French Revolution

1. French Revolution And Napoleon

2. Chronology • 1788-1789—Financial Crisis and Estates General • 1789-1792--Liberal Revolution • 1792-1794—Radicalization • 1794-1799—Reaction • 1799-1815--Napoleon

3. Causes • Intellectual • Social • Political

4. Intellectual • Natural Rights • Laissez faire • Religious tolerance • Social contract • Tabula rasa • Branches of government • Sovereignty of the people

5. Social Causes • Estates System • First Estate • Second Estate • Third Estate

6. First Estate • 1% of population • 100,000-130,000 people • Owned 10% of land • Tax-exempt • Levied tithe on peasants • Most money supported distant bishops or monasteries

7. Second Estate • Nobility • 2-5% of population • 350,000 members • Owned 25-30% of land • Held many government positions • Tax-exempt • Expanded power at expense of monarchy

8. Third Estate Everyone else 25 million people 75-80% of population peasants Collectively owned 35-40% of land Over half had no land

9. Feudal obligations Dues on use of mills, granaries, wine presses, and ovens Corvee—labor dues Gabelle—salt tax Cloth taxes Only the third estate paid these taxes, all others were exempt. The third estate did not have a say in the government nor in the taxes that were paid by them Peasant taxes

10. Third Estate, continued • Bourgeoisie • 8% of population • Owned 20% of land • Exploited peasants on the land • Educated, but no involvement in government

11. Urban Poor of Paris • Artisans, factory workers, journeymen • Very poor • Most politicized group • Highly literate

12. Political Causes • Louis XV 1715-1774 • Succeeded Louis XIV at age 5 • Poor education • Much time with mistresses • Nobles regain power that was lost under Louis XIV

13. Louis’ mistresses • Madame de Pompadour • Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson • Friends with Voltaire and Montesquieu • Met king at masked ball • 9/15/1745—King’s mistress • Became duchess, Oct 12, 1752 • Influenced king to remove her enemies from office and make treaties

14. Madame Du Barry • Jeanne Becu • Educated in Paris • 1763, met Jeane du Barry—became his mistress (he was a pimp) • 1768, met Louis XV • She had to marry to be king’s mistress, so she married Jeane’s brother • After king’s death, took other lovers • Guillotined 1793

15. Parlements of France • French kings had taken all power from nobility • 13 Distinct regions in France—controlled by a Parlement • Parlements had 50-130 members • Local judges • Legal elites • Tried cases for theft, murder, forgery, libel • Public censors • Fixed bread prices

16. Parlements, continued • Hated by everyone, including king • Intendents were selected by king to head parlements • Intendents arbitrarily taxed and arrested peasants • Parlement of Paris began to claim right of veto over king

17. Financial Problems • 1787-1788—poor harvests led to food shortages, rising prices, unemployment • Richest people not taxed • 28% increase in taxes, including gabelle and taille (but only affected third estate) • Dependency on foreign loans • Seven Years’ War—losses of India and Canada • American Revolution—France paid for it • Cost of Versailles—only 5% of state revenue • By 1780s, government was bankrupt—1/2 of income paid on debts (debt was 4 Billion livres) • Queen spent extravagant sums of money

18. Let Them Eat Cake! • Marie Antoinette NEVER said that! • “Madame Deficit” • “The Austrian Whore”

19. The French Urban Poor

20. Financial Problemsin France, 1789 • Urban Commoner’sBudget: • Food 80% • Rent 25% • Tithe 10% • Taxes 35% • Clothing 20% • TOTAL 170% • King’s Budget: • Interest 50% • Army 25% • Versailles 25% • Coronation 10% • Loans 25% • Admin. 25% • TOTAL 160%

21. Efforts to fix finances • Jacques Necker • Hid real problems from French people—said if Am rev. not fought, finances would be o.k. • Introduced more equitable tax system to fund national debt • Dismissed, then re-appointed; • Urged king to call Estates General (first time since 1614)

22. Charles Alexander de Calonne • Financial minister • Raised loans to pay debts • National spending policy implemented—to inspire confidence in finances of state • Called for direct land tax • Stamp tax • Reduction of privileges of clergy and nobility • Forced to flee—opposed by nobility

