Transcript Slide 1

Chapter 11
The Era of the French Revolution:
Affirmation of Liberty and Equality
Text Book Readings:
Page 292. Primary Source. Maximilien Robespierre, Republic
of Virtue.
Pages 279 (The Jacobins) – 283.
Pages 289 (The Meaning of the French Revolution) – 291.
The French Revolution (1789)
The French Revolution hoped to achieve the ideals of
the Enlightenment
1.
2.
3.
Emancipation from superstition of Catholic religion
To get rid of tyranny and achieve liberty for all
Reason and justice in public institutions leading to
equality
TO END OF CENTURIES OF OPPRESSION AND MISERY
The Old Regime
Three Orders were legally defined as,
1. First Estate: Clergy (Church)
2. Second Estate: Nobility (The King and those he
appointed to be Nobles)
3. Third Estate: Everyone else
The clergy and nobility = 500,000 (150,000 Clergy + 350,000 Nobles)
Everyone else = 25,500,000 (25 ½ million)
This equates to a ratio of 51:1
51 people worked and paid taxes for every 1 person in the
clergy and nobility that enjoyed the privilege and
benefits of their labours. Equate that to the members
of the classroom.
25,500,000 worked to serve
150,000 Clergy and
350,000 Nobles
1 = Church 2 = Nobles
3 = Everyone Else
51 people worked and lived in poverty for every
1 person that got an easy life!
Was that fair?
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2
3
Privileges that were funded by taxation
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Pension (income - annuity) from the King
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Profitable positions (jobs) were given by the King
The unfairness of the Kings arbitrary decisions
produced tension among the Third Estate that led
to the revolution
The First Estate – The Catholic Church
So much wealth and power that it was considered a
State, within the French Empire
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With huge amounts of property, the revenue (profits)
were great
The church did not pay taxes, but was permitted to
choose the amount that they would contribute to the
state, which was considered a gift.
Question. If the church did not have to pay taxes, and
their contribution to the state was considered a gift,
does that put them above the law?
What is the risk to the people if the Church is above
the law?
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The upper clergy benefited from the riches
controlled by the church
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The Parish Priests came from the common people and
resented the benefits and privileges of the upper clergy
The upper clergy were appointed from the nobility
Birth determined whether your life would be easy or
faced with challenges
Question. Is this still true today, even though we have
free market economies?
The Second Estate
The Nobility
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Were appointed to the highest positions in the church
Did not have to pay most taxes and used their influence to
not pay other taxes
Owned approximately 30% of the land in the country
Collected Manorial Dues (very high rents) from the peasants
Manorialism was “a right” granted by the King, to a
Nobleman, to manage and profit from land.
The Lord of the Manor selected the peasants to work his
land. In return, they were required to pay him by
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giving labour to his other businesses or industries
In kind (a share of the product that was grown)
Or, on rare occasions, coin (money).
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Nobles were beginning to engage in non-aristocratic
enterprises such as banking and finance
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This distinguished those who were ‘able’ from those who
were simply living off the taxes paid by the peasants
Most Nobles did not trust the Philosophes who were
introducing new ideas about equality and public offices
Montesquieu was a Noble (summarized)
Separation of powers:
1. Legislative – law makers
2. Executive – civil servants
3. Judiciary – judges
Political and social behaviour must be studied in relation
to geographic, economic, and historic conditions.
Each society requires constitutional forms and laws that
pay heed to the character of its people.
Montesquieu (continued)
Considered despotism corrupt because it was
unchecked by law. The despot can do what ever he
wants, without regard for the suffering of the
people, but thinking only of his own passions at the
expense of all others.
In despotic society, economic activity slows to a halt,
because entrepreneurs (those who start new
businesses) fear the loss of their efforts.
Question. How do we explain the contradiction
between the noble privilege of men like
Montisquieu and the ideas they spread?
Variations of Nobility
350,000 Nobles
 Nobles of the Sword traced their status back several
hundred years.
