Answer this question in your teams:Would you risk taking part in a
revolution against your government despite the consequences failure might bring?
What would be the “tipping point” for you being willing to fight?
World History
Revolution!
The American RevolutionColonists were being treated
unfairly by the KingExtreme taxation!Limiting trade!Soldiers in their homes!Oppressive laws!
Declaration of Independence
Constitution
Bill of Rights
When were these documents put into effect?
France—The Old RegimeEstates- three large social classes in France
Privileged Estates- access to high offices, exemptions from paying taxes
1. First Estate: clergy of the Roman Catholic Church
owned 10% of the land in Franceprovided education and services to the poorcontributed 2% of its income to the gov’t
The Old Regime2. Second Estate: rich nobles
about 2% of the populationowned 20% of the landpaid almost no taxes
Both of these estates distrusted Enlightenment ideals!
The Old Regime3. Third Estate- most of the population;
made up of different groups
a) Bourgeoisie
b) Workers
c) Peasants
Bourgeoisie
Middle class. Mostly bankers, merchants, professionals, skilled artisans.
Often well educated Embraced the Enlightenment
(especially liberty and equality)Some were wealthy, but they
paid high taxesFelt they deserved more power
WorkersPoorest groupLived in citiesTradespeople, laborers, domestic servants
Paid very low wages, often unemployed
Often went hungry
PeasantsLargest group—more
than 80% of the population of France
Paid half their income in dues to nobles, tithes to The Church, and taxes to the king’s intendents.
Resented the clergy and nobles for their special treatment
Who First Estate Second Estate Third Estate
Power/Influence
Views of Enlightenment
Percentage of Population
% of Income paid in taxes
Economic problems in the 1780’s1. High taxes limited business profits
2. Higher prices meant cost of living was rising
3. Bad weather means low crop production. Prices of grain rise drastically!
4. France was in a ton of debt Left over from past leaders Spent too much helping America in the
Revolutionary War defeat England
Weak LeadersLouis XVI Marie Antoinette
1. Indecisive, wont take action2. Waits until France practically
hasno money left. Decides to tax nobility
1. She’s Austrian2. Nickname “Madame
Defecit”(Jewels, Gambling, Gifts)Spent 1.5M in gambling one
year
Comte D’Antraigues“The Third Estate is the People and the People is the foundation of the State; it is in fact the State itself; the…People are everything. Everything should be subordinated to it…It is in the People that all national power resides and for the People that all states exist.”
What Enlightenment philosophies do you see? Who came up with these? Do we see this in the “Old Regime”?
Reign of TerrorMaximilen Robespierre-
In 1793, he gains power, makes radical changes to make France more secular.
closed churches in Paris
Changed the calendar to eliminate Sundays
Believed terror was necessary to keep France virtuous
Reign of TerrorRobespierre becomes
leader of the Committee of Public Safety
Protected the Revolution from its enemies.
“Trial” in morning, guillotine in the afternoon.
Anyone who threatened Robespierre’s power was killed.
Reign of TerrorAs many as 40,000 people were executed totalAbout 85% were members of the Third Estate!
Peasants, urban poor, middle class
In July 1794, leaders finally turned on Robespierre and had him executed for their own safety.
The terror and the radical phase of the Revolution ends, a moderate, “committee-style” government is formed.
Run by upper middle class
Robespierre’s arrest
Napoleon BonaparteVery short—only 5’3”!Attended military school, joined the army of the “new government” when Revolution broke out
Led the defense of the Revolution government from invading royalists as an army gunner.
Hailed as a hero throughout France!
Napoleon BonaparteIn 1796, given
control of the French forces and won many battles across Europe.
Tried to take the army to Egypt but was defeated by the British
Kept the defeats out of the newspapers . His “hero” reputation remained!
Coup d’état!The “committee” government began to lose power.
People encouraged Napoleon to take over.
Napoleon had the army surround the legislature building and drove out most of the members.
