French Revolution Toward a New Political Order
The French Revolution Caused a T.E.R.R.O.R. **Write the headings, not the content on the slides this is just a preview we ll go into depth in the near future
T. The Influence of the Enlightenment & American Revolution 1. What kind of govt. did enlightened thinkers like Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, & Jefferson NOT like? What did they like? 2. What did Locke, and then Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, say people should do if they govt. doesn t protect their rights? 3. What would the Enlightenment & the American Revolution influence the French to do if they were unhappy w/ their govt.? - Want democracy - Willing to revolt to get it
E. Estate System - 3rd estate treated unfairly by 1st & 2nd 3rd estate = poor & middle class 1st = clergy, 2nd = nobility Q: What does this picture represent? Q: What will the 3rd estate want to do if they feel social injustice, economic distress, & that there is an unpopular method of rule?
R. Revolution Begins: Storm of the Bastille 3rd estate wants rights & equality July 14th, 1789: take over Bastille prison 3rd estate forms new govt. people sovereign Q: What would Hobbes say should happen now that the people are sovereign?
R. Reign of Terror - kills anyone against the revolution 3rd estate radicals use guillotine to execute opponents (17,000) Q: Does the 3rd estate seem at all hypocritical? Q: Does Hobbes seem right or wrong in this case?
O. Off With Absolute Monarch Louis XVI s Head! Q: According to Hobbes, would a govt. without a king be able to meet the needs of the people? Why or why not? New Govt. = Weak & Corrupt
R. Rise of Napoleon becomes a dictator after coup d etat - Coup d etat = quick take over of govt. Q: Would Hobbes say things would be better or worse now that an absolute ruler is in charge?
Stages of the French Revolution Hope Fear Terror Recovery 1788-89 1789-91 1791-94 1794-95
French Revolution: CAUSES Background: French pop: 27 million Q: What does this picture imply about the social structure in prerevolutionary France? Causes: Social Economic
Social Causes: Enlightenment Estate System
Social: First Estate 1. CLERGY 2. 130,000 ppl. 3. Owned 10% of land 4. PRiVILIEGE: Exempt from taille 5. Radically Divided: Higher clergy shared interested w/ nobility Parish priests often poor; from class of commoners
Social: Second Estate 1. NOBILITY 2. 350,000 ppl. 3. Owned 25-30% of land 4. Crucial Roles: Govt., military 5. Sought to expand power @ expense of monarchy 6. PRIVILEGE: Exempt from taille
Social: Third Estate 1. COMMONERS 2. Maj. Of FR pop 3. Divided: occupation, level of edu, & wealth 4. Peasants=75-80% of pop Lgst. segment of 3rd Little of no land to survive 5. Relics of feudalism: obligations to local landlords
3rd Estate (cont) Upset With: 7. Bourgeoisie 8% of pop Owned 20-25% of land Bankers, prof. ppl., lawyers, docs Drawn to ideal of Enlightenment b/c upset with monarchical system
1. Spending Too Much Spent enormous sums on costly wars & court luxuries Immediate Cause: Spent lg. amt to help Am. Colonists against Britain Fr. Govt. was Economic
Economic (cont) 2. Bad Harvest (1787-1789) Food Shortages price of food & unemployment in cities Poor = 1/3 of pop on eve of revolution Louis hires Jacques Necker as finance minister - Advises him to call Estates General
Political 1. Louis XVI calls the Estates General (May, 1798) For the 1st time since 1614!! 2. Each estate had one vote (1st & 2nd could outvote 3rd estate) 3. 3rd estate: wanted a const l govt, all to pay taxes & each deputy to have 1 vote 4. King refused 3rd Estate calls a National Assembly to draw up a constitution 5. Tennis Court Oath (June 20, 1789): swore they would continue to meet until they produced a Fr. constitution
Tennis Court Oath
6. Storming of Bastille Louis prepared to use force against 3rd estate Bastille: prison in Paris; symbol of royal oppression Mob of Parisians stormed Bastille & dismantled it, brick by brick Royal authority collapsed July 14, 1789
Declaration of the Rights of Think & Respond: Man and the Citizen 1. According to this document, what are the natural (imprescriptible) rights of man? 2. According to this document, can a person be arrested or otherwise disturbed because of his religious beliefs? 3. How do the rights listed in number 2 of the document compare to the rights listed in the Bill of Rights?
Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen Think & Respond 1. What does the author of this document believe to be the causes of public misfortunes and of the corruption of governments? 2. What are the rights of women as listed in this document? 3. In point number 11, the document author says that the free communication of thoughts & opinions is one of the most precious rights of women. Add the word men to the statement also. As it reads now, do you agree or disagree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Discussion of the Details: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What was the purpose of this document? Why do you think Olympe de Gouges felt a need to create a separate declaration of the rights of women? Why did she apparently regard the use of the word men to refer to males rather than to humans of both sexes? How did it compare to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen? To the U.S. Bill of Rights? Write 2 Responses to this doc: (on same sheet of paper) 1. One response from the viewpoint of a male in a maledominated society 2. The other response from the viewpoint of a feminist.
