FRENCH REVOLUTION. The Old Regime (Ancien Régime) THE THREE ESTATES

Transcription

1 FRENCH REVOLUTION TASK 1: What can yu remember abut France under Luis XIV? What did all the Eurpean mnarchs try t cpy frm France and its regime? What wars f the 18th century was France invlved in and what were the results and effects n France? What rle did France play in the Enlightenment? The Old Regime (Ancien Régime) France, cmprising ne fifth f the Eurpean ppulatin, was ne f the leading Eurpean pwers but at the same time due t many reasns a very trubled mnarchy n the verge f bankruptcy. Sme f the reasns f incredible state debt were: incredible expense f the ryal curt, series f unsuccessful wars, lss f clnies, bad harvests, backward ecnmy restricted by the dctrine f Mercantilism. As a result mst f the French ppulatin was dissatisfied and getting rebellius. Pr peasant families spent abut 80% f their incme n bread, the unemplyment rate in twns was nearing 50%, prices rse by 62% but wages nly by 22%. One f the mst criticized features f the French abslutism was the medieval system f the Three Estates. THE THREE ESTATES The First Estate Clergy abut ut f 26 millin inhabitants f France exempt frm paying any taxes, traditinal privileges, mnply n The Secnd Estate Nbility gvernmental ffices and high army ranks, cllecting manrial dues and tithes frm their subjects The Nbility was divided int tw grups: Nbles f the Swrd - ld aristcratic families Nbles f the Rbe newly arisen nbles named by the king fr their services The Third Estate the twns but as a matter f fact all the thers ranging frm prsperus businessmen, wealthy bankers and lawyers t pr unemplyed beggars and bankrupt farmers paying all the taxes, manrial dues, tithes and extra taxes intrduced t deal with the desperate financial situatin (eg. Gabelle tax n salt, Crvee frced labur) TASK 2: Interpret the meaning f the 18th century French cartn. What is it pinting at? TASK 3: What features f the Old Regime was the Third Estate criticizing mst? What wuld be the main demands f the Third Estate? One clue that might help yu is that between 1700 and 1789 the kings named abut 50,000 Nbles f the Rbe. Luis XVI ( ) was aware f the impssible financial situatin and attempted t refrm it with the help f his advisrs and ministers (Turgt, Necker, Calnne, Brienne). Hwever, their attempts were blcked by parlements (traditinal curts f justice f the nbles refusing vilatin f their rights) In this situatin the nly hpe fr change was calling f the Estates General (traditinal medieval assembly f the nbles which last met in 1614) the nly bdy that culd change the tax system -1-

2 Estates General TASK 4: Read the fllwing extract, identify and underline the main wrries f the authr cncerning the meeting f the Estates General. Dined tday with a party, whse cnversatin was entirely plitical. One pinin pervaded the whle cmpany, that they are n the eve f sme great revlutin in the gvernment; that everything pints t it; the cnfusin in the finances great; with a deficit impssible t prvide withut the Estates General f the kingdm, yet n ideas frmed f what wuld be the cnsequence f their meeting; n minister existing, r t be lked t in r ut f pwer, with such decisive talents a prince n the thrne, with excellent dispsitins, but withut the resurces f mind that culd gvern in such a mment withut ministers a great ferment amngst all ranks f men, wh are eager fr sme change, withut knwing what t lk fr, r t hpe fr; a strng leaven f liberty, increasing every hur since the American Revlutin ; altgether frm a cmbinatin f circumstances that prmise e er lng t ferment int mtin, if sme master hand, f very superir talents, and inflexible curage, is nt fund, at the helm t guide events, instead f being driven by them. It is very remarkable that such cnversatin never ccurs, but a bankruptcy is a tpic. Arthur Yung, Paris, Octber 17, 1787 The Estates General met n May 5, There were 610 members f the Third Estate, represented mainly by lawyers and 610 representatives f the First and Secnd Estate sme f them refrm minded and very clse r pssibly even mre radical than the representatives f the Third Estate. Abbé Sieyès ne f the refrm minded clergymen wrte a pamflet What is the Third Estate at the beginning f the year 1789 that begins: The plan f this bk is fairly simple. We must ask urselves three questins. 1. What is the Third Estate? Everything. 2. What has it been until nw in the plitical rder? Nthing. 3. What des it want t be? Smething... and ends: The Third Estate embraces then all that which belngs t the natin; and all that which is nt the Third Estate, cannt be regarded as being f the natin. What is the Third Estate? - It is everything. The Estates almst immediately started t quarrel abut the vting prcedure. The First and Secnd Estate advcated the traditinal system f the Estates vting separately each having ne vte in the end; the Third Estate demanded vting by head each delegate having ne vte. TASK 5: What wuld be the mst likely utcme f vting under the traditinal vting? Vting by head? June 17, 1789 The Third Estate declares itself Natinal Assembly the nly true parliament representing French peple June 20, 1789 The Tennis Curt Oath f the Natinal Assembly nt t disband until a cnstitutin will be drawn fr France. TASK 6: Can yu see nly representatives f the Third Estate in the picture? -2-

