Section 1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION BEGINS The French

Section 1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION BEGINS

The French Revolution Begins 1700’s France considered to be the most advanced country in Europe Large population, worldwide trade and the center of the Enlightenment Late 1700’s-France’s social system stuck in Middle Ages (ancient regime) Three social classes (estates) First Estate- clergy Second Estate- nobles Third Estate- merchants, professionals, peasants (majority of population)

The French Revolution Begins FIRST ESTATE ◦ Clergy ◦ Enormous wealth and privilege ◦ Owned 10% of land ◦ Pay no taxes ◦ Provided some social services- hospitals, schools ◦ Target of philosophers reform ◦ Thought Enlightenment undermined moral order SECOND ESTATE ◦ Nobility ◦ 2 % of population, owned 20% of land ◦ Owned land had little income ◦ They thought Enlightenment ideas threatened their status ◦ Did not pay taxes

The French Revolution Begins Third Estate Most diverse- the rest of society (97%) Urban professionals to rural peasants Poorest members urban workers Third Estate resented the other classes Burdened by heavy taxes Influenced by Enlightenment ideas, began to question old ways, thought privileged should pay share

The French Revolution Begins Forces of Change A. Enlightenment ideas and the success of the American Revolution inspired those that wanted change in France § Economic problems- high taxes made it hard to conduct business, cost of living was going up Years of deficit spending by monarchs led to economic trouble B. C. § § D. Quoting Rousseau and Voltaire lower classes demanded equality, liberty and democracy Wars, lifestyle of monarchs drained money Government borrowed money Late 1780’s bad harvests caused food prices to go up, famine among lower classes

The French Revolution Begins Louis XV, Louis XVI weak kings 1789 -All classes demand reform, Louis XVI calls meeting of Estates General (meeting of representatives from all three estates) Nobles hoped to gain privileges, control king Each group prepared list of grievances Demands show class resentment Third Estate demanded Enlightenment reform, wanted changes in government

The French Revolution Begins May 1789 - Meet at Versailles Third Estate tired of being dominated by 1 st and 2 nd estates Third Estate breaks away and becomes National Assembly ◦ Represent people of France, proclaimed the end of the monarchy and the beginning of a representative government Locked out by Louis, meet on tennis court at Versailles Tennis Court Oath taken by Third Estate, vow to meet until reforms passed Many from clergy and nobility join National Assembly

The French Revolution Begins Storming the Bastille July 14, 1789 – Rumors royal troops were going to take over city (Paris), king was going to use force to get rid of National Assembly 800 march to Bastille (prison in Paris), to get gunpowder that was stored there Bastille seen as symbol of monarchy and abuses Commander refused to open gate, mob stormed in Killed guards, released prisoners, found no gunpowder Challenged regime of Louis XVI Day is now a national holiday in France

The French Revolution Begins The Great Fear Fall 1789 - Rebellions spread from Paris into the country side. Senseless panic called the Great Fear rolled through France ◦ Peasants broke into Nobles’ manor houses. ◦ Parisian women rioted over the rising price of bread ◦ Women marched on Versailles, broke into the palace and demanded that Louis and Marie Antoinette return to Paris. ◦ The king , his family and servants left Versailles Signaled the change of power and radical reforms about to take over

Section 2 REVOLUTION BRINGS REFORM AND TERROR

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror Great Fear caused many nobles to support revolution out of fear National Assembly took away any of their privileges Made commoners equal to the clergy August of 1789 National Assembly issues the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (based on the Declaration of Independence) ◦ Rights guaranteed life, liberty and freedom from oppression ◦ Gave citizens equal justice under the law, freedom of speech and religion Olympe de Gouges wanted these rights of women as well, they were rejected and she was later executed

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror National Assembly reforms also focused on the Catholic Church ◦ Took over church lands and used money to pay off French debt ◦ Many French peasants were devout Catholics and these actions turned them against the Revolution 1791 Louis XVI and his family tried to escape from France but were caught at the border and returned to Paris to face trial

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror September 1791 National Assembly created a constitutional monarchy that stripped the king of most of his authority Created the Legislative Assembly to create laws Legislative Assembly had to handle problems of food shortages and government debt Assembly split into three different groups ◦ Radicals that wanted the most change ◦ Moderates wanted some changes ◦ Conservatives- wanted a limited monarchy with few changes Groups outside of the government wanted to control the direction of France ◦ Émigrés were nobles and others that left France and wanted to restore the Old Régime ◦ Sans-culottes- workers and shopkeepers that wanted the Revolution to bring greater change

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror European leaders saw revolution as threat Did not want similar revolts in their own countries Leaders denounced the Enlightenment, condemned revolutionaries Threatened to intervene to protect French monarchy April 1792 Austria and Prussia declare war on France

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror August 1792 French mob attacks palace and imprisons Marie Antoinette and her children September 1791 Rumors that the king was going to be freed from prison caused mobs to attack prisons and kill royal sympathizers (known as September Massacres) New government is dissolved and a new government founded known as the National Convention takes over ◦ They abolish the monarchy and declare France a republic ◦ Gave all men the right to vote and hold office

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror Jacobins were a radical political organization that were involved in the governmental changes Newspaper editor Jean Paul Marat called for death to all who supported the king Georges Danton was a lawyer and member of the Jacobins ◦ He was devoted to the rights of the poor people of Paris Louis XVI was declared a common citizen by the National Assembly Louis was tried for treason and found guilty January of 1793 Louis was beheaded by the guillotine February 1793 Britain, Holland Spain declared war against France National Convention drafts 300, 000 men between 18 -40 to join army and defend France

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror Jacobins created enemies within France ◦ Church was not under their control, peasants were shocked at the death of the king and rival leaders were stirring up trouble outside of Paris Maximillen Robespierre (a leader of the Jacobins)seized control of the government Wanted to build a “republic of virtue” by erasing France’s past Closed churches, changed the calendar (renamed each month, and took out Sundays), all people referred to each other as citizen July 1793 Robespierre became a dictator and this phase of the Revolution became known as the Reign of Terror

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror Reign of Terror Robespierre created the Committee of Public Safety to protect the revolution from its enemies ◦ 12 member committee had complete control over the French government ◦ Justified use of terror to make citizens remain true to the ideals of the revolution To control mobs and those that disagreed with government 300, 000 arrested 17, 000 executed by guillotine Most that were executed came from the peasant and urban middle class (those who called for revolution in the first place) 1794 Georges Danton was tried and executed Marie Antoinette was executed By July 1794 many tired of executions and feared for own lives

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror July 1794 many members of the National Convention feared for their own safety and turned on Robespierre He was arrested, tried and executed Public opinion had shifted after the death of Robespierre, people were tired of the revolution 1795 new plan of government drafted that put power in the hands of the moderates ◦ There was a new legislative body and an executive body of five men known as the Directory

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror Ten year revolution- changed old social order, dissolved the monarchy, brought Church under state control ◦ Gave French sense of national identity (nationalism) ◦ Provided education to all ◦ Systems put into place to help poor, old soldiers, war widows French flag- tricolor symbol of revolution, La Marseillaise became national anthem