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The Age of the French Revolution, 1789-1815

The Age of the French Revolution, 1789-1815. The West CHAPTER 18. The Beginning of the Revolution. Financial crisis led to a constitutional breakdown Formation of the National Assembly by the Third Estate, and lower nobility and clergy

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The Age of the French Revolution, 1789-1815

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  1. The Age of the French Revolution, 1789-1815 The West CHAPTER 18

  2. The Beginning of the Revolution • Financial crisis led to a constitutional breakdown • Formation of the National Assembly by the Third Estate, and lower nobility and clergy • Breakdown of public order, caused by high price of bread, fueled public paranoia • National Assembly began to legislate the Old Regime out of existence

  3. The Creation of a New Political Society • Abolition of noble, clerical, provincial and urban privileges • Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, August 26 1789 • Reorganization of the church into a government department • Promulgation of a new constitution formally ended the absolute monarchy

  4. Responses to the French Revolution • Opposition within France from certain priests, nobles and Catholic extremists • Welcomed by political reformers in other European states • Vehemently opposed by conservative politicians and absolute monarchs across Europe, and by the papacy

  5. The Establishment of the Republic, 1792 • Growth of the radical Jacobin party • Attempt by Louis XVI and his family to flee France • Military defeats by Austria and Prussia fueled paranoia and led to social disorder and the imprisonment of the royal family • September 22, 1792 - abolition of the monarchy

  6. The Jacobins and the Revolution • Jacobins became the major political force after the establishment of the republic • Split within the Jacobins, between the radical Mountain and the Girondins • Execution of Louis XVI and growing foreign opposition to the Revolution deepened the political divide • Purge of Girondins from government

  7. The Reign of Terror, 1793-1794 • Formation of special courts and legal procedures to try enemies of the Revolution • The Committee of Public Safety became a revolutionary dictatorship • Ca. 37, 000 people were executed or killed without any trial • Indiscriminate state terrorism has become closely identified with the Revolution

  8. The Directory, 1795-1799 • The end of the Terror resulted in a new constitution • Executive power was granted to a five-man directory • Widespread social discontent caused by economic crisis and military defeats • Coup d’état, 1799, established a military dictatorship under Napoleon Bonaparte

  9. The Transformation of Cultural Institutions • Collapse of educational system, due to reorganization of the Church • Abolition of scientific and artistic academies • Formation of the National Library • Establishment of a museum at the Louvre • Destruction of royal tombs and monuments

  10. Creation of a New Political Culture • All forms of cultural expression were subordinated to revolutionary goals • Significant linguistic and symbolic changes • Emphatically secular, even anti-Christian, in sentiment • Belief that the popular sovereignty should permeate all aspects of daily life • Concern for standardization and national uniformity

  11. Napoleon and the Revolution • Used the language and institutions of the Revolution to conceal his dictatorial rule • Supported and confirmed legal equality of all men, but not women • Continued the centralization, rationalization and expansion of state power • Continued the military mission of the Revolution

  12. Napoleon and the French State • Achieved a resolution with the Catholic Church, via the Concordat of 1801 • Promulgated six new law codes; most importantly, the Civil Code of 1804 • Laid the foundations of a modern, meritocratic, hierarchical civil administration • Established a new, non-hereditary nobility

  13. Napoleon, the Empire and Europe • Created a massive European empire, via a huge and well-disciplined army • Napoleon’s status as a military genius is controversial, despite his success • Formation of the Empire fueled nationalist ideologies, especially in Italy and Germany, against French rule

  14. The Downfall of Napoleon • Dissent within France increased after the birth of a son and heir to the imperial throne • Catastrophic failure of the invasion of Russia • Military defeat led to Napoleon’s abdication and exile, and restoration of the monarchy • Congress of Vienna redrew European borders to preserve the balance of power

  15. The Legacy of the French Revolution • Huge economic and demographic cost, in Europe, from the revolutionary wars • Delayed industrialization of France and retarded economic growth • Drove an enormous growth in the competence and power of the state • Promoted the concept of popular sovereignty and the practice of active political participation by all citizens

  16. The French Revolution and Western Civilization • Development of a new, secular political culture that challenged established authorities and traditions • Export of revolutionary culture prompted legal, political and social changes across Europe and the Americas

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