1
The French
Revolution
1789-1815
2
3
French Social Structure:
First Estate = Clergy
Second Estate = Aristocracy
Third Estate = Bourgeoisie,
Urban Workers,
Peasants
4
Bourgeoisie = middle
class with money who
want political power.
Ex. =
Doctors, lawyers, larger
scale merchants, etc.
5
Nobility
6
Social Preconditions to Revolution:
1. 1st and 2nd Estates had privileges,
especially exemption from the land tax
(taille)
2. Bottom heavy tax structure = peasants still
required to pay feudal dues, perform
feudal services, and pay church tithe
Examples:
A. corveé = road work obligation of peasants
B. gabelle = salt tax controlled by nobles as monopoly
C. taille = tax on land and income paid only by 3rd
7
Political Preconditions to Revolution:
1. Weak Kings – refused to stand up to the
aristocracy and clergy to force them to pay the
land tax. Failed to use the Estates General.
Masses of people had NO political voice!
Bourgeoisie had wealth, but wanted political
power as well.
A. Rene Maupeou (Chancellor for King Louis 15, 1770-
1774) dissolved the Parlement of Paris in 1771 and
greatly weakened the power of the aristocracy. Also
dissolved other Parlements and exiled magistrates. 1774
when Louis 16 became king (19 yrs. old) he restored the
Parlements to get popular support for the monarchy!
Was major mistake!!
B. At least 5 other finance ministers advised King Louis
16 to change the tax structure!
8
Historical
cartoon
illustrating the
Ancién Regime
or Old Regime
9
Rene Maupeou,
Chancellor to
King Louis 15 - -
drastically
weakened
aristocratic
power. King
Louis 16
reinstated it!!
10
Economic Preconditions to War:
France was bankrupt by 1789. Her debts were
due to:
1. Wars
A. Louis 14’s wars of expansion
B. Seven Years War (fighting Brits & Iroquois)
C. American Revolutionary War
2. Cost of building the Palace of Versailles (Louis 14)
3. 1787-89 droughts = bad harvests, food shortages,
high prices
4. 40% of land owned by peasants who could not afford
to buy new equipment and technology
11Aerial View of the Palace of Versailles and Grounds
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The Hall of
Mirrors,
Versailles
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14
King Louis 16
of France
(1774-1793)
15
16
Queen
Marie
Antoinette
and
children (sister of Kings
Joseph II and
Leopold II of
Austria)
17
The Aristocratic Revolt
Louis 16 tried to pass the land tax through
the Parlement of Paris.
Parlement of Paris claimed that ONLY the
Estates General could create new taxes.
(last mtg of Est. Gen. was in 1614!)
In 1788 King Louis 16 ordered delegate
selection for the Estates General which
would meet 5 May 1789. He also ordered
the creation of cahiers de doleance (lists of
grievances).
18
The Aristocracy planned to vote the land tax
down because:
Traditionally, the Estates General met in
separate buildings (for each of the three
estates) and had one vote per estate. Although
each estate had 300 delegates, it was a
majority wins vote to decide the 1 estate vote.
Example:
1st Estate votes 50 votes FOR the land tax and 250 votes
AGAINST, so the majority rules and the 1 vote for the First
Estate is AGAINST the land tax on all estates.
19
Since neither the 1st or 2nd estate
currently paid the land tax, the
aristocracy assumed that the vote to
place the land tax on all estates would go
like this - -
1st Estate = No 1 vote
2nd Estate = No 1 vote
3rd Estate = Yes 1 vote
Result = 2 to 1 No Land Tax on All Estates
20
The 3rd Estate hoped for a chance to
pass the land tax:
In 1788, the 3rd Estate convinced Louis 16 to
give them 600 delegates (instead of the usual
300) since they represented 98% of the
population. This was referred to as “doubling
the third.”
However, this would NOT make a difference if
the estates still had 1 vote each.
