King = Absolute Monarch

Social Structure = 3 rigid classes, called Estates

1st Estate – Clergy Catholic Church Untaxed Very wealthy

Tithe Land

2nd Estate – Nobility

Great wealth and Privileges

Exempt from most taxes

Profitable positions in

Army

Government

Church

The Third EstateThe Third Estate Underprivileged Citizens

Paid taxes in money, produce and labor

Bourgeoisie (Middle Class) Wealthiest, most educated

and most outspoken Lawyers, bankers, merchants

and businessmen Peasants (Largest Group)

Heavy taxes Corvee – forced labor

The triangle represents number of people in each class.

The Third EstateThe Third EstatePolitical Cartoon

These 18thc. Political cartoons show a peasant bearing on his and her back a clergyman and a noble. The policies cartoonist is making a bitter comment of the fact that peasants must pay taxes and other dues to support the church, the nobles, and the government, while the clergy and nobles were exempt from most taxes.

Huge Debts had accrued from Previous Rulers:Louis XIV – died in 1715 France was largest, richest most powerful country in Europe

Endless wars brought France to the brink of Bankruptcy

Louis XV – Incapable of dealing with the financial crises

Louis XVI

Appointed 2 able finance ministers: Turgot and Necker

They proposed taxing the nobles – Louis dismissed them

1788 France was in bankruptcy

Louis called into session the Estates-General (Which had not met since 1614) – He was admitting that the king alone could not solve France’s financial problems.

The Third Estate – angry at the Voting policies of the Estates General

Demanded the Creation of the National Assembly – Each delegate = 1 voteJune 20, 1789 3rd Estate assembled at an indoor tennis court and stayed until France had a Constitution

July 14, 1789 – This event symbolized the French RevolutionThe Bastille was a prison for debtors and a symbol of the oppression of the Third Estate.Spurred by rumors– a Paris mob surrounded the Bastille.Governor of Prison and mayor of Paris were killed and their heads were mounted on pikes and paraded through the city.

October 5, 1789Women from neighborhoods around the Bastille, gathered10,000 people (mostly women) walked to Versailles Goal: to convince King to provide them with breadLouis greeted the women and promised them bread

Just before midnight, Louis accepted a prior proposal by the nobles and clergy to the National Assembly

End tax exemptions of the privileged classes

End payment of feudal dues by the peasants

End the tithe

End all class distinctions

King and his family would be confined to Paris from this point on.

What Enlightenedideas to you see?Which thinkers didthey come from?

Constitution of 1791 Limited Monarchy

1. Could not propose laws

2. Only had temporary veto to block legislation

What do you see inhis face? Why?

Separation of Powers1.Legislative2.Executive 3.Judicial

The Legislative Assembly

1.Passed nation’s laws2.Members had to be

property owners and elected by taxpaying citizens

Which PhilosophePromoted

This?

Due to fear of the spread of the Revolution the Declaration of Pillnitz was passed Prussia and Austria

threatened to use force to protect French Royal Family

1792 The 2 powers invaded France

August 10 – Paris mob attacked the Tuileries Palace and Legislative Assembly Took King Captive Forced the

Legislative Assembly to suspend the monarchy and draft a constitution to create a French republic

Universal Manhood suffrage

This is howThe British viewed the

Incident.

September 21, 1792 National Assembly declared France a Republic

Louis XVI was put on trial for Treason – convicted

January 21, 1793 Louis XVI was executed

Louis’ execution is considered the beginning of the Radical Phase of the Revolution – the Sans Culottes

took over the Revolution.

Leaders of Committee

1. George Danton(Bottom left)

2. Jean Paul Marat (top left)

3. Maximilien Robespierre (top right)

Goal: to protect Republic from foreign enemies

Instituted compulsory military service creating the largest army ever seen in Europe

Pushed invading forces (Austria and Prussia) back across the Rhine

Summer of 1794 – Reign of Terror was no longer necessary but Robespierre “drunk with power” continued to rid France of “dangerous opponents”

July 18, 1794 Robespierre was executed by guillotine - End of Reign of Terror

The Reign of The Reign of TerrorTerror• To protect the Republic

against domestic enemies

• Committee arrested people they suspected of treason

• 20,000 – 40,000 were put to death by guillotine

• Marie Antoinette, was one victim

• Nobles and clergy went to guillotine

• Most victims however were commoners

The DirectoryThe Directory After Robespierre – power passed to

wealthy middle class National Convention created a new

Constitution – The Constitution of 1795 Five Directors – The Directory – acted as

the executive authority Incompetent and corrupt the new

government could not solve the countries problems.

1794 The popular General Napoleon Bonaparte seized power.