1789-1815
Causes of the French Revolu2on Social and economic injustices American Revolution Economic troubles High taxes and bread prices, debt, crop failures in the 1780s A weak, inept leadership Old Regime Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette Enlightenment ideas spread among Third Estate Who might the French people admire? Why?
French Social Structure 1770s France Three estates First estate Clergy of Roman Catholic Church Less than 1% of population Owned 10% of land Paid 2% taxes Second estate Wealthy nobles 2% of population Owned 20% of land Paid no taxes and held government jobs How did these people feel about the Enlightenment?
The Third Estate Three groups Bourgeoisie (Middle class) Held a skilled job: Merchant, banker, lawyer, artisan, etc. Well- educated Some were wealthy, but they all lacked social status and political power Workers (Proletariat) Held unskilled factory jobs Peasants 80% of France s total population Paid almost half their total income in taxes! What did the Third Estate want from King Louis XVI? CHANGE!
The Painful Reality
The Dawn of Revolu2on Third Estate creates the National Assembly to pass new reform laws Ends absolute monarchy, begins representative government Tennis Court Oath Third Estate would write a new Constitution
The First Ba;le Storming of the Bastille French prison is taken over by angry mob looking for gunpowder for their stolen weapons Symbol of Revolution July 14, 1789 Bastille Day Great Fear Terrorism, starvation
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity! Motto of the French Revolution How does the motto indicate the Third Estate s goals? The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen Guaranteed certain human rights
La Marseillaise Come, children of the Fatherland Our day of glory has come! Against us the bloody flag of tyranny is raised! Can you hear in the country The shrieks of those ferocious soldiers? They come to our very arms To slaughter our sons and wives: To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! March forth! March forth! Let their impure blood water our fields!
Social and Poli2cal Changes State controls church Effect? Lost land and political independence National Assembly creates new constitution Created a limited monarchy by establishing the Legislative Assembly in 1791 Had the power to create laws and approve declarations of war Responsible for execution of King Louis XVI
The Reign of Terror National Convention forms Maximilien Robespierre Connection between virtue and terror 1793-1794 Robespierre ruled as a dictator About 40,000 people die during the Reign of Terror; 85% were from the Third Estate Why is this ironic?
The Terror Ends National Convention feared for their lives Robespierre was executed, ending the Reign of Terror Directory is formed in 1795, upper middle class takes power
Do Now "During the greater part of the day the guillotine had been kept busy at its ghastly work... Every aristocrat was a traitor... For two hundred years now the people had sweated, and toiled, and starved to keep a lustful court in lavish extravagance; now the descendants of those who had helped to make these courts brilliant had to hide for their lives. Which generalization best summarizes the views of the author of this passage? 1. The common people of the nation deserved to be punished for violating the country's laws. 2. Because of past abuses by the nobility, the common people staged a bloody revolt. 3. The nobility was being punished for bringing benefits to the nation. 4. The goals of fraternity, equality, and liberty were achieved in this period.
Napoleon (Quickly!) Rises to Power Napoleon Bonaparte Outstanding military skills, promoted to head of the army Suffered losses, also How was Napoleon still able to keep his image as a national hero? The Directory was weak by 1799; Napoleon led a military coup d'état and took power Established the Consulate, a three- man governing board He held a plebiscite to approve a new constitution Napoleon became the first leader of a democratic France or did he? Napoleon took complete control as first consul
Napoleon Reforms(?) France Strengthened national government Collected taxes; started national bank Set up lycées to educate men to become trained, uncorrupt gov t officials Signed a concordat with the Pope Gov t recognized influence of Church, but NOT in national affairs In other words? Separation of church and state Napoleonic Code set new and equal laws for France Promoted order and authority over individual rights
Napoleon as Emperor (1804-1815) Took over large parts of Europe European countries formed alliance against him Napoleon s empire large, but unstable
Do Now A study of revolutions would most likely lead to the conclusion that pre- Revolutionary governments 1. attempt to bring about the separation of government from religion 2. are more concerned about human rights than the governments that replace them 3. fail to meet the political and economic needs of their people 4. refuse to modernize their armed forces with advanced technology WHICH ENLIGHTENMENT THINKER DISCUSSED THIS IDEA?
Napoleon s Corona2on (1804)
Napoleon s Three Mistakes 1. The Continental System Looked to make continental Europe more self- sufficient Napoleon wanted to weaken Great Britain He sets up a blockade Why? Blockade was too loose, did not stop British navy 2. The Peninsular War Invaded Spain so Portugal would become part of the Continental System Bands of Spanish fighters called guerillas attacked Napoleon s armies As a result, the invasion was not successful
The Third Mistake 3. Invasion of Russia (1812) 420,000 French soldiers march into Russia Russian general Czar Alexander keeps pulling back his soldiers deeper into his territory Russia uses scorched- earth policy to weaken Napoleon s army More than 400,000 French soldiers die
Napoleon Exits from France- - Twice Napoleon wanted to continue fighting, but his generals refused He was exiled to Elba, a small island off the coast of Italy New king was unpopular Napoleon escapes, fights Prussian and British forces at Waterloo Napoleon s defeat there is the end of his last attempt to keep power, called the Hundred Days
Do Now "...The person of the King is sacred, and to attack him in any way is an attack on religion itself. Kings represent the divine majesty and have been appointed by Him to carry out His purposes. Serving God and respecting kings are bound together." - Bishop Jacques Bossuet Which person would most agree with this statement? 1. Louis XIV 2. Elizabeth II 3. John Locke 4. Karl Marx The primary goal of most of Europe's absolute monarchs was to 1. centralize their political control over their nations 2. prevent contact with areas beyond Europe's borders 3. support political freedom for the new middle classes 4. maintain peaceful relations with neighboring nations
Congress of Vienna Goal was to provide security and stability for all of Europe Klemens von Metternich was the most influential representative 1. Surround France with strong countries **2. Restore a balance of power to Europe 3. Restore royal families to throne- - legitimacy Alliances formed: Holy Alliance and the Concert of Europe Congress was successful Long- term effects: End to rigid and unfair social structure Increased belief of democracy