 The most influential had positions in Versailles and
Paris but were few in number
 Most Nobles were not extremely wealthy and lived on
their land and were no more well off than the new
bourgeoisie (business class)
 Nobles of the Robe were newly appointed from among
the bourgeoisie that had the ability to pay the King for
Judicial Offices in the Law Courts
 Some Nobles were influenced by Liberal ideas of the
philosophes while others opposed new ideas which
would put an end to their privileges
The Third Estate (bourgeoisie and peasants)
The revolution relied on leadership from the
bourgeoisie and the mass of peasants
Bourgeoisie = business class
 Bourgeoisie were the merchant manufacturers,
wholesale merchants, bankers, craftsmen, doctors,
lawyers, intellectuals and middle management
government officials
 Bourgeoisie wanted more respect. Some bought
positions within the nobility, clergy or military
 By 1789 the bourgeoisie owned 20% of the land in
France
Bourgeoisie Grievances
The Bourgeoisie wanted:
 Positions in the church, army and state to be open
to men of talent regardless of birth
 A Parliament that made laws for the ‘people’
 A Constitution that
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limited the King’s power
Guaranteed freedom of thought, fair trials, religious
toleration
Administrative reforms that eliminated waste,
inefficiency, and interference with business
The power of a good
Political Cartoon
Title :
“Let’s Hope That The Game Finishes Well”
This political cartoon shows a
labouring class woman
carrying smug representatives
of the privileged orders on
her back.
Question. Do you think the
privileged were thoughtful
enough about equality to
understand the injustice?
The Peasants
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Most French peasants lived in poverty
1715 – 1789 the population is thought to have
increased from 18 million to 26 million people
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The distribution of wealth thinned out
Less land for each person to feed themselves
King Louis XIV continued to live in the highest of
style while
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The peasants were heavily taxed to support his wars and
his lifestyle
The peasants continued to live in hunger
Peasants continued to pay Lords “in kind” for the following services
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Grind their grain in the lord’s mill
Bake their bread in his ovens
Press their grapes in his winepress
Between 1785 – 1789 cost of living increased by 62% while wages
increased by only 22%.
Question. How do you think the people reacted?
Lords maintained exclusive hunting rights and damaged crops grown
by the peasants while recreational hunting (for sport)
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Most held on to these rights not just for the income, but as a symbol of
authority and social esteem. POWER.
Question. What does this expression mean to you?
“desperate times result in desperate measures”
Question. How would you feel about an authority figure that did
everything to ‘keep you down’, ‘oppress you’, ‘limit your future
opportunity’?
Example. Nurture vs. Disciplinarian. To help or hinder. Would you
prefer a teacher that accepts late submissions and gives rewrites
or a teacher that gives 0 if your work is late or you miss a test?
-$ France’s Shortage of Money -$
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To raise money, the King sold government positions
to the highest bidders.
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Positions were owned, rather than awarded on ability
The government (the King) could not pay it’s
obligations but continued to accumulate debt owed
to an inefficient bureaucracy and Court Lifestyle.
The tax system continued to be unjust, heavily
taxing peasants, not taxing the Church and lightly
taxing Nobles
France was on the brink of bankruptcy
On the brink of Bankruptcy Start
The King’s ministers proposed that the church and
nobility give up some of their tax exemptions
Question. If you were a church leader or noble,
would you give up some of your privilege to get the
country back in a healthy financial position?
Let’s have a vote of all students in this class.
Raise your hand if you would give up some
privilege. Count.
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Raise your hand if you would not.
Count.
What happened?
The privileged orders said NO!
Question. Why do you think the church officials said no,
and why do you think the nobles said no?
 Church officials said no because they did not want to
give up their free lifestyle, they believed they were
closer to God and deserved to live off the labour of the
third estate.
 Nobles. Many nobles believed the same as the church
officials.
 The Liberal Nobles saw an opportunity to force
reforms, so they used a strategy of agreement hoping
for reforms. STRATEGIC VOTING – explain strategic
voting.
The Role of the Enlightenment
American Influence on the French Revolution
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The American Declaration of Independence ( 1776)
proclaimed that the NATURAL RIGHTS of MAN and
sanctioned resistance against a governments that
deprived men of these rights.
The United States showed that a nation could be
established on the principle that sovereign power
derived from the people.
Liberal French aristocrats observed what
happened in the United States and were optimistic
about the possibilities of reforming French society.
Natural Rights (reviewed)
The power to govern derives from the consent of the governed
and the state’s authority is limited by agreement…Rulers hold
their authority under the law and when they act outside the
law, they forfeit their right to govern
 State interference with personal property leads to the
destruction of liberty
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Government derives it authority from the people being governed
Human beings are born with natural rights and the government has a
responsibility to protect them
Citizens have the right to resist a government that deprives them of these
rights
The state,
1.
Is required to protect individual rights
2.
Must reject monarchy and hereditary aristocracy
3.
Derives power from the people
4.