3 Freedm, Equality, Brtherhd (Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite) TASK 7: What d yu think was the reactin f the king t this first revlutinary step? Wh d yu think belnged amng the main supprters f the Third Estate? The Sans Culttes (middle class twnspeple nt wearing the breeches (shrts and stckings) typical fr nbility) were afraid f a pssible cunter-revlutin f the cnservatives r vilent mb actins and decided t frm a militia t prtect their interests The Natinal Guard The need f arms led them t the place where the arms were stred - the Bastille a frtress, a frmer prisn but mainly the symbl f abslutism; currently there were nly 7 prisners five criminals and tw lunatics July 14, 1789 Strming f the Bastille the first f the Ppular Revlts In Paris a revlutinary municipal gvernment was established and the same happened thrughut France. July/August 1789 the Great Fear in the rural areas peasants were afraid f pssible cunter-revlutin and s attacked the palaces f the nbility in rder t destry (in many cases burn with the entire palaces and its lrds) the recrds f their bligatins t the nbility. August Decrees 1789 T calm dwn the situatin the Natinal Assembly passed tw imprtant decrees: Aug 4, 1789 the Nbility surrendered their privileges (tax exemptins, hunting rights, mnply n ffices, frced labur ) Aug 26, 1789 Declaratin f the Rights f Man and f the Citizen (civil rights and liberties, liberty f persn, thught, press, equality, freedm f speech ) The tw decrees virtually ended the Old Regime and the medieval divisin f sciety int Estates. Nw everyne was equal a citizen f France Luis XVI pstpned signing these tw dcuments and prvked the third ppular revlt: The Octber Days (Oct 5/6, 1789) started as a march f wmen n Versailles demanding bread, but ended as a revlt bringing the baker King- t his palace in Tuilleries in Paris and making him sign the August decrees. -3-

4 TASK 8: Read the fllwing extract frm the Declaratin f the Rights f Man and f the Citizen. Can yu identify any link t the Declaratin f Independence? In cnsequence, the Natinal Assembly recgnizes and declares, in the presence and under the auspices f the Supreme Being, the fllwing rights f man and f the citizen: Article I - Men are brn and remain free and equal in rights. Scial distinctins can be funded nly n the cmmn utility. Article II - The gal f any plitical assciatin is the cnservatin f the natural and imprescriptible [i.e., invilable] rights f man. These rights are liberty, prperty, safety and resistance against ppressin. Article III - The principle f any svereignty resides essentially in the Natin. N bdy, n individual can exert authrity which des nt emanate expressly frm it. Article IV - Liberty cnsists f ding anything which des nt harm thers: thus, the exercise f the natural rights f each man has nly thse brders which assure ther members f the sciety the enjyment f these same rights. These brders can be determined nly by the law. Article VI - The law is the expressin f the general will. All the citizens have the right f cntributing persnally r thrugh their representatives t its frmatin. It must be the same fr all, either that it prtects, r that it punishes. All the citizens, being equal in its eyes, are equally admissible t all public dignities, places and emplyments, accrding t their capacity and withut distinctin ther than that f their virtues and f their talents. Refrms f the Natinal Assembly The leaders f the Natinal Assembly were mderate pliticians whse aim was t turn France int a cnstitutinal mnarchy, where the access t the parliament and gvernment wuld be guaranteed fr the wealthier citizens. Main leaders: Abbe Sieyes authr f the pamphlet What is the Third Estate? and the name Natinal Assembly Cunt Mirabeau the best speaker advcating the cnstitutinal mnarchy General Lafayette leader f the Natinal Guard and the main authr f the Declaratin f the Rights Cnstitutin (Sep 14, 1791) cnstitutinal mnarchy, all citizens equal but limited franchise (50% f men culd vte), n direct electins, vting nly electrs wh nminate the members f parliament pwer fr the rich secured Administratin - 83 departments, all ffices elected, standard system f curts f justice Church Nv 1789 Secularizatin f the Church, all prperty cnfiscated (used as a guarantee fr the new paper mney Assignats) July 1790 Civil Cnstitutin f the Clergy church subrdinate t the state, paid by the state, bishps and priests elected by peple Ecnmy end f inner taxatin, unifrm system f weights and measures, guilds ablished, strikes and trade unins frbidden, supprt f free trade TASK 9: Which f the refrms prvked the strngest resistance? Which ne was unacceptable fr the king? Try t suggest the pssible reactin f Luis XVI t this cntrversial issue. Why were many French citizens disillusined with the results f the first phase f the revlutin? -4-

