UNIT 3: THE FRENCHREVOLUTION

WHEN CERTAIN CITIZENS OF A COUNTRY REPLACE THEIR

GOVERNMENT WITH A NEW GOVERNMENT USUALLY USING FORCE

OR VIOLENCE• For Example:

The Glorious Revolution, 1688The American Revolution, 1776The French Revolution, 1789

WHAT IS A POLITICALREVOLUTION?

POLITICAL CAUSESLouis XVI was a weak kingThe French government was not as strong as it used to be

The French government was bankruptoSpent more money than they made in taxes (deficit spending)

MAJOR CAUSES

ECONOMIC CAUSESKing Louis XIV left France in debtFamine, high food prices, and

unemployment made people all over France unhappy with the king

French clergy and nobility paid no taxes

The burden of taxation fell on the middle class and peasants

MAJOR CAUSES

ENLIGHTENMENT IDEASNew ideas made the French middle class and peasants want more rights and a role in the governmentNatural RightsSeparation of PowersSocial ContractFreedom of Religion

MAJOR CAUSES

IMMEDIATE CAUSE

King Louis XVI and the French government ran out of money

The government needed new taxes to pay off old debts

King Louis XVI called in the Estates-General to approve new taxes

The Estates-General made itself more democratic, called itself the National Assembly and started to change the French government

MAJOR CAUSES

ESTATES-GENERALDEFINITION & ROLE IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

• Estate is just a fancy word for social classFor Example:oThe clergy (priests) is an estateoThe nobility is an estateoThe middle and lower class is an estate

WHAT’S AN ESTATE?

• The ESTATES-GENERAL was supposed to represent all the social classes of France and approve new taxes for the king

• It had three separate houses: one for each social class1st Estate – Clergy2nd Estate – Nobility3rd Estate – Everyone else in France

WHAT’S THEESTATES-GENERAL

• The 3rd Estate was by far the largest group in France

• However, the 1st & 2nd Estates own 30% of the land in France

• They usually owned the best land

• The 3rd Estate didn’t like this

LAND OWNERSHIPIN FRANCE

0102030405060708090

100

FirstEstate

SecondEstate

ThirdEstate

ESTATES-GENERAL

HOW DID THE ESTATES-GENERAL WORK?

FIRST ESTATE:CLERGY

SECOND ESTATE:NOBILITY

THIRD ESTATE:EVERYBODY

ELSE

The angry people of Paris attacked the royal castle of

the Bastille on July 14, 1789. After this show of support by the PEOPLE, the 3rd Estate took control

of the Estates-General, renamed it the National Assembly, and started to change the French

government and society

WHAT STARTED IT ALL?

A greater role in the governmentPopular Sovereignty

The people (not the king) are in charge of the government

Limited monarchyProtection of their natural rights

Life, Liberty, PropertyEquality with the nobles and clergyFreedom of religionLimits on taxesCHANGE

WHAT DID THE THIRDESTATE WANT?

MODERATE REFORMSOF THE

NATIONALASSEMBLY

KEEPING WITHIN LIMITS AND NOT SUPPORTING EXTREME VIEWS

For Example:oAllowing some people the right to vote

but not everyone

DEFINITION OFMODERATE

• The “National Assembly” was the new name for the Estates-General after the 3rd Estate took control in 1789o It was the new elected legislature of France

• The Third Estate claimed they represented ALL the French people

• They issued a document: the Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen that stated their views on society, religion and government

• They started to reform France

WHAT’S THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY?

• Established freedom of religion

• Placed the Catholic Church under the control of the government

• Took Catholic Church lands and ended the clergy’s special privileges

RELIGIOUS REFORMS

• All men, regardless of social

class, were declared equal

• Created a limited monarchy and established a permanent elected legislature

• Granted MOST males the right to the vote throughout France

POLITICAL REFORMS

• Abolished the privileges of the nobility

• Ended the feudal system in France

• Established fair and equal taxation based on ability to pay

SOCIAL REFORMS

RADICAL REFORMSOF THE

COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY

SUPPORTING EXTREME IDEAS AND VIEWS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE VIEWS

OF MOST PEOPLEFor Example:

o Abolishing all religion, arresting priests, and executing clergy

DEFINITION OFRADICAL

• IN 1792, A RADICAL GROUP TOOK CONTROL OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

• THE RADICALS FORMED A COMMITTEE AND EXERCISED TOTAL CONTROL OVER FRANCE’S GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETY

• THIS GROUP WAS LED BY ROBESPIERRE

DEFINITION OF COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY

• Participated in the revolution

from the beginning but took control in 1792

• Led the revolution during the “radical” period

• Chairman of the Committee of Public Safety

• Favored radical ideas from the EnlightenmentAbolition of ReligionAbolition of the MonarchyFavored democracyAbolition of the Nobility

