French Revolution World History Causes of French Revolution

French Revolution World History

Causes of French Revolution n Estate System n Enlightenment Ideas n Economic Problems (taxes & crop failures) n Weak Leader – Louis XVI n Unpopular queen – Marie Antoinette

Estates General n Louis XVI decided to raise taxes on nobility (2 nd estate) to deal with economy n 2 nd Estate refused to pay until called a meeting of Estates General to approve tax n 1 st time called in hundreds of years n Each estate gets 1 vote – 3 rd Estate happy b/c think they will have a voice in gov’t

National Assembly n 3 rd Estate realizes time to make changes n Votes to re-organize themselves n Call themselves National Assembly – want an end to absolute monarchy & representative gov’t n National Assembly will include all estates & will make laws to benefit all ppl

Tennis Court Oath n At meeting of Estates General, 3 rd Estate locked out of meeting room n Broke down door to indoor tennis court and said wouldn’t move until a new constitution which gave them rights was signed n Pledge called Tennis Court Oath

Declaration of Rights of Man & Citizen n Many 1 st & 2 nd Estate joined National Assembly n Wrote Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen stating all “men are born and remain free and equal in rights” n Leaders adopted slogan of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” for revolution

Panic n King Louis XVI scared so put Swiss guards around palace for protection n Rumors flew that king was going to use Swiss guards to get rid of National Assembly or massacre French ppl

Storming the Bastille n Ppl began to gather weapons to defend against Swiss guards n July 14, mob looking for gunpowder broke into the Bastille, a prison n Mob hacked many guards to death then paraded around the streets with dead men’s heads on sticks n First violent event of the French Revolution

Great Fear n Rumors started that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize peasants n Wave of panic called Great Fear went through countryside n Peasants began to break into noble’s homes, burn, pillage

Women March n In Paris, thousands of women rioted over price of bread n w/ knives, axes, etc. marched to Versailles n Broke into palace, killed guards n Demanded that Louis & Marie Antoinette return with them to Paris n When king & queen left, symbolized change of power from monarchs to ppl

National Assembly n Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression” equal justice, freedom of speech, freedom of religion n State controlled church: church leaders now paid by government and elected. Church lands sold off to pay off France’s debt n Alarmed many of the peasants who were devout Catholics n King tries to escape

New Constitution n Limited monarchy n Legislative Assembly: approve laws/war n Factions split the assembly Radicals: big changes- no monarchy Moderates: some changes Conservatives: Limited monarchy:

Other factions: n Emigres: nobles who wanted the old regime restored n Sans-culottes “those without knee breeches” shopkeepers, workers, etc. . Who supported the revolution and wanted bigger changes

France at War n Austria and Prussia urge France to restore the monarchy n Legislative assembly declares war n Prussia threatens to destroy Paris if monarch is harmed n Mob invades the Tuileries and imprisons the Royal family

September Massacres n Afraid royal supporters will try to break out of jail, mobs raid French prisons and massacre over 1, 000 prisoners n Under pressure from the mobs, the Legislative assembly set aside the constitution of 1791, declared the king deposed, dissolved the assembly, elected a new legislative body n The National Convention created a republic and abolished the monarchy

Jacobins n Radical revolutionaries n Put King Louis XVI on trial and executed him n Jacobin leaders continued war and drafted 300, 000

Robespierre n n n n n Jacobins had many enemies including peasants, priests, and other rebels Robespierre creates a “republic of virtue” Wiped away France’s past New calendar Closed churches Committee of Public Safety: protect the revolution from it’s enemies “Reign of Terror” Killed thousands of people, including Marie Antoinette National Convention executed Robespierre

Another government… n Executive directory of 5 men (moderates) n Two house legislature n Hired Napoleon Bonaparte to become General of the French army.

1. June 1791 3. April 1792 2. September 1791 5. September 21 1792 4. Aug 10 1792 Legislative Assembly declares war on Prussia B. King Louis XVI executed C. Royal family tries to escape D. Robespierre becomes head of Committee of Public Safety A. 6. Jan 21 1793 7. July 1793 8. July 28 1794 E. National Assembly finishes new constitution F. Royal family is imprisoned G. Robespierre sent to the guillotine H. Monarchy is abolished, France becomes a republic

June 1791 C Royal Family tries to escape

September 1791 E National Assembly finishes the new constitution

April 1792 A Legislative Assembly declares war on Prussia

August 10 1792 F Royal Family is imprisoned

September 21 1792 H The monarchy is abolished, France becomes a republic

January 21 1793 B King Louis XVI is executed

July 1793 D Robespierre becomes the leader of the Committee of Public Safety

July 28 1794 G Robespierre is sent to the guillotine