23. Assembly of Notables 1787 • Upper ranks of aristocracy and Clergy • Called to outflank parlements • Wanted greater role for aristocracy • Called for re-appointment of Necker • Government could not demand new taxes, only Estates General could do that • Etienne Charles Lomenie de Brienne was appointed after Calonne; tried to get Parlements to accept changes without calling Estates General; no good

24. 1788 Coup d’etat of Parlements • Parlement of Paris rejects King’s attempts to force change: King abolishes parlement • Registration of laws now to be in plenary court of France • Anarchy and revolts around France resulted • Nobles refused to modernize , so Estates General was called

25. Convening the Estates General May, 1789 Last time it was called into session was 1614!

26. Estates General • Representatives from all three estates • First and second estates: 300 members • Third estate: 600 members • Third estate wanted to establish a constitutional government to fix financial problems and end exemptions of clergy and nobility

27. Problems with Estates General • Third estate demanded that each representative have one vote, which would give them a majority • King disagreed: wanted traditional system: each estate had one vote • Much political excitement came out of this

28. The Suggested Voting Pattern:Voting by Estates Clergy 1st Estate 1 Aristocracy 2nd Estate 1 1 Commoners 3rd Estate

29. The Number of Representativesin the Estates General: Vote by Head! Clergy 1st Estate 300 Aristocracy 2nd Estate 300 648 Commoners 3rd Estate

30. “The Third Estate Awakens”

31. Abbe Sieyes published “What is the Third Estate?” • Cahiers de Doleances presented by third estate • Third estate changed its name to the National Assembly—June 17, 1789.

32. Cahiers de Doleances • laws prepared by the States General and sanctioned by the king shall be binding upon all classes of citizens

33. Deputies of the Third Estate, or their president or speaker, shall preserve the same attitude and demeanor as the representatives of the two upper orders, when they address the sovereign.

34. Personal liberty, proprietary rights and the security of citizens shall be established in a clear, precise and irrevocable manner.

35. More Grievances • letters shall never be opened in transit • All distinctions in penalties shall be abolished

36. All kinds of torture, the rack and the stake, shall be abolished. Sentence of death shall be pronounced only for atrocious crimes and in rare instances, determined by the law.

37. the establishment of the new taxes shall be paid by the three orders • All relics of serfdom, agrarian or personal, still remaining in certain provinces, shall be abolished.

38. Abolition of Taxes • Of the taille; *of the corvee • Of the gabelle; *of the ferme of tobacco • Of the aides; *of the registry- duties • Of the free-hold tax; *of the taxes on leather • Of the government stamp upon iron;

39. Of the stamps upon gold and Silver; • Of the interprovincial customs duties; • Of the taxes upon fairs and markets; • Finally, of all taxes that are burdensome and oppressive, shall be replaced with other taxes,

40. “The Tennis Court Oath”by Jacques Louis David June 20, 1789

41. Tennis Court Oath • June 20, 1789, Third Estate locked out of meeting hall; moved to indoor handball court and swore to meet until a French Constitution was written • King opposed this, but majority of clergy and some nobles joined it

42. National Constituent Assembly • June 27th, king capitulated; ordered all estates to meet and accepts vote by head • But, Louis tries to re-assert his authority:

43. Storming the Bastille,July 14, 1789

44. Storming of Bastille • Rising bread prices cause riots Paris had been politicized since the Estates General had been elected; Citizen militia had been organized and acted when king attacked National Assembly

45. Sends 18,000 troops to attack National Assembly (Marie Antoinette advises him to do this) • Two mass uprisings save National Assembly

46. The Great Fear:Peasant Revolt July 20, 1789

47. Great Fear • Massive revolts spread throughout France • Fear that Royal troops would be sent to countryside next • Destruction of medieval documents, chateaus, • Refusal to pay feudal dues • Caused National Assembly to abolish feudal dues in August

48. National Constituent Assembly1789 - 1791 Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité! August DecreesAugust 4-11, 1789 (A renunciation of aristocratic privileges!) • Equality & Meritocracy

49. Ideological Actions of National Constituent Assembly • All French subject to same laws • Abolished feudal regime, tithes, hunting rights, purchased offices • Declaration of Rights of Man • Equality before the law • Due process • Natural rights • Sovereignty resides in the Nation • Freedom of religion, speech, separation of powers • Law is expression of General Will

50. The Tricolor (1789) The WHITE of the Bourbons + the RED & BLUE of Paris. Citizen!