The French Revolution a summary
(1789-1799) Reasons for the French Revolution
Setting the Stage Background Causes
A. The financial crisis King Louis XVI needs cash • 1788 France was in massive debt – The 7 Year War against the British • (French & Indian War) – Supporting America in the American Revolution – Lifestyle of the Bourbon family • Upkeep on Palace of Versailles
B. Louis XVI was a weak ruler
• Little influence over nobility – Nobility did not want to increase taxes – Would not raise taxes unless Estates General met – It had not met since 1614. • Little influence with public • Often unable to address pressing issues
King’s Louis XVI’s Abuse of Power
• He could arrest anyone on any charge • He spent large amounts of money on himself • He held secret trials (he was judge and jury all in one)
Enlightenment Ideas
• Stirred interest in reforming the monarchy and ending privileges of the clergy and nobles • American Revolution inspired French Revolution
Inequality Among Social Classes
• Privileged Classes - 3% of the population
• They got the most important government jobs, paid no taxes, and lived in luxury.
C. The Three Estates
• The First Estate: Catholic Church/Clergy • Made up only 1% of the population – Controlled about 10% of the land. – Paid a 2% gift to the monarch
C. The Three Estates
• The Second Estate: The Nobility – Less than 2% of the population. – Owned 25% of the land – Could tax peasants at will. – Resented authority of crown
C. The Three Estates
• The Third Estate: everyone else • Unprivileged Class (The bourgeoisie) - 97% population • Third Estate: Doctors, lawyers, merchants, farmers • Paid the taxes, most were poor, no say in the government
Unfair Tax System
• Costly wars increased taxes • Taxes were applied to the Third Estate • The First and Second Estate were exempt from taxes • Towns started taxing each others’ goods which hurt trade
Struggle For Power:
• Nobles refused to pay taxes unless King summoned Estates General, with all 3 classes represented
Louis Calls the Estates-General
• Estates General – Similar to Parliament – Representatives from each of the 3 classes of French society
1st Estate - Clergy
2nd Estate - Nobles
3rd Estate – Everyone else - bourgeoisie - artists, farmers, Peasants, city workers etc
Estate Representativ Votes in the Percentage of or Social es in the Estates the population Class Estates General General
1st 200 1 1%
2nd 200 1 2%
3rd 600 1 97% Meeting of the Estates General
Demand for Change • All Estates agreed change was needed –Political reform –Address corruption • But bitter division over how to vote. • King Louis XVI requests estates to meet separately
1. The nobles wanted to use the Estates General to control the king. • However, the Third Estate, or bourgeoisie, opposed them because of unfair voting methods. The First and Second Estates supported by heavy taxes imposed on the Third Estate
• . What conclusion about France’s three estates can be drawn from the situation depicted in this cartoon? King Louis XVI’s Response
• NADA!!! No!!, No Way!!! Aint gonna happen!!!, Forgetaboutit!!! Nope!!! Uh- uh!!! Not on my watch!!! Not here, not now, not ever!!!
• Get the idea??
3rd Estate Response
• May 1788 -Representatives meet on an indoor tennis court and pledged that they would not leave until the king agrees to their demands – “The Tennis Court Oath” • Like a big “sit in”
• Embarrassing situation for the king – Why? • King finally agrees • Establishment of The National Assembly
The National Assembly
• Vowed to write a constitution • Members of other estates joined • King gave in to National Assembly • The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens.
so what does that mean?
And the result? Peasants were freed from their feudal contracts and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which established a proper judicial code and the autonomy of the French people, was released. Leading up to Bastille Day
• July 1788 French farmers, peasants do not have enough to eat and are paying high taxes – Nobles out of touch (“Let them eat cake”) – People can not afford food
• Peasants getting a bit rowdy • Louis XVI starts assembling troops at Versailles • People fear he is planning to attack the new National Assembly and arrest members
Fall of the Bastille: July 14, 1789
“The Third Estate Awakens”
Bastille Day – July 14, 1789
• While National Assembly meets, Paris has riots. – Poor wheat crop cause price increases. – Riots over rising prices of bread. • Louis XVI called for his Swiss guards to come to Paris – To Protect the crown – The crowds feared this move. – The National Assembly feared the Guards were coming after them. • Peasants attack Bastille to seize weapons for defense
Fall of the Bastille Bastille Day
• People in Paris hear about the troops – Begin to riot. – July 14, 1788 - Attack the Bastille – fortress prison in Paris. • Seen as a symbol of Kings power • People storm the prison, free the prisoners, take guns and ammo.
The Bastille
Then
Now • National Assembly votes to eliminate all classes, titles, nobility. – Say nobles and clergy must pay taxes too • Serves as a basis for French Constitution
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
a bill of rights modeled on English and American examples, which guaranteed that "men are born and remain free and equal in rights." It also guaranteed that "property being an inviolable and sacred right, no one may be deprived of it except for an obvious requirement of public necessity, certified by law . . . ."
http://faculty.fullerton.edu/nfitch/history110b/rev.html Reformed the legal system: Elected judges, trial by jury, ended brutal punishment.
Wrote a constitution (1791): Reformed the government by establishing a limited monarchy.
Abolished the special treatment of nobles and clergy. French Revolution Slogan:
• “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
Revolution gets out of hand
• Riots soon spread to countryside – Peasants attack nobles in their houses. Kill many nobles – Nobles and Clergy living in fear • “A Tale of Two Cities” is set in this time period
The Great Fear: Summer 1789
• Peasant mobs rise against nobility. – Attacked manors – Destroyed legal documents – Seized land – Stopped paying taxes • National Assembly forces Louis XVI to end Feudalism
The March on Versailles: 10/5/1789 • Rising bread prices anger woman of Paris. – They march on the assembly. – They march to Versailles. • The woman and mobs attack Versailles. • Force King to agree to return to Paris.
Revolution Getting out of Control
• King Louis XVI attempts to flee the country with his wife Marie Antoinette • Captured and brought back