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The Guillotine - This has become a Symbol of the French Revolution
The Guillotine - This has become a Symbol of the French Revolution. It’s estimated that during the Revolution over 40,000 people died by the guillotine, including the King of France, King Louis XVI. ---The guillotine was first devised by Doctor Joseph Ignacio Guillotine, who was disturbed by the barbarity of the public executions which was attended by huge crowds. He built this thing in as a more humane from of capital punishment. To him it was better than a execution by a hooded person with an ax. Sometimes an ax took several attempts. Dr. Guillotine described its a “cool breath on the back of the neck.” He also didn’t lobbied for the demise of public executions. That however didn’t happen. During the peak of the French Revolution known as "the Terror", over 40,000 people were killed by the guillotine. --Public executions continued in France until 1939, when Eugene Weidmann became the last victim to be executed in public, a 150 years after Dr. Guillotines lobbying. ----The use of the guillotine occurred on September 10th 1977, when Hamida Djandoubi was executed; there should have been another in 1981, but the intended victim, Philippe Maurice, was granted clemency. The death penalty was abolished later that year.
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I. French Society Divided The French belonged to 1 of 3 estates, which
determined a person’s legal rights & status. First Estate 1% of population Second Estate 2% of population In the 1770s, the social and political system of France—the Old Regime, remained in place. Under this system, the people of France were divided into three large social classes, or estates. The First Estate - The higher Clergy made money from their land as well as a tithe (Tie -th), which is a 10% tax on income from each church member. The money was used for schools and aid to poor people, but much of it paid for rich lifestyles of the clergy. The Second Estate - They held high posts in government, lived in rich houses. Both of these Estates didn’t have to pay any taxes. However the Third Estate did. Third Estate 97% of population
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A. First Estate - Roman Catholic clergy
I. French Society Divided The French belonged to 1 of 3 estates, which determined a person’s legal rights & status. A. First Estate - Roman Catholic clergy (1% of pop.) Controlled % of the land B. Second Estate - Nobility (2% of pop.) Owned 25% of the land. Income came from feudal dues collected from peasants who lived on & worked their land. The First Estate - The higher Clergy made money from their land as well as a tithe (Tie -th), which is a 10% tax on income from each church member. The money was used for schools and aid to poor people, but much of it paid for rich lifestyles of the clergy. The Second Estate - They held high posts in government, lived in rich houses. Both of these Estates didn’t have to pay any taxes. However the Third Estate did. The Third Estate - About 97 percent of the people belonged to theThird Estate.The three groups that made up this estate differed greatly in their economic conditions. The first group—the bourgeoisie (BUR•zhwah•ZEE), or middle class—were bankers, factory owners, merchants, professionals, and skilled artisans. Often, they were well educated and believed strongly in the Enlightenment ideals of liberty and equality. Many were inspired by the success of the American Revolution. Although some of the bourgeoisie were as rich as nobles, they paid high taxes and, like the rest of the Third Estate, lacked privileges. Many felt that their wealth entitled them to a greater degree of social status and political power. The workers of France’s cities formed the second, and poorest, group within the Third Estate. These urban workers included tradespeople, apprentices, laborers, and domestic servants. Paid low wages and frequently out of work, they often went hungry. If the cost of bread rose, mobs of these workers might attack grain carts and bread shops to steal what they needed. Peasants formed the largest group within the Third Estate, more than 80 percent of France’s 26 million people. Peasants paid about half their income in dues to nobles, tithes to the Church, and taxes to the king’s agents. They even paid taxes on such basic staples as salt. Peasants and the urban poor resented the clergy and the nobles for their privileges and special treatment. The heavily taxed and discon- tented Third Estate was eager for change. C. Third Estate - Bourgeoisie & Peasants (97% of pop.) No voice in govt & many were poor & starved.
