1. Chapter 23: The French Revolution and Napoleon

2. Causes of the French Revolution
Social and economic injustices
American Revolution
Economic troubles
High taxes and bread prices, debt, crop failures in the 1780s
A weak, inept leadership
Old Regime
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Enlightenment ideas spread among Third Estate
Who might the French people admire? Why?

3. French Social Structure
1770s France
Three estates
First estate
Clergy of Roman Catholic Church
Less than 1% of population
Owned 10% of land
Paid 2% taxes
Second estate
Wealthy nobles
2% of population
Owned 20% of land
Paid no taxes and held government jobs
How did these people feel about the Enlightenment?

4. The Third Estate Three groups Bourgeoisie (Middle class)
Held a skilled job: Merchant, banker, lawyer, artisan, etc.
Well-educated
Some were wealthy, but…
…they all lacked social status and political power
Workers (Proletariat)
Held unskilled factory jobs
Peasants
80% of France’s total population
Paid almost half their total income in taxes!
What did the Third Estate want from King Louis XVI?
CHANGE!

5. The Painful Reality

6. The Dawn of Revolution
Third Estate creates the National Assembly to pass new reform laws
What does this mean for the Louis XVI?
Ends absolute monarchy, begins representative government
Tennis Court Oath
Third Estate would write a new Constitution

7. The First Battle Storming of the Bastille
French prison is taken over by angry mob looking for gunpowder for their stolen weapons
Symbol of Revolution
July 14, 1789
Bastille Day
Great Fear
Terrorism, starvation

8. La Marseillaise
Come, children of the Fatherland Our day of glory has come! Against us the bloody flag of tyranny is raised! Can you hear in the country The shrieks of those ferocious soldiers? They come to our very arms To slaughter our sons and wives: To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! March forth! March forth! Let their impure blood water our fields!

9. “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!”
Motto of the French Revolution
How does the motto indicate the Third Estate’s goals?
Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
Guaranteed certain human rights

10. Social and Political Changes
State controls church
Effect?
Lost land and political independence
National Assembly creates new constitution
Created a limited monarchy by establishing the Legislative Assembly in 1791
Had the power to create laws and approve declarations of war
Responsible for execution of King Louis XVI

11. The Reign of Terror National Convention forms Maximilien Robespierre
Connection between virtue and terror
—Robespierre ruled as a dictator
About 40,000 people die during the Reign of Terror; 85% were from the Third Estate
Why is this ironic?

12. The Terror Ends National Convention feared for their lives
Robespierre was executed, ending the Reign of Terror
Directory is formed in 1795, upper middle class takes power

14. Napoleon (Quickly!) Rises to Power
Napoleon Bonaparte
Outstanding military skills, promoted to head of the army
Suffered losses, also
How was Napoleon still able to keep his image as a national hero?
The Directory was weak by 1799; Napoleon led a military coup d'état and took power
Established the Consulate, a three-man governing board
He held a plebiscite to approve a new constitution
Napoleon became the first leader of a democratic France…or did he?
Napoleon took complete control as first consul

15. Napoleon Reforms(?) France
Strengthened national government
Collected taxes; started national bank
Set up lycées to educate men to become trained, uncorrupt gov’t officials
Signed a concordat with the Pope
Gov’t recognized influence of Church, but NOT in national affairs
In other words…?
Separation of church and state
Napoleonic Code
Set new and equal laws for France
Promoted order and authority over individual rights

16. Napoleon’s Coronation (1804)

17. Napoleon as Emperor (1804-1815)
Took over large parts of Europe
European countries formed alliance against him
Napoleon’s empire large, but unstable

18. Napoleon’s Three Mistakes
1. The Continental System
Looked to make continental Europe more self-sufficient
What country did Napoleon want to cause damage to?
Napoleon sets up a blockade…Why?
Blockade was too loose, did not stop British navy
2. The Peninsular War
Invaded Spain so Portugal would become part of the Continental System
Bands of Spanish fighters called guerillas attacked Napoleon’s armies
300,000 French soldiers die

19. The Biggest Mistake 3. Invasion of Russia (1812)
420,000 French soldiers march into Russia
Russian general Czar Alexander keeps pulling back his soldiers deeper into his territory
Russia uses scorched-earth policy to weaken Napoleon’s army
More than 400,000 French soldiers die

20. Napoleon Exits from France--Twice
Napoleon wanted to continue fighting, but his generals refused
He was exiled to Elba, a small island off the coast of Italy
New king was unpopular
Napoleon escapes, fights Prussian and British forces at Waterloo
Napoleon’s defeat there is the end of his last attempt to keep power, called the Hundred Days

21. Congress of Vienna
Goal was to provide security and stability for all of Europe
Klemens von Metternich was the most influential representative
1. Surround France with strong countries
**2. Restore a balance of power to Europe
3. Restore royal families to throne--legitimacy
Alliances formed: Holy Alliance and the Concert of Europe
Was the Congress successful?
Long-term effects:
End to rigid and unfair social structure
Increased belief in democracy