1. AP World History: The French Revolution Period 4

2. I Historical Context: The Old Regime (Ancien Regime) A) Old Regime – socio-political system which existed in most of Europe during the 18 th century B) Many European countries were ruled by absolutism – the monarch had absolute control over the government C) Classes of people – privileged and unprivileged D) In France, people were divided into three estates First Estate High-ranking members of the Church Privileged class Second Estate Nobility Privileged class Third Estate Everyone else – from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeoisie merchants in the cities Unprivileged class

4. The Three Estates EstatePopulationPrivilegesExemptionsBurdens First Circa 130,000 High-ranking clergy Collected the tithe Censorship of the press Control of education Kept records of births, deaths, marriages, etc. Catholic faith held honored position of being the state religion (practiced by monarch and nobility) Owned 20% of the land Paid no taxes Subject to Church law rather than civil law Moral obligation (rather than legal obligation) to assist the poor and needy Support the monarchy and Old Regime Second Circa 110,000 Nobles Collected taxes in the form of feudal dues Monopolized military and state appointments Owned 20% of the land Paid no taxes Support the monarchy and Old Regime Third Circa 25,000,000 Everyone else: artisans, bourgeoisie, city workers, merchants, peasants, etc., along with many parish priests None Paid all taxes Tithe (Church tax) Octrot (tax on goods brought into cities) Corv ée (forced road work) Capitation (poll tax) Vingtiéme (income tax) Gabelle (salt tax) Taille (land tax) Feudal dues for use of local manor’s winepress, oven, etc.

5. What does this contemporary political cartoon say about conditions in France under the Old Regime?

6. What the King Did Appointed the Intendants, the “petty tyrants” who governed France’s 30 districts Appointed the people who would collect his taxes and carry out his laws Controlled justice by appointing judges Controlled the military Could imprison anyone at any time for any reason (blank warrants of arrest were called lettres de cachet) Levied all taxes and decided how to spend the money Made all laws Made decisions regarding war and peace

7. The Old Regime (Ancien Regime) Continued… E) France’s economy was based primarily on agriculture Peasant farmers of France bore the burden of taxation Poor harvests meant that peasants had trouble paying their regular taxes and certainly could not afford to have their taxes raised Bourgeoisie often managed to gather wealth but were upset that they paid taxes while nobles did not F) Recall that enlightenment philosophes questioned the divine right of monarchs.

8. II France Is Bankrupt A) King Louis XVI lavished money on himself and residences like Versailles. Queen Marie Antoinette was seen as a wasteful spender B) The government found its funds depleted as a result of wars including the funding of the American Revolution C) Deficit spending – a government spending more money than it takes in from tax revenues D) Privileged classes would not submit to being taxed

9. III Causes of the French Revolution Everything previously discussed Absolutism Unjust socio-political system (Old Regime) Poor harvests which left peasant farmers with little money for taxes Influence of Enlightenment philosophes Also System of mercantilism which restricted trade Influence of other successful revolutions England’s Glorious Revolution (1688-1689) American Revolution (1775-1783) A) Long Term Causes

10. B) Short Term Causes Bankruptcy Caused by deficit spending Financial ministers (Turgot, Necker, Calonne) proposed changes but these were rejected Assembly of Notables voted down taxation for the nobility in 1787 Great Fear Worst famine in memory Hungry, impoverished peasants feared that nobles at Estates- General were seeking greater privileges Attacks on nobles occurred throughout the country in 1789 Estates-General Louis XVI had no choice but to call for a meeting of the Estates-General to find a solution to the bankruptcy problem All three estates had not met since 1614 Set in motion a series of events which resulted in the abolition of the monarchy and a completely new socio-political system for France Causes of the French Revolution Continued…

11. IV Meeting of the Estates-General: May 5, 1789 A) Voting was conducted by estate 1. Each estate had one vote 2. First and Second Estates could operate as a bloc to stop the Third Estate from having its way ◊ First Estate + ◊ Second Estate - vs. - ◊ Third Estate B) Representatives from the Third Estate demanded that voting be by population; this would give the Third Estate a great advantage C) Deadlock resulted First Estate = 1 Vote or 130,000 Votes Second Estate = 1 Vote or 110,000 Votes Third Estate = 1 Vote or 25,000,000 Votes

12. V Tennis Court Oath On June 23, 1789, Louis XVI relented. He ordered the three estates to meet together as the National Assembly and vote, by population, on a constitution for France. The Third Estate relocated to a nearby tennis court where its members vowed to stay together and create a written constitution for France. Louis XVI responded by locking the Third Estate out of the meeting. The Third Estate declared itself to be the National Assembly.

