The End of a Monarchy

The old regime falls –After the storming of the Bastille Louis XVI lost almost all power to enforce his will –August 4, 1789, National Assembly votes to abolish the rights of landlords and financial privileges of clergy and nobles –N.A. adopts the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen –Inspired by the Declaration of Independence and the English Bill of Rights –The rights of man included liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression –Olympe de Gouge spoke up for the rights of women writing her own document called, “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen” –Gouge was mostly ignored

Louis XVI finally gives in –Oct. 5, 1789, thousands of women marched to Versailles with weapons to demand that the king accepts the “Rights of Man” declaration –Louis concedes and travels back to Paris with the woman and even brings flour with him as gifts to the poor

Changes in the Church –National Assembly seizes church land and sells it for money to support the cause –Bishops and Priests are to be elected by the people and paid by the state. –Because of the government’s ownership of the church, the revolution lost the support of many Catholics

Legislative Assembly –N.A. made new constitution in 1791 that established a limited monarchy and the Legislative Assembly that made the laws –Consisted of 745 representatives

The rest of Europe thinks this is all kind of sketchy –Austria and Prussia are concerned that revolution ideas will spread to their countries and threaten to use force to reinstall Louis as absolute monarch –France declares war on Austria and fights poorly –This is blamed on the king’s disloyalty

The Cards get shuffled again by the Paris Commune –Defeat in war and economic problems lead many people to lose faith in the new government –The Paris Commune (made up of men calling themselves sans-culottes) attacks the royal palace and the Legislative Assembly –King is captured and the L. Assembly is forced suspend the monarchy and call a National Convention to decide the future form of government.