french monarchy in crisis 1789-1815

FRENCH MONARCHY IN CRISIS1789-1815

King Louis XVI (16th) Louis XVI – terrible leader Louis XVI & Marie

Antoinette spent money on themselves and not the people

The people of France are MAD!

The Estates General First Estate – Church Second Estate – Nobility Third Estate – bourgeoisie, laborers, and

peasants Each estate had one vote

MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL (ALL 3 ESTATES OF FRANCE MEET FOR FIRST TIME

SINCE 1618 IN 1789)

Beginning of the Revolution National Assembly (made up of 3rd estate) –

wanted to write a new constitution, but the king locked them out of their meeting hall

Tennis Court Oath – meeting of 3rd estate; vowed never to break up until a new Constitution is written

Tennis Court Oath

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (MADE UP OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 3RD ESTATE) MEET AND TAKE OATH TO WRITE FRANCE A CONSTITUTION)

Revolution Continues…

Crowds in Paris storm the Bastille (prison) in July because it represented royal authority

** First major physical action of the Revolution

Other Actions by National Assembly March of Versailles – 1789, (mostly women)

protest over high food prices and rumors King was plotting against the National Assembly. The royal family was brought back to Paris.

1791 Constitution Kept monarchy with very limited

power Gave taxpaying men ages 25 and

older many voting rights

Results: Austria and Prussia threatened

war; French Legislative Assembly declared war and lost

1792 Legislative Assembly became the National Convention, which declared France a Republic

Maximillien Robespierre – leader of Radical (extreme) group called the Jacobins; led the National Convention

Changes in Society King executed to prevent return to monarchy

in 1793 Everything with connections to royalty or the

Church was outlawed/changed Playing cards (no kings or queens) Calendar – 3 weeks of 10 days in a month Metric system Churches in Paris were closed

Reign of Terror Many disliked the Radical changes To prevent a counterrevolution, Radical

leaders executed anyone suspected of being an enemy

17,000 people in 10 months Eventually Robespierre was executed

“The springs of popular government in revolution are at once virtue and terror: virtue, without which terror is fatal; terror, without which virtue is powerless. Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, sever, inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue.”

- Robespierre, Justification of the Use of Terror

After the Terror New constitution: fewer people could vote Elected body called Directory Weak and corrupt Directors left France with a

power vacuum

RISE OF NAPOLEON Napoleon won lands for France in Italy and Spain. Became a national hero for his efforts November 1799 – armed supporters of Napoleon

surrounded the Directory and forced a coup d'état and put Napoleon in power of France.

Soon elected emperor of France

NAPOLEON AS EMPEROR

Napoleon’s Empire Introduced religious toleration Abolished serfdom Reduced power of the Catholic Church Drafted majority of men into the

military and enforced high taxes.

Continental System A blockade to prevent French and allies from

trading with Britain Britain required everyone else to ask

permission to trade with the French

Napoleon’s Downfall Napoleon sends 500,000 troops to invade

Russia France wins, but are out of supplies & food

and Napoleon is forced to retreat. Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia join

forces and crush Napoleon and his army Napoleon is forced into exile on the island

of Elba.

BUT he is FREED by supporters and rebuilds the army- Hundred Days (of glory) begin

Europe unites again and defeats Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo (Duke of Wellington led British forces)

Napoleon exiled until his death on St. Helena Island.

Congress of Vienna Meeting of diplomats in support of monarchies

(reactionaries) to redraw Europe’s boarders Led by Prince Klemens von Metternich France went back to 1792 territory and had to

pay damages to countries occupied by Napoleon

German Confederation (loose gathering of city-states) created

Monarchy restored in Spain, France, Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily