Eve of the Revolution n Intellectual Capital of

*Eve of the Revolution n Intellectual Capital of the World n Yet Gov’t extremely oppressive n Well educated middle class n Inspired by American Revolution

*Causes of the Revolution Bankruptcy of the treasury (High Debt) n Tax burden on the 3 rd estate n Inflation n Abuses of Old Regime n Enlightenment ideas influenced demands for social equality n

*Causes of Revolution. SOCIAL n Social Classes in France n 1 st Estate - Roman Catholic n 2 nd Estate - Nobility/ Aristocracy n 3 rd Estate - Everyone Else n Estates based on social class

*Cause of the Revolution — Weak Leadership n n King Louis XVI Absolute Monarch - King/Queen have complete control over people & land King when the Revolution began Married Marie Antionette Built the Palace of Versailles

*Marie Antoinette n n n Austrian princess—one of France’s longtime enemies Extravagant Spender $$$ French citizens did not like her Queen when revolution began Executed by guillotine in 1793

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Marie Antoinette’s Bedchamber & the Hall of Mirrors

French Legislature: Estates. General Each Estate had one vote n Third Estate wanted more representation n

The National Assembly n King Louis XVI refused - greater representation of the 3 rd Estate n Third Estate broke away and declared themselves the National Assembly

Louis XVI Actions n June 27 - To make peace, called the 1 st and 2 nd Estates to join the National Assembly n n n France was bankrupt Riots were spreading Louis XVI also called for Swiss guards

*The Fall of the Bastille July 14, 1789 Rumor of foreign armies n Citizens stormed the Bastille looking for gunpowder n Great symbolic act of the Revolution n Celebrated much like July 4 th is celebrated in the United States. n

The Great Fear n Fear and violence swept through France n Peasants attacked noble’s homes and destroyed old feudal records

The Great Fear They broke into Versailles and killed 2 guards n Forced Louis XVI and family to return to Paris n Signaled the change in power n

National Assembly n August 27, 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man n Expressed Enlightenment ideas of liberty, property, speech and religion

What document is this similar to in the United States?

Louis XVI n Louis and family try to flee to Austria n Captured, brought back to Paris

Louis XVI arrested and put on trial n Found guilty n Executed on Jan 21, 1793 by the guillotine along with Marie Antionette n

National Convention n European monarchs shocked n Formed 1 st Coalition against France – April 1793 n France defeats in October 1795

Committee of Public Safety n Formed to protect France from foreign and domestic enemies

Committee of Public Safety n Maximillien Robespierre n Led Reign of Terror n Led Committee of Public Safety n Executed thousands “If the mainspring of popular government in peacetime is virtue, in revolution it is both virtue and terror; virtue without terror is fatal; terror without virtue is powerless” What conduct is Robespierre trying to justify?

The Reign of Terror (17931794) Committee of Public Safety sentencing citizens to death n ANYONE considered an enemy of France is guillotined n No one was safe n 20, 000 -40, 000 sentenced to death and executed by the Guillotine n

*French Revolution Ends Napoleon seizes power from government in coup d’etat (1799) n Napoleon brought stability to France n Unlike American Revolution, France now ruled by dictator n