AP EURO CHAPTER 18 FRENCH REVOLUTION

French Financial Crisis Deeply in debt due to Seven Years’ War and American Revolution Rich nation/Impoverished Govt.? Didn’t know how to tax correctly parlements – French royal courts dominated by hereditary nobility Many local ones, main one in Paris Made it difficult to tax the wealthy Were abolished by Louis XV and reinstated by Louis XVI Made if difficult for finance ministers to create new tax schemes Monarchy > bad character > no public support Louis XV, Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI No relationship with aristocracy like Louis XIV

Jacques Necker Royal director-general of finances Argued that the economy was really not that bad > pay off debt from Am. Rev. and everything is ok Revealed a large portion of royal costs went to pensions for aristocrats Angered the aristocrats His report made if more difficult to raise taxes He leaves office

Calonne’s Reform Plan Calonne now minister of finance Solution/Proposal? Encourage internal trade, lower some taxes, transform corvee? into money payments Wanted to introduce a new land tax that all landowners regardless of class would have to pay What would this do? Less need to seek additional taxes which required approval from parlements Challenged social & political power of aristocracy

Assembly of Notables Consisted of upper ranks of aristocracy & church Refused to accept Calonne’s plan Claimed only the Estates General, a medieval institution not used since 1614, could consent to new taxes Important** > usually dominated by nobility? Chance for upper class to gain more power Calonne replaced by Brienne

Deadlock and the Estates General Brienne wanted to institute a land tax but no cooperation from the parlements Brienne appealed to the Assembly of the Clergy to pay debts, but was refused parlements wanted privileges of the early 17th century returned to them Brienne resigns and replaced by Necker – reforms on the horizon What is the theme here? No cooperation from aristocrats or the clergy

The Three Estates Three social groups or estates existed in France First Estate – clergy Second Estate – nobility Third Estate – everyone else including middle class Members > wealthy middle class > bourgeoisie Third Estate warned it would not let the first two estates rule the future of the nation

What does this cartoon depict?

Debate Over Voting Assembly of Notables demanded each estate have an equal amount of representatives Parlement of Paris believed that each estate should have just one vote each What’s the problem here? The First and Second Estates would automatically outvote the Third 2-1 Third Estate immediately bemoans the arrogance of the aristocracy and now distrusts it What does this show about the aristocracy? They just want to obtain their privileges, the hay with liberty

Third Estate Victory Royal council announced Third Estate would elect twice as many representatives to the Estates General as either of the other two Estates Double the third Actually helps Louis XVI? Method of voting had not been decided when the Estates General gathered at Versailles in May, 1789

The Cahiers de Doleances Cahiers de doleances – list of grievances registered by local electors to be presented to the king The grievances were not all that different from the Third Estate Government waste Indirect taxes Church tax Corruption The cahiers wanted More equitable taxes Measures to facilitate trade and commerce Free press

The National Assembly Formed due to lack of agreement with monarchy Over voting > order not head > Third Estate ticked why? takes away their power in numbers Combination of the Third and Second Estate, along with some liberal nobles Officially declared on June 17, 1789

The Tennis Court Oath Louis XVI locks National Assembly out of their local meeting place So the National Assembly gathers in an indoor tennis court to draft a new constitution King Louis XVI – no control so he orders the First and Second Estates to meet with the National Assembly The National Assembly renames itself the National Constituent Assembly and is composed of members of all three estates who shared goals of administrative, constitutional, and economic reform of the country Voting to be done by head not order

Overthrow of the Bastille Winter and spring 1788-1789 – high bread prices cause shortages July 11, 1789 – Louis XVI – dismisses finance minister Necker July 14, 1789 – large crowds against Louis XVI go the Bastille– a fortress that once held political prisoners – looking to arm the militia (98 Parisians, several troops and the governor of the Bastille are killed) Why arm themselves? July 15, 1789 – the National Guard, led by Marquis de Lafayette, officially take over the Bastille. Louis XVI days later recognizes the new government Tricolor flag?

The “Great Fear” Peasant disturbances intensify in the countryside as the aristocrats land is taken over August 4, 1789 – Several nobles and clergymen renounce their nobility rights at the National Constituent Assembly to quell the riots “Old Regime” and Feudalism are officially abolished

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen New constitution drafted on August 27, 1789 Very similar to the Declaration of Independence in proclaiming liberty, freedom, and natural rights Two most powerful ideas were civic equality and popular sovereignty Taxation apportioned equally on your capacity to pay Women not included Goes back to Enlightenment ideals > Rousseau

The Women’s March on Versailles Women upset about bread prices gather at Versailles – October 5, 1789 Want more bread King Louis XVI forced to go back to Paris

The Political Reconstruction of France Constitution of 1791 - Legislative Assembly becomes main law making body of France / monarch has limited powers What did the National Constituent Assembly est.? Constitutional monarchy Only active citizens? could vote Those who paid annual taxes Society > status based on property not birth Women? Olympe de Gouges – she composes Declaration of Rights of Women, using the men’s declaration it calls for women to be treated as citizens Ancient French Provinces (ex. Burgundy) replaced by departments – equally sized administrative units > still exist today parlements replaced by uniform courts with judges and prosecutors