At this time, a very influential pamphlet called,
“What is the Third Estate?” was written by
Abbe Sieyes. It argued for the estates to vote
by head.
21
“What is the
Third
Estate?”
Abbé Sieyes
22
Meeting of Estates General, 5 May 1789
23
At Versailles, King Louis 16 ordered
each estate to meet in a separate
building, just as they always had.
This caused the estates to ASSUME
that they would also vote BY
ESTATE, as they always had! Yet,
King Louis 16 DID NOT specify how
the Estates would vote!!
24
17 June 1789, the 3rd Estate
declared itself the NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY and claimed it would
begin to write a new Constitution!!
It then sent an invitation to the
other Estates to join it in the
National Assembly! (first radical act
of the revolution) 19 June 1789
most of the clergy joined the
National Assembly.
25
The next morning, Louis 16 ordered
the doors to the 3rd Estate’s meeting
hall locked so they COULD NOT
MEET!! 20 June 1789 the 3rd Estate,
some clergy supporters, and a few
nobles went to a nearby indoor
tennis court where they proclaimed
what became known as the
“TENNIS COURT OATH!” This oath
said they would not disband until a
new constitution was written!
26
The Tennis Court Oath, 20 June 1789
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The Tennis Court Oath
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French Government #1
= the National
Constitutent Assembly
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30
The Bastille (Medieval Fortress
used as prison)
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14 July 1789 “Storming of the Bastille!”
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The Eiffel Tower
was built in 1889
to celebrate the
100th anniversary
of Bastille Day!
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Liberté,
Egalité,
Fraternité!
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“The
Great
Fear!”
July –
August
1789
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The
Great
Fear
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National Assembly creating the lasting
reforms of the French Revolution
(4 August 1789)
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National Assembly Actions, 1789 – 1791 (*
lasting reforms of the revolution):
1. Ended feudal dues and serfdom
2. ** Declaration of the Rights of Man (French Bill of
Rights)
3. Constitutional Monarchy form of gov’t – legislature
had more power than the king
4. ** Voting rights given only to men that paid a set
amount of taxes or above (meant only 2/3 of
male population could vote – had own land)
5. Revised local government (created 83 departments,
roughly equal in size) and gov’t officials
ELECTED by voters of each department – not
appointed by king as before!
38
National Assembly Actions, 1789 – 1791 (*
lasting reforms of the revolution):
6. Seized the lands of the church and of the Emigrés
and sold them to pay state debts. Much of this
land was bought by the bourgeoisie, who then
owned enough land to get VOTING RIGHTS!!
7. ** Civil Constitution of the Clergy (**considered the
biggest mistake of the revolution since it turned
the church and most of the peasants against the
revolution)
39
The Declaration
of the Rights of
Man (French Bill
of Rights)
40
French
departments
before 1789
revisions
41
Newly
revised
departments
of France
42
Hammering
Out a New
Constitution
43
Events During the Meeting of the Nat’l
Assembly (1789-1791):
1. Women’s March on Versailles
2. 1791 Flight to Varennes
3. New government (#2) called the
Legislative Assembly is created
4. Late 1791, both aristocrats & radicals
want war with Austria-Prussia
44Women’s March on Versailles
45
Hotel de Ville (rebuilt after 1871 fire
destroyed the original)
46
1791 Flight to Varennes (Louis 16 & family try
to escape, incognito, and are caught!)
47
Marie Antoinette’s Connections = Brothers King Joseph II
(left) and King Leopold II, 1790-1792 (right) of Austria
48
THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(gov’t # 2) was more radical than
the National Constitutent
Assembly because none of the
delegates to the National Const.
Assembly could be elected
again.
49
The Counterrevolution 1792 – 1794
1. 1792 – Legislative Assembly declared war
on Austria-Prussia!
