LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY The fortress-prison (BASTILLE) demolished 14 July, 1789 – city of Paris ❑ Rumours spread that the king had ordered troops to move into Paris to fire upon the citizens. Fearing for their lives, some 7000 men & women broke into a no. of govt. buildings in search of arms. ❑ Agitated crowd stormed & destroyed the prison Bastille. The days that followed saw more rioting both in Paris & the countryside. ❑ Most people were protesting against the high price of their daily bread. This was the beginning of the chain of events EXECUTION OF KING IN FRANCE THE FRENCH REVOLUTION ( SUB-TOPICS ) 1. French Society During the Late Eighteenth Century 2. The Outbreak of the Revolution 3. France Abolishes Monarchy and Becomes a Republic 4. Did Women have a Revolution ? 1 5. The Abolition of Slavery 6. The Revolution and Everyday Life 7. Conclusion THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 1. French Society During the Late Eighteenth Century 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 6. 7. POLITICAL CAUSES IMMEDIATE CAUSES ECONOMIC CAUSES INTELLECTUAL CAUSES SOCIAL CAUSES POLITICAL CAUSES POLITICAL CAUSES ➢ In 1774, Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of France. ➢ He was 20 yrs old & married to the Austrian princess Marie Antoinette. ➢ He ruled as an absolute monarch. ➢ He had maintained a huge army and built a big extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles (France). ➢ Common people had no say in administration. All bureaucratic posts were occupied by the aristocrats. ECONOMIC CAUSES ECONOMIC CAUSES ➢ Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France. ➢ Under Louis XVI, France helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence from the common enemy, Britain. ➢ Lenders who gave the state credit, now began to charge 10 per cent interest on loans. ➢ To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running government offices or universities, the state was forced to increase taxes. SOCIAL CAUSES A SOCIETY OF ESTATES SOCIAL CAUSES INEQUALITY IN FRENCH SOCIETY 1. Peasants made 2. 60% of land was up about 90% of owned by nobles, 3. 1st and 2nd the population, clergy and the rich Estates enjoyed owned small member of the third privileges by birth amount of land estate 4. Exemption from paying 5. TAX SYSTEM taxes, Feudal privileges were enjoyed by 1st and Tithe - A tax levied by the church, 2nd Estates comprising 1/10 of the agricultural produce. Taille -Tax to be paid directly to the state The burden of financing activities Indirect Taxes – were levied on articles of of the state through TAXES was everyday consumption like salt or tobacco borne by 3rd Estate only The Struggle to Survive SUBSISTENCE CRISIS - An extreme situation when the basic means of livelihood are endangered. CAUSES - ➢ The population of France rose from about 23 million (1715 ) 28 million (1789 ) ➢ This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains. Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand which led to inflation. ➢ Wages did not rise in proportion to price-rise & gap between poor & rich widened. ➢ Things became worse whenever drought or hail reduced the harvest. A Growing Middle Class Envisages an End to Privileges ➢ The 18th century witnessed the emergence of Middle class, who earned through overseas trade & from manufacturing woolen, silk textiles; that are either exported or bought by richer members of society. ➢ The 3rd Estate, in addition to merchants & manufacturers included professionals such as lawyers or administrative officials. ➢ These professionals were educated & believed that a person’s social position must depend on his merit. Also, that no group in society should be ‘privileged by birth’. ➢ They envisaged a society based on freedom, equal laws & opportunities for all. INTELLECTUAL CAUSES INTELLECTUAL CAUSES ROLE OF PHILOSOPHERS NAME JOHN LOCKE JEAN JACQUES MONTESQUIEU ROUSSEAU TWO TREATISES OF BOOK THE SOCIAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACT THE SPIRIT OF LAWS Refute the doctrine of Between people Division of power within the divine control of the government IDEA absolute right of the and their representative between Legislature, monarch Executive and Judiciary The ideas of these philosophers were discussed in salons & coffee- houses and spread among people through books & newspapers. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 1. 2. The Outbreak of the Revolution 3. 4. 5. 1 6. 