ROBESPIERRE

• Abolished the Catholic Church and all other religions

• Persecuted and executed Catholic Clergy

• Destroyed churches and confiscated all Church lands

RELIGIOUS REFORMS

• Abolished the monarchy

o Executed King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette in 1793

• Created a democratic republic with elected representatives

• Established UNIVERSAL MALE SUFFRAGEo The right for all men to vote and

elect their leaders• Government took over people’s

lives and was led by radicals

POLITICAL REFORMS

• Allowed women to own property

• Established complete equality for all male citizens

• Favored the lower classes over the middle classes and wealthy

SOCIAL REFORMS

• The Committee of Public Safety used fear to implement its reforms

• The radicals executed the king & queen, nobles, priests, the wealthy, and any possible opponent of their radical views

• Between 40,000 and 80,000 people were killed

THE REIGN OF TERROR

• The Committee of Public Safety wanted to spread the revolution to other countries in Europe

• French armies conquered lands, killed kings and nobles, and created democracies

• The other kings of Europe were VERY afraid of France

SPREADINGREVOLUTION

• After the death of

Robespierre, moderates took power in France by setting up a five man Directory with a 2 house legislature

• The Directory was set up by the Constitution of 1795

• Ruled France from 1795-1799

THE DIRECTORY

• Faced too many threatso Tensions with Austria and BritainoCorrupt leadersoRaising bread pricesoAngry CatholicsoRoyalist feelings resurface throughout

France• People began to turn to Napoleon

Bonaparte, a popular military hero

WHY DID THE DIRECTORYFAIL?

• LIMITED MONARCHY• EQUALITY AND NATURAL RIGHTS• ANTI-RELIGIOUS• NATIONALISM• REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT

Elected representativesNo kings or nobilityUniversal male suffrage

MAJOR IDEAS OF THEREVOLUTION

• SPREAD OF NATIONALISMStrong patriotic feelings for your country

• SPREAD OF ENLIGHTENMENT IDEASDemocracy & Republican governmentNatural rightsEquality

• FEAR OF REVOLUTIONGovernments are afraid of popular revolutions

• SPREAD OF REVOLUTIONLatin America (1812 – 1830)Haiti (1803)

MAJOR EFFECTS OF THE

REVOLUTION

POLITICAL CARTOON

POLITICAL CARTOON

THE AGE OFNAPOLEON

• 1769 – Born on the island of Corsica• 1785 – Becomes an officer in the French army• 1793 – Helps capture Toulon from British and was

promoted to Lieutenant• 1796-97 – Helps wins victories against Austria in Italy• 1799 – Becomes political figure, overthrows the

Directory and sets up a three man consulate, naming himself the first consul

• 1804 – Titled himself emperor of France• Napoleon held a plebiscite each time he stepped up in

power

NAPOLEON’S RISE TO POWER

TOULON

• Strengthened central

government• Provided order, security, and

efficiency• Controlled prices• Built roads and canals• Set up public schools• Concordat of 1801 – recognized

religious freedom for Catholics• Established the Napoleonic

Code

NAPOLEON’S REFORMS

• Large armies, moved quickly, took risks• Annexed lands

NetherlandsBelgiumParts of Italy and Germany

• Failed to conquer BritainBlockade

• Put family and friends on the throne in Europe

HOW DID NAPOLEON BUILDAN EMPIRE IN EUROPE

• Nationalism backfires• Spain resists French rule when

Napoleon replaced the King of Spain with his brother Joseph BonaparteGuerilla warfare (hit and run raids)

• War with Austria• Napoleon’s army is defeated by

RussiaHarsh climate

THE FALL OF NAPOLEON

3 MAJOR LEADERSAUSTRIA – Clemens von MetternichRUSSIA – Czar Alexander IBRITAIN – Lord Robert Castlereagh

CONGRESS OFVIENNA

• Contain French ambitions• Create a lasting peace by establishing a

balance of powero Distribution of military and economic power that

prevents any one nation from becoming too strong• Protect the system of the monarchy• Wanted to be able to suppress future

revolution

CONGRESS OF VIENNAGOALS

• Legitimacy – restoring the hereditary monarchies that the French Revolution and Napoleon had unseated

• France – Louis XVIII was put on the French throne• Quadruple Alliance (Britain, Russia, Austria,

Prussia) – pledged to act together to maintain the balance of power

• Redrew the boundaries of some European countries

CONGRESS OF VIENNAOUTCOMES

QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE

EUROPE AFTER THECONGRESS OF VIENNA