5 June 1791 the king, unable t direct the revlutinary mvement, becming just a victim f events, decided t escape t the Austrian Netherlands but was recgnized in Varennes and frced t return t Paris, where he was kept in his palace under huse arrest. Many peple lst their cnfidence in Luis claimed that he was guilty f treasn, pltting with Austrians against the refrms and demanded his dethrnement, the end f mnarchy. TASK 10: What rle in the abve mentined events did Queen Maria Antinette play? D yu knw anything interesting abut her? July 17, 1791 Massacre n the Champ de Mars radicals demanding the dethrnement f Luis were met by the Natinal Guard abut 50 radicals were killed August 1791 Austria and Prussia issued a jint memrandum the Declaratin f Plinitz stating that restratin f rder (= return t abslutism) is a cmmn interest t all svereigns f Eurpe. April 20, 1792 the Natinal Assembly declared war n Austria and Prussia TASK 11: Why d yu think the Natinal Assembly declared war? What was the reactin f Eurpean and especially the neighburing cuntries? Why d yu think mst plitical grups welcmed this cming war? The Natinal Assembly The mnarchists The radicals The war went really badly fr France and in August 1792 the Austrian and Prussian armies were clse t Paris. August 1792 Brunswick Manifest if anything happens t the king r his family Paris will be destryed Luis XVI was accused f secretly pltting with Austria August 10, 1792 an angry mb massacred the king s Swiss Guard guarding his palace Radicals seized pwer in Paris, frmed a new, mre radical municipal gvernment the Cmmune, which called fr new electins t the Natinal Assembly based n universal male suffrage Sep 1792 September Massacres, Austrian army almst in Paris, enraged mb entered prisns and killed abut 1000 plitical prisners (mstly mnarchists) Sep 20 Battle at Valmy - French army defeated Austrians, frced them t retreat Sep 21 France declared a republic The French army was then victrius and ccupied the Austrian Netherlands, Savy, Rhineland New, mre radical parliament the Natinal Cnventin elected -5-

6 The Radical Stage f the Revlutin ( ) Plitical Clubs and Fractins the Muntain radicals in the assembly, left upper seats in the meeting hall Crdeliers Club Dantn, Marat radical rhetric in favur f the rdinary peple Girndins Brisst, Vergniaud, interests f the burgeisie, tradesmen, craftsmen State shuld nt interfere with free trade, mre autnmy fr the departments Jacbins Rbespierre, radical republicans favuring strng central gvernment and state cntrl f ecnmy Main leaders: Jean Paul Marat ( ) Physician Defending the rights f cmmn peple Publisher f a radical newspaper L Ami du Peuple Murdered Gerges Jacques Dantn ( ) Lawyer Interests f the masses, radical speaker Organized the terrr, member f the Cmmittee f Public Safety Guilltined in April 1794 Maximilien Rbespierre ( ) Lawyer, cnsidered incrruptible Leader f the Jacbin Club Radical republican ideas any means justifiable, regardless the cst Guilltined in July 1794 Refrms f the Natinal Cnventin Slavery ablished Maximum prices f grain Prhibitin f imprisnment fr debt Universal male suffrage Metric system f weights and measures New calendar, starting Sep 22, 1792 Attempt t replace Christianity with the wrship f the supreme ratinal being Prperty f enemies cnfiscated Republican cnstitutin 1793 (pstpned till the end f war, never ratified) -6-

