in France until 1981. • Fun fact #2: the last execution by guillotine in France was in 1977 to three child murderers. About.com carrot

But… Does it hurt? Does the severed head live on?

From its first use, there has been debate as to whether the guillotine always provided a swift death as Guillotin had hoped. With previous methods of execution intended to be painful, there was little concern about the suffering inflicted. As the guillotine was invented specifically to be humane the issue was seriously considered. The blade cuts quickly enough for there to be relatively little impact on the brain case. • Audiences to guillotinings told numerous stories of blinking eyelids, speaking, moving eyes, movement of the mouth, even an expression of "unequivocal indignation" on the face of the decapitated Charlotte Corday when her cheek was slapped. • The following report was written by a Dr. Beaurieux, who experimented with the head of a condemned prisoner by the name of Henri Languille, on 28 June 1905: • Here, then, is what I was able to note immediately after the decapitation: the eyelids and lips of the guillotined man worked in irregularly rhythmic contractions for about five or six seconds. • I waited for several seconds. The spasmodic movements ceased. It was then that I called in a strong, sharp voice: "Languille!" I saw the eyelids slowly lift up, without any spasmodic contractions – but with an even movement, quite distinct and normal, such as happens in everyday life, with people awakened or torn from their thoughts. • Next Languille's eyes very definitely fixed themselves on mine and the pupils focused themselves. I was dealing with undeniably living eyes which were looking at me. After several seconds, the eyelids closed again. • I called out again and, once more, the eyelids lifted and undeniably living eyes fixed themselves on mine with perhaps even more penetration than the first time. Then there was a further closing of the eyelids, but now less complete. I attempted the effect of a third call; there was no further movement – and the eyes took on the glazed look which they have in the dead

THE EXECUTION OF LOUIS XVI – first hand account Describe what you’re seeing this to be like… What is your impression of Louis’s behavior as he is about to be executed? Do you think he was mistreated by the man on horseback, or was that deserved? Why? Look again at how the youngest of the guards behaved… comment on this, too. What does it seem is guiding the revolution?

War for France • France was losing battles • Lacked good leadership • Then, Austria formed FIRST COALITION (1793) • Austria and Prussia • Invaded France • Joined by Britain, Spain and others • To protect social institution and old order • Got as close as Verdun • Legislative Assembly panicked – leads to Reign of Terror

Early Issues in the French Revolution: Causes, Great Fear, and Declaration of Rights