French Revolution How did Enlightenment ideas lead to revolution, independence, and a new government for many nations?

French Revolution

How did Enlightenment ideas lead to revolution, independence, and a new

government for many nations?

French Revolution

• France still followed ancient regime – old order (medieval)

• Their social system divided into 3 classes

3 Classes / Estates

• First Estate – Clergy

• Enjoy Wealth & Privilege

• Ran schools, hospitals, & orphanages

• Paid NO Taxes!

3 Classes / Estates

• Second Estate – Nobles

• Jobs in gov’t, army, courts & church

• Paid NO Taxes!

3 Classes / Estates

• Third Estate – Everyone else!

• Largest (98% pop)

• Divided into three groups–Bourgeoisie

–Rural Peasants

–City Workers

French Revolution

• Enlightenment ideas questioning ancient regime

• Felt Upper Estates should pay Taxes

• Financial Crisis hits France!

Financial Crisis

• Cause =

Deficit Spending - when the government spends more money than it makes.

Financial Crisis• Debt from Seven Years War

(French & Indian)

• Aided Colonists during Am. Rev.

• Bad Harvests

• Food Price Rise = Famine!

Financial Crisis• Poor Leadership made things worse!

• Louis XV – ran up the debt• Louis XVI – Tried to

reform w/ help from

Jacques Necker

Financial CrisisNecker’s Reforms

• Reduce Court Spending

• Reform Gov’t

• Abolish Tariffs

• Called for taxes by all EstatesNobles & Clergy forced King to

remove Necker

French Revolution• Bread Riots break out!

• King forced to call Estates General into session first time in 175 years.

French Revolution

• 3 Estates wrote cahiers – grievances

• Third Estate wanted radical reforms

• Other 2 Estates

wanted no change

French Revolution

• Third Estate became National Assembly after being bullied.

• Argued they rep. the people

• King locked them out of Estates General

French Revolution

• National Assembly met @ Tennis Court

• Tennis Court Oath – vow to not disband

until made a constitution for France

French Revolution

• Louis XVI had to accept National Assembly because some Nobels and Clergy joined the casuse.

• But sent troops to Versailles

• Rumors of a take over in Paris led to the Storming of the Bastille!

Storming the Bastille

• Bastille- medieval fortress used as a prison

• 800 Parisians attacked looking for weapons

• July 14 – Bastille Day (French National Holiday)

France’s 2 Problems

Political Crisis

+ Famine

Great Fear !Rumors of towns being attacked

Spread Panic

National Assembly

• Voted to end all privileges

• Announced “Feudalism is abolished”

• Wrote Declaration of the Rights of Men and the Citizen – modeled after D of I

Declaration of the Rights of Men and the Citizen

• All Men Free & Equal w/ natural rights

• Gov’t job to protect rights

• Anyone could hold political office

• Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press

• Tax levied according to ability to pay

• “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!”

National Assembly

• King had to accept changes

• But increased troops in Paris

• Louis’s new problem his wife!

Marie Antoinette

• Queen of France

• Daughter of Maria Theresa

• People hated her immoral & extravagant

• Accused of saying “Let them eat cake!” to group begging for bread

Marie Antoinette

• Women of Paris storm the castle @ Versailles

• Demand King move family to Paris

• King agrees & becomes a virtual prisoner

Constitution of 1791

Church Reforms• Took all church lands & sold them

• Bishops & Priest – elected

• Took control of French Church

• Dissolved Convents & Monasteries

Constitution of 1791

Political Reforms• Created Limited Monarchy

• Abolished old courts

• Protected private property & free trade

Constitution of 1791

• National Assembly Legislative Assembly

Power to:

• Make laws, levy taxes, declare war & peace

• Elected by tax paying citizens

New Problems

• King & Queen Try to escape – brought back to Paris

• Other Rulers afraid of the Revolution

• Austria & Prussia threaten to attack

• Fight of foreign invaders 1792-1815

French People Divided

(Based on where you sat in assembly)

• Right – Thought had enough change

• Center – Moderate Reform

• Left – More radical changes, become a republic (radicals)

–Sans-culottes & Jacobins

September Massacres

• Radicals try to kill King & Queen

• Kill nobles & priest who were political prisoners

New Government• Next election – radicals take over

Assembly

• Rename it National Convention

• Write new Constitution!

New Constitution• Gave Every Man Suffrage

• Ended the Monarchy Republic!

Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

• Both put on trial for treason

• Both found guilty & beheaded!

