World History Grade 10 Q4 W4 C3 Case Study: The French Revolution 1789-1799
Lesson Objectives Understand the basic causes, course and effect of the French Revolution Learn how it affected not just France, but Europe as a whole Make inferences about power and it s influence and how revolutionary governments were often very unstable at the begining
Causes How did it come to revolution?
King Louis XVI was king of France 1774-1792
1- Social inequality -France was divided into three Estates : First Estate (Clergy, paid no taxes) Second Estate (Nobles, paid very few taxes) Third Estate (Everyone else, paid most taxes) -Third Estate was mostly peasants, farmers, shopkeepers etc. -They felt betrayed and the king didn t understand them
The Third Estate were the largest group but also the poorest and paid the most taxes. It felt very unfair
But this was always the way since feudal times. Why revolt now?
2- Financial Crisis -France was very low on money because: >They had helped the Americans fight the British >They were also broke from wars in Europe >King Louis XVI continued to spend lots of money on himself -In addition, there were food shortages in the country and peasant were starving! -King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette didn t want to share...
We need FOOD! Let s have a fancy party! Oh yes! I love fancy parties!
3- Spread of Enlightenment Ideas -Enlightenment ideas of equality, a government to serve the people and people s right to change government took hold of the French -The success of the British and American revolutions inspired people. They saw it could be done.
Louis called the Estates General (advisors from all Estates) in 1789 about the financial problem It had not met since 1614! The Third Estate wanted to vote per person as they were largest group Louis said no and kicked them all out
The Third Estate left and set up their own National Assembly They swore never to stop until the king agreed to a constitution He would not do it The people had had enough... The Tennis Court Oath
July 14th 1789, an angry mob in Paris attacked a prison called the Bastille They got lots of weapons Violent attacks on noble s houses soon broke out all over the country
The French Revolution had begun...
Course What happened?
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Course- Main stages of Revolution The Great Fear: peasants attacked and burned many nobles and church buildings Peaceful leaders of National Assembly wrote a constitution called The Declaration of The Rights of Man Louis XVI tried to escape France but was caught and the National Assembly decided to form a Republic. Louis was executed by guillotine 1793, extremists led the new government and ordered the trials and execution by guillotine of thousands of people who were against them This Reign of Terror lasted until its leader, Maximilien Robespierre was himself executed in 1794
1789 The Declaration of The Rights of Man was influenced by enlightenment ideas, the English Bill of Rights and the American Declaration of Independence In included ideas like: -All men are equal -Government must protect people's rights -No imprisonment without trial/evidence -Freedom of speech -Right to own property Sound familiar?
Louis XVI was executed by a new machine called the guillotine It was designed to kill people quickly and humanely During the Reign of Terror (September 1793 - July 1794) 16,594 people were executed by guillotine All were considered traitors of the Revolution>>>>>>>>
Effects Why is it the most famous revolution in Europe?
Main Effects on Europe 1) Revolutionary ideas spread throughout Europe, especially in eastern Europe and the Balkans 2) People began to have loyalty to a national identity (nationalism), not a monarchy 3) Europeans realized that enlightenment ideas could work 4) European kings began to fear the same might happen in their countries. Adapt or die. 5) France ended the rule of one person (king) only to end up ruled by one person again. That man was known as Napoleon Bonaparte... French Flag created 1790 s
Stay tuned next week for Napoleon s story!