The French Revolution

1. The French Revolution Mr. Giesler Global History

2. What was the immediate impact of the French Revolution? • The French Revolution introduced the struggles that would define modern Europe…and the world • The French Revolution: Two Revolutions wrapped into one with a third revolution waiting in the wings • 1st – 1789 – 91 • 2nd – 1791 – 94 The significance of the French Revolution • Brought to forefront Enlightenment Ideas • IntroducedClassical Liberalism

3. TTYN: Why do revolution’s occur? • Revolutions occur when pressure groups organized for reform • Allegiance of the intellectuals switches • Class antagonisms increase • Governments are short of money • Government is inefficient and the governed are impatient Anatomy of Revolution; compare to fever/flu, etc. Example: Examining the American Revolution Symptoms - Colonial Ideology for self-government; The Stamp Act Crisis – The Boston Massacre Delirium – Writing of the Declaration of Independence; Actual fighting between the Colonist and England Relapse - Peace Agreement

5. The citizenry of France: The Three Estates

6. The Three Estates Clergy, Aristocracy, and the People (everyone else) The Third Estate (Bourgeoisie) – bankers, merchants, and manufacturers; wage earners and urban poor; Rural masses and peasantry, which made up the bulk of the people; the poorest members were city workers For the 3rd Estate, France was within a period of discontent • The third estate resents the privileges enjoyed by the 1st and 2nd Estates • Upward mobility extremely limited; limited to the nobles • Heavy Taxes • Low wages + high cost of living (bread, food,etc) = misery and discontent

8. TTYN: Think about who and what made up the 3rd Estate. Why was the 3rd Estate so important? • More than 95% of the people of France belonged to the Third Estate (population at the time was more than 24 million people). • This group included serfs who were still bound to the soil, members of the middle class, and peasants. • The average person of the Third Estate was a poor peasant; servants, skilled and unskilled workers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, storekeepers, and laborers were also included in the Third Estate.

9. Long-Term Causes of the French Revolution • How the French Revolution Evolved: • Enlightenment Thinking; Noble Privilege vs. Enlightenment ideas; Intellectual ideas; fueled by the American Revolution about liberty and equality influenced the upper classes • Absolutism: powerful King creates a powerful state • World of Privilege • Privilege tax exemptions • Social – society is still organized based on feudal concepts; no longer matching reality; causes resentments

10. Marie Antoinette Louis XVI

11. Long-Term Causes of the French Revolution How the French Revolution Evolved: • Political – Bourgeoisie (3rd Estate) demands a say in government, nobles and clergy, (obviously) want to retain or increase power • Economic – Government unable to pay debt; a lot debt accrued from the American Revolution; 1780’s a series of bad harvests; rising food prices (particularly bread); rising unemployment; increase in poverty; Seven Years War; Noble Tax Exemptions • Activism – development of the public sphere of political debate; people gathering in Parisian coffee houses debating the issues of the time

12. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent TTYN: What were enlighten thinkers and why do you think they may have played a role within the French Revolution? Enlighten Thinkers • New way of thinking about mankind and the environment. • Voltaire, Locke, Diderot, Montesquieu and Rousseau

13. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • Scientific Revolution inspiration. • Discoveries of Galileo, Kepler and Newton • Revealed a universe that was infinite, yet governed by universal laws that could be discovered by the human intelligence.

14. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • Convinced that all creation was similarity rational, so that it was possible for man to uncover laws which regulated society, politics, the economy, and even morality. • Believed that these laws would teach mankind not only what we are, but what we ought to be and do.

15. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • Believed much of Western Christian civilization was incompatible with such a rational order. • Why? The absolute monarchy, the aristocratic society which dated from the Middle Ages, the established church, all came under their scrutiny. 'Despotism, feudalism, clericalism' became the objects of their criticism and satire.

16. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • Conveyed their message to the public through the printed word. • Their greatest monument was the Encyclopédie • Entitled 'A Rational Dictionary of the Arts and the Sciences' and edited by Denis Diderot. • The first volume appeared in 1752, the last of 35 in 1780, and it expressed the author's pride in the European achievement since the Renaissance.

17. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • From the evils of 'despotism, feudalism, clericalism' the main people of the Revolution adapted the watchword of 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity', drawing on notions from the Philosophes and the Enlightenment. • Important documents of the Revolution • The Declaration of the Rights of Man • The Constitution of 1791 – we owe debt to Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau.

18. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • John Locke's central ideas were that of: • The human mind is blank at birth, as such, everyone is good. • Society shapes their mind and corrupts. • God established divine laws in which the universe conforms around and there is no changing these laws, only acting within the constraints of them.

19. The Beginnings of a Revolution Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • de Montesquieu's central ideas were that of: • Separation of powers within the government • The government should be formed based on the area in which they operate.

20. The Beginnings of a Revolution • Enlightenment Thinkers: The Cause for Discontent • Jean Jacques Rousseau: Sparked public opinion with his ability to imply the obvious. • Central Idea - Summed up in the first sentence of his most famous work, The Social Contract: "Man is born free but everywhere is in chains.“ • Plays on the feudal system, but places it more into a governmental role. Once rulers cease to protect the ruled, the social contract is broken and the governed are free to choose another set of governors or magistrates. This became the primary force behind the Declaration of Independence.

21. Prelude to Revolution Pre-Revolution Politics and Economic Conditions of France • Wasteful government spending and an abuse of power • For several years, the government had covered its deficits with loans. • In 1783, the Parliament of Paris began to remonstrate against such loans, saying that the deficit could be eliminated by curtailing expenditure. • Public opinion, fueled by publicity given to lavish court spending, seemed to share this view.

22. Failure of Reform: The Gathering of the Estates General • In 1787, The Assembly of Notables was convened by Louis 16th • Louis wanted to raise taxes to stem the resulting economic problem • The Notables refused to approve Louis request. • Last time the Estates-General met - 1614

23. What Happens? What do they (Estates) want? • Both the Nobility and the Bourgeoisie want Liberal changes • A constitution • Individual Liberties • Limited Powers of the King • A representative body

24. What was the problem with executing the grievances? • Voting; The 3rd Estate wants voting to go by number of individuals instead on Estates. • Traditionally, the Estates-General consisted of three estates with equal numbers of deputies—the clergy, the nobility, and the commons—each of which had a single vote. • Under this arrangement, the nobility always dominated, since the clerical deputies included a majority of nobles. While leading nobles wished to retain this tradition of "voting by order," which would have ensured their continued dominance, many commoners reacted angrily…..Equal Representation

25. Abbe Sieyes – “What is the Third Estate? • Sieyes dropped the polite and even apologetic tone and forcefully pronounced the right of the Third Estate to be everything. • “What is the 3rd Estate? Everything” • “What has it been heretofore in the political order? Nothing” • “What it demand? To become something”

26. Sieyes stirs the pot • Louis closes the hall where the Estates General were meeting after the comments of Abby Sieyes. • Louis is fearful of what the 3rd Estate is likely to do. • The Tennis Court Oath – in reaction to being shut out the 3rd Estate gathers and – • Declares an Oath; Tennis Court Oath, June 20,1789; 1st and 3rd Estates • “We are the National Assembly” • “We will not dissolve this body until we have a new constitution” • “We represent France”

27. The Tennis Court Oath

28. The Tennis Court Oath • Growing discontent of the Third Estate in France. • Third Estate meeting to discuss the reforms • A vote by head instead of by estate. • Locked-out • Believed that this attempt by Louis XVI to end their demands for reform and they were further incensed at the King's duplicity. • Moved their meeting to a nearby indoor tennis court. • Debated how the Third Estate could protect themselves from those in positions of authority • Oath of allegiance.

29. The Tennis Court Oath • The proposed oath was to read that they would remain assembled until a constitution had been written, meeting wherever it was required and resisting pressures form the outside to disband. • The Tennis Court Oath was an assertion that the sovereignty of the people did not reside with King, but in the people themselves, and their representatives. • It was the first assertion of revolutionary authority by the Third Estate and it united virtually all its members to common action. • Its success can be seen by the fact that a scant one week later, Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General for the purpose of writing a constitution

30. TTYN: What is going on within this picture? 1st and 2nd Estate 3rd Estate The Nobility and Clergy look shocked as the Third Estate break their chains.