2. July 1792 – The Brunswick Manifesto
3. August 1792 – Paris City Council replaced
by the Paris Commune (sans culottes)
4. August 1792 Parisian Sans Culottes Attack
the Palace of the Tuileries
5. September 1792 – The September
Massacres
50France in 1789
51
52
Duke of
Brunswick
(Brunswick
Manifesto)
53Sans culottes
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Sans culotte
apparel
55Storming the Palace of the Tuileries
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Sans
culotte
urban
fighters
57
The Radical Phase of the Revolution 1793-94
1. 20 Sept. 1792. Government #3, THE NATIONAL
CONVENTION, was elected by ** universal
manhood suffrage. **22 Sept. 1792 the National
Convention officially created a REPUBLIC!!!!
Jacques Louis David became the official artist of
the French Revolution. He was one of the
Conventionels.
Nat’l Convent. Consisted of 780 members = 20
nobles, 40 clergy, and 720 bourgeoisie!
Parisian militants (sans culottes & Paris
Commune) drove The Convention in its first year.
Sans culottes read inflammatory journals such
as:
58
Jacques Louis
David, self
portrait
(the artist of the
French
Revolution)
59
Jean Paul
Marat’s - -
“Ĺ Ami du
Peuple” {The
Friend of the
People}
60
The Death of
Jean Paul
Marat
(stabbed by peasant
woman, Charlotte
Corday)
Big owee!!!
61
Jacques
René
Hébert’s - -
“Le Pere
Duchesne”
{Father
Duchesne}
Énrages
62
“La Pere
Duchesne” (meaning Father
Duchesne, imaginary
character representing
the man of the people) -
- Revolutionary
Newspaper of
Jacques René
Hébert
63
Radical Phase of the Revolution (contin.)
Problems for the National Convention:
A. Nat’l Convention became divided between 2 factions
of the Jacobin Club - - the Girondist were the
conservatives who thought the revolution was now
going too far. They were happy with the reforms of
1791. Their leader was Georg Jacques Danton AND the
Montagnards who were the radicals or leftists. They
saw the creation of the Republic as the beginning of
the revolution. The Montagnards wanted further
economic reforms by the gov’t, such as rationing and
the establishment of maximum prices and minimum
wages. Saw gov’t as protector of the poor. Wanted
universal manhood suffrage and direct democracy.
The Montagnard leader was Maximilien Robespierre.
64
Georges
Jacques
Danton, leader
of the Girondist
65
Maximilien
Robespierre,
leader of
Montagnards
Leader of the
Committee of
Public Safety
66
Problems for the National Convention:
B. What should be done with King Louis 16 & the
royal family?
C. What should be done with foreign countries
occupied by French troops? Belgium??
“Guerre aux Chateau, Paix aux Chaumiere” {war
on the palaces & manor houses, peace for the
huts of the poor}
2. January 1793 – National Convention put Louis 16 on
trial.
3. First Coalition of 1793 – consisted of Britain,
Netherlands, Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Naples,
and Spain!!
4. Early 1793, inflation spirals out of control?
(assignats)
67France in 1789
Belgium
Prussian Troops on the
march!
Austrian troops on the
march!
68
Members of the First
Coalition of 1793
69
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Problems for the National Convention (contin.):
5. Civil War developed between rival factions - -
Nobles & peasants (Girondist) vs. bourgeioisie &
urban workers (Montagnards)
*** Something had to be done to STOP THE CIVIL
WAR so France could unify to fight the oncoming
foreign armies!! (all revolutionary gains at stake!)
6. 1793 the Committee of Public Safety was created
(1793-1794) - - was an emergency gov’t
consisting of 12 members from Nat’l Convention.
Key leader was Maximilien Robespiere. Key goal
of Com. Of Publ Safety was to end the civil war to
save the revolution.
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The Committee of Public Safety
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How Did the Committee of Public Safety Work?
The National Com. Of Publ. Safety set up LOCAL
committees of public safety in towns across France.