Reform: Louis XVI is Forced to Paris 1. During the turmoil: Louis remained quiet at Versailles; refused to accept Declaration of Rights 2. Women March to Versailles Women marched there and forced the king to accept the new decrees (angry over price of bread) Louis agrees to sign declaration; not enough Insisted that royal family return to Paris He returned, escorted by armed women King became virtual prisoner of Paris ** POWER now w/ the PEOPLE
Women s March for Louis XVI There were detachments of women coming up from every direction, armed w/ broomsticks, lances, pitchforks, swords, pistols, & muskets and upon Louis return to Paris, he was escorted by women armed with pikes, some of which held the severed heads of the king s guards. We are bringing back the baker, the baker s wife, and the baker s boy.
Reform: Catholic Church 1. Thought to be pillar of the old order 2. Lands of church seized 3. New Civil Constitution of the Clergy Bishops & priests elected by the ppl & paid by state 4. SIGNIFICANCE: French govt now controlled the state Catholics became enemies of the revolution Q: Do you see any similarities in the way many people view Catholics and/or Catholicism today?
Reform: Constitution 1. National Assembly completed a Constitution in 1791 Set up a limited monarchy Q: How is it limited? King & Legislative Assembly Kings power is waning (forced to sign laws) Q: Why is this event so historically significant?
Louis XVI: Disloyalty 1. Old order is now destroyed: he needs help 2. Tried to flee FR in June, 1791 3. Captured, brought back to Paris 4. Disloyal monarch 5. Legislative Assembly called Oct. 1791 6. FR relations w/ Europe led to Louis XVI s downfall
War on Austria Radicals in FR 1. Austria & Prussia feared revolutions would spread to their countries 2. Austria & Prussia: threatened to use force to restore Louis XVI to full power 3. Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria in spring of 1792 4. French ultimately defeated 5. Impact: new political demonstrations Emergence of radical groups (esp. against king) 6. Called a Natl. Conv: to form new govt
Meanwhile A Radical Revolution Sans-culottes: w/o kneepads; symbol of non-aristocrat Sept, 1792: National Convention First Step: abolish monarchy & establish a republic. They didn t trust the king Q: What would Hobbes say now that the ppl are sovereign? 4. Effects: Push for radical change: Danton (led the Commune) - Rallied country against enemies; pushed for people to fight - Sept. Massacre: Sans-culottes killed ppl against the rev. 5. Jan. 21, 1793: King executed (guillotine) Destruction of old regime complete Kill king so revolution can live
Louis XVI Killed Europe 6. Informal coalition of Austria, Prussia, SP, Port, Brit, Dutch Rep, & Russia: - Took up arms against FR 7. If coalition invaded: - revolution & revolutionaries would be destroyed - Old Regime would be Outraged
Jacques-Louis David Jean- Paul Marat Killed Radical leader of revolution Urged popular violence against anyone who supported Louis XVI Killed by Charlotte Corde - Girondin Martyred Symbol of revolution Death of Marat
Death of Marat How does the artist portray Marat? How is the lighting significant? Who does the artist seem to be comparing Marat to?
Marie Antoinette Executed Oct, 1793 Accused of incest (excuse) Plead to mothers of jury Sentence: execution Symbol of court culture and its corruption
Reign of Terror To Strike Terror in Enemies of Revolution 1. Set in motion to protect revolutionary France from internal enemies. 2. In 9 months: 16,000 ppl killed by guillotine (quick & efficient separation of heads from bodies) 3. Said this method would only be temporary 4. When guillotining proved too slow, cannon fire & grapeshot (sm. cluster of iron balls) used.
Reaction to Terror: The Directory Needed Stability 1. By summer 1794: FR defeating their foes 2. Less need for Reign of Terror, but cont d 3. Robespierre guillotined July 28, 1794 moderate leaders took control & terror over The Directory 1. 5 directors = exec. auth. under new const. 2. Era of corruption (ppl reacted against terror) 3. Unable to solve FR s econ. Probs 4. Relied on military to maintain power coup d etat: Napoleon seized power (1799)
Following the Directory Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I. Early Years A. Born 1769, Corsica (only 5 2!!) B. FR mil. school ( foreigner ) army C. Welcomed FR Rev. Joined Ppl s Army Never liked crowds (witnessed attacks on nobles : cutting off ears & genitals) Promo: General Commander Many victories (1796-99) D. Married Josephine (widow, lover of many men) E. 1799: Joined conspiracy to overthrow Directory Appt d consul: reformed govt, edu, law, econ, rel (Rom Cath) 1802: Consul for life
Napoleon II. Dictator (1804) A. Crowned himself (after Brit. Plot to assassinate him, Senate urged him to est. hereditary dynasty) B. Victories: GB, Prussia, Austria, Russia C. 1814: Abdicated throne in favor of son Sen.: only accept unconditional abdication D. Exiled to Elba (annexed to FR in 1802) Treaty of Fountainbleu: N received Elba; still Emperor III. Personal Life A. 1809: Divorced Josephine (no male heir)
Napoleon IV. FR After Napoleon A. Living in the past B. Louis XVIII: so fat, can barely walk C. Nobles: favoritism D. Clergy: rising in power E. Ppl yearn for Napoleon to return V. 100 Days A. N leaves Elba for FR ( I must give FR a constitution the time for dictatorship is over ) B. King s troops meet N in Alps troops join N C. Louis XVIII flees N to Paris 100 Days D. Defeated @ Waterloo (Allies don t want N) exiled to St. Helena (off coast of Africa) Dies 1821