Must separate powers and include checks and balances to
safeguard against abuse of power
Talks broke down – The King proposed a solution
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With disagreement by all sides on how to solve the economic
problems, the King believed he had a solution. He ordered a
meeting of the Estates General on May 5th, 1789.
Estates General = members of all 3 Estates: 1st, 2nd and 3rd
The king and church and some nobles believed that the
voting would proceed in the traditional way.
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Each estate would vote separately, resulting in 3 votes. They
believed that the Church and Nobles would result in two votes
against reforms and defeat the 1 vote of the Third Estate.
The Third Estate disagreed with the unfairness of this process,
given that they constituted 25 ½ million people and the First and
Second Estates less than ½ million
Question. Where did they get this idea of fairness from?
If you were a member of the third estate,
would you agree to accept one vote?
1 = Church (1st Estate)
2 = Nobles (2nd Estate)
3 = Everyone Else (3rd Estate)
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2
3
The French National Assembly
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On June 17th, 1789 the Third Estate (bourgeoisie
and peasants) declared themselves the National
Assembly, refusing to participate, as a protest
against the unfairness of the process
On June 27th the King ordered the Clergy and
Nobles to join the Third Estate in the National
Assembly.
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Many clergy and nobles who supported the enlightened
reforms, had already gone to the National Assembly
Question. Why would the King do this?
Political Risks
The king had not resolved to allow a majority
bourgeois dominated assembly and was prepared
to use military force but decided against it after
reports of uprisings by common people in Paris and
the countryside led him to evaluate the risks.
This uprising, in line with the ideals of John Locke,
saved the National Assembly.
Question: Do similar ideals exist in China today?
Tension remained high
Three reasons for high tension.
1. Calling of the Estates General had aroused hope
for reform, but fear that the process would be
sabotaged.
2. In July 1789 the price of bread cost 50% of a
families’ monthly salary and by August it reached
80%.
3. Fear of an aristocratic plot to crush the National
Assembly.
Fearful of losing potential gains, common people of
Paris searched for weapons.
Storming of the Bastille
July 14, 1789, approximately 900 commoners stormed
(attacked) the Bastille.
The Bastille was a fortress used as a prison by the
king, in the centre of the city where commoners
lived. It was a symbol of royal despotism.
The commoners had two objectives.
1. Get gunpowder for their defense.
2. Remove the cannon that could be used to fire
upon their homes.
Storming of the Bastille, July 14, 1789
A partisan crowd stormed the dreaded fortress of Bastille,
long identified with the abuses of the Old Regime.
Question. What might have happened if the common people did not storm and take
control of the Bastille?
Women’s march to Versailles
A bread shortage and high prices sparked the protest march of thousands of
women to Versailles in October 1789. The king was compelled to return to
Paris, a sign of his diminishing power. Many aristocrats that were opposed
to the Revolution and the loss of their privilege, fled the country.
Question. Why was the price of bread so high if it was the people who farmed
the grain?
Revolution in the countryside
Question. Why did the commoners (third estate)
become violent and how did they express their
anger?
1. Economic misery and years of accumulated debt
led the commoners (peasants) to burn manor
houses and destroy the financial records of monies
owed to the aristocrats.
2. The Great Fear of aristocratic attacks upon
commoners led commoners to further attacks
against aristocratic property.
The destruction of feudal remnants
On August 4th, 1789 the Aristocrats, realizing that
things must change quickly or the violence would
reach more of them, acted to restore calm in the
countryside. They surrendered the following
special privileges.
1. Exclusive hunting rights
2. Tax exemptions
3. Monopoly of highest offices
4. Manorial courts
5. Right to demand labour services from peasants
The King delayed approval
of the reduction of privileges
On October 5th, 1789, men and women from Paris
marched to Versailles to the National Assembly to
protest that lack of bread. They were joined by
20,000 sympathetic members of a citizen militia.
The king realized he had no control and approved the
decrees of August 4th.
Many nobles who had wanted the king to use the
military against the National Assembly, decided to
flee from France to other countries.
National Assembly Reforms (summarized)
1.
2.
The end of special privileges enjoyed by the nobility
and clergy, led to greater equality.
The Statement of Human Rights declared the Rights of
Man and of the Citizen (as per the philosophes).
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Affirmed the dignity (respect) of the individual
Asserted that government belonged to the people and not
to any ruler and that its goal is the preservation of natural
rights of the individual. This became known as the death
warrant of the Old Regime.
In 1791 civil rights were granted to Jews and they were
permitted to leave the Ghetto in which they had been jailed
for hundreds of years, keeping them separated from
Christians. Note: This did not last long. Jews were again
persecuted and locked up in several years.
