The French Revolution The Overthrowing of the King

LIBERTY EQUALITY FRATERNITY

Causes of the French Revolution  Age of Enlightenment  Three estates  Absolute Monarch with weak king  Financial Difficulties  Supplies and troops to American revolutionaries

What’s going on in France? Late 1780s Food shortages Corrupt government Greedy nobles Political oppression

New thoughts…. People embraced ideas of EQUALITY and a DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

From where? Enlightenment ideas and American Revolution

France, 1789 Attempt to compromise with the king FAILED Violent revolt in Paris –storming of the Bastille Spread to countryside and entire country (Great Fear)

Storming of the Bastille Bastille Day – June 14,1789  3 rd estate demanded equality  King was nervous because talks of revolt  King gathered troops at Versailles  Huge mob surrounded Bastille (armory)  Rioters took over prison  Start of French Revolution

1789 June– Tennis Court Oath July 14 th : Storming of the Bastille August: Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen October: Women March on Versailles Civil Constitution of the Clergy Louis XVI attempts to flee France Constitution is complete and Legislative Assembly is formed. September Massacres France declares war on Austria National Convention formed and abolished monarchy Reign of Terror 1793 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed. COPS created, led by Robespierre National Convention approves new 1793 constitution and sets up a Republic Moderates regain control and create the Directory

Reign of Terror  The period from June 1793 to July 1794 in France  "the Terror".  The upheaval following the overthrow of the monarchy,monarchy  fear of invasion by foreign monarchist powers and fear of counterrevolution from pro- monarchy parties within France led to frenzied paranoia. counterrevolution  Most of the democratic reforms of the revolution were suspended and wholesale executions by guillotine began.  Maximilien Robespierre became one of the most powerful men in the government, and the figure most associated with the Terror. Maximilien Robespierre  In July 1794, Robespierre himself was guillotined.

The National Razor  The Revolutionary Tribunal sentenced thousands to the guillotine.Revolutionary Tribunal  Nobility and commoners, intellectuals, politicians and prostitutes, all were liable to be executed on little or no grounds; suspicion of "crimes against liberty" was enough to earn one an appointment with "Madame Guillotine" Nobility  Estimates of the death toll range between 15,000 and 40,000.

Why use the Guillotine?  From its first use, there has been debate as to whether the guillotine always provided as swift a death as Dr Guillotine hoped. With previous methods of execution, there was little concern about the suffering inflicted. But where the guillotine was invented specifically to be "humane", the issue was seriously considered. Furthermore, there is the possibility that the very swiftness of the guillotine only prolonged the victim's suffering. The blade cuts quickly enough that there is relatively little impact on the brain case, and perhaps less likelihood of immediate unconsciousness than with a more violent decapitation, or long-drop hanging.hanging

Execution of Louis XVI 21 January 1793

Execution of Marie Antoinette 16 October 1793

France splits into Factions  New govt in place – 1791 Legislative Assembly  Factions: 1. Radicals – Jacobins 2. Moderates – Girondians 3. Conservatives Emigres – nobles that fled to Austria, tried to get help from Austria San-culottes – wanted greatest change, workers/shopkeepers

The Draft  Conscription – men drafted to serve in military  By 1794 – 800,000 in army, included women

Robespierre  1793 – Robespierre takes control, radical – chaos after overthrow of monarchy  Led Reign of Terror, leader of Committee of Public Safety  40,000 killed, mostly peasants – purpose to keep order—got rid of any “enemies of the Revolution” or any that challenged him  National Convention (name of govt) turned on and R was guillotined  Thermidorian Reaction – killing of R and changing govt back to moderate control

National Convention  Creates new plan for govt  Creates 2 house legislative chamber with 5 person executive body called Directory  Next stage of war – reign of Napoleon