Transcript Chapter 6

The French Revolution
Chapter 6
Section 1
The French Revolution Begins
Opening Question
What is the difference
between a revolution and a
war?
King Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette
France’s Old Regime
1st Estate: Clergy-Catholic Church Leaders (0.5%)
2nd Estate: Nobility-Military & Govt. Leaders,
Large Landowners (1.5%)
3rd Estate: -Bourgeoisie (Middle Class)-Doctors,
Lawyers, Merchants
-Artisans-Urban Workers
-Peasants
(98%)
Essential Question
• Which Estate do you think held the most
power? Why?
• What would the philosophes have said about
the “Estate System?”
• Are societies divided this way in the world
today?
• There was great discontent in the Third Estate for
many reasons:
• Resented other estates’ privileges
• Wealthy could buy their power & titles
• Small increases in prices brought starvation to many
• Paid all the taxes
• Several other economic issues added to this
resentment:
• France was deeply in debt
• Bad harvests sent food prices soaring (supply & demand)
• King Louis XVI continued lavish spending & refused to tax
the 1st & 2nd Estates
Let them eat cake!
Legend has it that when Marie Antoinette was told
that there was not enough bread for the peasants,
she exclaimed, “Let them eat cake!”
Questioning the old order
• Along with the economic conditions in France,
ideas from the Enlightenment and the
American Revolution began raising questions
(especially among the middle class and
nobility) about the social and political order of
France.
Economic Crisis!!!
• The French government had spent large sums of money
in fighting wars, most recently the American
Revolution.
• King Louis XVI and his court continued to spend money
on frivolous (unimportant) things.
• Deficit Spending – when your spending is more than
your revenue (income)…in other words you are
spending money that you ain’t got! (Think about credit
cards. You have to pay them back at some point.)
The Estates General
• Louis XVI called a meeting of the EstatesGeneral on May 5, 1789, the first time since
1614.
• Since 1614 the monarchy had been reconsolidating power, and the people did not
much care because times were not as bad.
• “…mankind are more disposed to suffer, while
evils are sufferable, than to right themselves
by abolishing the forms to which they are
accustomed…”
The Tides Turn
• Although the first and second estate were
outnumbered by the third estate, traditionally
each house had one vote. This meant that the
first and second estate could always outvote
the third estate.
• In 1789, the third estate demanded that each
person have one vote, which would give the
third estate a majority with the help of liberal
nobles and clergymen. However, King Louis
XVI refused, and the Third Estate walked out.
The National Assembly
• After walking out, on June 17, 1789, the third
estate established the National Assembly.
• They decided that they would draft a new
constitution.
• After being locked out of their original
meeting place, they met at a local tennis
court and swore to continue to meet until a
new constitution was made.
Complete the chart using Chp. 6 Section 1 of your textbook.
Event
Tennis
Court
Oath
Storming
The
Bastille
What?
Why?
Events leading
up to it?
Results
Events Leading to the French Revolution
Event
What?
Why?
Events leading up
to it?
Tennis
Court
Oath
An oath taken by the
National Assembly to
“never separate and
meet whenever the
circumstances might
require until we have
established a sound
and just constitution.”
The king had
locked the
National
Assembly out of
their meeting
hall.
The Estates General
was not working for
or representing the
majority of the
French (3rd Estate).
The Third Estate
decided to form the
National Assembly
with members of the
other estates to form
a constitution.
King Louis XVI
eventually accepted
the National
Assembly to meet
but rumors spread
that it wouldn’t last
for long.
Storming
The
Bastille
French citizens
attacked a local
prison looking
for weapons and
gun powder.
They felt they
needed protection
because of rumors
that the king was
going to occupy
Paris with his royal
troops.
The firing of Jacques
Necker, worsening
food shortages, and
rumors of the king
stopping the National
Assembly helped lead
to the Storming of
the Bastille.