3.
Subordination of Church to State (November 1789).
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Ended the practice of tithes (Church deciding how tax
to pay).
Sold some church lands to pay for infrastructure to
improve the quality of life of the poor.
Implemented the Civil Constitution. Reduced the
number church dioceses, reducing the number of
bishops and priests and transformed them into
government officials elected by the people and paid
their salaries by the state (the people). Anger by
devout Catholics would lead to a counter-revolution.
4.
A Constitution in 1791 included the following
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Limited the power of the king
Guaranteed equal treatment under the law
In order to vote, a person had to pay a specified
minimum of tax. Only men were permitted to vote, but
30% did not pay enough tax, so did not vote.
They still did not trust illiterate or propertyless
men to participate in making of the laws
This constitution was more generous than that in
England
5.
Administrative and Judicial Reforms
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6.
The sale of judicial offices was ended
The criminal code put and end to torture and barbarous
punishments
Aid for Business. The National Assembly
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Ended tolls and duties on goods being transported
within the country
Established a uniform system of weights and measure
Ended guilds (that blocked business expansion)
Outlawed unions and the right to strike
A quick evaluation of the constitution
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The bourgeoisie gained control of the government
by,
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Ending absolutism and the power of the aristocracy
Preventing the mass of people from participating in the
decisions of government
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen was provided for the benefit of all.
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It proclaimed liberty and equality as the right of all and
called on citizens to treat one another with respect
The counter revolution
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The reforms had taken place without a widespread
violence and the bourgeoisie leadership was happy
to live with the new constitution and freedoms
THE PROBLEM
A counter revolution was started by,
 Nobles that were very unhappy with the loss of their
power and privilege
 Clergy who also lost privilege and became public officials
receiving a pay cheque and no longer able to control
wealth from the church lands
 A majority of Catholic peasants who followed blindly and
faithfully the directions of the angry clergy
Sans-Culottes became radicals
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Sans-Culottes (small shopkeepers, artisans, and
wage earners) were angry that they gained very
little benefit from the revolution.
They observed that a privilege of wealth
(bourgeoisie) was taking the place of a privilege of
birth (nobility).
The Sans-Culottes were still very poor and living in
poverty. They demanded the “Right of Existence”,
which was philosophically opposite to the economic
individualism of the bourgeoisie.
San-Culottes Demanded
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That the government increase wages
Set price controls on food supplies
End food shortages
Pass laws to reduce the gap between rich and poor
Higher taxes on the wealthy
Redistribution of land
A voice for the common man (a vote) not limited to
those with enough money to pay tax and land
Between 1789 and 1792
By 1792 the Sans Culottes had similar demands of the
Bourgeoisie to what the Bourgeoisie had of the
Nobility.
If there was further democratization, the bourgeoisie
would lose much of their gains.
The Radical Stage – Significant Events
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June 1791 King Louis XVI and his family fled Paris to
northeastern France to join nobles who were
organizing a counter-revolutionary army and
making allies with Austria and Prussia in order to
attack France and restore the former Orders and
Estate structure
The King was discovered. Captured. Returned to
Paris
The people turned against the King
The French government declared a war of self
defense on Austria
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April 20th, 1792 Austrians and Prussians crossed
into France and issued a declaration that if the King
or his family was injured, that they would kill the
citizens of Paris.
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August 10th, 1792 the citizens of Paris, angry with
the involvement of the Austrians.
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With militia from other French cities, the French
attacked the King’s palace, killing several hundred
guards.
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In September, as foreign troops advanced into
France, rumors spread that jailed priests and
aristocrats were planning to escape and join the
counter revolutionaries
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Citizens of Paris were fearful and panicked.
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They broke into the jail and killed
1,200 prisoners, including 200 priests
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On September 21st and 22nd 1792 the National
Convention abolished the monarchy and
established a republic
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In December, the King was placed on trial for
conspiring against the liberty of the French people.
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In January 1793 the King was executed
The Radical Stage Summarized
1)
2)
3)
4)
The August Uprising against the
King’s palace guards
The September Massacres in
the jail
Creation of a republic
Execution of King Louis XVI
Austrians and Foreigners Retreat
The retreat was due to,
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A shortage of supplies
Bad weather
Not enough soldiers
The French were successful against the Austrians
and their allies in several battles in 1792 and 1793
and pushed into them back to Belgium
The French, through the National Convention and
their new republic, declared to the rest of Europe
that they were waging a popular crusade against
privilege and tyranny, against aristocrats and
princes
The republic lost control
Urged on by the British, European nations formed an
alliance against France, which they saw as a threat to
the balance of power
 In western France, protests against taxation and
conscription (forced military service) by those loyal to
the Catholic church, continued to attack the Republic.
