The French Revolution… and Napoleon

The Old Regime

First Estate Clergy and the Church Less than 1%

Second Estate Nobility Less than 2%

Third Estate Everyone else in France … 97%

“What is the Third Estate”

First Estate

Church owned 15% of land in France

Collected massive amounts of taxes

But they didn’t have to pay taxes

Second Estate

Held the highest positions in government and army

Rarely paid any taxes

Third Estate

Bourgeoisie Merchants, manufacturers,

doctors, lawyers

Working Class Artisans, city workers

Peasants

Forced to pay heavy amounts of taxes not paid by the First or Second Estate

Growing Discontent

Population Growth Needs increase

Economic conditions Peasants forced to pay

higher taxes Food prices increase Wages remain the same

Growing Discontent

Bourgeoisie prospered through 1700sWanted better positions

Merchants and manufacturers resented paying taxesClergy and nobility didn’t have to pay taxes

What do they have in common THEY ALL SHARE DISCONTENT FOR THE SYSTEM!!!

They start calling for liberty and equality

Financial Crisis

Louis XIV Debt from wars and

Versailles

Louis XVIDebt from American

RevolutionTried to raise taxes of

First and Second Estate… DENIED

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Palace of Versailles

Meeting of the Estates General (1789)… first since 1614

Louis XVI called for the meeting to have all three Estates agree on new taxes

Louis XVI wanted them to meet separately with each Estate receiving one voteThird Estate refused, broke off and created the

National AssemblyTennis Court Oath

Need new constitution

Marks the TRUE beginning of the Revolution

Spread of the Revolution

Louis XVI feels threatened and decides to bring troops into Paris The people fear they will

be used on National Assembly

Citizens take the Bastille Prison looking to free political prisoners and gain weapons (July 14, 1789)

Reforms by National Assembly

Elections for all local officials Seized land of the Church and sold it to the public Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)

Places Church control under the French Government… First Time Ever!!!!!!First Estate is now part of the Revolution

Reforms by National Assembly

Constitution of 1791 Limited authority of the king Divided government into three branches

Executive, legislative, judicial

Tax-paying male voters elected members to new government body

This is the creation of the Legislative Assembly (New government #2)

King Louis XVI’s flight (June 20-21, 1791)

King Louis XVI leaves Paris on night of June 20-21, 1791 He gets caught The French people no longer

trust the kingThey go from wanting a

constitutional monarchy to a REPUBLIC

Another RADICAL change that France has never had

I’m out of here!!

Legislative Assembly (Government #2)

Very weak government Radicals, Moderates, Conservatives (Left, Middle, Right)

Where have you seen these terms before?

Could not agree on anything… sounds like Washington D.C. 200 years laterException is the idea of war with foreign powers in

order to protect the RevolutionWho is scared?

War with Austria April 1792 – Legislative Assembly declares war on

Austria Marie Antoinette (Louis’s wife) is Austrian King Louis XVI sees this as an opportunity…

Louis XVI supported the foreign powers… is this treasonous?

Other monarchies around Europe are scared of revolution spreading to their countries AND they want to restore Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to their rightful throne

What idea does this represent that we talked about last week?

End of Monarchy

Legislative Assembly suspends office of the king in August 1792

The Paris Commune takes over Paris in order to protect it from foreign invadersThis is a revolutionary group that wanted to end the

monarchy in France Paris Commune decides a new constitution is

needed (#2) Elections for a National Convention (Government #3)

The National Convention

Elected by universal manhood suffrage (Voting for all men)

Girondins (moderate) Jacques-Pierre Brissot

Jacobins (Very, very, very, very, very radical)Georges-Jacques Danton, Maximilien

Robespierre, Jean Paul Marat Both groups want a Republic!

Jacobin Rule

Believed the Revolution should be led by the politicians of Paris

Ruled for National Convention for 3 years They were ultra-radical, some would say

fanatical, and were maybe even tyrannical #RapGame

Declare end to monarchy and write constitution

The National Convention Brought Louis XVI to trial

Executed January 21, 1793 (ended monarchy)

Decided a new constitution was needed (#3)

ReformsCreated the Committee of Public

Safety

This is how we rolllll-olll-

ollll!

Committee of Public Safety

Republic of Virtue or based on high morals New society no associated with the Monarchy but

society based on Virtue

Wage and price controls We can eat!!!

Adopted the metric system New revolutionary calendar

Started with day 1 year 1 of the Revolution

Reign of Terror

Lasted from September 1793 – July 1794 Law of Suspects (1793)

If you were suspected of treason against the state you could be executed without any evidence

Committee of Public Safety directed the Terror Nobility, anyone “suspected” of disloyalty Danton declares the Terror over in Spring 1794

Robespierre gets insanely scared, kills off DantonPeople see Robespierre is clearly out-of-his-mind!

Ends with the Death of Robespierre

Reign of Terror

300,000 arrested 17,000 executed 10,000 estimated to have died in prison before

trial The Committee of Public Safety was willing to

eliminate freedoms in order to protect the revolution

The Directory (government #4)1795-1799

A group of wealthy menWanted something between the super-ultra-

crazy radical Jacobins and the Old Regime… a healthy medium

This group creates another constitution (#4)Bi-carmel legislature = 2 different houses to

decide on laws

The Directory (government #4)1795-1799

Still have a lot of the same problems as the Old Regime Who remembers what these were?

Financial difficultiesPoor still sufferedcorruption Life

The Directory (government #4)1795-1799

Biggest issue is this group could not pick a policy and stick to it This is similar to the

Legislative AssemblyHaving multiple people who

are in charge is extremely new to France

THEY HAVE HAD A KING FOOOOORRRRRRREEEEEVVVVVERRRRRR!

Napoleon Bonaparte

“Whiff of Grape Shot” He defended the Directory

when the Tuileries was stormed

Conquest of ItalyEach victory provided

him more support

Napoleon Bonaparte

The Directory is very weak They agree to a campaign

in EgyptNapoleon is out of FrancePopular move

Foreign alliances against France worried the people

Napoleon the Dictator

Supporters plot to overthrow Directory, scared of Royalists1799 – Napoleon’s Coup d’etat