Aim Could the French Revolution have been avoided

Aim: Could the French Revolution have been avoided? Units 5 and 6: 1750 - 1900

1. According to the timeline, identify 5 countries that had revolutions or wars of independence between 1775 and 1848. 2. Which was the first country to rebel in the “Age of Revolution? ” 3. Based on the timeline, what earlier events may have caused the Age of Revolution? Why do you think that was?

I The Old Regime (Ancien Regime) A) Socio-political system of pre revolutionary France B) France’s social hierarchy was divided into 3 estates.

The Old Regime (Ancien Regime) 1 st Estate Church owned 10% of France 2 nd Estate Less than 2% of the total population but they owned 20% of the land. 3 rd Estate 4/5 of the population. üBourgeoisie (upper middle class professionals, lawyers, doctors, business owners, artisans üSans culottes (urban workers) üPeasants (poor farmers) Paid no direct taxes, but gave the Held high offices in the Army, government 2% as a “Free Gift”. government, and the courts Paid almost 50% in taxes and feudal dues Collected tithes (10 % of income; usually from the peasants crops) Paid the tithe to the Church but virtually no other taxes Had to pay a Corvee (work tax) in which peasants will work for the local government/noble Priests were often as poor as the peasants. Most nobles were not wealthy. They relied on feudal and manorial dues owed to them by the peasants.

The 3 rd Estate was Divided into 3 Groups 1. Bourgeoisie (upper middle class professionals, lawyers, doctors, business owners, artisans 2. Sans culottes (urban workers) 3. Peasants (poor farmers)

Unknown artist, “You Should Hope this Game Will Be Over Soon”, 1788 What is this political cartoon trying to say about the 3 Estates?

II Causes of the French Revolution Economic Reasons: France’s economy was declining due to üThe price of bread was skyrocketing. üThe monarchy spent too much money on luxuries ü After losing to the British in the 7 Years War, France aided the American Revolution financially against the British ü 3 rd Estate paid the most taxes Social Reasons: Enlightenment philosophes questioned the divine right of monarchs. Political Reasons: Influence of the American Revolution! More Problems with Taxes 1. The French were subject to a range of direct taxes (payable to the royal government) and indirect taxes (payable on items like salt, wine and tobacco) as well as feudal payments. 2. Tax liabilities varied widely across France. The gabelle (salt tax) was levied at much higher amounts in and near Paris than in southern France. The nobility and clergy were also exempt from some direct taxes.

King Louis XVI Louis was born at Versailles in 1754. In 1770 he married Marie Antoinette, daughter of the emperor and empress of Austria, a match intended to consolidate an alliance between France and Austria. In 1774, Louis succeeded his grandfather Louis XV as king of France. Louis initially supported attempts by his advisors Jacques Turgot and later Jacques Necker to relieve France's financial problems by cutting spending and raising taxes on the 1 st and 2 nd Estates. However, France’s debts increased due to aiding the American revolutionaries, and the clergy and nobles refused most reforms. This led to Louis XVI calling a meeting of the Estates General.

Marie Antoinette Born in Vienna, Austria 1755 to Holy Roman Emperor (and Hapsburg) Francis I and Maria Theresa, Marie Antoinette married the future French king Louis XVI at 14 years old. She and her husband became symbols of the ills of the French monarchy. Was it fair to blame Marie Antoinette for France’s problems? When told that starving French peasants lacked any bread to eat, the queen allegedly said “Let them eat cake!”. There is NO evidence she said this. Marie did indulge in luxuries including socializing at Versailles, and elaborate hairdos (including a naval ship). However, she established a home for unwed mothers, gave to charity, adopted 4 orphans and supported others children financially (in addition to her 4 own biological children).

III The Estates General 1789 A) The Estates General was a representative assembly of the Ancien Régime. It did not meet regularly; it was summoned by the king, usually in times of war or crisis. The Estates General had no legislative power: its role was simply to advise the king. In 1789 the Estates-General had not met for 175 years! Louis XVI called the meeting to raise necessary funds. The edict summoning the Estates-General stated that the traditional procedures of meeting and voting by order were to be used. [Traditionally the Estates General met as 3 separate estates. Voting was conducted by order; each of the Estate deliberated on matters separately and cast one vote in unison. This meant the 3 rd was regularly outvoted by the 1 st and 2 nd Estates. ] B) This triggered outrage among the bourgeoisie. This gave rise to two slogans: “voting by head” (a call for votes to be decided by the ballots of individual deputies) and “doubling the Third” (a demand that representation for the 3 rd Estate be increased twofold). C) December 27 th the king, by way of compromise, agreed to double the number of seats for deputies from the 3 rd Estate. However, this did not change the fact that the 3 rd estate could still be outvoted by the 1 st and 2 nd.

The Estates General 1789 Continued… D) January 24 th, 1789 Louis XVI issued another edict providing instructions for electing deputies to the Estates-General. ü For the 1 st and 2 nd Estate, each formed an electoral assembly to elect its deputies. All nobles and clerics could participate. ü The election of 3 rd Estate deputies was more complex. In the countryside, male taxpayers over the age of 25 were invited to participate in parish assemblies, which elected representatives to assemblies. In towns and cities, guilds and corporations sent representatives to a town assembly, which then chose representatives to attend the assembly that would elect the deputies for the Estates-General. This lengthy and indirect process was designed to limit radical voices. Also, deputies needed to be wealthy enough to pay their own way to Versailles and remain there for several weeks. 296 First Estate deputies were dominated by parish priests 282 Second Estate deputies by military nobles 610 Third Estate deputies by lawyers and bourgeois interests.