• Son dies mysteriously in prison

Factions outside the govt

• EMIGRES – Nobles and others who fled France hoped to undo the Revolution and restore Old Regime

• SAN-CULOTTES – were Parisian workers and small shopkeepers who wanted greater reforms.

National Convention

• Under attack at home & from abroad

• Created Committee of Public Safety

• Job to defend France

• Led by Maximilien Robespierre

Reign of Terror• July 1793-July 1794

• Looked for enemies of the state

• Robespierre ruled France as a dictatorship

Reign of Terror

• Would have a trial in the morning and execution in the afternoon.

• About 40,000 people were executed during the reign

• Symbol of the Reign – Guillotine

Reign of Terror

• The Convention began to fear Robespierre & turned on him

• Robespierre & his followers were tried & executed

Constitution of 1795

• Moderates win next election & write new constitution

• Set up 5 man Directory

• 2 House Legislature

• Elected by male citizens of property

The Directory

• Runs from 1795-1799

• Was weak & corrupt

• Politicians turned to military hero – Napoleon Bonaparte!

Women’s Rights

• Divorce Easier

• Could Inherit PropertyNapoleon overturned

these rights

Nationalism

• Aggressive feeling of pride in and devotion to ones country

Napoleon Bonaparte

• Born on the French island of Corsica

• During revolution moved up the ranks to General

Napoleon Bonaparte

• Overthrew The Directory

• Set up The Consulate – 3 man governing board

• Named First Consul

• 1802 named Consul for Life

Napoleon Bonaparte

• 1804 took title Emperor of the French

Napoleon’s Reforms

1. Regulate Economy – control prices

2. Encouraged New Industry

3. Built roads & canals

Napoleon Reforms

4. Made public schools under gov’t control

5. Napoleonic Code – new laws based on Enlightenment ideas

Napoleonic Code

• Equality for all citizens

• Religious Toleration

• Advancement based on merit

Expanding French Empire

• Annexed land to France–Netherlands, Belgium, N. Italy

• Abolished HRE = 38 member Confederation of the Rhine

• Cut Prussia in half

Expanding French Empire

• Old Poland = Grand Duchy of Warsaw

• Put friends & fam. on thrones of Europe–Bro Joseph

King of Spain

Expanding French Empire

• Divorced wife, Josephine

• Married Marie Louise – Niece of Marie Antoinette (link to royal blood)

• Had one son, Napoleon Francis Joseph Charles Bonaparte (King of Rome)

Expanding French EmpireGreat Britain only nation to

remain outside Napoleon’s European Empire

• Napoleon attacked British Economy

• Continental System

Expanding French Empire

• Britain response – blockade of European Ports–Led to War of 1812 – US vs. GB

Continental System = Failure!

Challenges to Napoleon’s Empire

Spain• Bro – Joseph is King

• Introduced liberal reforms

• Many still loyal to old King

• Used Guerrilla Warfare on French

Challenges to Napoleon’s Empire

Spain• Attacks kept French troops in

Spain when needed elsewhere

Challenges to Napoleon’s Empire

Russia• Czar Alexander I

resigned from Continental System

• France invaded w/ 600,000 men

Challenges to Napoleon’s Empire

Russia• “Scorched Earth Policy”

–Russians retreated burning everything

–Left NO Supplies for French!

Challenges to Napoleon’s Empire

Russia• French take Moscow in Sept.

• Cannot survive the winter (no supplies)

• Forced to retreat home

• Only 100,000 survived the retreat

Napoleon’s Downfall

• Russia, GB, Austria, & Prussia joined forces against France

• Napoleon abdicated

• Exiled to Elba – island in Mediterranean

Napoleon’s Downfall

• Louis XVIII – made the new king–Brother of Louis XVI

• Keeps Napoleonic Code & reforms

• Emigres rush back to France

Napoleon’s Downfall

• Napoleon Escapes!

• Returns & has support of army

• Louis flees

• Napoleon returns to power – for 100 days!

Napoleon’s Downfall

• European allies join together

• Battle of Waterloo – French are defeated

Napoleon’s Downfall

• Napoleon is exiled to St. Helena – Island in South Atlantic (near Africa)

• Stays there until his death in 1821

Congress of Vienna

• Lead by Prince Clemens von Metternich of Austria

Congress of Vienna

• Also included Czar Alexander I

• Lord Robert Castlereagh of GB

Congress of Vienna

1. Redrew map of Europe

2. Contained Francea. Belgium, Luxembourg added to

Netherlands

b. Prussia land along Rhine River

c. Austria land in N. Italy

Congress of Vienna

3. Restored old monarchs to their thrones

4. Concert of Europe – European peacekeeping organization