They fought a “guerilla war” for the return of their
religion, royalism and their old way of life
 In other areas of the country, citizens were protesting
against the power of the new central government
The republic had lost control and was unable to lead the
country
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END of Part 1
The Jacobins to the fall of Napoleon
Review
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The country was under attack / being attacked by
foreigners
Internal conflict was great, coming from the poor in
the city and rural areas in the countryside
An economic crisis kept inflation and the price of
food very high
Revolutionaries were growing more radical
Commoners spoke of becoming violent with the
aristocrats who were accused of planning with
foreign states to stop the revolution
Jacobins replace the Girondins
1793. The Jacobins replace the Girondins as the majority
group in the National Convention.
 Both came from the Bourgeoisie
IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES
 The Girondins had preferred a decentralized government
with control and decision making within the department
that was responsible for the work being done
 The Jacobins wanted a strong central government with
Paris as the capital
Questions.
Which of the two governments (centralized or decentralized)
do China and the USA have?
Why would each of these three countries choose the model
that they did?
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Girondins opposed government interference in
business
Jacobins supported temporary government controls
to deal the needs of war and economic crisis. This
won them the support of the sans-culottes.
Control was gained by using force on June 2, 1793
when 80,000 armed san-culottes surrounded the
National Convention and demanded the arrest of
Girondin delegates.
Immediate Problems
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Civil War (see first slide)
 urban and rural issues
 Class issues
 Religious issues
 Foreign invasion
 Blockaded ports (less trade = less profit = more
poverty)
Democratic Aspirations
Preoccupation with crisis resulted in the new constitution
not being implemented
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It would have given all adult males the right to vote
However, the following did happen (owed to the
philosophes)
 Slavery in the colonies and imprisonment for debt were
both abolished
 Plans for free education had begun
 The Law of the Maximum put a fixed price on the price
of bread and other essential goods
 Wages were raised (the beginning of minimum wage)
WAR
(External)
To defend against the foreign invaders, the Jacobins
 Conscripted (conscription) unmarried men between
the ages of 18-25
 Mobilized all resources of the country
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Examples: food, horses, natural resources (metals, wood,
tools, industry manufacturing, clothing, etc.)
Public education that instilled a love of the nation
(Love of Nation was a pre-cursor to Nationalism)
Equipped 800,000 men to fight a modern warfare
battle
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Officers were selected based on demonstrated
ability, rather than social class
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The enemy was still selecting officers based on social class
June 1794 the French pushed the enemy back, out
of France and by July, France had pushed the
enemy through Belgium
Question. What were the primary differences
between the French army and their enemies?
 They fought for the nation.
 This was the beginning of Nationalism and in the
interests of The People of the country rather than
ONLY the Nobility and Church.
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Internal Conflicts
The Reign of Terror
The second battle front was internal, against those
who were allied with the external enemy and would
return the country to rule by Monarchy (King and
Nobility) and Catholic Church.
Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) was committed
to the republican democracy, some would argue, as
a radical extremist.
Robespierre
As a Jacobin, he
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attacked slavery, capital punishment and censorship.
Supported civil right for Jews and release from the
Ghettos.
Supported the vote for all men regardless of whether
they owned property.
Radically opposed a return to rule by king, nobles and
church.
Strove for a society where men are equal, free, educated
and superstition is ridiculed.
He pursued harsh treatment of enemies.
He executed (put to death)
those that the Jacobins considered
enemies of The Republic
 Girondins that challenged Jacobin
authority
 Federalists who opposed strong central
government in Paris
 Counterrevolutionary priests, nobles
and their peasant supporters
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Executions (continued),
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Profiteers who hoarded food
San-culotte who were not in full agreement. He dissolved their
societies that undermined Jacobin authority
Consider this.
1.
He may have been paranoid, seeing more enemies of the
Republic, than really existed.
2.
Maybe he could have achieved his goals without the use of
extreme violence.
Jacobins opposed San-culotte desire to,
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Set limits on income
Limit the size of farms and businesses
Jacobins considered these views as extreme
A common expression which compares the actions of one group
to the actions of another group, when both are similar in
degree.
“Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?”