7 Girndins became the leaders f the first mnths f the republic, liberal, successful as lng as the war was ging n well (Sep 1792 spring 1793) January 1793 king Luis XVI executed Spring 1793 new calitin f Eurpean cuntries against France Austria, Prussia and England, French trps frced t retreat TASK 12: Why d yu think the new calitin was frmed after the executin f Luis XVI? April 1793 Cmmittee f Public Safety frmed as a new frm f gvernment with exceptinal pwers 9 members f the Cmmittee were elected by the Natinal Cnventin Refrms f the Cmmittee: Centralizatin f pwer, fficials t reprt directly t the Cmmittee General levy, cmpulsry army service, frced recruitment success in war again Terrr t intimidate and get rid f ppsitin New fashin trusers and red caps Slwing dwn f the industrial transfrmatin (republicanism capitalism, free trade) Laws f the Maximum maximum wages, prices fixed June 1793 war ging n badly fr France, many sabtages, uprisings within France Jacbins seize pwer Jacbin dictatrship (June1793-July 1794) the mst radical phase f the revlutin Dictatrship pwers given t the Cmmittee f Public Safety, special curts f justice set up Great Terrr against ppsitin (apprximately 500,000 arrested, 30,000 executed, 20,000 withut trial) Main ppsitin grups: Girndins rebellins especially in twns, industrial centres Ryalists uprisings demanding mnarchy, rehabilitatin f Church, the biggest in Vendee Enrages (wild men) radicals led by Jacques Hebert fighting fr classless sciety (anarch-cmmunists) War against Austria, Prussia and England went n, France successful in 1794, Dantn called fr the end f terrr April 1794 Dantn executed but by July mst f peple fed up with Rbespierre, Jacbins and the terrr July 1794 (Thermidr 9 accrding t the new calendar) Rbespierre executed The Directry, Thermidrian perid ( ) Return f the mderate republicans, plitical prisners freed but Jacbins persecuted, laws f the maximum repealed, emigrants allwed t return t France -7-

8 Cnstitutin f 1795 Universal male suffrage but electing nly the Electrs (richer nes, prperty qualificatins), the Electrs then chse the members f parliament = pwer secured in the hands f the rich New gvernment the Directry 5 men chsen by the assembly The Directry faced many prblems: 1795 a ryalist uprising against the cnstitutin suppressed by Naplen 1796 Babeuf anarchist rits aiming t ablish private prperty and the parliamentary system 1797 electins success f cnstitutinal mnarchists December, results annulled with the help f Naplen 1799 change f gvernment Naplen became the first Cnsul f the state TASK 13: Wh did the leaders f the varius phases f the revlutin represent? Chse any ther famus mdern revlutin and cmpare whether it wrked the same way. The French Revlutin TASK 14: All the fllwing events tk place in France between 1789 and Can yu put them in the crrect rder and find ut the dates (mnth and year) f each? Rbespierre executed The Tennis Curt Oath Estates General meet fr the first time since 1614 Massacre f the Champ de Mars Wmen f Paris march n Versailles Luis XVI s flight t Varennes The September Massacres Executin f Luis XVI France declares war n Austria Naplen annuls the electins Strming f the Bastille Civil Cnstitutin f the Clergy -8-