Estates General 1789 Continued… E) May 4, 1789 King Louis XVI opened the meeting by declaring himself “the people’s greatest friend”. Jacques Necker, the Minister of Finances, explained the financial situation (the deficit was 56 Million) and argued for new taxes. 1. The Estates-General reached an impasse over how to carry out the voting of the meeting. 2. The 3 rd Estate reacted by calling itself a National Assembly and decided to draft a constitution with or without members of the other estates. 3. King Louis XVI locked the 3 rd Estate out of the meeting hall. The 3 rd Estate was joined by ‘liberal’ members of the other 2 Estates and moved to a nearby tennis court. Jacques Necker 1732 - 1804

IV The Tennis Court Oath 3 days after the National Assembly was locked out of the Estates General, they met in a nearby indoor tennis court and took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to leave until constitutional reform had been achieved. On June 23, 1789, Louis XVI relented. He ordered the 3 estates to meet together as the National Assembly and vote by population, on a constitution for France. “The National Assembly, considering that it has been summoned to establish the constitution of the kingdom, to effect the regeneration of the public order, and to maintain the true principles of monarchy… Decrees that all members of this Assembly shall immediately take a solemn oath not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established and consolidated upon firm foundations; and that, the said oath taken, all members and each one of them individually shall ratify this steadfast resolution by signature. ”

Painting by David, Le Serment du Jeu de paume

V The Storming of the Bastille and Great Fear A) Initially seeming to support the National Assembly by declaring it legal, Louis had Versailles surrounded with troops and dismissed Jacques Necker (the financial minister who had supported reforms). B) On July 14 th rioters stormed the Bastille fortress in an attempt to secure weapons. The 7 prisoners of the Bastille were freed. (*The majority of the prisoners had been moved. ) The capture of the Bastille symbolized the end of the ancien regime C) Spurred by rumors of roving brigades of royalists, peasants looted and burned the homes of nobles (The Great Fear) inspired the National Assembly to abolish feudalism on August 4, 1789. D) France in 1789 endured its worst food crisis in years. “Unemployed workers, displaced by the crisis in industry, were everywhere in search of jobs… Vagrants and beggars, always a source of concern to the small rural proprietor, choked the roads and threatened reprisals against householders who refused to give them shelter or a crust of bread. Hungry men and women invaded forests and fields and stripped them of firewood or grain, before the harvest was ripe to the gathered. ” John Albert White

A Paris newspaper reported on the storming of the Bastille on July 14 th 1789: “First, the people tried to enter this fortress by the Rue St. -Antoine, this fortress, which no one has ever penetrated against the wishes of this frightful despotism and where the monster still resided. The treacherous governor had put out a flag of peace. So a confident advance was made; a detachment of French Guards, with perhaps 5, 000 – 6, 000 armed bourgeois penetrated the Bastille’s outer courtyards, but as soon as some 600 persons had passed over the first drawbridge, the bridge was raised and artillery fire mowed down several French Guards and some soldiers; the cannon fired on the town, and the people took fright… It was a terrible scene… The fighting grew steadily more intense…and so the Bastille fell and the governor, De Launey, was captured. . . Serene and blessed liberty, for the first time, has at last been introduced into this abode of horrors, this frightful refuge of monstrous despotism and its crimes. Meanwhile, they get ready to march; they leave amidst an enormous crowd; the applause, the outbursts of joy, the insults, the oaths hurled at the treacherous prisoners of war; everything is confused; cries of vengeance and of pleasure issue from every heart; the conquerors, glorious and covered in honour, carry their arms and the spoils of the conquered, the flags of victory, the militia mingling with the soldiers of the fatherland… all this created a frightening and splendid spectacle. On arriving at the square, the people, anxious to avenge themselves, allowed neither De Launey nor the other officers to reach the place of trial; they seized them from the hands of their conquerors and trampled them underfoot one after the other. De Launey was struck by a thousand blows, his head was cut off and hoisted on the end of a pike with blood streaming down all sides… This glorious day must amaze our enemies, and finally usher in for us the

Symbols of the French Revolution Bastille Day July 14 th, Paris The Tricolor Flag The WHITE of the Bourbons, the RED & BLUE of Paris.

Summary Questions 1. What were the long term causes of the French Revolution? 2. Why did Louis XVI call for a meeting of the Estates General? 3. What was the National Assembly and why did they go to a nearby tennis court? 4. What was the purpose of the Tennis Court Oath? What is its significance? (Use evidence from the primary source) 5. Why was the Bastille stormed? What was the outcome? Was the actions of the rebels justified? (Use evidence from the primary source) 6. Do you think it is fair that Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were blamed for France’s problems? Why or why not?

Key Vocabulary 1 st Estate 2 nd Estate 3 rd Estate Ancien Regime Bastille Bourgeoise Estates-General French Revolution Jacques Necker King Louis XVI Queen Marie Antoinette Sans-Culottes Tennis Court Oath