1. France: Still an Absolute Monarchy
Louis XV and his son Louis XVI not enlightened despots
Louis XVI crowned 1774
Weak and indecisive
Lent money to American Revolution
France bankrupt
People out of work, out of food
Marie Antoinette (Austrian wife)
Needs to fix financial problems
Calls Estates-General together

2. The Estates-General Legislative assembly, 3 groups:
1st Estate: The Clergy
1% of the population
2nd Estate: The Nobility
2% of the population
3rd Estate: 3 groups
97%
Bourgeoisie: Middle class, merchants, some rich but lack benefits of the nobles, paid high taxes
Workers: cooks, servants, low wages, out of work
Peasants: largest group, poorest, half their incomes go to nobles, church, king
Each group given 1 vote… fair?

3. The Tennis Court Oath June 1789 – Third Estate locked out of assembly
Angrily set up own makeshift assembly
Tennis Court Oath
Form “National Assembly”
Promise to not give up until a constitution of France is made

4. Storm the Bastille! Weaponry held in the Bastille in Paris
July 14th – Crowds form and storm the Bastille – take control and burn it down

5. “Let Them Eat Cake”
August 4th – Assembly calling for end of the Old Regime
Thousands march to Versailles
Louis and Marie unprepared
The famous line that was never said
Kill guards, storm Palace
Take Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette hostage and force them to return to Paris
Held in guarded castle

6. Moderate Phase of Revolution (Aug 1789 – Sept 1791)
August 1789 – Assembly creates “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”
Will be preamble to Constitution
“inalienable rights” to liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression
Freedom of speech, press, religion
Constitution of 1791 – created a limited monarchy
Single house legislature
Local government on three levels
Independent, elected judiciary
King could be removed

7. Radical Phase (Sept 1791 – June 1793)
Unrest and mobocracy in France
Assembly split on many decisions
Conservatives sat on the right
Moderates sat in the middle (Girondists)
Liberals/radicals sat on left (Jacobins)
Demagogues rise
Danton
Marat
Robespierre

8. Radical Phase (Sept 1791 – June 1793)
Louis, Marie try and fail to escape
Austria, Prussia threaten to intervene
Want no harm done to royal family
France declares war (1791)
Jacobins oppose war – hinders revolution
France loses many battles at first
Jacobins organize September Massacres (1792)
Murdered hundreds of prisoners (political prisoners, priests, etc)
Assembly losing power…
Jacobins form “National Convention” and take over

9. Reign of Terror (1793-1794) Jacobins in power (Convention)
Marat murdered by Charlotte Corday (Girondist)
Robespierre starts to rise to power
Committee of Public Safety formed
Reign of Terror
Led by Robespierre
25,000 “Enemies of Revolution” executed by guillotine
Even some own Jacobins (Danton)
Enforced new styles, calendar, religion

10. Thermidorian Reaction (July 1794)
It becomes obvious that Robespierre has no plan to end the terror
The moderates in the Convention organize a conspiracy against him
July 28, 1794 Robespierre guillotined
Led by members of the middle class who supported the original, liberal, and somewhat sane revolution of 1789

11. The Directory 1795-1799 New Constitution…again!
Executive Council of 5 members (directors) with a two house legislature
Antidemocratic AND antiroyalist
Relied on the military
VERY ineffective!!

12. Review: The Four Phases of the Revolution
Phase I: Moderate
National Assembly, Tennis Court Oath, Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
Phase II: Radical (2 phases in one)
Legislative Assembly, Reign of Terror, Robespierre, Committee of Public Safety, National Convention
Phase III: Toned Down
Thermidorian Reaction, The Directory
Phase IV: Return to Order
Who’s going to rise to power?