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1. Wars & wasteful royal spending broke France
II. Economic Problems 1. Wars & wasteful royal spending broke France 2. French gov. Deficit spending 3. Bad food harvests in late 1780s 1. For years, the French government had engaged in deficit spending that is, a government’s spending more money than it takes in. Part of the problem was the extravagant spending of Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette. Louis also inherited a considerable debt from previous kings. And he borrowed heavily in order to help the American revolutionaries in their war against Great Britain, France’s chief rival. This nearly doubled the government’s debt. The government borrowed more and more money. When a country spends more money than it makes and has to borrow money, it is called deficit spending. In 1786, when bankers refused to lend the government any more money, Louis faced serious problems. 3. Finally, Bad harvests in the late 1780s sent food prices soaring and brought hunger to poorer peasants and city dwellers. The price of bread doubled in 1789, and many people faced starvation.
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- Goal: To raise taxes to pay off debt
III. Call to Revolt A. King Louis XVI called the Estates General - to meet in 1789 at Versailles - King’s Palace in France - Goal: To raise taxes to pay off debt Louis and Marie - Louis XVI was indecisive and allowed matters to drift. He paid little attention to his government advisers, and had little patience for the details of governing. The queen only added to Louis’s problems. She often interfered in the government, and frequently offered Louis poor advice. Further, since she was a member of the royal family of Austria, France’s long-time enemy, Marie Antoinette had been unpopular from the moment she set foot in France. Her behavior only made the situation worse. As queen, she spent so much money on gowns, jewels, gambling, and gifts that she became known as “Madame Deficit.” Estates General By1788, France was on the verge of bankruptcy. Bread riots were spreading, and nobles, fearful of taxes, were criticizing the King’s power. A baffled Louis XVI finally summoned the Estates General to meet at Versailles the following year. The Third Estate delegates, mostly members of the bourgeoisie whose views had been shaped by the Enlightenment, wanted to make changes in the government. They insisted that all three estates meet together and that each delegate have a vote. This would give the advantage to the Third Estate, which had as many delegates as the other two estates combine
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- Goal: To raise taxes to pay off debt
III. Call to Revolt A. King Louis XVI called the Estates General - to meet in 1789 at Versailles - King’s Palace in France - Goal: To raise taxes to pay off debt Call to revolt After weeks of stalemate, delegates of the Third Estate took a daring step. Claiming to represent the people of France, they declared themselves to be the National Assembly. They then invited delegates from the other estates to help them write a constitution, a document that describes the basic rules and laws of government. A few days later, the National Assembly found its meeting hall locked and guarded. Fearing that the king planned to dismiss them, the delegates moved to a nearby indoor tennis court. As curious spectators looked on, the delegates took their famous Tennis Court Oath. They swore “never to separate and to meet wherever the circumstances might require until we have established a sound and just constitution. Soon after, nobles and members of the clergy who favored reform joined the Third Estate delegates. In response to these events, Louis stationed his mercenary army of Swiss guards around Versailles. B. National Assembly - 3rd Estate’s new name demanded more power vowed a fair Constitution.
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C. King tried to stop the National Assembly - led to. . .
• a mob overtook the Bastille to steal weapons • Great Fear - a peasant revolt, attacking landlords Rumors began that King Louie was trying to stop the National Assembly and it’s reforms. Other rumors suggesting royal troops were coming to Paris to attack French citizens. People began to gather weapons in order to defend the city against attack. On July 14, a mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. The mob over- whelmed the guard and seized control of the building. The angry attackers hacked the prison commander and several guards to death, and then paraded around the streets with the dead men’s heads on pikes. The fall of the Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people. Ever since, July 14—Bastille Day—has been a French national holiday, similar to the Fourth of July in the United States. Great Fear Rebellion spread from Paris into the countryside. From one village to the next, wild rumors circulated that the nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize the peasants. A wave of senseless panic called the Great Fear rolled through France. The peasants, armed with pitchforks and other farm tools, broke into nobles’ manor houses and destroyed the old legal papers that bound them to pay feudal dues. In some cases, the peasants simply burned down the manor houses. Painting: The Bastille stormed by Mob
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C. King tried to stop the National Assembly - led to. . .
