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The French Revolution
When Revolution goes Right, Left or Wrong?

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Objectives
Crisis in the French Monarchy
The Revolution of 1789
The Reconstruction of France
The Second Revolution
The Reign of Terror
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Crisis in the French Monarchy
The financial crisis
Louis XVI was a weak ruler
The Estates General
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A. The financial crisis
France was in massive debt
The 7 year war
The American Revolution
Lifestyle of the Bourbon family
Nobility refused to increase taxes on themselves
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B. Louis XVI was a weak ruler
Little influence over nobility
Nobility did not want to increase taxes
Would not raise taxes unless Estates General met
It had not met since 1614.
Little influence with public
Often unable to address pressing issues
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C. The Estates General
The First Estate: Catholic Church
Controlled about 10% of the land.
Paid a 2% gift to the monarch
The Second Estate: The Nobility
Less than 2% of the population.
Owned 25% of the land
Could tax peasants at will.
Resented authority of crown
The Third Estate: everyone else
The emerging Bourgeoisie.
The urban working class.
Peasant farmers.
Carried the majority of the tax burden.
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II. The Revolution of 1789
Meeting of the Estates General
The National Assembly
The Tennis Court Oath
Fall of the Bastille
The Great Fear
March on Versailles
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A. Meeting of the Estates General
All Estates agreed change was needed
Political reform
Address corruption
But bitter division over how to vote.
Vote by order, Third Estate will lose 2-1.
As a Whole, Third Estate wins 610-591.
King Louis XVI requests estates to meet separately
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The Estates General Meets
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B. The National Assembly
Third Estate refuses and forms National Assembly
Invites 1stand 2nd Estate to sit with them
Seized power away from the First and Second estates
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C. The Tennis Court Oath
Vowed to write a constitution
Members of other estates joined
King gave in to National Assembly
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and citizens.
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Tennis Court Oath
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D. Fall of the Bastille: 7/14/1789
While National Assembly meets, Paris has riots.
Poor wheat crop cause price increases.
Riots over rising prices of bread.
Louis XVI called for his Swiss guards to come to Paris
To Protect the crown
The crowds feared this move.
The National Assembly feared the Guards were coming after them.
Peasants attack Bastille to seize weapons for defense
This is NOT the Assembly
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E. The Great Fear: Summer 1789.
Peasant mobs rise against nobility.
Attacked manors
Destroyed legal documents
Seized land
Stopped paying taxes
National Assembly forces Louis XVI to end Feudalism
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F. The March on Versailles: 10/5/1789
Rising bread prices anger woman of Paris.
They march on the assembly.
They march to Versailles.
The woman and mobs attack Versailles.
Force King to agree to return to Paris.
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The March on Versailles
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III. The Reconstruction of France
Political reorganization
Attacks on the Catholic Church
The Counter Revolution
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A. Political reorganization
Citizenship and voting based on tax payers
Created 83 departments
Replaced all provincial power
Further crippled nobility
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B. Attacks on the Catholic Church
Seized all land from church
Transformed Catholic Church into secular part of state.
Between loss of lands and this Catholic church was very angry
Even members of Church who supported the assembly opposed the Revolution now.
Really angered the Pope
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C. The Counter Revolution
The revolution threatened political and social order across Europe
The Vatican
French Nobility or Emigres
The King tried to flee, but was caught
Monarchs of Europe saw its as a threat
Frederick II of Prussia vowed to protect Marie Antoinette
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IV. The Second Revolution
The Jacobins
The Paris Commune
The Sans-Culottes
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A. The Jacobins
Political Party of the Revolution
Influenced by Rousseau and Enlightenment
Emerged as early leaders of assembly
Declared war on Austria as a threat to the Revolution (1792)
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B. The Paris Commune
Formed to govern Paris during the war
Consisted of mobs of people to protect the revolution
Feared the counter revolutionaries
Attacked the royal residence
Imprisoned the family
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C. The Sans-Culottes
Shop keepers, workers and artisans
Primarily the poor
Very angry at price of food
People have a right to food
Angry at the Jacobins
Divisions in the assembly
The left was extremely revolutionary
The Right wanted a constitutional Monarchy
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The King is dead !!!
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V. The Reign of Terror
War with Europe
The Levee en Masse
Committee on Public safety
The end of Terror
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A. War with Europe
France was at war with Britain, Austria and Prussia
Europe feared the revolution
The radicals of the revolution saw a need to defend the revolution
Viewed early leaders of the revolution as a threat
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B. The Levee en Masse
Mobilize the entire population
Over 1 million men
Included women
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C. Committee on Public safety
Had power to defend the revolution from internal threats
Headed by Maximillian Robespierre
Determined to build a Republic of Virtue
From 1793 1794 put on trial all enemies of the state.
Christians and women
Anyone less radical than Robespierre.
40,000 people killed.
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The fate of those who threatened the Revolution
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D. The End of Terror
Robespierre creates Cult of Supreme Being
Remaining leaders fear his power
Robespierre accuses them of conspiracy
This is the end of Robespierre
Period becomes known as Reign of Terror
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Robespierre Is Killed in 1794
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Closure
The French monarchy failed in addressing the problems of France.
How the Enlightenment influenced the Third Estate.
How economic conditions radicalized the revolution from the bottom
How the revolution challenged the social order of all of Europe
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Terms
Estates General
Old Regime
Louis XVI
Bourgeoisie
Sans Culottes
Bastille
National Assembly
Great Fear
Declaration of the Rights of Man
Jacobin
Reign of Terror
Robespierre