The Tennis Court Oath

French Revolution

• The French Revolution was a product of a century of intellectual change, a growing rift between rich and poor, and growing dissatisfaction with the absolute monarchy governing France.
• The radical social, political, and constitutional upheaval that was the revolution would engulf Europe.

Estates-General

• The Estates-General was a representative assembly of the three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners) that advised the French monarch.
• King Louis XVI recalled the Estates-General on May 5, 1789, to deal with the economic crisis.

Three Estates in France

• First Estate: The clergy, consisting of 130,000 members, including 138 archbishops and bishops, 37,000 nuns, and 23,000 priests.
• Second Estate: The nobility, consisting of 120,000 to 350,000 members, including the king, princes, dukes, counts, and barons.
• Third Estate: The commoners, consisting of 27 million people, including lawyers, doctors, merchants, soldiers, and peasants.

Privileges of the Estates

• First Estate: Owned law courts, exempt from taxes, and had special privileges.
• Second Estate: Had special treatment in law courts, exempt from certain taxes, and exempt from military service.
• Third Estate: Had no privileges.

Indirect Causes of the French Revolution

• Intellectual: Enlightenment ideas that rejected medieval feudalism and absolute monarchy.
• Economic: Financial crisis, taxation problems, dependence on loans, and costly international wars.
• Social: Growing rift between rich and poor, and growing dissatisfaction with the absolute monarchy.

The Tennis Court Oath

• On June 20, 1789, the deputies of the third estate and other sympathetic members of the other estates swore an oath in the Tennis Court, stating that they would not dissolve until France had a constitution.
• This marked the effective end of the legal authority of the old monarchical order.

The Storming of the Bastille

• On July 14, 1789, a crowd attacked the Bastille, a symbol of the oppressive order of the ancien regime.
• The event represented a cross-section of the new politicized Paris population, and political power was now in the streets of Paris.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

• Written by Emmanuel Sieyes, it was a clear statement of the aims of the French Revolution.
• It was approved on August 26, 1789, and asserted the equality of all men, sovereignty of the people, and inalienable rights of the individual.
• It was influenced by the American Declaration of Independence and Enlightenment ideals.

The Great Fear

• In the summer of 1789, peasants attacked castles, and burned records of feudal dues, rents payable, and taxation.
• On August 4, 1789, the Assembly abolished many feudal rights, making the rural economy more efficient.

Frederick II (Frederick the Great of Prussia)

• Considered an enlightened despot, he firmly established his kingdom as one of the great powers of Europe.
• He supported state industries, taxed merchants and town dwellers, and raised funds to support foreign mercenaries.
• He believed that the army was the key to the strength of the Prussian state.

Joseph II

• He inherited a difficult position and was frustrated by his mother's continuing rulership.
• He was known for his progressive reforms, but his methods were often inflexible and obstructed the implementation of his reforms.
• He granted personal liberty to the serfs, allowed them to move, marry, and choose their own professions, and stipulated that noble and peasant land would be taxed at the same rate.

Catherine II (Catherine the Great)

• She ruled Russia with energy and flair, identifying her own interests with those of the Russian state.
• She annexed territory, handled foreign relations realistically and aggressively, and worked to better systematize the bondage of Russia's agricultural laborers.
• She issued the Charter of the Nobility, ending the obligations of noblemen toward the government and exempting them from direct taxes and corporal punishment.### French Revolution
• Estates-General called by Louis XVI in 1789, leading to the formation of the National Assembly
• Deputies of the third estate swore the Tennis Court Oath, promising to create a constitution and not disperse until it was established
• The Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, symbolized the end of the absolute monarchy and the beginning of the revolution
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted in 1789, asserted the equality of all men, sovereignty of the people, and inalienable rights of individuals

Phases of the Revolution

• Moderate or Liberal Phase (1789-1792): Characterized by the formation of the National Assembly and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• Radical Phase (1792-1795): Marked by the execution of King Louis XVI and the rise of the Committee of Public Safety
• Counter-revolutionary Phase/Directory (1795-1799): Saw the rise of the Directory, a five-member executive council, and the eventual coup by Napoleon Bonaparte
• Age of Napoleon (1799-1815): Characterized by Napoleon's rise to power and his military conquests

Stages of a Revolution (Crane Brinton)

• Impossible demands made of the government
• Unsuccessful government attempts to suppress revolutionaries
• Revolutionaries gain power and seem united
• Quarrels among revolutionaries, leading to the rise of more radical groups
• Extremists try to create a "heaven on earth" and punish opponents
• A period of terror occurs
• Moderates regain power, and the revolution is over