The basic idea is that all people became spies on one
another. REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUNALS were created
to try and execute counterrevolutionaries (those who
DID NOT support the Fr. Revol.). Anyone who said
something against the revolution or did something to
show he was against the revolution was DENOUNCED
as a traitor before the revolutionary tribunal. The
judges of the tribunal almost always found the
denounced person guilty and sentenced him to
execution by the guillotine!!!
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74
Execution of King
Louis 16!! “Off
with his head!”
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King Louis 16
76
Aw, aw!! Off
wiz Madame
Shreeve’s ed!!
77
Place de la Concorde (tower = where many of the executions
took place! Called Place de la Revolution at the time)
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The Reign of Terror (June 1793 – June 1794)
1. May 1793 first MAXIMUM ON BREAD established!
Radicals still not satisfied. Girondist leaders
expelled from National Convention & executed!
2. August 1793 *** LEVEE EN MASSE issued by Lazare
Carnot.
This drafted all men into a CITIZEN’S ARMY and
organized the economy to support the war.
Created army of 800,000 by 1794! Largest army
ever raised by European power!
3. October 1793 Queen Marie Antoinette executed!
4. Oct. 1793 New Calendar created.
Created by Hébert and the ** Enrages to De-
Christianize France. Goes back to 22 Sept. 1792,
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Lazare Carnot
– issued a
levee en masse
or draft, which
created a
citizen army of
800,000!!
80
Marie
Antoinette
OFF WIZ
ZEE ED,
Madame!!
Aw,Aw!!
81
the day France was made a REPUBLIC. Goal
was to eliminate Christian presence in the
calendar by eliminating: Sundays, Saint’s Days,
& religious holidays. 300 day calendar made up
of 10 day **decades instead of weeks. Each
tenth day was a “Day of Decade” to be taken off
work. They were each named after impt. events
in the revol.
Nat’l Convention sent deputies into France to
enforce De-Christianization by closing churches,
persecuting clergy, & sometimes forcing clergy
to marry.
Nov. 1793 expanded De-Christianization to CULT
OF REASON / REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE - -
Cathedral of Notre Dame became Temple of
Reason.
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Ceremonies celebrating “reason” were held.
People tried to be humble (Jean Jacques
Rousseau) and dressed in Sans Culotte or
Roman style.
June 1794, Robespiere changed CULT OF
REASON to CULT OF THE SUPREME BEING
since he was afraid the cult of reason would turn
the French masses and foreigners against the
Revolution. Cult of Supr. Being recognized
existence of god and immortality of soul.
Change was TOO LATE!!!
5. Reign of Terror executions estimated at 20,000-
40,000!!! Most were common people.
6. Committee of Public Safety was successful by
spring of 1794! Fr. was winning the Counterrevol. War
& people asked why there was need for more executions.
83
New Republican Calendar
84
New
Republican
Calendar with
Days of
Decade
85
Cult of
Reason /
Republic of
Virtue
86
“Liberty Leading the People” Delacroix
1830
87
Robespierre REFUSED to stop the executions!
7. Thermidorian Reaction {July 1794 – 1795}
Nat’l Convention ordered Robespierre executed in July &
this ended the Reign of Terror! Also removed economic
controls and economy became worse than ever!!
88
Post-Revolutionary Period, 1795 – 1799
Oct. 1795 Nat’l Convention was dissolved and new gov’t called
THE DIRECTORY was created. It was required that at least 2/3 of
the new members of the Legislative Assembly be former members
of the National Convention (to preserve the gains of the
Revolution).
The Directory 1795 – 1799 {Gov’t # 4}
In 1795, a new Moderate Constitution created the
Directory which included:
A. Elected legislature - - vote given to those who could read & who
owned a quota of property.
B. Executive - - consisted of 5 directors
The Directory became ineffective due to corrupt legislators &
inefficient directors. Almost all French HATED IT!!!!
89
Napoleon
Bonaparte as
Consul
90
91
Done!! Bye, Bye!!