The commander and five
guards were killed at the
prison. The mob did not
find any weapons or gun
powder as hoped, but they
did release a handful of
prisoners. This day is seen
as a symbol of the French
Revolution and Bastille Day
is still celebrated annually in
France.
Results
The Great Fear
• After the storming of the
Bastille, riots broke out all
over France against the
landholding system.
• When news of a possible
foreign invasion broke out,
peasant rebellions broke out
in the countryside and in the
cities causing many nobles
and clergy to flee.
The Declaration of the Rights of
Man and the Citizen
• Based on the English Bill of Rights and the
American Declaration of Independence and
Constitution, this document declared:
– “Liberty, property, security, and resistance to
oppression…”
– All men are equal
– Appointment to public office should be based on
talent
– No group is exempt from taxation
Olympe de Gouges
• She fought courageously for
the equality of women in the
new France and wrote
Declaration of the Rights of
Woman and the Femal Citizen
, but during the reign of
terror, she was put to death
for her ‘counter-revolutionary’
ideas.
Essential Questions
• Why was the third estate upset with the first
two estates?
• Which philosophe do you think the third
estate admired the most?
• How were the beginnings of the American
Revolution and the French Revolution similar?
How were they different?
• Women marched on Versailles demanding
bread. They did manage to get King Louis XVI
to return to Paris to address the problem.
• The National Assembly released the
Constitution of 1791 which created the
Legislative Assembly which became the lawmaking body of France.
• Radicals, people with far-reaching ideas and
changes, controlled French government by the
end of 1791. War with neighboring countries
soon erupted adding problems to more
problems. Other European countries were
afraid that the revolution would spread if not
contained in France.
Rise of the Paris Commune
• As conditions were still bad, in 1792, Parisians
declared themselves a commune (a popular
run city council).
• They first arrested the King and suspended the
monarchy.
• Then they declared Universal Male
Suffrage (all men have the right to
vote.)
Sans-Culottes –
men without
breeches
Section 2: Radical Revolution and
Reaction
While studying this section,
compare the French
Revolution with the American
Revolution.
The National Convention
• The newly elected National Convention’s first
step was to abolish the monarchy and
establish a republic.
• The radicals further convinced others that the
King needed to be executed so as not to rally
support among the counter-revolutionaries.
• On January 21, 1793, King Louis XVI was put to
death by the Guillotine. Marie Antoinette was
soon to follow.
The King’s Death
The Guillotine
The World Responds
• Other European monarchs were horrified at what
was happening in France. Therefore, a coalition
of Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and
the Dutch Republic took up arms against France.
• By summer of 1793, the outcome for France
looked grim.
• Meanwhile, opinion of the French Revolution was
split in America. Some wanted to help the
revolutionaries others were horrified of their
actions.
• Problems and fears of invasion engulfed much of
France. The National Convention responded by
creating the Committee of Public Safety.
Maximilien Robespierre led the committee.
• Robespierre began what became known as the
“Reign of Terror” - hasty trials and executions of
people deemed unsupportive of the National
Convention. (July 1793-94)
• The purpose was to purge France of counterrevolutionaries.
• Robespierre was eventually arrested and executed by
the National Convention out of weariness and fear.
All in all, approximately 40,000 people died during
the Reign of Terror by the guillotine – a more
humane way to decapitate someone.
The Reign of Terror
• A new government, the Directory (a group of 5
“directors” and a 2 house leg. to lead the nation),
took over thanks to the Constitution of 1795.
– Less radical than before and held power 1795-1799
• Instability in both the government and society led
politicians to a military hero named Napoleon
Bonaparte, who overthrew the Directory in a
coup d’etat in 1799.
Section 4: The Rise of Napoleon and the
Napoleonic Wars
• Napoleon’s Rise to Power:
• From a family of minor nobles with no money
• Was a Lieutenant in the army by age 20
• Won several early battles that allowed him to rise
further in the army
• Lost Egyptian campaign but hid the stories from his
admirers in France
• 1799-got into politics and helped overthrow the
governing body and establish the 3 man governing
board named the Consulate
• Soon took the title First Consul and in 1802 made
himself consul for life
• How did Napoleon gain so much support &
maintain his power?
