Transcript The French Revolution Chapter Seven

The French Revolution
Chapter Seven
The French Revolution
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Introduction
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How would you define an unjust government?
What, if anything, would lead you to take part in a
violent revolution?
Why do most people dislike taxes?
Causes of the French Revolution
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In the 1700s France was considered the most
advanced country of Europe
Influence of the Enlightenment and American
Revolution
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Encourage overthrow of monarchy
Financial Problems
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Deep debt caused bankruptcy
Bad harvests
Unfair tax system
Influence of Enlightenment i.e. Locke, Rousseau
and Voltaire
The Estate System
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The Old Regime 1770s
The French people were divided into three estates
(classes)
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1st Estate- RCC Clergy (1% of pop)
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Paid few taxes
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Owned 10% of land
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2nd Estate-Nobles (2% of pop)
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Paid no taxes
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Owned 20% of land
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3rd Estate-Peasants (97%)
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50% income tax
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Urban workers, middle class,etc.
A Closer Look at the
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rd
3
Estate
3 groups existed inside of the 3rd Estate
1. The Bourgeoisie, or middle class, were bankers,
factory owners, merchants, professionals and skilled
artisans. They were well educated and some were
wealthy.
2. The workers of France’s cities formed the second
and poorest group in the 3rd Estate. They were paid
low wages and were often out of work
3. Peasants formed the largest group, 80% of
France’s 26 million people. They paid half of their
income to nobles, the Church and the King’s taxes.
How the Revolution started
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King Louis XVI was a
weak leader – Called a
meeting of the Estates
General 5/5/1789
 It was the first meeting
in 175 years
 Representatives from
all three estates
 To change unfair tax
system
 Fight over voting
system
King Louis XVI and the Queen Marie Antoinette
How the Revolution started
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Third Estate has little power in the Estates
General – always outvoted
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Want a change in the government
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More political power for the 3rd Estates
Third Estates delegates are locked out of the
meeting
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Decide to meet across the street
How the Revolution started
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Tennis Court Oath-set up
a constitution
 Members of the Third
Estate formed the
National Assembly;
June 17th 1789
 Proclaiming the end of
the absolute monarchy
and declaring a
representative
democracy
How the Revolution started
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Fall of the Bastille (July 14th, 1789)
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Angry mob in search of guns and ammo
Freeing of political prisoners
Jail seen by many as a symbol of tyranny
How the Revolution started
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The Great Fear
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Peasants become outlaws &
begin to attack members of
the 1st and 2nd Estates
October 1789 women of
Paris revolt over the rising
cost of bread because
rumors were that the
queen was hoarding grain
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Force King Louis XVI to
leaves his palace in
Versailles and returns to
Paris
Course of the Revolution
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National Assembly 1789
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Establishes the
Declaration of the Rights
of Man and Citizen
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Liberty, equality, and
fraternity
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All people created and
treated equally
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Reflects the ideas of
the US DOI
Course of the Revolution
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King Louis XVI Tries to Escape disguised as a
servant
Fearing for his life, the King tries to escape
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Fails to leave France
He and the royal family are jailed (June 1791)
Course of the Revolution (cont)
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The Legislative Assembly (Sept.1791)
 Legislative Assembly replaced the National
Assembly
 King still held some executive power
The National Convention (1792)
 Legislative Assembly came under the control
of the Jacobins
 Radical faction that abolished the monarchy
 Replaced the Legislative Assembly with the
National Convention
Reign of Terror (July 1793-1794)
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Led by the Committee
of Public Safety (police
force)
 Chairman Maximilien
Robespierre
 Eliminated all traces
of the old France.
