Transcript The French Revolution

The French Revolution
a summary
No one factor was directly responsible for the
French Revolution. Years of feudal oppression
and fiscal mismanagement contributed to a
French society that was ripe for revolt. Noting
a downward economic spiral in the late 1700s,
King Louis XVI brought in a number of
financial advisors to review the weakened
French treasury. Each advisor reached the
same conclusion—that France needed a
radical change in the way it taxed the public—
and each advisor was, in turn, kicked out.
Finally, the king realized that this taxation
problem really did need to be addressed,
so he appointed a new controller general
of finance, Charles de Calonne, in
1783. Calonne suggested that, among
other things, France begin taxing the
previously exempt nobility. The nobility
refused, even after Calonne pleaded with
them during the Assembly of Notables in
1787. Financial ruin thus seemed
imminent.
King Louis XVI realized his
advisors were right. BUT…
Instead of easing the tax
burden he asked the
nobility to pay taxes. They
didn’t like the idea and
refused. It looked like
France was going to be
financially devastated.
The Estates-General
In a final act of desperation, Louis XVI
decided in 1789 to convene the EstatesGeneral, an ancient assembly consisting of
three different estates that each represented
a portion of the French population. If the
Estates-General could agree on a tax
solution, it would be implemented. However,
since two of the three estates—the clergy
and the nobility—were tax-exempt, the
attainment of any such solution was unlikely.
so
what
does
that
mean
?
A desperate Louis XVI calls
in a group of representatives.
They are called the Estates
General and have
representatives from the
clergy, nobility, and
commoners. Louis wants
them to agree on a tax
solution but doesn’t think
they will because two groups
are exempt from taxes.
They don’t have to pay taxes
and they are not likely to
agree to start.
Moreover, the outdated rules of order for the
Estates-General gave each estate a single vote,
despite the fact that the Third Estate—consisting
of the general French public—was many times
larger than either of the first two. Feuds quickly
broke out over this disparity and would prove to
be irreconcilable. Realizing that its numbers gave
it an automatic advantage, the Third Estate
declared itself the sovereign National Assembly.
Within days of the announcement, many
members of the other two estates had switched
allegiances over to this revolutionary new
assembly.
so what does that mean?
The Third Estate was
outnumbered. Knowing that
they could not win with votes
they withdrew from the
Estates General and declared
themselves independent of
the authority of the Estates
General. They formed the
National Assembly. Liking this
idea some members of the
other two estates joined the
knew assembly.
Shortly after the National Assembly formed, its members
took the Tennis Court Oath, swearing that they would not
relent in their efforts until a new constitution had been
agreed upon. The National Assembly’s revolutionary
spirit galvanized France, manifesting in a number of
different ways. In Paris, citizens stormed the city’s largest
prison, the Bastille, in pursuit of arms. In the countryside,
peasants and farmers revolted against their feudal
contracts by attacking the manors and estates of their
landlords. Dubbed the “Great Fear,” these rural attacks
continued until the early August issuing of the August
Decrees, which freed those peasants from their
oppressive contracts. Shortly thereafter, the assembly
released the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the
Citizen, which established a proper judicial code and the
autonomy of the French people.
so what does
that mean?
And the result? Peasants were freed from
their feudal contracts and the Declaration of
the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which
established a proper judicial code and the
autonomy of the French people, was
released.
a bill of rights modeled on English
and American examples, which
guaranteed that "men are born and
remain free and equal in rights." It
also guaranteed that "property being
an inviolable and sacred right, no one
may be deprived of it except for an
obvious requirement of public
necessity, certified by law . . . ."
http://faculty.fullerton.edu/nfitch/history110b/rev.html
Though the National Assembly did succeed in
drafting a constitution, the relative peace of the
moment was short-lived. A rift slowly grew between
the radical and moderate assembly members, while
the common laborers and workers began to feel
overlooked. When Louis XVI was caught in a foiled
escape plot, the assembly became especially
divided. The moderate Girondins took a stance in
favor of retaining the constitutional monarchy, while
the radical Jacobins wanted the king completely out
of the picture.
The National Assembly
became a house divided. They
began to form alliances based
on class and belief. The lower
classes felt left out…again.
• Radicals
• wanted the king
completely out of
the picture
so what does that mean?
• Moderates
• in favor of retaining the
constitutional
monarchy
Outside of France, some neighboring
countries feared that France’s
revolutionary spirit would spread
beyond French land. In response, they
issued the Declaration of Pillnitz,
which insisted that the French return
Louis XVI to the throne. French
leaders interpreted the declaration as
hostile, so the Girondin-led assembly
declared war on Austria and Prussia.
