2. Part I: Revolt and Rights Most important event in European history Fall of absolutism (end of “l’ancien regime”) Concept of right and left King & followers = conservative right Wanted distance = liberal left Ideas can change reality
3. Long Term Causes Enlightenment ideals (liberty, equality, etc.) Divided nation Huge national debt (extravagance, wars, etc.)
4. Long Term Causes (cont.) Corruption Population pressures Society of Orders (The Three Estates)
5. Short Term Causes Seven Year’s War War of American Independence Harsh winter/food shortage Estates General/ National Assembly
6. The Three Estates Since the Middle Ages, French society had been divided into three separate classes: The First Estate = clergy The Second Estate = nobility The Third Estate = everyone else
7. Three Estates (cont.) Discontent grew in 1700s First Estate always exempt from taxes (resented) Second Estate many privileges & rights: Land ownership Hunting rights Collect money from peasants
8. Three Estates (cont.) First & Second Estates held power Third Estate = 97% of population Substructure: Bourgeoisie = middle class, usually educated – doctors, lawyers, merchants, manufacturers Urban poor = laborers & artisans Peasants = worked as farmers
9. Third Estate Peasants lived in poverty & burdened by: Feudal dues to lords Rent payments for land they worked “Taille” (heaviest gov’t tax) Tithes to the Catholic church (1/10 of income)
10. Estates General Louis XVI convened the Estates General Representatives from each of the three estates – Louis hoped to gain approval to raise taxes Met at Versailles in May 1789
11. Estates General Each estate had its own agenda & wanted to improve its position by taking power from the monarchy Abbé de Sieyès – “What is the Third Estate?”
12. What is the Third Estate? 1st. What is the third estate? Everything. 2nd. What has it been heretofore in the political order? Nothing. 3rd. What does it demand? To become something therein.
13. Group Activity Discuss as a group then write (individually) your answers in the journal section of your notebooks: Who are the subjects of the political cartoon? What symbolism is used? To which Estate did the artist most likely belong? Why?
14. National Assembly Third Estate formed the National Assembly Main goal = French Constitution Louis closed down their meeting
15. Tennis Court Oath National Assembly met on a tennis court Took the Tennis Court Oath – vowed to stay until they had written a Constitution
18. National Assembly Louis recognized the N. A. Tremendous citizen support allowed the N. A. to assume power By mid-summer 1789, rumors that royal troops would crush the N. A.
20. Revolution Begins Louis XVI fired the beloved finance minister, Jacques Necker July 14, 1789 – working people of Paris stormed the Bastille – a prison symbolic of despotism and torture Initial goal = obtain weapons & gunpowder to defend the National Assembly…
23. Moderate Stage Revolutionary mentality created – drives the revolutionaries forward Two distinct stages: Moderate & Radical July 14, 1789 – 800-900 Parisians, mostly women, went to the Bastille
25. La Bastille Looking for weapons & gunpowder Stormed the prison – 98 killed and 73 wounded No weapons, but significant because La Bastille was a symbol of the Revolution Louis’ reaction…
28. Moderate Stage To many – no turning back Moderate Stage = Clash between 2nd Estate (nobility) and 3rd Estate (peasants) WHY??
29. Moderate Stage (cont.) Includes fall of Bastille and the general events that led to it After the fall of the Bastille, many nobles fled & Louis withdrew troops
30. Grievances Peasantry believed Estates General would solve the problems they had outlined in a list of grievances called “cahiers de doléances” Cahiers were ignored – Peasants attacked food convoys en route to Paris
31. Grievances (cont.) Peasants refuse to pay taxes, tithes, and manorial dues as they perceived their landlords to be responsible for their economic plight End of July 1789 – peasants began to burn down the homes of their landlords & with them the records of their obligations
32. Fear & Violence Spread Rumors began – aristocracy to raise an army and kill the peasants – known as “The Great Fear” The Fear – advantage to the reformers – gave National Assembly the opportunity to criticize aristocratic privilege
33. End of Feudalism August 4, 1789- French aristocrats surrendered privileges by decree That night, the General Assembly drew up “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen” Outlined man’s natural rights – symbolic of the new French Social Order
34. March on Versailles Louis XVI did not approve October 5, 1789 – Parisians marched 12 miles to Versailles to protest the lack of bread 20,000 Paris Guards joined the mob
35. March (cont.) “We are going to cut off her head, tear out her heart, fry her liver, and that won’t be the end of it!”
36. Promises, Promises Louis promised bread & approved decrees/declaration and returned to Paris Called “October Days” Restored peasant’s faith
37. Louis’ Fatal Error June 20, 1791 – attempted to flee France In contact with Leopold II – plan to raise army in Austria and crush the revolution The Flight to Varennes…
38. "Arrest of Louis Capet at Varennes, June 22, 1791"This print shows an angry crowd of fervent revolutionaries breaking down doors to arrest the King.”
39. Flight to Varennes Showed Louis could not be trusted NA had wanted a Constitutional Monarchy – now, this was unlikely
40. Reforms of the N. A. Goal = dismantle the Ancién Regime Six basic reforms to accomplish: Abolish birthright – legalize equality Declaration of the Rights of Man Subordinated church to state Constitution (1791) More efficient government Economic reforms
41. Revolution Done?? End of Sept. 1791 – N. A.’s work done Revolution over 1792 – drastic change – not desired or anticipated Was this the end??
42. Bell Ringer What were some of the consequences of King Louis XVI’s “Flight to Varennes”? Discuss with Partner 30 Seconds
45. The Sans-Culottes French for “without knee britches” Term created by the nobility to describe the poorer members of the Third Estate because they wore long pants instead of the chic shorter culottes.
46. Sans-Culottes (cont.) Typical dress of a sans-culotte Page 349 in your textbook Red liberty cap Pantaloons (long trousers) Carmagnole (short-skirted coat) Sabats (wooden shoes)
47. Sans-Culottes (cont.) They demanded that the revolutionary government immediately: Increase wages Fix prices End food shortages Punish hoarders Deal with counterrevolutionaries
48. Sans-Culottes (cont.) Wanted laws to prevent extremes of both wealth & poverty Ideal nation = one of small shopkeepers and farmers
52. The Jacobins Predominately bourgeoisie Well-organized & disciplined Wanted a strong central government with Paris being the center of power Supported temporary governmental controls to deal with the needs of the economy
53. The Jacobins (cont.) Combined with the sans-culottes, the Jacobins WERE the revolution Above all else, the Jacobins unleashed extreme terror
54. Girondins This moderate faction of the Assembly drew its support from businessmen, merchants, and government officials Their fall from popularity began with their refusal to join the more radical revolutionaries in overthrowing the monarchy
55. La Montagne The Mountain A political group (members = Montagnards) Sat on highest benches in NA Often synonymous with Jacobins Under the sway of such men as Marat, Danton, & Robespierre
56. Marat Jean Paul Marat Swiss-born Physician “L’Ami du Peuple”