7. IMMEDIATE CAUSES The Outbreak of the Revolution ➢ The news that Louis XVI panned to impose further taxes generated anger & protest against the system of privileges. ➢ In France of the Old Regime (society & institutions of France before 1789), the monarch can not increase taxes on his own. He had to call a meeting of the Estates General which would then pass his proposals for new taxes. ➢ The Estates General was a political body to which the three Estates sent their representatives. ➢ However, the monarch alone can call a meeting of this body. ➢ Last time it was done in 1614 . The ESTATES GENERAL of 1789 ➢ On 5 May-1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes. ➢ The 1st & 2nd ESTATES sent 300 representatives each, who were seated in rows facing each other on two sides. ➢ While the 600 members of the 3rd ESTATE had to stand at the back. The 3rd ESTATE was represented by its more prosperous & educated members. ❑ Peasants, Artisans & Women were denied entry to the assembly. However, their grievances & demands were listed in 40,000 letters which the representatives had brought with them. Voting procedure under Old Regime ➢ Voting in the past had been conducted according to the principle : Each Estate One Vote ➢ This time too Louis XVI was determined to continue the same practice. ➢ But members of the 3rd Estate wanted that voting now be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where : Each Member One Vote ➢ This was one of the democratic principles but the king rejected this proposal which led to a ‘walk out of the assembly’ of the members of the 3rd Estate. ➢ The representatives of the 3rd Estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for the whole French nation. The Tennis Court Oath ( 20 JUNE 1789 ) ❑ They assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. ❑ The 3rd Estate took an oath that they would not disperse till they had drafted a Constitution for France, that would limit the powers of the monarch. ❑ They declared themselves a National Assembly. They were led by Mirabeau (born in a Noble family,) & Abbe Sieyes (originally a priest ). Mirabeau delivered powerful speeches to the assembled crowd & Abbe Sieyes wrote an influential pamphlet called – ‘What is the Third Estate’ ? Storming of the BASTILLE ❑ While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a Constitution, France was in turmoil. ❑ A severe winter led to bad harvest. Price of bread rose, bakers hoarded supplies. Angry women stormed the shops, after being fed up spending hours in long queues. ❑ At the same time, the King had ordered troops to move into the city. ❑ On July 14, agitated crowd stormed & destroyed the prison Bastille. ❑ Peasants attacked the residence of Nobles (Chateaux) & Landlord’s mansion (Manor). They looted hoarded grain & destroyed documents which contained their manorial dues. ❑ Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly & accepted the principle that his powers from now be checked by a Constitution. Main features of the Decree ( The Night of August 4, 1789 ) ❑ On 4th August 1789 - The National Assembly passed a decree abolishing feudal system of obligation & taxes. ❑ Clergy were forced to give up their privileges. ❑ Tithes were abolished. ❑ Land owned by Church was confiscated. ❑ As a result, the govt. acquired assets worth 2 billion livres. France becomes a Constitutional Monarchy ( CONSTITUTION of 1791 ) ✓ In 1791, National Assembly drafted the Constitution. ✓ Main objective limit the powers of the monarch. ✓ The powers was separated & assigned to different institutions – the legislature, executive & judiciary. ✓ This made France a constitutional monarchy. ❑ Rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law, were established as ‘natural & inalienable’ rights & could not be taken away. ❑ It was the duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights. ❑ The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. Citizens VOTED Electors CHOSE The Assembly The Political system under the constitution of 1791 ▪ The National Assembly was vested the power to make laws. ▪ Active citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the assembly. ▪ Active citizens comprised of only men above 25 yrs of age who paid taxes ≥ 3 days of labour wage. ▪ The remaining men & all women were called passive citizens. To qualify as an elector and then as a member of the Assembly, a man had to belong to the highest bracket of taxpayers. The Constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 1. 2. 3. France Abolishes Monarchy and Becomes a Republic 4. 5. 1 6. 7. War against Austria & Prussia ➢ Although King Louis XVI had signed the constitution, he entered into secret negotiations with the King of Prussia. ➢ In June 1791, the royal family attempted to escape to the Austrian border, but was caught by revolutionaries & brought back to Paris. ➢ In August 1791, Prussia & Austria demanded the king be unharmed & restored to power, or military force would be used to restore the monarchy. ➢ Before this could happen, on April 20, 1792, the National Assembly declared war against Austria & Prussia. ➢ The poet Roget de L'isle composed patriotic songs , of which ‘Marseillaise’ which was sung by the 1st time by volunteers who marched into Paris ; now became the national anthem of France. Effect of Revolutionary War ➢ The revolutionary wars brought losses & economic difficulties to the people.