13. The Tennis Court Oath “The National Assembly, considering that it has been summoned to establish the constitution of the kingdom, to effect the regeneration of the public order, and to maintain the true principles of monarchy; that nothing can prevent it from continuing its deliberations in whatever place it may be forced to establish itself; and, finally, that wheresoever its members are assembled, there is the National Assembly… Decrees that all members of this Assembly shall immediately take a solemn oath not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established and consolidated upon firm foundations; and that, the said oath taken, all members and each one of them individually shall ratify this steadfast resolution by signature.” Bronze Relief, 1883

14. VI Four Phases (Periods) of the French Revolution National Assembly (1789-1791)Legislative Assembly (1791-1792)Convention (1792-1795)Directory (1795-1799)

15. A) National Assembly (1789-1791) 1. Louis XVI did not actually want a written constitution 2. When news of his plan to use military force against the National Assembly reached Paris on July 14, 1789, people stormed the Bastille Four Phases (Periods) of the French Revolution Continued… People of Paris seized weapons from the Bastille July 14, 1789 Parisians organized their own government which they called the Commune Small groups – factions – competed to control the city of Paris Uprising spread throughout France Nobles were attacked Records of feudal dues and owed taxes were destroyed Many nobles fled the country – became known as émigr és Louis XVI was forced to fly the new tricolor flag of France

16. National Assembly (1789-1791) Continued… 3. The Parisian Commune feared that Louis XVI would have foreign troops invade France to put down the rebellion – Louis XVI’s wife, Marie Antoinette, was the sister of the Austrian emperor 4. A group of women attacked Versailles on October 5, 1789 – Forced royal family to relocate to Paris along with National Assembly – Royal family spent next several years in the Tuileries Palace as virtual prisoners

17. National Assembly (1789-1791) Continued… Abolishment of guilds and labor unions Abolition of special privileges Constitution of 1791 Declaration of the Rights of Man Equality before the law (for men) Many nobles left France and became known as émigr és Reforms in local government Taxes levied based on the ability to pay 5. Changes under the National Assembly:

18. National Assembly (1789-1791) Continued… Freedom of religion Freedom of speech Freedom of the press Guaranteed property rights “Liberty, equality, fraternity!” Right of the people to create laws Right to a fair trial Declaration of the Rights of Man: Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789 The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all. Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen:

19. Declaration of the Rights of Man Continued… Articles: 1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good. 2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. 3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation. 4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law. 5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law. 6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents. 7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense. 8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense..

20. Declaration of the Rights of Man Continued… 9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law. 10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law. 11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law. 12. The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted. 13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means. 14. All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes. 15. Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration. 16. A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all. 17. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified

21. Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen, 1791 Written by journalist Olympe de Gouges Argued that women are equal citizens and should benefit from governmental reforms just as men did Women did gain some rights during the French Revolution, but these were designed for purposes other than liberating women. - Women could inherit property, but only because doing so weakened feudalism and reduced wealth among the upper classes. - Divorce became easier, but only to weaken the Church’s control over marriage.

22. Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen, 1791 Woman, wake up; the tocsin of reason is being heard throughout the whole universe; discover your rights. The powerful empire of nature is no longer surrounded by prejudice, fanaticism, superstition, and lies. The flame of truth has dispersed all the clouds of folly and usurpation. Enslaved man has multiplied his strength and needs recourse to yours to break his chains. Having become free, he has become unjust to his companion. Oh, women, women! When will you cease to be blind? What advantage have you received from the Revolution? A more pronounced scorn, a more marked disdain. In the centuries of corruption you ruled only over the weakness of men. The reclamation of your patrimony, based on the wise decrees of nature- what have you to dread from such a fine undertaking? The bon mot of the legislator of the marriage of Cana? Do you fear that our French legislators, correctors of that morality, long ensnared by political practices now out of date, will only say again to you: women, what is there in common between you and us? Everything, you will have to answer. If they persist in their weakness in putting this non sequitur in contradiction to their principles, courageously oppose the force of reason to the empty pretentions of superiority; unite yourselves beneath the standards of philosophy; deploy all the energy of your character, and you will soon see these haughty men, not groveling at your feet as servile adorers, but proud to share with you the treasures of the Supreme Being. Regardless of what barriers confront you, it is in your power to free yourselves; you have only to want to.... Marriage is the tomb of trust and love. The married woman can with impunity give bastards to her husband, and also give them the wealth which does not belong to them. The woman who is unmarried has only one feeble right; ancient and inhuman laws refuse to her for her children the right to the name and the wealth of their father; no new laws have been made in this matter. If it is considered a paradox and an impossibility on my part to try to give my sex an honorable and just consistency, I leave it to men to attain glory for dealing with this matter; but while we wait, the way can be prepared through national education, the restoration of morals, and conjugal conventions… We, _____ and ______, moved by our own will, unite ourselves for the duration of our lives, and for the duration of our mutual inclinations, under the following conditions: We intend and wish to make our wealth communal, meanwhile reserving to ourselves the right to divide it in favor of our children and of those toward whom

23. Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Citizen, 1791 we might have a particular inclination, mutually recognizing that our property belongs directly to our children, from whatever bed they come, and that all of them without distinction have the right to bear the name of the fathers and mothers who have acknowledged them, and we are charged to subscribe to the law which punishes the renunciation of one's own blood. We likewise obligate ourselves, in case of separation, to divide our wealth and to set aside in advance the portion the law indicates for our children, and in the event of a perfect union, the one who dies will divest himself of half his property in his children's favor, and if one dies childless, the survivor will inherit by right, unless the dying person has disposed of half the common property in favor of one whom he judged deserving. That is approximately the formula for the marriage act I propose for execution. Upon reading this strange document, I see rising up against me the hypocrites, the prudes, the clergy, and the whole infernal sequence. But how it [my proposal] offers to the wise the moral means of achieving the perfection of a happy government!... Moreover, I would like a law which would assist widows and young girls deceived by the false promises of a man to whom they were attached; I would like, I say, this law to force an inconstant man to hold to his obligations or at least [to pay] an indemnity equal to his wealth. Again, I would like this law to be rigorous against women, at least those who have the effrontery to have reCourse to a law which they themselves had violated by their misconduct, if proof of that were given. At the same time, as I showed in Le Bonheur primitit de l'homme, in 1788, that prostitutes should be placed in designated quarters. It is not prostitutes who contribute the most to the depravity of morals, it is the women of' society. In regenerating the latter, the former are changed. This link of fraternal union will first bring disorder, but in consequence it will produce at the end a perfect harmony. I offer a foolproof way to elevate the soul of women; it is to join them to all the activities of man; if man persists in finding this way impractical, let him share his fortune with woman, not at his caprice, but by the wisdom of laws. Prejudice falls, morals are purified, and nature regains all her rights. Add to this the marriage of priests and the strengthening of the king on his throne, and the French government cannot fail.

24. National Assembly (1789-1791) Continued… 6.Reforms were made: a. Church lands were seized, divided, and sold to peasants b. Civil Constitution of the Clergy required that Church officials be elected by the people, with salaries paid by the government – 2/3 of Church officials fled the country rather than swear allegiance to this c. All feudal dues and tithes were eradicated d. All special privileges of the First and Second Estates were abolished e. The 30 provinces and their “petty tyrants” (Intendants) were replaced with 83 new departments and ruled by elected governors f. New courts, with judges elected by the people, were established

25. National Assembly (1789-1791) Continued… 7. Constitution of 1791 a. Democratic features: 1. France became a limited monarchy; the King became merely the head of state 2. All laws were created by the Legislative Assembly 3. Feudalism was abolished b. Undemocratic features: 1. Voting was limited to taxpayers 2. Offices were reserved for property owners 3. This new government became known as the Legislative Assembly

26. Four Phases (Periods) of the French Revolution Continued… B) The Legislative Assembly 1791- 1792 1. Royal family sought help from Austria – In June, 1791, they were caught trying to escape to Austria 2. Nobles who fled the revolution lived abroad as émigrés – They hoped that, with foreign help, the Old Regime could be restored in France 3. Church officials wanted Church lands, rights, and privileges restored – Some devout Catholic peasants also supported the Church 4. Political parties, representing different interests, emerged – Girondists were moderates who represented the rich middle class of the provinces – Jacobins (led by Marat, Danton, and Robespierre) represented workers, were extremists.

27. The Legislative Assembly Continued… C) European monarchs feared that revolution would spread to their own countries – France was invaded by Austrian and Prussian troops D) In the uproar, the Commune took control of Paris – Commune was led by Danton, a member of the Jacobin political party E) Voters began electing representatives for a new convention which would write a republican constitution for France – A republic is a government in which the people elect representatives who will create laws and rule on their behalf – Meanwhile, thousands of nobles were executed under the suspicion that they were conspirators in the foreign invasion

28. Four Phases (Periods) of the French Revolution Continued… C) The Convention 1. On September 22, 1792, the Convention met for the first time a. Established the First French Republic b. Faced domestic opposition and strife 2. Faced opposition from abroad – Austria, England, Holland, Prussia, Sardinia, and Spain formed a Coalition invading France 3. The Convention abolished the monarchy a. As long as the royal family lived, the monarchy could be restored b. Put the royal couple on trial for treason c. Louis XVI was guillotined on January 21, 1793 d. Marie Antoinette was guillotined on October 16, 1793 e. Daughter Marie-Thérèse was allowed to go to Vienna in 1795 - She could not become queen because of Salic law, which did not allow females to succeed to the throne f. Son Louis-Charles, a.k.a. Louis XVII (lived 1785-1795) was beaten and mistreated until he died in prison

29. The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David The three most memorable Jacobins were Georges Danton, Maximilien Robespierre, and Jean-Paul Marat. Because of a debilitating illness, Marat was eventually forced to work from home. He was assassinated (in the tub while taking a medicinal bath) by Charlotte Corday, a Girondist sympathizer, in July, 1793.