• a mob overtook the Bastille to steal weapons • Great Fear - a peasant revolt, attacking landlords Video Begins Here: Mac users click on black circle on left to view video Original Video Link: Rumors began that King Louie was trying to stop the National Assembly and it’s reforms. Other rumors suggesting royal troops were coming to Paris to attack French citizens. People began to gather weapons in order to defend the city against attack. On July 14, a mob searching for gunpowder and arms stormed the Bastille, a Paris prison. The mob over- whelmed the guard and seized control of the building. The angry attackers hacked the prison commander and several guards to death, and then paraded around the streets with the dead men’s heads on pikes. The fall of the Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people. Ever since, July 14—Bastille Day—has been a French national holiday, similar to the Fourth of July in the United States. Great Fear Rebellion spread from Paris into the countryside. From one village to the next, wild rumors circulated that the nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize the peasants. A wave of senseless panic called the Great Fear rolled through France. The peasants, armed with pitchforks and other farm tools, broke into nobles’ manor houses and destroyed the old legal papers that bound them to pay feudal dues. In some cases, the peasants simply burned down the manor houses.
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III. Constitutional Government
National Assembly 1. All male citizens be in govt, army, or church office. 2. Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen - equality of all citizens & freedom of speech, press & religion. 3. Constitutional Monarchy - Kept king, but limited his powers After the other two estates joined the third estate AKA the National Assembly, the adopted a statement of their new ideals, called the the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. In looking at the American Declaration of Independence, the document stated that “men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” These rights included “liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.” The document also guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. To show equality, National Assembly suggested an end with titles. Titles showed that people were not equal. People were now addressed as Citizen. It ended calling each other Misere, Madam, or Dr. The assembly took over Church lands and declared that Church officials and priests were to be elected and paid as state officials. Thus, the Catholic Church lost both its lands and its political independence. The rea- sons for the assembly’s actions were largely economic. Proceeds from the sale of Church lands helped pay off France’s huge debt. Constitution The National Assembly completed its main task by producing a constitution. The Constitution of 1791 set up a limited monarchy in place of the absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries. A new Legislative Assembly had the power to make laws, collect taxes, and decide on issues of war and peace. Lawmakers would be elected by tax paying male citizens. The middle-class framers of the constitution protected private property and supported free trade. They compensated nobles for land seized by the peasants, abolished guilds, and forbade urban workers to organize labor unions. In 1791 Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette decided to disguise themselves & flee to Austria to escape the growing unrest; the king was recognized, arrested, and returned to Paris, where he reluctantly accepted the limited monarchy.
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IV. New France & the French Republic
A. National Convention created a new govt. - set up. . . B. Democratic Republic ended the monarchy. Under pressure from radicals in the streets and among its members, the Legislative Assembly set aside the Constitution of It declared the king deposed, dissolved the assembly, and called for the election of a new legislature. This new governing body, the National Convention, took office on September 21. It quickly abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Adult male citizens were granted the right to vote and hold office. Despite the important part they had already played in the Revolution, women were not given the vote. During the early months of the Republic, the Convention also put Louis XVI on trial as a traitor to France. The king was convicted by a single vote and sentenced to death. In October, Marie Antoinette was also executed. The popular press celebrated her death. The queen, however, showed great dignity as she went to her death. Their son, the uncrowned Louis XVII, died of unknown causes in the dungeons of the revolution. C. King Louis refused the Republic, hence – tried for treason - beheaded
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IV. A New France & the French Republic
B. Democratic Republic ended the monarchy. C. King Louis refused the Republic, hence - beheaded An embedded link to a 3:57 minute Youtube video clip begins here. Mac users, click on black circle to open browser and view a 3:57 minute Youtube video clip. Original link: 9t3C8
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V. Spreading the Revolution A. Maximilien Robespierre (Leader)
- installs radical changes - begins Reign of Terror B. Reign of Terror - 40,000 people suspected of being traitors, were beheaded. Maximilien Robespierre (ROHBZ•peer), slowly gained power. Robespierre and his supporters set out to build a “republic of virtue” by wiping out every trace of France’s past. They changed the calendar, dividing the year into 12 months of 30 days and renaming each month. This calendar had no Sundays because the radicals considered religion old-fashioned and dangerous. They even closed all churches in Paris, and cities and towns all over France soon did the same. Reign of Terror - In July 1793, Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety. For the next year, Robespierre governed France as a dictator, and the period of his rule became known as the Reign of Terror. The Committee of Public Safety’s main goal was to protect the Revolution from its enemies. Under Robespierre, the committee often had these “enemies” tried in the morning and guillotined in the afternoon. Robespierre justified his use of terror by suggesting that it enabled French citizens to remain true to the ideals of the Revolution. If you were suspected of being against the revolution, if you were overheard criticizing the revolution - you could just be accused and off with your head. If you didn’t use the term citizen when addressing people. 200,000 people were arrested. September to July - In less than a year 40,000 put to death. In the last month 1,300 people were executed - that’s an average of 43 people a day. Even people who had led the revolution were put to death for not being radical enough.
