French Revolution Review

Three Estates Estates were classes that made up the French society under absolute rule. The First Estate, the clergy, made up 1% of the French population and owned 10% of the land. The Second Estate, the nobles, made up 2% of the French population and owned 20% of the land. The Third Estate, middle class, peasants and city dwellers, made up 97% of the French population and owned 70% of the land

Third Estate Third Estate was made up of three groups: Middle Class or bourgeoisie- bankers, merchants and manufactures. Peasants- Made up the bulk of the Third Estate, tenant farmers and day laborers. City Workers- Apprentices, journeymen and cloths makers. The Third Estate had to pay taxes while the First and Second Estates did not.

Financial Crisis The French government had spent a lot of money in wars, such as the American Revolution. A bad harvest caused food prices to soar and many peasants could not buy food. A solution to the problem was to tax the First and Second Estate The First and Second Estate pressured King Louis XVI to call a meeting of the Estates General, the French government body made up of representatives from the Three Estates to decide if the first and Second Estate would pay taxes.

Enlightenment and the Third Estate The Third Estate made up 97% of the French population. The Third Estate started to ask questions about the treatment they received from the First and Second Estate. The Third Estate questioned why they, the majority, had to pay taxes and the First and Second Estates, the minority, did not?

Influences Success of the American colonist defeating Great Britain to gain their independence Enlightenment thinkers: John Locke Jean Jacque Rousseau Baron De Montesquieu Gave the people of the Third Estate confidence that they could change their role in society.

Women March on Versailles Famine drove citizens of France to take action. Thousands of women marched 12 miles from Paris to Versailles to demand food. The women broke into the Palace of Versailles and demanded the royal family to come back to Paris with them. The crowd of women marched back home singing, “Now we won’t have to go so far/ When we want to see our king.”

Declaration of the Rights of Man All men are created equal and enjoy natural rights Each man had the right to hold public office. Freedom of religion and the call for taxes to be levied according to ability to pay.

A Written Constitution Set up limited monarchy instead of an absolute monarchy. Legislative Assembly which had power to make laws, collect taxes and decide on issues of war and peace. Lawmakers would be elected by tax-paying male citizens. Constitution ended church interference in government and ensured equality before the law for all citizens.

Death of the King and Queen King Louis XVI was put on trail for being a traitor to France. The king was sentenced to death. The king was beheaded in the public square of Paris. Later that year Marie Antoinette was executed. The execution of the king and queen ended the monarchy in France.

Jacobins A radical group called the Jacobins took control of France Jacobins created the Committee of Public Safety to protect France from anti-Revolutionaries Maximilen Robespierre was the leader of the Committee of Public Safety During Robespierre’s run as leader he ordered the death of 40,00 people who he felt were anti-Revolution

Reign of Terror Robespierre wanted to ensure the Revolutionary success so he had people who he felt were anti-revolutionary killed Members of the Jacobins had “secret” members to see if people were planning to be traitors of France Many of the 40,00 killed were falsely accused of being a traitor The fear of death caused many people to stay in their homes

Effects of the French Revolution Nationalism- an aggressive feeling of pride and devotion about ones country, spread throughout France Republic- France became a republic or a system of government where officials are chosen by the people Social Reforms- Liberty and equality for all male citizens Tricolor- The red, white and blue symbolized freedom and equality

Power Over Europe Napoleon would go on to conquer land for France Some of the land that was conquered were areas in Germany, Italy and Spain Through his conquers Napoleon spread the ideas of revolution and nationalism throughout Europe

Napoleon Invades Russia Napoleon became angry with Russia when Czar Alexander I began to trade with Great Britain (France’s enemy) Napoleon set up a large army to attack Russia Russia kept retreating into Russia drawing the French deeper into the snowy region France won the battle but the Russian army burnt down food and shelter along the way Thousands of French soldiers lost their lives going back to France

Code of Napoleon The Enlightenment ideas were put into the Code of Napoleon Some of the ideas were equality of all citizens, religious toleration and advancement based on work Women lost rights under the code Napoleon did however value order and authority over individual rights

Congress of Vienna After the fall of Napoleon the monarchs throughout Europe met to try and bring back their governments that Napoleon crushed The goal of the Congress of Vienna was to create a lasting peace in Europe with Monarchies ruling throughout The Congress of Vienna redrew nations boundaries which gave powerful monarchs even more land Monarchs throughout Europe ruled this way for the next 100 years