30. The Convention Continued… 4. The Convention drafted Frenchmen into the army to defeat the foreign Coalition a. These troops were led by General Carnot b. The people supported military operations because they did not want the country back under the Old Regime 5. Rouget de Lisle wrote the “Marseillaise” - Became the French national anthem and inspired troops as they were led into battle 6. After two years a. Coalition was defeated b. France had gained, rather than lost, territory

31. 7. The Reign of Terror: September 5, 1793-July 27, 1794 a. Despite military successes, the Convention continued to face problems domestically b. Danton and his Jacobin political party came to dominate French politics 1. Committee of Public Safety headed by Danton (and later Robespierre) 2. Those accused of treason were tried by the Committee’s Revolutionary Tribunal 3. Approximately 15,000 people died on the guillotine - Guillotine became known as the “National Razor” - Including innovative thinkers like Olympe de Gouges and Madame Jeanne Roland The Convention Continued…

32. 8. End of the Reign of Terror: a. Members of the Girondist political party tried to end the Reign of Terror initiated by the Jacobin political party – This opposition to the Committee of Public Safety caused many Girondists to be tried and executed for treason b. Eventually, even Georges Danton wanted to end the executions – This resulted in Danton being tried and executed for treason c. Maximilien Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety – He continued the executions – Convention came to blame Robespierre for the Reign of Terror d. Thermidorean Reaction – July 27, 1794 – ended the Reign of Terror – Convention sent Robespierre and other members of the Committee of Public Safety to the guillotine Robespierre was guillotined on July 28, 1794 e. With the foreign invaders vanquished and the Reign of Terror at an end, the Convention was finally able to inaugurate its new constitution. The Constitution of the Year III of the Republic (1795) created the Directory

33. Other Parting Reforms Passed by the Convention Adopted the metric system Dealt the final blow to feudalism by abolishing primogeniture (the system whereby the oldest son inherited all of his father’s estate) Drew up a comprehensive system of laws Ended debt imprisonment Ended slavery in France’s colonies Established a nationwide system of public education

34. Four Phases (Periods) of the French Revolution Continued… 5 directors appointed by the Legislature Executive Lower house (500 members) proposed laws Upper house (250 members) voted on these laws 2/3 of the Legislature would initially be filled by members of the Convention Legislature Girondists (middle-class party) had defeated the Jacobins (working- and peasant-class party) Girondists’ constitution stated that suffrage (the right to vote), as well as the right to hold office, were limited to property owners Qualifications D) The Directory:

35. The Directory Continued… The Directory suffered from corruption and poor administration. The people of France grew poorer and more frustrated with their government. Despite, or perhaps because of, these struggles, the French developed a strong feeling of nationalism – they were proud of their country and devoted to it. National pride was fueled by military successes. It would be a military leader – Napoleon Bonaparte, coming to power through a coup d’ état – who would end the ten-year period (1789-1799) known as the French Revolution.

36. Focus Questions 1.Describe the size, privileges, and exemptions of the 3 Estates. 2.What were the long and short term causes of the French Revolution? 3.What human rights were expressed in the Rights of Man and the Rights of Woman? 4.Describe the key events of the French Revolution including the Tennis Court Oath and the storming of the Bastille. 5.What were the causes and consequences of the Reign of Terror? Could it have been avoided? 6.Could the French Revolution have been avoided? 7.Compare and contrast the French and American Revolutions. Which do you think was more successful? More justified? Explain.

37. Review Questions 1. What Paris building was stormed on July 14, 1789? 2. What human rights were established in France by the Declaration of the Rights of Man? 3. How did Olympe de Gouges fight for women’s rights? 4. What were émigrés, and why did French revolutionaries view them as a threat? 5. Name and describe the two political parties that competed for power in revolutionary France. 6. What was the Committee of Public Safety? 7. Describe the Reign of Terror and explain how it eventually came to an end. 8. Were the “excesses” of the French Revolution justified? Why or why not? 9. Looking back at the first half of 1789, could the French Revolution have been avoided? If so, how?