• Restored economic prosperity by controlling prices,
encouraging new industry, & building roads and canals
• Made peace with the Church through the Concordat of
1801- kept church under state control but recognized
religious freedom for Catholics
• Won support from citizens across class lines
• New law code called the Napoleonic Code – pushed for
equality of citizens before the law, religious toleration, and
advancement on merit
• Order, Security, and Efficiency became the slogan for his
rule
• How Napoleon built his empire:
• Became Emperor of France in 1804, thus having
complete power
• Conquered other countries or intimidated them
into a union
• Annexed, or added, countries to his empire
Essential Questions
• What conditions allowed Napoleon to come to
power in France?
• How did Napoleon’s conquest help spread
revolutionary ideas throughout Europe?
Section 4: The Fall of Napoleon
Opening Question
Was Napoleon an autocratic dictator
or a defender of revolutionary ideas?
• Napoleon soon faced several challenges in his
empire:
• Britain’s ability to resist Napoleon – Great
Britain’s powerful Navy almost made
invincible, and when Napoleon tried to
enforce his Continental System other
countries resisted.
• Impact of nationalism- the growing love and
devotion people had for their own country &
culture sparked revolt against French rule.
• Napoleon’s invasion of Russia.
• Napoleon’s invasion of Russia (1812)
– Considered to be his biggest mistake
– It was caused by Russia’s refusal to remain in the
Continental System.
• Napoleon invaded Russia with 400,000 soldiers and the
cruel Russian winter approaching.
• As Russian soldiers retreated from the advancing
French army, they burned all buildings and the crops.
– To prevent the French from having shelter or food.
– This was known as the scorched earth policy, and it would be
used again by the Russians during World War II.
• Napoleon made it to Moscow, but he/they had to head
back home due to lack of supplies.
– Napoleon’s Grand Army numbered 10,000 when it got home.
(A loss of 97.5% of his troops!)
• A new alliance formed in Europe (Russia, Prussia,
Austria, and England), and they defeated
Napoleon at The Battle of the Nations.
• Paris was captured in March of 1814.
– He abdicated, stepped down from power, and was
exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba.
• Napoleon soon escaped from Elba and reclaimed
power in France (The Hundred Days).
– The coalition forces rejoined and met Napoleon’s
army on the battlefield at Waterloo (where he was
defeated for the last time).
– He was exiled to the south Atlantic island of St.
Helena where he died in 1821.
Napoleon’s Exiles
Elba
First Exile
Second (and last) Exile
• Legacy of Napoleon:
• Napoleonic Code
• Ideas of revolution were spread
• Sparked feeling of nationalism across Europe
• Sold the Louisiana territory to the U.S.
• European leaders met at the Congress of Vienna – an assembly of
the victorious nations –to attempt to restore stability and order in
Europe after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.
• Restored monarchies in Europe through the principle of
intervention – idea that powerful countries have the right to
send armies into other countries to restore “legitimate”
governments
• Redrew borders of Europe making sure to surround France
with strong countries without regard to national cultures.
Summary
• Although Napoleon was defeated and the
Bourbon Monarchy restored, France would
continue to have revolts throughout the rest
of the century (Les Miserables).
• Although many monarchs were restored,
revolutionary ideas took hold across Europe.
The philosophies of Liberalism and
Nationalism will continue to grow until their
apex during World War I.
Foreshadowing
• The growing feelings of nationalism will be a
problem that will haunt Europe, and the rest
of the world, in years to come. It will
contribute to wars down the road deadlier
than history had seen.
• The path for the future has been laid.
Events that took place during this time
and throughout the next one hundred
years largely shaped the world in which
we live today.