Old Order/Old Regime

• 3 Estates– 1st-Roman Catholic Clergy-1% of population– 2nd-Nobility-2% of population– 3rd-1. Bourgeoisie

2. City Workers

3. Peasants

97% of the population-had burden of half their income in dues to nobles, tithes to the Church, and taxes to the King’s agent.

Forces of Change

• New ideas about govt.

• Serious economic problems

• Indecisive leadership

• Upset feelings among lower classes.

• Inspired by success of American Revolution.

Economic Trouble

• 1780’sFrance’s economy is declining• Trade and production is expanding but

due to high taxes almost impossible to conduct business profitably.

• Cost of living rises• Widespread crop failure1789 price of

bread doubles.• France is in debt due to involvement in

American Revolution.

Louis XVI

• Weak and IndecisivePaid little attention to his advisers

• Took poor advice from Queen- “Madame Deficit”• Due to France’s debt-Louis wanted to tax the

nobility. • 2nd Estate forced him to call a meeting of the

Estates-General-an assembly of reps from all three estates-to approve new tax. Meeting-1st in 175 yrs. (May 5, 1789 Versailles)

Dawn of the Revolution

• Medieval Rules-1 vote per estate.

• 3rd estate wanted one vote per representative.

• King Louis XVI makes Estates-General vote per medieval rules.

3rd Estate

• ClergymanEmmanuel-Joseph Sieyes suggested 3rd Estate name themselves the National Assembly and pass laws and reforms in the name of French people.

• June 17, 1789-they voted to establish the National Assemblyshift from absolute monarch to representative govt.

• 3 days later 3rd estate locked out of meeting roombroke down door to indoor tennis court and pledged to stay until they had a new constitution. Tennis Court Oath.

• Soon after-nobles and members of the clergy who favored reform joined the 3rd Estates delegates.

• Louis then stationed his mercenary army of Swiss guards around Versailles. (Big Mistake)

Great Fear

• Some thought military was to dismiss National Assembly other thought they were there to massacre citizens.

• ResponsePpl began to gather weapons to defend city.

• July 14mob searching for gunpowder stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. Attackers hacked prison commanders and guards to death and paraded around the streets with their heads on pikes.

• Bastille Day-French national holiday.

Great Fear

• Rebellion spread to countryside. • Peasants broke into noble’s houses and

destroyed legal documents bounding them to pay feudal dues. Some burned houses down.

• Oct. 1789-thousands of Parisian women rioted over the rising price of bread.

• Women turned on King and Queen and forced them to return to Paris. (Signals change of Power)

Rights of Man

• 3 wks later National Assembly adopted statement of revolutionary idealsDeclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen reflecting ideas of Dec. of Ind.

• Adopted“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” as their slogan. Did not apply to everyone.

• Olympe de Gouges published a declaration of the rights of women-her ideas were rejected. 1793-declared an enemy and executed.

State Controlled Church

• NA took over Church lands and declared church officials to be elected and paid as state officials.

• Cath. Church lost its land and political independence.

• Largely economic reasonhelped pay off France’s war debt.

• Many believed Pope should rule over a church ind. Of the state.

• NAFrom this time on many peasants opposed the assembly’s reforms.

National Assembly

• National Assembly restructured the relationship between Church and State.

• Louis XVI family was in danger-June 1791-royal family tried to escape to Austria Netherlandsat the border he was apprehended and returned to Paris under guard.

• Sealed his fate.

• National Assembly Sept. 1791-completed new constitution that Louis reluctantly approved.

• Created limited constitutional monarch.

• Stripped King of power.

• Created a Legislative Assemblyhad to power to create laws and approve/reject declarations of War.

Factions Split France

• Old problems like food shortages still remained.

• LA split into three groups- Radicals (left), Moderates, Conservatives (right).

• Emigres-nobles and others hoped to undo Rev. and restore Old Regime.

• San-culottes-those without knee breeches”. –exerted power on the street

France at War

• Other European countries afraid of similar revoltsAustria and Prussia urged the French to restore Louis to absolute monarch.

• Legislative Assemblydeclared war in April 1792 • War began bad for France but continued until 1815.• Aug 10 1792- 20,000 men/women invaded the Tuileries

and imprisoned Louis, Marie and their family. • French troops defending Paris were sent to reinforce the

French army in the field.

• Prisoners wanted to break out and seize control of cityPeople of France raided prisons and killed over 1000. –Sept Massacres

• Constitution of 1791-declared king deposed, dissolved assembly, called for election of new legislature.

• National Convention took office on Sept. 21• Declared France a republic-Adult Male citizens

granted right to vote and hold office

Jacobins take Charge

• Jacobins-radical political organization.• Imp. Member-Jean Paul Marat-edited paper

called L’Ami du Peuple (Friend of the People).– During French Revolution-is stabbed to death in his

soaking tub • Called for death of those who continued to

support the King. • National Convention-reduced Louis XVI-role

from a King to a common citizen and prisoner. • Convention-now guided by Jacobins had Louis

XVI tried for treason- by close vote-beheaded Jan. 21, 1793.

War Continues

National Convention-had to deal with war with Austria and Prussia.

1793-Great Britain, Holland, Spain joined Prussia and Austria against France.

French suffered string of defeats. Jacobin leaders had the Convention order a

draft of 300,000 French citizens between the ages of 18 and 40. 1794-army had grown to 800,000 and inc. women

Robespierre Assumes Control

Jacobins- had thousands of enemies in France-peasants were upset by Louis execution, priests hated govt. control.

• Jacobin leader-Maximillen Robespierre-wanted to build a “republic of virtue”.

• Closed all churches in Paris-cities/towns in France soon did too.

• July 1793-became leader of the Committee of Public Safety

• For next year ruled like dictator-Reign of Terror• Committee of Public Safety’s-protect Revolution

from its enemies. • Had enemies put to death-1,000s sent to death

on flimsy charges. • About 40,000 were executed during the Terror-

85% were peasants or members of the urban poor or middle class-for whose benefit the Rev. had been launched.

End of Terror

• July 1794 fearing their safety, some members of the National Convention turned on Robespierre.

• Demanded his arrest and execution. • Guillotined July 1794• 1795-moderate leaders in NC drafted new plan-

3rd since 1789.• Placed power firmly in hands of upper middle

class and called for two house legislature and executive body of five men known as Directory.

• Five were moderates-some were corrupt and made themselves rich at countries expense.