King = Absolute Monarch Social Structure = 3 rigid classes, called Estates 1 st Estate – Clergy Catholic Church Untaxed Very wealthy Tithe Land
Jan 05, 2016
King = Absolute Monarch
Social Structure = 3 rigid classes, called Estates
1st Estate – Clergy Catholic Church Untaxed Very wealthy
Tithe Land
2nd Estate – Nobility
Great wealth and Privileges
Exempt from most taxes
Profitable positions in
Army
Government
Church
The Third EstateThe Third Estate Underprivileged Citizens
Paid taxes in money, produce and labor
Bourgeoisie (Middle Class) Wealthiest, most educated
and most outspoken Lawyers, bankers, merchants
and businessmen Peasants (Largest Group)
Heavy taxes Corvee – forced labor
The triangle represents number of people in each class.
The Third EstateThe Third EstatePolitical Cartoon
These 18thc. Political cartoons show a peasant bearing on his and her back a clergyman and a noble. The policies cartoonist is making a bitter comment of the fact that peasants must pay taxes and other dues to support the church, the nobles, and the government, while the clergy and nobles were exempt from most taxes.
Huge Debts had accrued from Previous Rulers:Louis XIV – died in 1715 France was largest, richest most powerful country in Europe
Endless wars brought France to the brink of Bankruptcy
Louis XV – Incapable of dealing with the financial crises
Louis XVI
Appointed 2 able finance ministers: Turgot and Necker
They proposed taxing the nobles – Louis dismissed them
1788 France was in bankruptcy
Louis called into session the Estates-General (Which had not met since 1614) – He was admitting that the king alone could not solve France’s financial problems.
The Third Estate – angry at the Voting policies of the Estates General
Demanded the Creation of the National Assembly – Each delegate = 1 voteJune 20, 1789 3rd Estate assembled at an indoor tennis court and stayed until France had a Constitution
July 14, 1789 – This event symbolized the French RevolutionThe Bastille was a prison for debtors and a symbol of the oppression of the Third Estate.Spurred by rumors– a Paris mob surrounded the Bastille.Governor of Prison and mayor of Paris were killed and their heads were mounted on pikes and paraded through the city.
October 5, 1789Women from neighborhoods around the Bastille, gathered10,000 people (mostly women) walked to Versailles Goal: to convince King to provide them with breadLouis greeted the women and promised them bread
Just before midnight, Louis accepted a prior proposal by the nobles and clergy to the National Assembly
End tax exemptions of the privileged classes
End payment of feudal dues by the peasants
End the tithe
End all class distinctions
King and his family would be confined to Paris from this point on.
What Enlightenedideas to you see?Which thinkers didthey come from?
Constitution of 1791 Limited Monarchy
1. Could not propose laws
2. Only had temporary veto to block legislation
What do you see inhis face? Why?
Separation of Powers1.Legislative2.Executive 3.Judicial
The Legislative Assembly
1.Passed nation’s laws2.Members had to be
property owners and elected by taxpaying citizens
Which PhilosophePromoted
This?
Due to fear of the spread of the Revolution the Declaration of Pillnitz was passed Prussia and Austria
threatened to use force to protect French Royal Family
1792 The 2 powers invaded France
August 10 – Paris mob attacked the Tuileries Palace and Legislative Assembly Took King Captive Forced the
Legislative Assembly to suspend the monarchy and draft a constitution to create a French republic
Universal Manhood suffrage
This is howThe British viewed the
Incident.
September 21, 1792 National Assembly declared France a Republic
Louis XVI was put on trial for Treason – convicted
January 21, 1793 Louis XVI was executed
Louis’ execution is considered the beginning of the Radical Phase of the Revolution – the Sans Culottes
took over the Revolution.
Leaders of Committee
1. George Danton(Bottom left)
2. Jean Paul Marat (top left)
3. Maximilien Robespierre (top right)
Goal: to protect Republic from foreign enemies
Instituted compulsory military service creating the largest army ever seen in Europe
Pushed invading forces (Austria and Prussia) back across the Rhine
Summer of 1794 – Reign of Terror was no longer necessary but Robespierre “drunk with power” continued to rid France of “dangerous opponents”
July 18, 1794 Robespierre was executed by guillotine - End of Reign of Terror
The Reign of The Reign of TerrorTerror• To protect the Republic
against domestic enemies
• Committee arrested people they suspected of treason
• 20,000 – 40,000 were put to death by guillotine
• Marie Antoinette, was one victim
• Nobles and clergy went to guillotine
• Most victims however were commoners
The DirectoryThe Directory After Robespierre – power passed to
wealthy middle class National Convention created a new
Constitution – The Constitution of 1795 Five Directors – The Directory – acted as
the executive authority Incompetent and corrupt the new
government could not solve the countries problems.
1794 The popular General Napoleon Bonaparte seized power.