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Jacobin atrocities include,
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Execution by firing squad without trial
Most of the executions took place after the frontiers
had been secured against foreign invasion and the civil
war had been crushed
5,000 people were loaded on barges and sunk in the
middle of the Loire River
16,000 were sentenced to death by guillotine
20,000 died in prison before being tried
40,000 executed by firing squad, guillotine, and mass
drowning which were ordered by military courts
authorized by the convention / National Assembly.
200,000 died fighting in the civil war in the provinces
500,000 people were jailed
1. The Fall of Robespierre
2. The next stage of the Revolution
3. The Rise of Napoleon
Robespierre and some of his supporters were arrested by their
opponents on July 28, 1794 and guillotined.
Comment / Question. If you lived in that time, given the
extreme violence, would you actively participate in politics or
would you avoid political involvement? WHY?
Jacobin leadership and practices were ended.
Leadership passed to the property –owning bourgeois who had
supported the moderate stage of the revolution. The new
leadership was called the Thermidoreans and believed that
Jacobin ideals threatened their way of life because it would
have,
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Allowed common people a voice in government.
Introduced state regulation of the economy / social supports with
the goal of helping the poor.
The Thermidorean bourgeois did the
following,
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Purged (fired) the army of officers that supported
the Jacobins
Abolished the Law of the Maximum (price controls)
Declared the constitution of 1793 to be void
The new constitution reestablished property
requirements for voting (reduced the number of eligible
voters)
Royalists (supporters of the old regime of nobles and king) and Catholics
began to massacre Jacobins in the rural areas (the
provinces)
Summary of the next important events
1. Economic desperation returns (widespread hunger)
2. Royalists continue their effort to restore power to
themselves and the Catholic Church
3. Power began to pass to the generals as more
military control was required to manage the
violence throughout the city and countryside
General Napoleon Bonaparte seized control in 1799
and took the revolution to another stage.
Read the following 2 passages in your textbook.
Page 282. 1st full paragraph (column 1). 1st paragraph
top of 2nd column.
“Robespierre and his fellow Jacobins did not make
terror a deliberate government policy because they
were bloodthirsty or power mad. Instead, they
sought to establish a temporary dictatorship in a
desperate attempt to save the republic and the
Revolution.” (p.282.)
“Without the discipline, order, and unity imposed on
France by the Jacobins, it is likely that the republic
would have collapsed under the twin blows of the
foreign invasion and domestic anarchy” (p. 282.)
Choose ONE of the following 6 questions and answer it in you note
book. Be prepared to discuss your answer with the class.
1.
2.
3.
4.
To what extent was the Terror a reversal of the ideals of
the Revolution as formulated in the Declaration of the
Rights of Man?
To what extent did the feverish passions and lust for
violence demonstrated in the mass executions in the
provinces and in the public spectacles in Paris – vast
crowds watching and applauding the beheadings –
indicate a darker side of human nature, beyond the
control of reason?
Did Robespierre’s ‘religion of humanity’ revive the
fanaticism and cruelty of the wars of religion, which had
so disgusted the philosophes?
Did the Robespierrists, who considered themselves the
staunchest defenders of the Revolution’s ideals, soil and
subvert these ideals by their zeal?
5.
6.
Were the Jacobins unwittingly unleashing new forces –
‘total commitment to a political ideology’ that promised
to regenerate the nation and mass executions carried out
in good conscience – that would be harnessed by
totalitarian ideologies that were consciously resolved to
stamp out the liberal heritage of the Revolution?
Did 1793 mark a change in the direction of Western
civilization: a movement away from the ideals of the
philosophes and the opening of an age of political
coercion and ideological fanaticism that would culminate
in the cataclysms (terrible wars) of the 20th century?
Napoleon
(General, Consul, Emperor)
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Born 1769 on the island of Corsica
Son of a minor noble
Attended military school in France and became an artillery
officer
Earned experience and career advancement in several French
wars
1796 given command of French army in Italy and against the
Austrians in Italy, demonstrated ability in planning and
leadership
1799 returned from Egypt to France to participate in
overthrow of the Directory in which he was 1 of 3 leaders
(consuls).
1802 he was made 1st consul for life with the right to name
his successor.
1804 he crowned himself Emperor of the French.
Napoleon was not philosophically enlightened but
rather, motivated by enlightened despotism.
He believed the following,
 Disliked feudalism, religious persecution and civil
inequality
 Favoured government regulation of trade and
industry
 Promotion should be based on ability
 Secular education (non religious)
 Reducing the power of the clergy
 He should have the authority to suppress political
liberty
Question. How many of the above do you believe in?
