Causes of French Revolution. 3 Causes

Transcription

1 Causes of French Revolution 3 Causes

2 Contextualization 1. Burdens of absolutism 2. Enlightenment present solutions to absolutism

3 1. Burdens of Absolutism Louis XIV: gold standard of absolute monarchs When Louis XIV died in 1715, France at the height of its power

4 Items in yellow are territories that were acquired after the death of Louis XIV between 1715 and 1789

5 Louis XIV, Constant Did not cause like those fighting and major who came conquest problems for before and costs money Louis XIV, his after him, successors felt the need will be less to expand lucky the empire

6 Louis XV ( ) France falls under enormous debt during his reign because of Seven Years War --> France lost most of its American possessions to the English

7 Louis XVI Takes the throne in 1774 Recall: France and England have had a long standing animosity towards each other Britain currently winning because France lost almost all American lands to the British because of Seven Years War Sends French troops and ships to help the American Colonies Provide significant aid to the Americans, but very costly for France

8 2. Context: Limited Liberalism Effects of Enlightenment Prompt: Evaluate the extent to which the Enlightenment caused the French Revolution Enlightenment support of individual liberty called liberalism Locke and Montesquieu most important political influences Demanded: end of censorship, freedom of religion, etc. But demand for representative government did not mean democracy since representatives restricted to male property owners Limitations Equality between men and women not practical or desirable Women play a key political role in revolutions but constitutions limited formal political rights (vote, run for office, participate in government, etc) Europeans racially superior to Africans Even abolitionists felt emancipation would be a gradual process Not everyone should be equal economically Every white male should have legal chance at economic mobility, equality not guaranteed or desirable

9 The Most Basic Causes of the Revolution 1. Taxes and ancien regime (old social system) 2. Monarchs - Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette 3. Bread prices

10 1. Ancien Regime - 3 Estates The First Estate The Clergy: higher clergy had big incomes, ordinary priests not much better off than people they served The Second Estate The Nobility: 400,000 who held monopoly on highest and best paid positions in state and church, owned ⅕ of land

11 Third Estate Peasants Free of serfdom, many owned land they farmed But had to pay high taxes including salt tax (gabelle)and required to pay rent to nobles who used to own land Not so concerned with political rights, want relief from high taxes and church tithes Purpose of peasants is to produce food Middle Class Better off than peasants but more angry: wanted to end mercantilism, fairer tax burden, greater voice in public affairs Most important group of middle class is bourgeoisie = wealthy, educated commoners

12 Bourgeoisie Who They Were About 8% of population (2.3 million people) Included: merchants, bankers, manufacturers, and financiers as well as professionals, lawyers, doctors, and writers Complaints Many similarities between bourgeoisie and nobility but often excluded from social and political privileges of nobles Importance Leaders of the Third Estate and drivers of French REvolution

13 Taxing the Estates Complaint High taxes for the 3rd Estate (25 million) but none for the 1st and 2nd under old unequal social system, ancien regime Why Taxes? France spent more than it received in income to pay for wars with England and government operations 25% of budget paid for military expenditures (ex: American Revolution), 6% on Versailles, 50% on debt payments

14 In previous centuries, the Catholic Church had paid for many functions of local governments Education Care of Sick Care for poor Before Louis XVI, the monarchy had taken on a lot of this financial responsibility

15 Believed the monarch needed to dazzle subjects and other monarchs Small percentage of budget, but was a visible symbol of lavish spending

16 2. French Monarchs Causes of French Revolution were complaints made directly against Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette Complaints boil down to monarchs being out of touch due to extravagant lifestyle, Marie Antoinette Nickname Madame Deficit - extravagant spending Nickname L Autrichienne chienne is female dog in French

17 The French Monarchy Took the French throne at the age of 20 Shy Ill-prepared for role as king of France King Louis XVI

18 French Monarchy Marie Antoinette Austrian daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Her mother Maria Theresa prided herself on making good marriages for her daughters (was the 15th daughter!)

19 French Monarchy Renowned for her beauty Married to Louis XVI when she was 15

20 Set fashion trends in France and across Europe

21 All of this fashion cost massive amounts of money In addition, Marie kept a peasant cottage where she played poor

22 Those at court who disliked Marie Antoinette began to spread rumors about her When told the French people had no bread and were starving, supposedly said Let them eat cake! (she never said this)

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24 The Rococo Artist Madame Vigée Le Brun was most famous Rococo artist She was part of the world she painted - an aristocrat Marie Antoinette intervened to elect her to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, an honor accorded few women Vigee Le Brun forced to flee Paris in disguise in 1789 since she had been painter to queen and her personal confidant

25 Rococo and Consumerism Rococo - artistic expressions of salon culture - not intellectual side but luxurious, aristocratic lifestyle of people who hosted and participated in salons Themes of rococo were simple and fun: love, play, leisure Considered feminine so see it in paintings and interiors like wall art, furniture, etc. Started in France and most associated with Madame Pompadour (mistress to Louis XV)

26 Rococo and Consumerism

27 3. Bread Prices 3rd Estate, specifically the peasants, motivated by survival because they can t buy food; bread prices high, wages low On top of high prices, famine because of grain shortage

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29 Causes of French Revolution French Revolution resulted from a combo of long term social and political causes1 as well as Enlightenment ideas2 exacerbated by short term fiscal and economic crises3 1. Long Term Social/Political: SPRITE critiques of Ancien Regime 2. Enlightenment Ideas: Liberalism (individual liberties, representative government) 3. Short Term: France in debt because American Revolution, Louis XIV and Louis XV s Wars (Seven Years War, War of Austrian Succession)