The French Revolution

The Revolution that changed the World

French Society was divided into three estates:

First Estate Clergy (priests) of the

Roman Catholic Church less than 1% of

Population Owned 10% of land taxed on only 2% of

income

Second Estate:NoblesMade up 2% of populationOwned 20% of the landPaid no taxes

Third Estate Commoners Made up 98% of the population Paid 50% of their income in taxes Divided into three sub classes: 1. Merchants and artisans

– Rich and well educated (liberal ideologies)

2.Working Class (cooks, servants, and others)Poor wage earners

Price of bread was very important to them

3. Farmers (80% of people)Heavily taxed, had to work for nobles/clergy for free

0.3%

98% 1.7%

First Estate Second Estate

Third Estate

10%70%

20%

First Estate Second Estate

Third Estate

2%

50%0%

First Estate Second Estate

Third Estate

% of Pop.% of Land

Taxation

Level

France’s National Problems

1. Crop failures led to grain shortages

2. Large debt due to Wars (Americas)– Bankers refused to lend more money

3. Weak leader

King and Queen of France

Louis XVI- – Great Grandson of Louis

XIV– easily distracted– would rather hunt or play

with locks Marie Antoinette-

– Daughter of Austrian Maria Theresa

– big spender

Louis is forced to call the Estates-General (May 1789)

meeting of all 3 estates first time in 175 yrs. Each estate gets 1 vote (clergy had one,

nobles had one) 3rd Estate was always outvoted by the other

two estates

Tennis Court Oath (June 1789) Estates-General

refused to have equal voting so the 3rd Estate left

Met in a tennis court renamed themselves the National Assembly

Made an oath not leave until a new constitution was written

Declared that they not the king were the voice of the people

Storming of the Bastille, July 14th 1789 People of Paris heard rumors that

the King’s army was going to attack Stormed the Bastille (old prison) for

gun powder– Had only 7 prisoners( 4 forgers, 1

aristocrat pervert, and 2 lunatics) Today this is France’s

“Independence Day” – Louis wrote in journal that day “Rein”

or nothing referring to his afternoon hunt

Great Fear

In countryside—Rumors of nobles hiring troops to kill peasants

Led to peasants attacking nobles’ homes

Women’s Bread Riot (October 1789) Price of bread rose 6,000 women took up arms 60,000 marched 12 miles to Versailles (King’s

palace) killed two guards forced the king and his family to move to Paris

Declaration of the Rights of Man– Issued August 27, 1789– “men are born and remain free and equal in

rights”– Right to liberty, property, security, and

resistance to oppression– Sets up a Constitutional Monarchy

Slogan of Revolution– “Liberty, Equality,

and Fraternity

(brotherhood)”

Louis tries to escape France (June 1791)

Fails Many argue that the King is not to be trusted

France’s Radical Groups: Émigrés: nobles and clergy who

fled France Far right supporters

Sans-culottes: “those without knee

breeches” mobs wage earners of

the cities far left supporters

Political Spectrum:Left

Liberal, wants extreme change

Right Conservative, wants

to go back to old times

Moderate

Europe turns against the Revolution Austria (Marie’s Homeland) feared that the

revolution against nobility would spread to other nations.

Austria declared war on France in 1792, later joined by Prussia, Holland, Spain, and England..

French Émigrés joined with the foreigners. Austrian and Prussian forces near Paris and

threatened to destroy Paris if the Royal family was harmed

Outraged the mobs kill the king’s Swiss guards and imprisoned the royal family in a tower.

The Last Straw: the September Massacre

With foreign armies near Paris volunteers were organized but rumors spread that when the volunteers left the Émigrés would seize the city

Angered the Sans-culottes killed over a 1,000 noble, clergy & other prisoners

Power is transferred to the Left Radicals called the Jacobins

King No More The French army

defeats the invading armies

The Jacobins order the post of king abolished and establish a Republic.

Louis is beheaded by the Guillotine (Jan. 1793)

“I am innocent and shall die without fear. I would that my death might bring happiness to the French, and ward off

the dangers which I foresee.”

GuillotineGuillotine

New Leader: Maximilien Robespierre

Revolution goes past politics Slavery is outlawed Religious Freedom for Jews and Protestants Playing cards—no jacks, queens and kings Calendar was changed to 12 months 30 days

each– 10 day week, no Sundays

(religion seen as old fashion)

All churches were closed Bread prices were controlled

Committee of Public Safety (July 1793 to July 1794)

Ordered to root out traitors of the Revolution

No one was safe Neighbor turned on

neighbor

Reign of Terror

Marie Antoinette Many leaders of the

earlier revolutions were killed

Fellow Jacobins killed Finally Robespierre (July

1794)– Because the leaders left all

felt threatened

As many as 40,000 people had been killed, most of them were Commoners

“I beg your pardon. I did not do it on purpose.”

The Directory

Five Moderates– Corrupt and relatively weak

– But compared to the Terror it was breath of fresh air to the weary French people

Napoleon Bonaparte

Ends the Revolution but that’s another story…