1. Radical Revolution
Noblemen meet Aug 4, 1789 (mostly out of fear) to figure out what to do
Eliminate feudal privileges of 1st two estates
Now everyone, including commoners, are equal - old Regime is dead!
Soon after, write the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”
Inspired by the US Declaration of Independence

2. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
States: men are born and remain free and equal in rights
Includes liberty, property, security & resistance to oppression
Guarantees citizens equal justice, freedom of speech and religion
New slogan: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”’
Fraternity means brotherhood (not for women)

3. Religious Reforms
Took over & sold Catholic church lands – used the money to pay debts
Priests & church officials would have to get elected & paid by gov’t
Church lost all independence
Peasants are shocked, don’t support these moves – devout Catholics

4. France Becomes Divided
National Assembly spends 2 years arguing over new constitution & many of the changes
Meanwhile King Louis worries about his family – failed escape attempt
In 1791 new constitution is completed creating a constitutional monarchy
New legislative body – Legislative Assembly
It makes laws, King enforces (like US today)

5. France Becomes Divided
Unfortunately – it’s the “same old, same old”
Food shortages
Gov’t debt
Leg Assembly can’t agree on how to solve the problems
3 factions
Radicals on the left
Moderates in the middle
Conservatives on the right

6. France Becomes Divided
Left
Radicals
Center
Moderates
Right
Conservatives
No monarch
Major changes in gov’t
Limited monarchy
Few changes in gov’t
Want some changes
Not as much as radicals
No monarch
Major changes in gov’t
Other groups also disagree on gov’t direction
Émigrés – nobles who fled France – want Old Regime
Sans-culottes: urban workers, shop owners want major changes

7. This military crisis undermined the new Legislative Assembly
France Goes to War
Duke of Brunswick if the Royal Family is harmed, Paris will be leveled!!
FRANCE
AUSTRIA PRUSSIA BRITAIN SPAIN PIEDMONT
This military crisis undermined the new Legislative Assembly

8. France Goes to War
French are mad at Prussia’s ultimatum regarding royal family – march on the palace killing guards and imprisoning royal family
Rumors spread that the king’s supporters in prison were planning to escape, take over Paris
People (radicals) attack the prisons, kill >1000 prisoners – many were nobles, priests & royalists
September Massacres

9. Another New Gov’t Radicals pressure Legislative Assembly to
Toss the constitution
Depose the King (he’s not King anymore )
Dissolve the assembly & hold new elections
New governing body is National Convention
Abolished monarchy
France is now a republic – they elect their gov’t
Adult men can vote, hold office – not women
National Convention

10. Jacobin Club - Radicals
Jacobins Take Control
Most radicals belong to the Jacobin Club – political organization
Advocate for the death of anyone who supports the king
They try & convict Louis (now a commoner) for treason & kill him with a new machine called the guillotine
Jacobin Club - Radicals

11. Guillotine – Humane Death
Dr. Joseph Ignace Guillotin proposed machine that would be efficient, humane & democratic
Convicted all die the same type of death
“People won’t feel any pain”
Many people didn’t like it because it didn’t offer enough time for the execution to be enjoyed by the audience!
September Massacres

12. “Oh yeah, there’s still a war”
By now Great Britain, Spain, & Holland have joined Austria & Prussia
The French are losing, so Directory orders a draft of 300,000 to expand army to 800,000 (some are women)
Jacobins face enemies within France as well

13. Jacobin Reforms
Radical Maximillien Robespierre slowly has gained power
He & others want to build a “republic of virtue”
Wipe out all traces of France’s past
Change calendar, eliminate Sundays upsetting people who are religious
Closed all the churches across France

14. Committee of Public Safety
Robespierre becomes leader of Committee of Public Safety
Created to “protect” the Revolution from its enemies
Eventually just about anyone could be accused of being an “enemy” & go to the guillotine
Many of those executed were the original revolutionaries
Robespierre would kill anyone who disagreed with him
“Reign of Terror”

15. Committee of Public Safety
Robespierre becomes leader of Committee of Public Safety
To protect the Revolution from its enemies
Eventually just about anyone could be accused of being an “enemy” & go to the guillotine
Many of those executed were the original revolutionaries
Robespierre would kill anyone who disagreed with him
“Reign of Terror”

16. End of Terror
Eventually his fellow revolutionaries turn on Robespierre – send him to the guillotine
People are tired of violence & economic problems
Moderate leaders create a new plan of gov’t (yes, another one!)
It creates 2-house legislature & the “Directory”
Legislature is mostly upper middle class
Directory (5 members) was moderate, but very corrupt