Strong central government was established throughout
the entire country, urban and rural.
Taxation funded military battles (wars), police state
instruments such as secret agents, arbitrary arrest,
summary trials and executions.
Freedom of the press was ended and newspapers became
tools of the government.
To pacify landowners and the mass of Catholics, he
negotiated an agreement with the pope in 1801.
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Catholicism was recognized as the religion of the great
majority of the French (the pope wanted it to be the state
religion)
Peasants and bourgeois that had purchased confiscated
church lands were reassured that they would be able to keep
their land under the original terms of sale.
Napoleon’s Legal, Educational and Financial
Policies
Until the point in time, France had many law codes
that conflicted with each other, reflecting local
interests and feudal traditions, which obstructed
national unity and administrative efficiency.
Napoleon pressed for the following Liberal changes.
 Equality before the law
 The right to choose your own profession
 Religious freedom
 Protection of property rights
 Abolition of serfdom
 Secular state (non-religious)
Less Liberal Elements included
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Denied equal treatment to
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workers in their dealings with employers
Women in their relations with their husbands (property,
adultery and divorce)
Children in their relations with their fathers
The last two, women and children, were both
Napoleon’s personal point of view but commonly
accepted at that time in history.
Slavery was again legal in the colonies
Public education had very little church involvement.
Benefits of public education included,
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More capable graduates, to become officials and
administer the laws
Trained officers to lead his armies
Provide the young with an opportunity to learn
obedience, discipline and loyalty
The University of France was established
Set and controlled curriculum and standards centrally
(through to today)
Note: This is similar to Canada but very different than the
USA where education is decentralized, managed and
funded locally. Discussion.
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Economic policy strengthened the economy
 Tariffs (tax on foreign goods)
 Loans to businesses
 The Bank of France was established to guard against
inflation (controlled by top financiers) good or bad?
 Built and repaired roads which helped
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Industry move goods for sale
Military troops could move throughout the country faster
and more efficiently
Food was sold at low prices to avoid riots
Employment creation to keep the poor working
Did not restore feudal privilege and allowed the poor to
keep the land they acquired during the revolution
Conqueror of Europe
Between 1805 and 1807 he defeated Austria, Prussia and Russia and
by 1810 dominated Europe. He extended the following reforms to
conquered lands.
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Effective civil services
Opened careers to those with talent
Equalized the tax burden
Abolished serfdom, manorial payments and courts of the nobility
Promoted freedom of religion
Permitted civil marriage
Pressed for civil rights for Jews
Fought clerical interference with secular authority
Abolished medieval guilds
Introduced a uniform system of weights and measures
Eliminated internal tolls
Built roads and bridges and canals
Promoted secular education
Improved public health
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The meaning of Napoleon’s continental reforms
This social revolution was in essence an attack on
the privileges of the aristocracy and clergy.
The reforms weakened the Old Regimes irreparably in
most of Europe and contributed to the
modernization of nineteenth-century Europe.
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Although the bourgeoisie welcomed Napoleon as a
liberator, much of Europe was aware that their
resources were being exploited for the benefit of
France. Most Europeans outside of France hated
him.
The Spanish Ulcer
Spain was an ally since 1796 but,
 Did not prevent Portugal from trading with Britain
 Did not contribute much to the war efforts
Napoleon dethroned the Spanish King and installed
his own brother Joseph (was this promotion based on demonstrated
competence?) , believing that his reforms would be
welcomed and so would he.
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Spaniard nobles and clergy feared French Liberalism
The peasants were illiterate and fanatically religious
Catholics, easily manipulated by the clergy into believing
the Napoleon was the Agent of the Devil.
They fought a “War to the Knife” against the French
Napoleon’s Defeats
Spain – Britain – Russia - Germany
The Spanish were supported by British troops.
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Napoleon’s treasury was drained
Hundreds of thousands of French troops were tied to
the Spanish war
Britain gained a stronghold in mainland Europe from
which to invade southern France, from Spain
Other nations were inspired by the British/Spanish
defeat of Napoleon
Others began to resist
Napoleon was angry with Russia for trading with Britain.
Russia was angry with Napoleon for creating the Grand
Duchy of Warsaw (reviving Polish power), on the
Russian border and historically a place of conflict,
which now included French influence.
In June 1812, 614,000 French troops crossed into Russia
and headed to Moscow (lured to Moscow by Russian
troops fighting as rear guards).