French neighbors feared
that revolution would
spread to their countries.
Neighboring countries
requested the return
of Louis XVI.
Girondins took offense and
declared war on Austria and
Prussia.
so what does that mean?
The Reign of Terror
The first acts of the newly named National
Convention were the abolition of the monarchy
and the declaration of France as a republic. In
January 1793, the convention tried and
executed Louis XVI on the grounds of treason.
Despite the creation of the Committee of Public
Safety, the war with Austria and Prussia went
poorly for France, and foreign forces pressed on
into French territory. Enraged citizens overthrew
the Girondin-led National Convention, and the
Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, took
control.
Simply put…France
did away with the
monarchy and
decided they would
be a Republic and
Louis lost his head...
Literally.
so what does that mean?
Jack and Jill went up the hill to
fetch a pail of water
Jack fell down and broke his
crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up got Jack, and home did trot
As fast as he could caper
He went to bed and bound his
head
With vinegar and brown paper.
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/jack_and_jill.htm
The roots of the story, or poem, of Jack
and Jill are in France. Jack and Jill referred
to are said to be King Louis XVI - Jack -who
was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by
his Queen Marie Antoinette - Jill - (who
came tumbling after). The words and lyrics
to the Jack and Jill poem were made more
acceptable as a story for children by
providing a happy ending! The actual
beheadings occurred in during the Reign of
Terror in 1793. The first publication date for
the lyrics of Jack and Jill rhyme is 1795 which ties-in with the history and origins.
Death by Beheading!
On the gruesome subject of beheading it was
the custom that following execution the
severed head was held up by the hair by the
executioner. This was not, as many people
think, to show the crowd the head but in fact
to show the head the crowd and it's own
body! Consciousness remains for at least
eight seconds after beheading until lack of
oxygen causes unconsciousness and
eventually death. The guillotine is associated
with the French but the English were the first
to use this device as described in our section
containing Mary Mary Quite Contrary Rhyme
What’s a
republic?
A political order in which the
supreme power lies in a body of
citizens who are entitled to vote
for officers and representatives
responsible to them.
http://www.answers.com/topic/republic?cat=biz-fin
Backed by the newly approved Constitution of 1793,
Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety began
conscripting French soldiers and implementing laws to
stabilize the economy. For a time, it seemed that France’s
fortunes might be changing. But Robespierre, growing
increasingly paranoid about counterrevolutionary
influences, embarked upon a Reign of Terror in late
1793–1794, during which he had more than 15,000
people executed at the guillotine. When the French army
successfully removed foreign invaders and the economy
finally stabilized, however, Robespierre no longer had any
justification for his extreme actions, and he himself was
arrested in July 1794 and executed.
Time period when
Robespierre was so
afraid of opposition so what does that mean?
that he executed
people that might
be a threat.
The era following the ousting of Robespierre
was known as the Thermidorian Reaction, and
a period of governmental restructuring began,
leading to the new Constitution of 1795 and a
significantly more conservative National
Convention. To control executive
responsibilities and appointments, a group
known as the Directory was formed. Though it
had no legislative abilities, the Directory’s
abuse of power soon came to rival that of any
of the tyrannous revolutionaries France had
faced.
After the reign of terror the
French were fearful of a too
powerful government . The
Directory was formed to
oversee the balance of
responsibilities and
appointments.
so what does that mean?
Increased corruption was the
result.
“Take time to deliberate, but when the
time for action has arrived, stop
thinking and go in.”
A revolution can be neither made nor
stopped. The only thing that can be
done is for one of several of its children
to give it a direction by dint of victories.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
A true man hates no one.
A man will fight harder for his interests
than for his rights.
Meanwhile, the Committee of Public Safety’s war
effort was realizing unimaginable success. French
armies, especially those led by young general
Napoleon Bonaparte, were making progress in
nearly every direction. Napoleon’s forces drove
through Italy and reached as far as Egypt before
facing a deflating defeat. In the face of this rout,
and having received word of political upheavals in
France, Napoleon returned to Paris. He arrived in
time to lead a coup against the Directory in 1799,
eventually stepping up and naming himself “first
consul”—effectively, the leader of France. With
Napoleon at the helm, the Revolution ended, and
France entered a fifteen-year period of military rule.
so what does that mean?
Napoleon took
over and France
became a
dictatorship for
the next 15 years.
Napoleon set out to expand his
empire and was rather
successful. He attempted to take
Russia. After several errors in
judgment he was defeated at
Waterloo.
more to come…