Some Causes leading to Revolution• Money and Taxes

• Population• Living Conditions Social and

Legal Rights• Wars

• Support for the American Revolutionary War• Weak Economy

The Three Estates (Three Levels of Society)

• The First Estate --- the clergy

• The Second Estate --- the nobility

• The Third Estate --- the commons

The French Monarchy:The French Monarchy:1775 - 17931775 - 1793

Marie Antoinette & Louis Marie Antoinette & Louis XVIXVI

Marie Antoinette’sMarie Antoinette’s“Peasant Cottage”“Peasant Cottage”

Marie Antoinette’sMarie Antoinette’s“Peasant Cottage”“Peasant Cottage”

The Necklace The Necklace ScandalScandal

Y Cardinal Louis René Édouard de Cardinal Louis René Édouard de RohanRohan

Y The Countess de LaMotteThe Countess de LaMotte

1,600,000 1,600,000 livreslivres

[$100 million today][$100 million today]

Let Them Eat Cake!Let Them Eat Cake!

Y Marie Antoinette NEVER said Marie Antoinette NEVER said that!that!

Y ““Madame Deficit”Madame Deficit”

Y ““The Austrian Whore”The Austrian Whore”

Three Estates

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

LandOwnership

Taxation Population

ClergyNobilityCommoners

The French Urban PoorThe French Urban Poor

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

% of Income Spent on Bread

1787

1788

• Urban Commoner’sUrban Commoner’sBudget:Budget:– Food 80%Food 80%– Rent 25%Rent 25%– Tithe 10%Tithe 10%– Taxes 35%Taxes 35%– Clothing 20%Clothing 20%– TOTAL 170%TOTAL 170%

• King’s Budget:King’s Budget:– Interest 50%Interest 50%– Army 25%Army 25%– Versailles 25%Versailles 25%– Coronation 10%Coronation 10%– Loans 25%Loans 25%– Admin. 25%Admin. 25%– TOTAL 160%TOTAL 160%

Financial ProblemsFinancial Problemsin France, 1789in France, 1789

French Budget, French Budget, 17741774

Where is the tax Where is the tax money?money?

Ancien RegimeAncien Regime Map, 1789 Map, 1789

Population• A leading cause of social stress in

France during the Revolution was its large population.

• At the beginning of the eighteenth century, France had 20 million people living within its borders, a number equal to nearly 20 percent of the population of non-Russian Europe.

• Over the course of the century, that number increased by another 8 to 10 million, as epidemic disease and acute food shortages diminished and mortality declined.

• This increase in population led to massive unemployment

• Unsanitary living conditions in the larger urban centres

• Unsafe traveling on the roads due to robbers and highwaymen

• Desperate to raise money King Louis XVI recalled the Estates-General

Convening the Estates General Convening the Estates General May, 1789May, 1789

Last time it was called into session was 1614!Last time it was called into session was 1614!

• although limited in power, the Estates-General did have the right to approve or veto any new taxes or increases in taxes

• for the previous 175 years, the absolute monarchs of France had been able to avoid calling the Estates-General by extracting money from overseas colonies and other sources

• now, faced with an economic crisis, the king was forced to take this radical step in the hope that the Estates-General would agree to increase taxes in exchange for some minor political and constitutional reforms

• his desperate gamble would prove to be the death of the French monarchy

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Suggested Voting Pattern:The Suggested Voting Pattern:Voting by EstatesVoting by Estates

1

1

1

Commoners3rd Estate

Aristocracy2nd Estate

Clergy1st Estate

The Number of RepresentativesThe Number of Representativesin the Estates General: Vote by Head!in the Estates General: Vote by Head!

300

300

648

Europe on the Eve of theEurope on the Eve of theFrench RevolutionFrench Revolution

““The Tennis Court The Tennis Court Oath”Oath”

by Jacques Louis Davidby Jacques Louis David

June 20, 1789June 20, 1789

Storming the Bastille,Storming the Bastille,July 14, 1789July 14, 1789

The Great Fear:The Great Fear:Peasant RevoltPeasant Revolt

July 20, July 20, 17891789

March of the Women,March of the Women,October 5-6, 1789October 5-6, 1789

We want the baker, the baker’s wife We want the baker, the baker’s wife and the baker’s boy!and the baker’s boy!

National Constituent AssemblyNational Constituent Assembly1789 - 17911789 - 1791

August DecreesAugust DecreesAugust 4-11, 1789August 4-11, 1789

(A renunciation of aristocratic (A renunciation of aristocratic privileges!)privileges!)

Liberté!

Liberté!

Egalité!Egalité!

Fraternité!Fraternité!

Equality & Equality & MeritocracyMeritocracy

The Tricolor (1789)The Tricolor (1789)

The WHITE of the The WHITE of the Bourbons + the Bourbons + the RED & BLUE of RED & BLUE of

Paris.Paris.

Citizen!Citizen!

The Tricolor is the Fashion!The Tricolor is the Fashion!

The Declaration of the The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Rights of Man and of

the Citizenthe CitizenAugust August

26, 26, 17891789

- - The equality of all The equality of all men, the men, the sovereignty of the sovereignty of the people and the people and the inalienable rights inalienable rights of the individual to of the individual to liberty, property, liberty, property, security and security and reistance to reistance to oppressionoppression

83 Revolutionary Departments83 Revolutionary Departments

February 26, 1790February 26, 1790

Planting the Tree of LibertyPlanting the Tree of Liberty

17901790

The Confiscation of Church LandsThe Confiscation of Church Lands

17901790

AssignatsAssignats

Issued by the National Constituent Issued by the National Constituent Assembly.Assembly.

Depreciation of the AssignatDepreciation of the Assignat

f They were backed by the sale of They were backed by the sale of Church lands.Church lands.

The French Constitution of 1791:The French Constitution of 1791:A Bourgeois GovernmentA Bourgeois Government

Y The king got the The king got the “suspensive” veto“suspensive” veto [which prevented the passage of laws [which prevented the passage of laws for 4 years].for 4 years]. ** he could not pass laws. he could not pass laws. ** his ministers were responsible his ministers were responsible for their own actions. for their own actions.Y A permanent, elected, single chamber A permanent, elected, single chamber

National Assembly.National Assembly. ** had the power to grant taxation. had the power to grant taxation.

Y An independent judiciary.An independent judiciary.

Y ““Active” CitizenActive” Citizen [who pays taxes [who pays taxes amounting to 3 days labor] vs. amounting to 3 days labor] vs. “Passive” Citizen“Passive” Citizen..Y A newly elected LEGISLATIVE A newly elected LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.ASSEMBLY.

Louis XVI “Accepts” the Constitution Louis XVI “Accepts” the Constitution & the National Assembly. 1791& the National Assembly. 1791

Marie Marie AntoineAntoine

tte tte and the and the Royal Royal

ChildrenChildren

Bibliographic ResourcesBibliographic Resources

« ““Hist210—Europe in the Age of Hist210—Europe in the Age of Revolutions.”Revolutions.”http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/courses/europe1/chron/rch5.htm

« “ “Liberty, Fraternity, Equality: Liberty, Fraternity, Equality: Exploring the French Revolution.”Exploring the French Revolution.” http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/

« Matthews, Andrew. Matthews, Andrew. Revolution and Revolution and Reaction: Europe, 1789-1849Reaction: Europe, 1789-1849. . CambridgeCambridgeUniversity Press, 2001.University Press, 2001.

« “ “The Napoleonic Guide.” The Napoleonic Guide.” http://www.napoleonguide.com/index.htm