Those remaining voted Napoleon to a high political position.
Napoleon seized control and assumed the powers of a dictator!
Coup d’état- to suddenly take power by military force
Restore OrderSeven years of Revolution made the French people tired of chaos.
In 1800, they voted to approve a new constitution that gave all real power to Napoleon.
This restored political stability!
Restore OrderSet up national banks
Efficient tax collection system
Decreased government corruption
Opened lycées, or government-run public schools
Open to male students of all backgrounds. Graduates were appointed to public office on the
basis of merit!
Religion is back!The Revolution had pushed to eliminate religion in
FranceThe peasants and clergy did not like this!
Napoleon listened; he signed an agreement with the Pope to restore Catholicism to France for his people…
BUTThe Church would have no control in national affairs.
People were happy to have their religion back. Clergy were happy to regain their autonomy.
Napoleon is crowned emperor (1804)
Napoleon takes the crown from the Pope and places it on his own head!
Napoleonic CodeNapoleon’s favorite accomplishmentA system of laws that was uniform across
the countryLimited liberty, promoted authority instead
of individual rights (limited speech and press)
Restored slavery to the French colonies
The AmericasNapoleon wants more power in the
AmericasLucrative sugar producing colonies
Inspired by Enlightenment ideas and the Revolutions, the colonies (and slaves) rebel
French military is too weak with disease to fight back
Napoleon decides to sell all of the Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million
Less than five cents per acre!!!This gave France CASH and punished
the British!
EuropeNapoleon decides to build up his empire in
EuropeWins pieces of the Netherlands, Italy, and
Switzerland
The British aren’t pleased—build an alliance against him
Russia, Austria, Sweden
Napoleon did well! Eventually forced Austria, Prussia, and Russia to sign peace treaties.
Built the largest European empire since the Romans!
Great Britain In the WayBritish Navy is very strong, led by Admiral
Horatio NelsonNapoleon meets Nelson in the SW
corner of Spain (near Gibraltar, which GB had control of after the 100 years war…)
Nelson out-maneuvers Napoleon, cutting off 2/3 of his fleet and capturing them!
Results:1. GB retains its naval dominance for the next
100 years2. Napoleon was forced to give up his plan to
invade England
Napoleon’s strugglesNapoleon and his wife Josephine were
struggling to have a child, so Napoleon divorced her and remarried an Austrian princess, Marie Louise.
He needed an heir to take over when he died.
Napoleon always craved more and more power
The empire stayed whole for only 5 years (1807-1812) before beginning to collapse.
Napoleon’s Mistakes
1. Continental System- tried to form a blockade around Great Britain to make the “continent” independent. This would kill British trade!
BUT…it didn’t work! The blockade wasn’t strong enough. Many allies violated it to trade with the British.
Napoleon’s Mistakes2. Peninsular war- Napoleon wanted to convince
Portugal to participate in the continental system, but he had to march through Spain to get there!
Spanish were not happy, many began to protest
Protests turned into violent, guerilla style clashes
British troops came to help the Spanish!
Napoleon’s Mistakes3. Invasion of Russia- Napoleon and Czar Alexander
did not trust one another. Napoleon brings his huge army (420,000 men!)
into Russia; Russian troops pull back and drag Napoleon further inland, destroying everything as they go.
Arrive in Moscow to find it deserted and destroyed. Napoleon’s army grows more and more weak!
Decide to retreat; only 10,000 make it back (cold weather, disease, attacking Russians, lack of supplies)
Napoleon’s DefeatFrench army was terribly weak, so Britain
and her allies attacked.
Napoleon agrees to surrender and live in exile on a small Italian island…
…but Louis XVIII, the new King, is weak…and Napoleon comes back! Hailed as a savior for the “Hundred Days”
Battle of Waterloo- British and Prussians finally defeat Napoleon for good.
Napoleon’s legacyMilitary genius
Impressive coup d’etat
Bringing strength to France in a time of chaos
Restored political stability!