31. Louis responds to the demands • Sends an Army to Versailles • Takes sides with the Nobility Mob (3rd Estate reacts) • Mob is irate that Louis sides with the nobility • They have weapons but no gunpowder • Gunpowder locate at the Bastille • July 14, 1789 – Storming of the Bastille • Bastille – an old armory also used as a prison (not many though)

32. Mob (3rd Estate reacts) • The attack is a symbolic attack on the King’s authority • The revolution spreads to the countryside • “The Great Fear” – peasant rebellion against their landlords • August 4, National Assembly ends feudal rights • Popular pressure radicalizes the liberal revolution • Louis answer (final answer) to the rebellion • Louis forces the 1st and 2nd Estate to join the National Assembly, which officially marks the beginning of the revolution

33. Mobs storm the Bastille in 1789And the French Revolution is birthed in anarchy

34. “The Great Fear” • Revolutionary fervor and widespread hysteria quickly swept the countryside. • Revolting against years of exploitation, peasants looted and burned the homes of tax collectors • and landlords • The agrarian insurrection hastened the growing exodus of nobles from • the country • The National Constituent Assembly • to abolish feudalism on August 4, 1789, The “death certificate of the old order.”

35. Women of Paris march on Versailles October 1789

36. Small Group Activity • Working cooperatively… • Refer to Notes Packet • Read and Interpret The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen • Answer the following: What does the document proclaim? What is the National Assembly’s commitment to replace the ancient régime? How does equal opportunity, freedom of speech, popular sovereignty and representative government fit into the equation? What is missing from the declaration?

37. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen

38. Results of a Liberal Revolution • Declaration of the Rights of Man • Individual Freedom • Equality under the law • Representative Government • Property Requirements; Exclusion of Women Constitutional Monarchy

39. A Time for Reform, A Time for Change Role of the Church • A new role for the Catholic Church • In order to pay off the huge debt, the National Assembly decided to sell of much of the Church’s land. • Church now under state control…loss of immense power • New Constitution ended Papal authority

40. A new Constitution: The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly • Completed in 1791 • Constitutional Monarchy • A new Legislative assembly had the power to make laws, collect taxes, and decide on issues of war and peace. • Lawmakers would be elected by tax-paying male citizens – only about 50K in a country of 27M could qualify to run for the assembly • Forbade labor unions • Continued economic hardship

41. A new Constitution: The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly • The Sans-Culottes – more radical and demanded a republic • During the fall of 1792, elections were held for a new Constitutional Convention • A legislature that would not have to share power with an executive authority) that would rule France as an interim government while preparing a new, republican constitution. • The Jacobins and the Girondins enter the scene • Sans-Culottes and Jacobin alliance

42. How did the moderates interpret the changes? • Believed the constitution completed the revolution; reflecting enlightenment ideals • It ended Church interference • Ensured equality before the law for all citizen • Power out of the hands of men with the means and leisure to serve in gov’t

44. Declaration of the Rights of Woman, 1791 • de Gouges states that the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen is not being applied to women. • She implies the vote for women, demands a national assembly of women • Stresses that men must yield rights to women, and emphasizes women's education.“ • Charged with treason during the rule of the National Convention. • Arrested, tried, and executed by the guillotine.

46. Second Revolution (1791-1794): Here we go again! • Radical Revolution • Violence • The Guillotine • Beheading of nobility • Beheading of the king and queen • As the Girondins stalled for time, a more radical faction developed • The Jacobins sought to accelerate the proceedings, arguing that as long as Louis lived, he called into question the legitimacy of the Revolution • Jacobins attacked the royal residence in Paris and arrested the king on

47. Causes of Radicalization of Revolution (2nd Revolution) • Political Clubs • Jacobins • Sans-Culottes - It was one of the first working class groups that incorporated both a political stance and a social condition – The Working Class; they believed that they were the ‘true people of France” • Royalists • The emerging leaders of the new legislature, known as "Girondins" for the region in the southwest from which many had come, found it intolerable to have a threatening army of émigrés sitting just across the border

48. Causes of Radicalization of Revolution (2nd Revolution) • Louis 16th captured • War with Austria and Prussia – the ultimate spark that caused the radical revolution • Counter-Revolution • Fear of external and internal threats • Influence of Marat • the Girondins rapidly led France into war in the spring of 1792, but this strategy backfired when French forces performed badly for most of that year and as a consequence France was invaded by Prussian and Austrian troops.

49. Causes of Radicalization of Revolution (2nd Revolution) • 1792, the Mountain had begun to ally with sans-culottes • Overthrew the monarchy and the Girondin-led Legislative Assembly. • Sans-culotte fears of the plots of invisible, domestic enemies of the Revolution were further aroused by heated rhetoric during the trial of Louis in January 1793 • The Mountain then assumed control of the National Convention. • Jacobins (left) wanted more liberal change such as rights for all male citizens • Loyalists (right) wanted to restore the monarchy