Also closed all
churches
 Ruled France for a
year as dictator
Terror Continued
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In charge of suppressing ANY
opposition
 The King, Queen, and other
“enemies” were executed
 Over 40,000 people in total
 The Reign ended in July of 1794,
when members of the National
Convention turned on Robespierre
and he was executed
The Guillotine
Execution of King Louis XVI
From the Reign of Terror to
Napoleon
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After the execution of Robespierre the people
of France were tired of living in an age of
terror
They were also tired of the skyrocketing
prices of bread, salt and other goods
In 1795 the National Convention drafted a
new plan for government (the 3rd since 1789);
it called for a 2 house legislature and a
executive body of 5 men known as the
Directory
The Rise of Napoleon
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The Directory (1795-1799) appointed
Napoleon as general of the French army in
1796
1799-The “coup d'etat”. After returning
from war Napoleon leads his soldiers to
the National Legislature where they drive
out it’s members
Napoleon was named “First Consul” and
assumed the role of dictator
The Rise of Napoleon
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Napoleon Improves France
 Set up an efficient method of tax
collection and created the Bank of
France
 Reinstated Roman Catholicism as
the state religion
 Established the Napoleonic Code –
a comprehensive system of laws,
which eliminated many injustices
although it limited freedom of
speech and restored slavery
 In 1804 Napoleon is named
Emperor of France
The Governments of France during the
Revolution
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Old Regime (?-1789)
National Assembly (1789-1791)
Legislative Assembly (1791-1792)
Convention (1792-1795)
Directory (1795-1799)
Consulate (1799-1800)
Emperor Napoleon (1800-1815)
Monarchy (1815-)
Napoleon
The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte
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Emperor Napoleon’s Successes
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Defeated of Austrians at Marengo (1800)
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Established French power on the continent
Napoleon's defeat of various European countries
(1805-10)
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He installed relatives and loyalists as leaders
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Holland
Several German Provinces
Italy
Naples
Spain
Sweden
Emperor Napoleon’s Mistakes
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The invasion of England
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Battle at Trafalgar (1805)
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The Peninsular War (1808)
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Major defeat of Napoleon
Ended Napoleon’s plan to invade England
Instead, he tried the Continental System (blockade). The aim of this
system was to close all ports and prevent trade & communication with
Britain
Fought against the Spanish (for five years)
Drained French military resources. Lost 300,000 men
The invasion of Russia (1812)
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Thousands of French troops died due to winter conditions
Russians used the scorched earth policy- burned grain and killed
live-stock so the enemy would have nothing to eat
The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte
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The End of Napoleon
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By 1813 – All of the major European powers were
allied against France
1814 – In March Paris fell to Russia and Prussia
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Napoleon surrendered his throne and was exiled on
the Mediterranean island of Elba.
1815 – He escaped and marched on the French
capital and took control of France for 100 days
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The Battle of Waterloo vs the British in Belgium
 Ended his brief second reign
 The British imprisoned him
 Island of St Helena, where he died on 5/5/1821
The Congress of Vienna 1814-1815
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What was it?
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International conference that was called to
remake Europe after the downfall of Napoleon
Who were the important players?
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Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain
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Austria – Prince Klemens von Metternich
Russia – Emperor Alexander I
Prussia – Prince Karl August von Hardenberg
Great Britain –Lord Castlereagh & Duke Wellesley
The Congress of Vienna
Klemens von Metternich
Duke Wellesley
Alexander I
Karl August von Hardenberg
The Congress of Vienna
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Prince Klemens von Metternich of Austria
developed a plan that was followed
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Containment of France
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Balance of Power
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France lost power
Other nations (especially those around France) gained
tremendous power
France still strong, but no country could easily
overpower another
Legitimacy
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Returning leaders who Napoleon ousted
The Congress of Vienna
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What was the goal of the Congress?
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Reestablish a balance of power in Europe
Establish peace between nations
Was it successful?
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Highly successful - peace lasted almost 40 years
Established a German Empire
Germany in 1815
Formation of Alliances
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Rulers were worried about other nations
Formed alliances
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The Holy Alliance
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Russia, Austria, and Prussia
Alliance based on Christian principles
The Concert of Europe
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Russia, Austria, Prussia, and Great Britain
Set up to protect each other if revolutions broke out
Legacy of Chapter Seven
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The French Revolution
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Democracy in Europe
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The Napoleonic Age
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Nationalism spread throughout Europe
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Seen as the best way to ensure equality and justice
Particularly in Italy and Germany
Colonies began to fight for independence
The Congress of Vienna
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Time of Peace
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No major international wars for decades
THE END