chapter 3 sections 1-3 the french revolution. french society divided france divided into 3 social...
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Chapter 3 sections 1-3The French Revolution
French Society Divided
• France divided into 3 social classes, or estates (1st – clergy, 2nd – nobles, 3rd – majority of population)
• Clergy had enormous wealth and privilege
• Church owned 10% of land, collected tithes paid no direct taxes
Nobles
• Held titles: Duke, Baron, Lord
• Top jobs in government, army, courts
• Owned land but received little income
• Feared losing traditional privileges, and freedom from paying taxes
Third Estate• Diverse
• Bourgeoisie: middle class
• Bulk of estate were rural peasants
• Poorest were urban workers
• Resented privileges of other Estates
• Paid all taxes
Financial Troubles• Deficit spending
• Debt: Seven Years’ War, American Revolution, lavish court
• Borrowed money
• Bad harvests
• Gov’t would have to raise taxes, reduce spending – nobles and clergy did not like plan (lead to them paying taxes)
Calling the Estates-General• After economic reform failed• Legislative body consisting of representatives of
the 3 estates• Not been called in 175 years• Prepared cahiers, or notebooks filled with
complaints• Tennis Court Oath: Third Estate swore ‘never to
separate and to meet wherever the circumstances might require until we have established a sound and just constitution
Revolution• Bastille: July 14, 1789 medieval fortress in
Paris stormed by 800+ Parisians, demanded weapons
• Phases:
• National Assembly (1789-91)
• radical (1792-94) included Reign of Terror
• Directory (1795-99) against extremism
• Age of Napoleon (1799-1815)
National Assembly• 1789 – political turmoil followed by famine and
fear• August – Declaration of the Rights of Man
- “all men were born free and equal in
rights”• Voted to take over and sell church lands; church
under state control• Constitution of 1791 establishes new government,
limited monarchy: new Legislative Assembly could collect taxes, make laws, decide on war/peace
Radicals• Emigres – caused increased border
patrols. Nobles, clergy fled and reported incidents of attacks on privileges. Turned some foreign rulers against France
• October 1791- Legislative Assembly took office (lasted less than 1 yr)
• Sans-Culottes – demanded a republic
• Jacobins – middle-class lawyers/intellectuals, used newspapers editors to advance republican cause
Revolution and Terror• Convention September 1792 – more radical,
established republic, new constitution, led by Jacobins
• Monarchy is abolished – King executed January 1793
• Committee of Public Safety – taxed all citizens to contribute to the war effort to save the revolution (at war with much of Europe)
• Young recruits and young officers developed new tactics to defend the republic
Robespierre• Rose to leader in Committee
• Promoted religious tolerance, wanted to abolish slavery
• Use of terror = “prompt, severe, inflexible justice”
• Reign of Terror – September 1793-July 1794, revolutionary courts conducted hasty trials of people who resisted the revolution
• Dr. Joseph Guillotin – invented more humane method of beheading
• Turned tables – Robespierre arrested and executed July 27, 1794
The Directory• Constitution of 1795 – 5 man Directory and 2-
house legislature elected by male citizens of property
• Weak but dictatorial; leaders lined their own pockets but failed to solve problems
• Rising royalist feelings• 1797 – supporters of constitutional monarchy
won majority of seats in legislature
• Revolution increased nationalist feelings
• (terms collage)