1. Chapter 23 The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815
Section 1
The French Revolution Begins Pg
List the three estates of the Old Regime
Summarize the factors that led to the French Revolution
Describe the creation of the National Assembly and the storming of the Bastille
Explain the importance of the Great Fear and the women’s march on Versailles

2. The Old Regime
In the 1700s, France was considered the most advanced country of Europe
The social and political system of France called the Old Regime
People of France were divided into three large social classes, or
estates

3. The French Estates First Estate (paid no taxes, owned 10% of the land)
Clergy of the Roman Catholic Church
Second Estate (2% of the pop., 20% of the land, paid no taxes)
Rich nobles
Third Estate (97% of the pop., heavily taxed)
separated into 3 groups
1. bourgeoisie or middle class (merchants, professionals and artisans)
2. workers in the cities (cooks, servants, etc.)
3. Peasants (more than 80% of France’s population)

4. Forces of Change Growing resentment of the lower classes
New views about power and authority were spreading
Began questioning the Old Regime
Inspired by American Revolution
Failing French economy
Expanding population and business were hurt by heavy taxes
Extravagant spending by monarchs

5. Forces of Change Louis XVI was a weak leader
Married Marie Antoinette who spent a lot of money and was hated by the French people
Forced to call a meeting of the Estates-General, an assembly of representatives from all three estates, to deal with threat of bankruptcy

6. Page 652 Skillbuilder Questions #1 and 2
The Three Estates
Page 652
Skillbuilder Questions #1 and 2

7. Dawn of the Revolution
The Estates-General was dominated by the clergy and nobles and always outvoted the Third Estate
The Third Estate wanted to make changes to the French government
The Third Estate named themselves the National Assembly and passed laws and reforms in the name of the French people
Proclaimed an end to absolute monarchy and the beginning of a representative government
First deliberate act of revolution

8. Dawn of the Revolution
The Third Estate was locked out of their meeting room and met at an indoor tennis court.
Convinced some members of the clergy and nobles to join
In response, Louis XVI placed guards around Versailles for protection.
Rumors spread that Louis was going to attack the National Assembly
The French people began to gather weapons to defend the city.
July 14th – a mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed Bastille, a Paris prison.
Symbolic act of revolution – Bastille Day

9. A Great Fear Sweeps France
Ideas of rebellion spread throughout France
A wave of senseless panic called the Great Fear took over France
French peasants attacked the nobles and rioted
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette came under the control of the National Assembly
Change in power in France

10. Chapter 23 The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815
Section 2
Revolution Brings Reform and Terror
Explain how the National Assembly changed France’s government.
Summarize the positions of the three factions that tried to govern France.
Explain how war and the king’s execution affected the Revolution
Describe the events and the aftermath of the Reign of Terror

11. The Assembly Reforms France
Nobles and clergymen feared the radical peasants and joined the National Assembly
All three estates became equal
The National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man
Guaranteed French citizens equality, freedom, and basic rights
Modeled after the American Declaration of Independence
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
The Catholic Church fell under state control
Sold church lands to help pay off French debt

12. Conflicting Goals Cause Division
The National Assembly created a limited constitutional monarchy
The king lost his authority and power switched to the Legislative Assembly, which had the power to create laws and to approve or prevent any war declared by a king
Economic problems still remained among the French population which caused a split in the Legislative Assembly

13. Split in the Legislative Assembly
Radicals
Moderates
Conservatives
Opposed the king and the idea of the monarchy
Wanted radical changes in government
Wanted the common people to have full power
Wanted some changes in government, but not as many as the radicals
Upheld the idea of a limited monarchy
Wanted few changes in government
Émigrés were extreme conservatives who hoped to undo the revolution and restore the Old Regime
San-culottes were extreme radicals who wanted a greater voice in government

14. War and Extreme Measures
Other countries feared that ideas of revolution and rebellion from France would spread throughout Europe
Austria and Prussia proposed that France put Louis back on the throne
The Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria
European leaders believed that by going to war they were helping Louis XVI regain his position as monarch
Louis and Marie were imprisoned by a Parisian mob of radicals called Jacobins

15. War and Extreme Measures
As the Parisian mobs became more threatening, the Legislative Assembly dissolved itself and created a new governing body called the National Convention
The National Convention abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic
Adult male citizens were granted the right to vote –women were not
Louis XVI became a common citizen and prisoner and was found guilty of treason
He was beheaded by guillotine
The new French republic still faced war
Great Britain, Spain, and Holland had joined Prussia and Austria creating the First Coalition
France called for a draft

16. Terror Grips France
Maximilien Robespierre emerged as a Jacobin French leader
wanted to wipe out any trace of French monarchy and nobility
Became the leader of the Committee of Public Safety which protected the Revolution from its enemies
Governed France as a ruthless dictator and killed anyone he saw as an enemy
Robespierre’s rule became known as the Reign of Terror
Marie Antoinette was a victim of the Reign of Terror

17. End of the Terror
The National Convention knew that no one was safe from Robespierre
They turned on him and sent him to the guillotine
The majority of the French population switched from radical to conservative after Robespierre’s death
The National Convention drafted a new constitution that put power in the hands of the upper middle class as a legislature
Executive power laid with 5 moderate men known as the Directory who worked with a legislature

18. Le Miserables
Do You Hear the People Sing?

19. Chapter 23 The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815
Section 3
Napoleon Forges an Empire
Explain how Napoleon Bonaparte came to power
Summarize how Napoleon restored order in France
Describe the extent and weaknesses of Napoleon’s empire

20. Napoleon Takes Power
Napoleon Bonaparte was a member of the French army
Asked by the Directory to lead the French forces against Austria
Attempted to take political power
Dissolved the Directory and established a group of 3 consuls, one of whom was Napoleon
Assumed role of dictator
Coup d'état – sudden overthrow of power

21. Napoleon Rules France
Napoleon wrote a new constitution that gave himself total power
Brought stability and order to France
Set up efficient taxes and a national bank
Got rid of corrupt officials and set up lycees, or government-run public schools to train officials
Signed a concordat, or agreement, with Pope Pius VII setting up a new relationship between church and state
Helped Napoleon gain support from the church and the majority of the French people
Created a system of laws known as the Napoleonic Code
Held everyone to the same laws but limited individual liberties

22. Napoleon Creates an Empire
Napoleon wanted to control all of Europe
Made money by selling the Louisiana Territory to the United States
Took control of the Austrian Netherlands, parts of Italy, and Switzerland
Britain, Russia, Austria, and Sweden teamed up against France and Napoleon as the Third Coalition
Russia, Austria, and Prussia signed peace treaties with Napoleon after a major defeat

23. The Beginning of the End of the French Empire
At the Battle of Trafalgar Napoleon could not overpower Britain’s navy
Britain’s navy was supreme for the next hundred years
Napoleon’s plans of invading Britain were ruined
Napoleon did create a European empire with the exception of Britain, the Ottoman Empire, Portugal and Sweden
Napoleon ruled through his power and military threats which made the conquered peoples more loyal to their own country, not France
Napoleon’s French empire was huge but unstable and only lasted for five years

24. Chapter 23 The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815
Section 4
Napoleon’s Empire Collapses
Explain Napoleon’s tactical and political mistakes
Summarize Napoleon’s defeat, comeback, and final downfall

25. Napoleon’s Empire Collapses
Napoleon’s love of power rose him to the top and also destroyed him
Napoleon made 3 major mistakes that caused his empire to crumble:
The Continental System
The Peninsular War
Invasion of Russia

26. The Continental System
Napoleon signed a decree ordering a blockade, a forcible closing of ports, to prevent all trade and communication between Great Britain and other European nations
Napoleon called this the Continental System because it was supposed to make continental Europe more self- sufficient as well as destroy Britain’s commercial and industrial economy

27. The Continental System
The blockade was only successful in weakening British trade, not destroying it
Britain responded with their own blockade which was much stronger than France’s and weakened trade for Napoleon’s Empire

28. The Peninsular War
Because Portugal was ignoring the Continental System, Napoleon sent an army to invade Portugal
The Spanish people protested and Napoleon deposed the Spanish king which caused Spain to take up arms
Bands of Spanish peasant fighters known as guerrillas, struck at French armies in Spain through ambush attacks
Britain sent troops to aid the rebellion
This was called the Peninsular War and the losses weakened the French Empire
Another effect was that other countries were building nationalist feelings and turning on France

29. The Invasion of Russia
The Russian czar, Alexander I refused to stop selling grain to Britain
To Napoleon, this was a breaking of the French/Russian alliance and invaded Russia
Napoleon’s troops during the invasion of Russia were from all over the French Empire and felt little loyalty to Napoleon

30. The Invasion of Russia
The Russians practiced scorched-earth policy burning grain fields and slaughtering livestock so as to leave nothing that the enemy could eat
Many French soldiers deserted the army
Napoleon captured Moscow but before he could get there, Alexander burned the entire city
Many of Napoleon’s soldiers fell victim to the cold conditions

31. Napoleon’s Downfall
Knowing that Napoleon’s army was weak after his retreat from Russia, Britain, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden joined together in the Fourth Coalition
Napoleon was forced to send an army to battle full of inexperienced soldiers who were slaughtered
Napoleon surrendered and was exiled to the island of Elba off the Italian coast

32. Napoleon’s Downfall
The new French king was not well received by the French people
Napoleon heard this and escaped from Elba with the intention of taking over France
The French people welcomed Napoleon, the king fled, and many joined Napoleon’s army
The European allied rejoined forces against Napoleon
The British Army was led by the Duke of Wellington who was victorious over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium
This battle ended Napoleon’s last attempt at power called the Hundred Days

33. Napoleon Bonaparte Documentary
PBS Napoleon Bonaparte

34. Chapter 23 The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815
Section 5
The Congress of Vienna
List the results of the Congress of Vienna
Show how the ideas of the French Revolution continued to influence people

35. Peace in Europe
European leaders were looking to restore peace and stability
A series of meetings in Vienna, known as the Congress of Vienna, was called to set up policies that would make Europe stable and secure as a continent
Lasted for eight months
Most decisions made in Vienna were made in secret among the representatives of the five “great powers”:
Russia
Prussia
Austria
Britain
France
Most influential representative in Vienna was the foreign minister of Austria, Prince Klemens von Metternich

36. Klemens von Metternich
Metternich distrusted the democratic ideals of the French Revolution.
Metternich had three goals:
Wanted to prevent future French aggression by surrounding France with strong countries
Wanted to restore a balance of power, so that no country would be a threat to others
Wanted to restore Europe’s royal families to the thrones they had held before Napoleon’s conquest

37. Effects of the Congress of Vienna
In order to contain France, the Congress of Vienna:
United the Austrian Netherlands and the Dutch Republic into the Netherlands
Joined the German states into the German Confederation controlled by Austria
Named Switzerland an independent nation
France had to give up all territories Napoleon had taken
Principal of legitimacy – agreement that as many as possible of the rulers whom Napoleon had driven from their thrones should be restored to power