French Revolution 18th Century

The French Revolution

• The French Revolution marked the end of the monarchy in France and introduced a new system of governance.
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man announced the arrival of a new era, where individuals had rights and could claim equality.
• The ideas of liberty, equality, and freedom emerged as central to a new age, but were reinterpreted and rethought differently in various countries.

French Society during the Late 18th Century

• The French society was divided into three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the third estate (commoners).
• The first two estates enjoyed privileges, including exemption from taxes, while the third estate bore the burden of taxation.
• The third estate included big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants, and artisans.
• Peasants made up 90% of the population, but only a small number owned the land they cultivated.

The Struggle to Survive

• France's population rose from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789, leading to a rapid increase in food demand.
• The production of grains could not keep pace with the demand, leading to a rise in bread prices.
• This led to a gap between the poor and the rich, and a subsistence crisis.

The Growing Middle Class

• The middle class, including merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, and administrative officials, emerged as a new social group.
• They earned their wealth through overseas trade and manufacturing, and had access to education and new ideas.
• They believed that a person's social position should depend on their merit, rather than birth.
• Philosophers such as John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu proposed ideas of a society based on freedom, equal laws, and opportunities for all.

The American Example

• The American Constitution and its guarantee of individual rights was an important example for political thinkers in France.
• The ideas of philosophers and the American Constitution spread through books, newspapers, and discussions in salons and coffee-houses.

The Unrest before the Revolution

• The French government's decision to impose further taxes to meet state expenses generated anger and protest against the system of privileges.

• The difficulties faced by the common people, including lack of access to education and career opportunities, contributed to the growing unrest.### The French Revolution

• The French Revolution was a response to the crisis of the Old Regime, where the monarchy was unable to impose taxes according to its will alone.

• The Estates General was a political body that the monarch had to call to pass proposals for new taxes, but it had not been convened since 1614.

The Convocation of the Estates General

• Louis XVI called the Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes on May 5, 1789, after a severe financial crisis.
• The first and second estates sent 300 representatives each, while the third estate sent 600 representatives.
• The third estate represented the common people, but peasants, artisans, and women were denied entry to the assembly.

The Demands of the Third Estate

• The third estate demanded that voting be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote.
• This was a democratic principle put forward by philosophers like Rousseau in his book The Social Contract.
• When the king rejected this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest.

The National Assembly

• The representatives of the third estate declared themselves a National Assembly and swore not to disperse until they had drafted a constitution for France.
• They were led by Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès, who believed in the need to do away with a society of feudal privilege.

The Tennis Court Oath

• The National Assembly took an oath to continue their work on the constitution, despite the king's opposition.
• The oath was taken in a tennis court, which became a symbol of the Revolution.

The Great Fear

• A severe winter led to a bad harvest, and the price of bread rose, leading to widespread unrest.
• Rumors spread that the lords of the manor had hired bands of brigands to destroy the ripe crops, leading to peasant revolts and looting.
• Nobles fled from their homes, and many migrated to neighboring countries.

The Abolition of the Feudal System

• The National Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system of obligations and taxes on the night of August 4, 1789.
• The church's lands were confiscated, and the government acquired assets worth at least 2 billion livres.

The Constitution of 1791

• The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791, which limited the powers of the monarch.
• The constitution separated the powers of the monarch into different institutions – the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
• This made France a constitutional monarchy.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

• The Constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which established rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, and equality before law.
• These rights were declared as 'natural and inalienable', meaning they belonged to each human being by birth and could not be taken away.

The French Revolution's Legacy

• The French Revolution's ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity influenced the modern world and inspired similar movements in other countries.
• The Revolution marked the end of absolute monarchy and the rise of democratic values in France.### French Revolution

Symbols of the Revolution

• Red Phrygian cap: symbolized liberty and was worn by freed slaves
• Blue, white, and red: the national colors of France
• The winged woman: personification of the law
• Law Tablet: represented the law as equal for all and all were equal before it

The Constitution of 1791 and the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen

• Constitution of 1791 gave political rights to the richer sections of society
• Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen (Fig. 8) represented liberty, equality, and fraternity through symbols

The Revolution and the Abolition of Monarchy

• The National Assembly voted to declare war against Prussia and Austria in April 1792
• Thousands of volunteers joined the army to fight against kings and aristocracies
• The Marseillaise, a patriotic song, was composed by Roget de L’Isle and became the national anthem of France
• The Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of society, leading to widespread discontent

The Jacobins and the Sans-Culottes

• The Jacobins were a group of people from less prosperous sections of society, including small shopkeepers, artisans, and daily-wage workers
• They wore long striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers to distinguish themselves from the fashionable sections of society
• The sans-culottes, meaning 'those without knee breeches', came to be known as the Jacobins

The Reign of Terror

• The period from 1793 to 1794 was known as the Reign of Terror
• Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishment, executing those deemed 'enemies' of the republic
• The guillotine was used to behead those found guilty by the revolutionary tribunal

The Fall of Robespierre and the Directory

• Robespierre's relentless pursuit of his policies led to his own downfall and execution
• The Directory, a new executive made up of five members, was introduced to prevent the concentration of power in a one-man executive
• The political instability of the Directory paved the way for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

The Role of Women in the Revolution

• Women were active participants in the events leading to the French Revolution
• They worked as seamstresses, laundresses, or domestic servants, but had limited access to education and job training
• Women formed their own clubs and demanded better living conditions and equal rights

Key Figures

• Maximilian Robespierre: leader of the Jacobins
• Roget de L’Isle: composer of the Marseillaise
• Camille Desmoulins: revolutionary journalist who wrote about the concept of liberty
• Napoleon Bonaparte: military dictator who rose to power after the fall of the Directory