9 NAPOLEONIC PERIOD Early Career f Naplen Bnaparte ( ) sn f a petty Crsican nbleman, Italian speaking, prblems with his French military schl in Paris, interested in mathematics, histry main strength: ability t understand a prblem in its full length, wrk ut every single detail became an fficer in the artillery 1793 helped t recapture Tuln made general in the age f lst his rank in the army as a Jacbin sympathizer 1795 suppressed the ryalist plt against the Directry 1796 as a reward sent as a cmmander t Italy series f surprising mves and victries, sister republics in Italy 1797 annulled the electin results saves the Directry 1798/1799 Egyptian Campaign Battle f the Pyramids Rsetta Stne discvered the supply rutes cut ff by the British Navy under admiral Hrati Nelsn, French fleet destryed Naplen managed t escape back t France, but his army stayed and died in Egypt 1799 Cup d Etat in Paris, became the First Cnsul f the Republic (age 30) 1802 became the First Cnsul fr life 1804 crwned himself Emperr -9-

10 Naplen s dmestic plicy TASK 15: What refrms were needed in France? What prblems were still nt slved? System f gvernment: Cuncil f the State 50 members, named by Naplen, chaired by Naplen, advisrs, prpses new laws Tribunate (100) and Legislative Chamber (300) elected, apprved new legislatin Senate (80) named by Naplen Administrative unifrmity (departments) and efficiency Careers pen t men f talent Religius tleratin Cncrdat with the Ppe (1801) the end f religius experiments, Cathlicism recgnized as the religin f the majrity f the French Educatin rerganized Lycee under the supervisin f the University f Paris Cde Naplen (1804) equality befre law, freedm f cnscience, prperty rights guaranteed, ablitin f serfdm Sle ruler, plice state, press censred, state cntrlled ecnmy, restratin f slavery in clnies Freign Plicy Naplenic Wars TASK 16: Study the fllwing utline f Naplenic Wars and mark the map with the scenes f the mst imprtant battles and ther imprtant places

11 expeditin t Italy- defeat f Austria, sister republics established War f the Secnd Calitin (Britain, Russia, Austria) Naplen s failure in Egypt but success against Austria Austria frced t recgnize the republics in Italy War f the Third Calitin (Britain, Russia, Austria) Naplen prepared fr the invasin f Britain Battle f Trafalgar Hrati Nelsn defeated the French navy, invasin impssible Naplen turned against Austria and Russia quick march n Vienna Battle f Austerlitz ( Battle f the Three Emperrs ) 1806 War f the Furth Calitin (Russia, Prussia, Britain and Sweden) Prussia defeated at Jena and Auerstadt Naplen arranged peace and as a clear winner reshaped Eurpe the way he wanted: TASK 17: What were the main changes f the map f Eurpe in the Naplenic perid? Unable t defeat Britain Naplen declared a Cntinental Blckade trade with Britain was frbidden, Eurpean prts were clsed fr British ships. Britain respnded with the blckade f Eurpe Eurpe was virtually cut ff the verseas trade. TASK 18: What was the utcme f the blckades? Wh suffered mre?

12 Peninsular War, Naplen impsed his brther Jseph n the Spanish thrne, but met fierce resistance Guerrilla warfare f the Spanish supprted by the British frce under Duke f Wellingtn perating frm Prtugal (British ally) 1809 Austria attempted t rebel against Naplen, success in the Battle f Aspern, but defeated at Wagram, Austria became a frced ally f France, Naplen married Maria Luisa (daughter f Francis I f Austria) 1812 Russian Campaign Russia under Alexander I suffered a lt because f the Cntinental blckade, pened its prts fr Britain and Naplen decided t punish Russia. Grande Armee (abut men including Austrian frces) Several battles n the way t Mscw Brdin the mst famus Clever tactics f the Russian cmmander Kutuzv Naplen spent Sep.-Oct. in Mscw, which was abandned by Russians Winter came, Naplen lacked supplies, equipment, frced t retreat Bitter retreat, Naplen lst the entire army 1813 War f the Fifth Calitin (Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden) Battle f the Natins by Leipzig - Naplen defeated Naplen sent t exile n Elba, Burbns Luis XVIII (brther f Luis XVI) returned t France 1815 One Hundred Days, Naplen escaped frm Elba, returned t France, was welcmed and became an Emperr again Defeated at Waterl exile n St. Helen in suthern Atlantic TASK 19: Lk at the cartn and try t identify the different stages f Naplen s career