French Revolution Causes

• The French Revolution occurred from 1789-1799
• The Age of Revolution lasted from 1775-1848
• The Enlightenment took place from the mid-1600s to the late 1700s

How the French Society was Unequal

• French society had 3 Estates
• The First Estate consisted of the Roman Catholic Clergy
• The Second Estate consisted of nobles: 2% of the Population & owned 20% of the land
• The Third Estate included Bourgeoisie (wealthy Merchants & skilled workers), City Workers (poorly paid servants), and Peasants (80% of the population who were farmers)
• The Third Estate had little rights & paid half of their Income in taxes
• The Third Estate carried the tax burden.

Political Causes

• There were three estates in France
• Poor public support for the regime contributed to political instability
• Old Regime had 3 Estates:
  • 1st Estate
  • 2nd Estate
  • 3rd Estate

Social Causes

• Poor harvests led to food shortages
• Peasants from the countryside flocked to Paris, demanding bread

Ideological Causes

• Enlightenment Ideas questioned the structure of society
• The American Revolution influenced political thought
• Economic troubles included expanding businesses with high taxes, the 3rd estate had no money, the cost of living increased, and failed weather patterns resulted in no crops
• Bad leadership caused the revolution due to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Estate Breakdown

• 1st Estate - Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church:
  • Owned leased land
  • Gave least amount of money to government
  • Paid no taxes on land
• 2nd Estate - Rich Nobles:
  • Middle Population
  • Owned middle amount of land in France
  • Paid no taxes
• 3rd Estate - 3 groups:
  • Middle Class (Bankers, merchants)
  • Workers (poorest)
  • Peasants (80% of the population)
• High Taxes and low wages were a common experience

King Louis XVI

• He grew up learning little about becoming King
• He got bored with government and enjoyed hunting instead
• He Married Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette

• She interfered with King Louis' government affairs and gave him bad advice
• Being a member of the Austria Royal family made people hate her from the start
• Her elaborate clothes lead to called Madame Deficit
• She lost $1.5 million in playing cards

French Government Leading up to the Revolution

• France's government was called the Estate General
• In 1788 King Louis XVI needed money
• France was bankrupt due to the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and Versailles upkeep
• Louis had to call a meeting of the Estates General to raise taxes
• Each Estate had representatives to advise the King
• King Louis XVI called one after 175 years
  • France had 0$

Voting

• Under the old system, the single vote of the First Estate and the single vote of the Second Estate together could outvote the Third Estate
• The Third Estate had many more members than the other two estates
• Changing to each member having a vote would give the Third Estate much more say in matters
  • Clergy had 291 members
  • Nobility had 270 members
  • Everyone else had 578 members

National Assembly

• The Third Estate was angry that King Louis picked the medieval way of voting (vote by estate)
• Joseph Sieyes - delegates from the third estate pass laws and reforms for French citizens and call themselves National Assembly
• Started with the end of absolute monarchy

Tennis Court Oath

• The 3rd Estate got locked out of the meeting room and broke into indoor tennis court near Palace
• They wanted government with distributed power limited by constitutional government
• Nobles and members of the clergy joined them

Storming of the Bastille

• King Louis surrounded Versailles with the Army in response to a non-aggressive act of citizens gathering weapons
• Citizens searching for gunpowder and guns overtook Paris prison, Bastille
• They took control of the building and killed the prison Commander
• The storming is now considered an act of revolution

March on Versailles

• Women were mad about rising cost of bread and marched on Versailles
• Women turned violent and SOS National Assembly helped
• They demanded KL16 and MA return to Paris
• KL16 and MA would eventually try to escape France for Austria Netherlands but got captured and returned to Paris

Post March on Versailles

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen sounded like the Bill of Rights
  • Men are born and remain free and equal in rights
  • Guaranteed liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression
  • Established Equal Justice
  • Created Freedom of speech
  • Established Freedom of religion

Day 3

• National Assembly took over the church's land
  • They sold land to pay off national debt
  • Church officials and priests had to be elected and paid as state officials
• This bothered the peasants since they thought the church and the state should be separate
  • The peasants no longer supported the actions of the National Assembly

Legislative Assembly

• The National Assembly becomes the Legislative Assembly
• KL16 is now a Limited/Constitutional Monarchy
• Legislative Assembly creates laws and decides on war and could dictate decision-making for KL16
• Emigres (nobles who had fled France) wanted to undo the Revolution and restore the Old Regime
• Sans-Culottes (Paris workers) wanted greater changes to France

War Declared

• Monarchs in other countries panic because they fear what could occur in their empires
• Austria and Prussia bully France into restoring KL16 as a monarch but the Legislative Assembly Declares war
• Royal Family attempted to escape France at night, but they were caught and returned to Paris