The Economic Reconstruction of France Workers organizations forbidden by the Chapelier Law Disappointed workers > now they were at mercy of the marketplace Finance debt by Land belonging to the Roman Catholic Church is confiscated and sold creating further inflation religious schism civil war Most decisive action of the revolution The assignats? Govt. bonds > value came from revenue of the sale of church property – used as currency, but used so often their value went down raising inflation

The Civil Constitution of the Clergy (July of 1790) Transformed the Roman Catholic Church into a branch of the secular state Pastors and bishops salaried employees of the state Embittered relations between the church and the state Had to take an oath > most didn’t > became known as the refractory clergy Pope Pius VI condemns both the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen Overall > major blunder of the Assembly

Counterrevolutionary Activity Emigrés Aristocrats who left France for bordering countries Sought to form counterrevolution Flight to Varennes King Louis XVI attempts to flee France but is caught Significant King seen as chief counterrevolutionary Declaration of Pillnitz – Emperor Leopold II (Marie’s brother) of Austria and King Frederick William II of Prussia announce that if another European power joins them they will intervene in France to protect the monarchy

Second Revolution National Constituent Assembly ends New constitution forms the Legislative Assembly All new members

The Jacobins Club of politically like-minded people from the third estate who wanted a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy Took radical ideas from Enlightenment Girondists – part of the Jacobins that assumed leadership of the assembly Declared war on Austria, king supports it > why? Forced Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette into imprisonment Paris commune est. Independent political force > protector from internal and external enemies > will greatly impact the direction of the revolution

The Convention and the Sans-Culottes The September Massacres – 1,200 people murdered in prisons by Parisians Thought they were counterrevolutionaries Convention est. > calls for France to become a republic with an elected assembly w/out a monarch Sans-culottes “without breeches” Name comes from the long trousers of the working people Led a revolution more radical than the Girondists Anti-monarchical, republican, against social inequality Paris commune chief political vehicle Goals of Jacobins not quite the same as the sans-culottes but they worked together at times to keep the revolution moving forward Execution of Louis XVI – beheaded on January 21, 1793

Cartoonist James Gillray’s Famous Caricature

Edmund Burke vs. Thomas Paine Attacks the Revolution Wrote Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790) Said revolution will end in military despotism American Revolution hero Thomas Paine disagreed with him Defended revolutionary principles Burke’s influence wins in the long run

William Pitt the Younger Britain’s prime minister during Revolution Tried several repressive domestic policies With help of Parliament suspends acts such as Habeas Corpus Certain writings were considered treason Significance?

War with Europe France at war with First Coalition (Allies) Austria Prussia Great Britain Spain Sardinia Holland (Netherlands) First Coalition (Allies) against France

The Reign of Terror 1793 > a sense that the achievements of the revolution were in trouble by the wars Protect revolution & silence dissent Real and imagined enemies of revolution arrested and executed (peasants, nobles, clergy, business people and ex-revolutionary leaders)

The Republic Defended The Committee of Public Safety Carried out the duties of the executive branch in dictatorial fashion Worked with sans-culottes in Paris Leader > Robespierre Goal > save revolution from enemies at home & abroad The Levee en Masse Military conscription of males and economic production for military Citizen army of now over a million men by 1794 Convention Girondist members expelled > the Mountain in full control > more radical Carried out more executions for internal protection

Maxim lien de Robespierre Dominant figure of the Committee of Public Safety Supported reign of terror Had support of sans-culotte Called for an assault on all enemies of the Revolution Advocates the use of terror in order for “Republic of Virtue” to be successful

Repression of Republican Women All women’s societies banned? Thought they were becoming too radical Justification > Rousseau > separate spheres Barred from Convention and army Olympe de Gouges executed? No room for women in Republic of Virtue

De-Christianization New calendar adopted Many churches closed Some clergy and believers executed Priests forced to marry

Revolutionary Tribunals Executions Marie Antoinette Girondist politicians Peasants opposed to the Revolution Members of sans-culottes Shows nobody is safe Executions carried out by guillotine Other methods used as well esp. in the Provinces Mass shootings & drowning

The End of the Terror Robespierre turns on leaders both from the political left and right Law of 22 Prairial Tribunals could convict suspects without evidence against them Number of executions out of control now Fearing he was turning into a dictator, Robespierre and 80 of his supporters are executed Overall > 25,000 people executed

The Thermidorian Reaction 3rd Phase > Tempering of the Revolution Influence of wealthy middle-class and professional people replaces sans-culottes Committee of Public Safety diminished Paris Commune outlawed Law of 22 Prairial repealed Jacob Club closed Many executed “White Terror” Traditional roles of men and women in addition to the church reestablished

Constitution of Year III Rejected both constitutional monarchy and democracy Established two houses of the legislature and an executive branch (five person Directory) Political system based on rank and birth replaced by system of civic equality and social status

End of Sans-Culottes Sans-culottes removed from political life Peace treaties with Spain and Prussia Directory weak due to Food shortages > more riots Suppression of sans-culotttes the Two-Thirds law – favored people already in office Catholic royalist revival War continues with Great Britain & Austria Directory governs Frances relying on the army

In Perspective French Revolution is the central political event of modern European history Will shape society and politics in Europe for next two centuries Paves the way for Napoleon to assume power