In September 1812, the French reached Moscow but was
much reduced in men, ravaged by disease, hunger,
exhaustion, desertion and battle deaths.
The Russians had set fire to Moscow, ensuring that the
French would have no place to take shelter, as winter
set in.
The French retreated (in September),
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Without supply lines, they knew that they would not be
successful if they pursued the Russian’s further
By December (snow and frost covering the ground), they
crossed back into France with 95,000 troops and stolen
loot (property) from Moscow
The French army was 1/6th the size it was when it left
for battle.
Just Imagine!!!
If Napoleon had not pitted the Polish against the Russians, and
had not engaged in a war with Russia, his military would have
remained very powerful. Instead, his military was decimated.
At the time he fought Russia, the WAR of 1812 was raging in
North America (British vs. Americans).
Had Napoleon chosen to put his military strength to work
against the British, in support of the Americans, on the Land
that is now known as Canada, France may have been the new
power in North America, rather than the British and
Americans.
Just imagine how the world would have been different today
had Napoleon adopted a different strategy.
Germany
Germans hated the French invaders and the
domination the French held over them. Before
their defeat at Jena in 1806, the Germans thought
only to follow their own state and prince.
Inspired by others who stood against Napoleon, the
Germans did the following,
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Aroused their citizens with feelings of Nationalism that
inspired citizens to become more competent soldiers.
(better than mercenaries and oppressed serfs)
To promote based on ability, rather than birthright
Prussian – German Reforms (1807 – 1813)
Abolition of serfdom
 Granting towns more power for self-administration
 Awarding army commissions on the basis of merit
 Ending cruel punishment in the ranks of the military
 National military conscription
In 1813 the German Reform Party and their King
declared war on France and did successfully drive
the French out of Germany.
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Final Defeat
After the huge defeat to Russia and then Germany,
the French army was small, without enough
equipment, cavalry horses and experienced soldiers
Most of Europe rallied together to destroy Napoleon
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October 1813 allied forces from Austria, Prussia
(Germany), Russia, Sweden defeated Napoleon at
Leipzig.
Spring 1814, Paris was captured and Napoleon was sent
to Elba Island, off the coast of Italy.
The Bourbon Dynasty was restored to power in France
The “Hundred Days” (March to June)
March 1815 Napoleon returned to Paris with 1,000
soldiers, to a hero’s welcome.
He raised a new army and in June 1815 attacked the
allied forces in Belgium and was defeated at
Waterloo.
The allies sent him to the island of Saint Helena in the
South Atlantic, 1,000 miles off the coast of
Southern Africa where he died six years later.
The meaning of the French Revolution
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Philosophes ideas were implemented
Destroyed the hierarchical society of the nobility
and Catholic church
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Nobles became ordinary citizens
Privileges were eliminated
Promoted interests of the bourgeoisie
 Quickened the growth of the ‘modern state’
Questions.
Who are the Chinese bourgeoisie of the 21st century?
Do you think that you are going to be hired and
promoted based on ability?
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Gone
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Absolutism and the belief that the state a territory and
private possession of a king who claimed to be God’s
lieutenant on earth
Manorial obligations which slowed agricultural and economic
growth were replaced by fairer methods of taxation
New
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National, liberal secularism
The Declaration of the Rights of Man stated, among other
things that “the source of all sovereignty resides essentially
in the nation” and that power is derived from the people
Equality before the law, protection of human rights, trial by
jury, civil rights for Protestants and Jews
Freedom of speech and the press
BEWARE of the Future
The French Revolution inspired generations of
revolutionaries to remodel society in a way that led to,
1. Total War
2. Nationalism
3. Fanatic Utopian Mentality
Examples include, extremism that justified mass murder
in the name of a higher good. Robespierre and the
Jacobins started it, followed by the Nazis in Germany,
radical socialists in Russia, China and Cambodia, saw
themselves as idealists striving for a social
regeneration of humanity, led them to terrorize and
mass murder with dedication and a clear conscience.
Revolutionary extremism continues today in parts of
Africa.
In the 20th century, the dangerous forces of total war,
nationalism and fanatic utopian mentality almost
succeeded in crushing the liberty and quality so
valued by the French reformers.
We are fortunate to be living in a place and time
where we are not victims of such violence.
We don’t have to look far beyond our own borders to
see those who are modern day victims.
They deserve the same freedom we enjoy.
Examples from the last year include Tunisia, Egypt,
Libya, Syria and several African states.
END