Enlightened Absolutism

• Frederick II of Prussia (1740-1786): Fostered national economic self-reliance, strengthened the army, and implemented social and legal reforms, but refrained from outlawing serfdom
• Joseph II of Austria (1765-1790): Implemented reforms to improve the lives of his subjects, but his methods were often inflexible and disregarded regional traditions
• Catherine II of Russia (1762-1796): Ruled with energy and flair, but used unscrupulous methods and lacked compassion for the poor; annexed territory and expanded the Russian Empire### French Revolution: Liberté, Fraternité, Egalité
• The French Revolution was a product of a century of intellectual change, growing rift between rich and poor, and growing dissatisfaction with the absolute monarchy governing France.
• The revolution was fostered by Enlightenment ideals that rejected the medieval feudalism of the Ancient Regime, where aristocratic privilege denied the rights of the majority of people and wealth was concentrated in the hands of a very small minority.

The Three Estates in France

• The First Estate consisted of about 130,000 clergy, including 138 archbishops and bishops, 37,000 nuns, and 23,000 priests, with privileges such as owning law courts and being exempt from taxes.
• The Second Estate consisted of between 120,000 and 350,000 nobility, including the King and Queen, princes, dukes, counts, and barons, with privileges such as special treatment in law courts, exemption from certain taxes, and exemption from military service.
• The Third Estate consisted of about 27 million people, including lawyers, doctors, merchants, soldiers, and peasants, with no privileges.

Monarchs and the Estates-General

• The last time a French monarch brought together the Estates-General was in 1615.
• The Second and First Estates always voted together, and the monarchs after Louis XIV were incapable of ruling, leading to the misuse of power and the neglect of the country.
• Louis XVI had many financial issues from previous regimes, including the American Revolution, and was not prepared to rule the country.

American Revolution and Intellectual Causes

• The American Revolution was seen by Europeans as a major world event and had a significant influence on the French Revolution.
• The French government had supported the American Revolution financially and militarily, and French soldiers who fought in the conflict brought back a new political outlook.
• The new American Constitution seemed to be a copy of the idea of the social contract, and Europeans noted that the colonists had not just simply overthrown a government but had united to set up the institutions of a new one.

Economic Causes

• The French government had taxation problems, with the richest not being taxed and the taxes being directed to the poor.
• The government had a dependence on loans, and the banking system was not able to cope with the fiscal problems.
• The cost of international wars, including the Seven Years War and the American Revolution, had drained the banks.
• The cost of Versailles and the Royal household was significant, and by the 1780s, half of the government's income was going to pay debts.

Stages of the Revolution

• The stages of the revolution, as described by Crane Brinton, include:
  • Impossible demands made of the government, which if granted, would mean its end.
  • Unsuccessful government attempts to suppress revolutionaries.
  • Revolutionaries gaining power and seeming united.
  • Revolutionaries quarreling among themselves, and unity beginning to dissolve.
  • Moderates gaining leadership but failing to satisfy those who insist on further changes.
  • Extremists trying to create a "heaven on earth" by introducing their whole program and punishing all opponents.
  • A period of terror occurring.
  • Moderate groups regaining power, and the revolution coming to an end.

Phases of the Revolution

• The moderate or liberal phase (1789-1792) included the Tennis Court Oath, the Storming of the Bastille, and the Great Fear.
• The radical phase (1792-1795) included the Reign of Terror.
• The counter-revolutionary phase or Directory (1795-1799) included the fall of the Jacobins and the rise of the Directory.
• The Age of Napoleon (1799-1815) included the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Eve of the Revolution

• Before the Estates-General were recalled on May 5th, 1789, reactionaries were alarmed, and warned Louis that the monarchy was being questioned.
• The revolution had come to mean a wholesale upheaval in society, and from the beginning of the revolutionary process, many in France opposed any basic changes to the government.

Cahiers de Doleances

• The crown began to seek to consult the French people directly, calling for statements of grievances, called Cahiers de Doleances, to be drawn up by various entities.
• These Cahiers were not necessarily radical, some supported the monarchical government, while others were critical about certain aspects of the government.
• This led to the establishment of discussion clubs in major French cities.

Estates-Generals and the Social Revolution

• The meeting of the Estates-Generals at Versailles resulted in a deadlock among the three orders of the National Assembly.
• The first and second estate could together outvote the third estate, despite the third estate representing the majority of the French population.
• To protest this, deputies of the third estate met and protested, leading to the Tennis Court Oath.
• The king was royally displeased and considered this action to be intolerable and in defiance of his authority.

October Days and the Royal Family

• On October 5th, the October days began, where Parisian people felt increasingly uneasy about the government's presence at Versailles, fearing the Revolution's fate.
• Women from the central markets marched to Versailles and began to protest against high food prices.
• The royal family was eventually forced to return to Paris, and the power of the mob was increasingly apparent.
• By the end of 1789, the Estates-General had become the National Assembly, and the king was no longer the central authority.