Division in the Assembly

• New government, same problems with food and debt
• Legislative assembly splits into 3 ideologies:
• Radicals - Want no monarch, want totally new government
• Moderates - Want to alter government somewhat.
• Conservatives - Don't want change

War in France

• Austria and Prussia are stronger than France and pushed all the way to Paris
• Angry mob in paris broke into the Tuileries palace and imprisoned the royal family
• Supporters of the King were jailed on riot rumors
• A national assembly feels the pressure from radicals and removes the King from power, renaming France a Republic
• The National Assembly grants free elections for all men, giving the Jacobins power

Power Dynamic

• The people of france now have power with france being a republic with free elections for all men

Trial of King Louis XVI

• Jacobins were most involved in new French government and ideas are very radical
• KL16 now power of common man and the Jacobins now try him for treason
  • He was then sentenced to death by guillotine after being convicted
• Maximilien Robespierre slowly gained power, but not everyone liked the Jacobins

Robespierre

• Not everyone disliked the King or was mad at priests
• Religious officials refused to accept Jacobin power as well as Peasants and rival groups
• Robespierre headed the committee of Public Safety to protect France
  • This resulted in changed calendar
  • Sundays were removed from the Calendar due to them being religious
  • This resulted in wiping out every bit of Frances past
• Era became known as the Reign of Terror
• "Republic of Virtue" refers to the attempt to wipe out Frances past
• Robespierre gets sentenced to death in 1794, ending the Reign of Terror
• Another government gets established which eventually becomes new government #3
• Power transfers into new hands

New Republic

• This new republic with this power dynamic is not an ideal situation as they are tired and stressed from their expensive economy (bread and salt)
• Power now resides in upper middle class
• They form 2 house legislature and 5 man directory (moderates) which comes from those new voted in as the General or Army- Napoleon Bonaparte

Legacies of French Revolution

• End of absolutism
• Power of nobles ended
• Peasants became landowners
• Nationalism
• Enlightenment ideals

Napoleon's Rise to Military Power

• Had a Military background and joined the military of new F government
• He protected F gov from Royalist, gained military and protecting power- became hero
• 1796- appointed to lead F army of Austria and Sarainia
• WON a A LOT IN ITALY
• Failed Egypt raid BUT KEPT SECRET

Napoleon becomes Ruler

• Returns to broken down Egypt Government and makes an impact while seizing power( Coup 'et tat- violent takover)
• Governing Consulate- 3 man government
• 1st Council- Napoleon
• Britain, Austria, Russia all want Napoleon out of Rule; resulted in War w the F
• Eventually signed a peace treaty bringing peace between the countries for 10 years

Accomplishments under Napoleon

• Elected through Plebiscite (Popular vote by ballot) Method of tax collection
• Established national bank
• Ended corruption in gov and removed corruption officials
• Lycees- public schools
• Catholic Church- concordat-bring church back but just for religion
• Napoleonic Code- uniform laws
• Took away liberty
• Had Authority over Individual Rights
• restricted free speech/press
• Restored slavery in Caribbean

Foreign territories

• Controlled all of the territories of E AND the Americas (East and Americas)
• Louisiana Purchase led by him

Britain and Napoleonic France

• UK, Russia, Austria, and Sweden allied to face napoleon
• Only major battle lost by Napoleon led battle of Trafalgar
• The Napoleon lost to Britain

Napoleon Demise

• Britain- Napoleon enforced Blockade against Britain (Continental System)
• Countries could not trade with Britain so was hurt Europe
• They relied on GB so had it to it off
• Peninsular War-Wanted Portugal into on the Continental System
• Sent troop into Portugal..through Spain Guerillia Warfare- worried about Catholic Church being attached(Spain) Lost 30k men
• Russia- was in control of selling grain, to Britain Scorched Earth Policy- Russia burned everything and didn't leave anything for the F 420k troops
• Battle of Borodino- Russia retreated
• Moscow-burned while city

Napoleon's Final Downfall

• Louis XVIII was hated but Napoleon heard and escaped Elba
• Took is role as the emperor of F again
• Battle of Waterloo- France was invaded by GB/Britain and Squashed
• Called Napoleons’ lasted 100 days
• Set to St helina where he died

Congress of Vienna

• 1814-1815 ‘Five Great Powers”
• Russia, Prussia, Austria, GB and France
• Balance of power (no country becomes a threat
• Restore and ensure Royal Families have power

Explore the causes of the French Revolution, including the Estates-General voting system, Enlightenment influence, and economic policies of the monarchy. This also covers the role of the American Revolution and Marie Antoinette's unpopularity. Understand the key events that exacerbated the conditions leading to revolution.