The Age of Revolutions

1750-1914

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make

violent revolution inevitable” JFK

The Anatomy of a Revolution:(adopted from Crane Briton)

Incubation: reasons why people want to rebel (short term and long term causes/political, economic, social)

Symptoms: actions people take (protests, etc.) against the society’s problems

Crisis: Events of the actual revolution

Convalescence: After effects/remedies made to address the causes of the revolution

The French Revolution

1789

The Three Estates

French society was divided into three estates:First Estate=ClergySecond Estate=NoblesThird Estate=Middle class (bourgeoisie) and peasants

Population by Estate

1%

2%

97%

First Estate

Second Estate

Third Estate

Land Distribution by Estate

5%

25%

70%

First Estate

Second Estate

Third Estate

The First Estate: CLERGY

• 1% of the population• Owned 5%-10% of the land• Collected a tithe from all church

members (1/10 their income)• Lived luxurious lifestyles• Paid no taxes to the state

The Second Estate: NOBILITY

• 2% of the population• Owned 25% of the land• Had high positions in government,

military, and courts• Collected feudal dues from peasants

on their land• Lived lavish lifestyles• Paid no taxes

The Third Estate: MIDDLE CLASS & PEASANTS

• 97% of the population• Owned 70% of the land• Educated bourgeoisie resented their

lack of status• Peasants made up the majority and

were very poor • Had to pay a tithe to the church, feudal

dues and fines to nobles, and a land tax to the king

• Had no say in government at all

Burden on the Third Estate“Thus,what is the third estate? Everything, but an everything shackled and oppressed. What would it be without the privileged order? Everything, but and everything free and flourishing. Nothing can progress without it; everything would proceed infinitely better without the others…”

-Abbe Sieyes

Additional Problems

• France was in financial crisis because of deficit spending and costly wars

• Crop failures and bread shortages struck and led to higher prices

The Estates General Meets

• The Estates General was called together (first time in 175 years) by King Louis XVI to raise taxes to alleviate debt

• Each estate was given one vote in the Estates General instead of each person

• The Third Estate broke away from the Estates General and formed the National Assembly

The Tennis Court Oath

Members of the Third Estate met at a nearby tennis court and vowed to make a constitution for France

Storming the Bastille

July 14,1789

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution

inevitable” JFK

Analyze the following quote. How does it apply to the causes of the French Revolution?

Phases of the French Revolution

1. Moderate Phase 1789-1791

• Controlled by the National Assembly

• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

• Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

• Constitution of 1791- established a unicameral legislature (the Assembly)

• Civil Constitution of the Clergy

• Declaration of Pilnitz

2. Radical Phase 1792-1794

• Power shifts to radicals in the Assembly (Jacobins)

• Declared France a Republic (sans-culottes)

• Formed the Committee of Public Safety

• Conscription

• Guillotine Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI

• Reign of Terror 1793-1794 led by Robespierre

Phases of the French Revolution

3. Directory Phase (1795-1799)

• 3 man leadership (oligarchy)

• Weak, ineffective, corrupt government

4. Age of Napoleon (1799-1815)

• Military leader, overthrew the directory, declared himself Consul for life

• 1804- crowned himself emperor

• Plebiscite ballot

Rise of Napoleon• Economic Changes under Napoleon

– Built roads and canals– Supported industry– Peasants gained land

• Social Changes under Napoleon– State education system was created– Napoleonic Code- law system: all citizens equal before the law but women lost

rights (not citizens)– Religious toleration (Concordat of 1801)

• Military Expansion under Napoleon– Annexed: Netherlands, Belgium, parts of Germany and Italy– Alliances with: Austria, Prussia, and Russia– Family: Joseph Bonaparte on thrown in Spain

• Defeat– Lost naval battle against British– “General Winter” beat Napoleon in Russia 1812 (scorched earth policy)– Defeated by Allies in 1814 returned to power and final defeat in 1815 at Waterloo– Exiled until death

Napoleon’s Empire at It’s Height, 1812

“It is better to eat than to be eaten”

-Napoleon

Europe After the Congress of Vienna