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V. Spreading the Revolution A. Maximilien Robespierre (Leader)
- installs radical changes - begins Reign of Terror B. Reign of Terror - 40,000 people suspected of being traitors, were beheaded. Video Begins Here: Mac users click on black circle on left to view video Original Video Link: Maximilien Robespierre (ROHBZ•peer), slowly gained power. Robespierre and his supporters set out to build a “republic of virtue” by wiping out every trace of France’s past. They changed the calendar, dividing the year into 12 months of 30 days and renaming each month. This calendar had no Sundays because the radicals considered religion old-fashioned and dangerous. They even closed all churches in Paris, and cities and towns all over France soon did the same. Reign of Terror - In July 1793, Robespierre became leader of the Committee of Public Safety. For the next year, Robespierre governed France as a dictator, and the period of his rule became known as the Reign of Terror. The Committee of Public Safety’s main goal was to protect the Revolution from its enemies. Under Robespierre, the committee often had these “enemies” tried in the morning and guillotined in the afternoon. Robespierre justified his use of terror by suggesting that it enabled French citizens to remain true to the ideals of the Revolution. If you were suspected of being against the revolution, if you were overheard criticizing the revolution - you could just be accused and off with your head. If you didn’t use the term citizen when addressing people. 200,000 people were arrested. September to July - In less than a year 40,000 put to death. In the last month 1,300 people were executed - that’s an average of 43 people a day. Even people who had led the revolution were put to death for not being radical enough.
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V. Spreading the Revolution C. The Directory - - Govt #3 (1795)
- weak & corrupt Finally the Reign of Terror came to an end when the government turned on Maximilien Robespierre. He and his close supporters will tried for treason themselves and were put to death by the guillotine. The Directory In reaction to the Terror, the revolution entered a third stage. Moving away from the excesses of the Convention, moderates produced another con- stitution, the third since The Constitution of 1795 set up a five-man Directory and a two-house legislature elected by male citizens of property. 1795 October 27 The Directory
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France wanted to spread the revolution by overthrowing ALL kings
D. War - Kings of Britain, Spain, Austria & Prussia feared the new gov. France wanted to spread the revolution by overthrowing ALL kings begins war Monarchs and nobles in many European countries who watched France were scared. They feared that similar revolts might break out in their own countries. France believed its enlightenment ideas should spread to the other monarchies. As a result, some countries took action. When Austria and Prussia urged the French to restore Louis to as an absolute monarch, the Legislative Assembly responded by declaring war in April Early in 1793, Great Britain, Holland, and Spain joined Prussia and Austria against France. But France was hurting. The new government, The Directory was weak and corrupt. All of France’s enemies, threatened it from all directions. Bad harvests reappeared every few years. People were hungry. The treasury was empty, and different political factions (royalists wanting the brother of the king to return from exile) made further rioting and revolutions a constant threat. Somebody had to do something. And somebody did. Along came an emperor…Napoleon Click for Next Slide
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VI. Napoleon Takes Over A. Napoleon Bonaparte -
General - defeated Austria & northern Italy. B. His popularity allowed him to overthrow the gov. - Proclaimed a new republic; really a dictatorship C. French liked his strong gov. & peace & order Napoleon Bonaparte was kind of short. He was five feet three inches tall. However, he would come to be recognized as one of the world’s greatest military geniuses, along with Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Hannibal of Carthage, and Julius Caesar of Rome. In only four years, from 1795 to 1799, Napoleon rose from a relatively obscure position as an officer in the French army to become master of France. In 1796, the Directory appointed Napoleon to lead a French army against the forces of Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Crossing the Alps, the young general swept into Italy and won a series of remarkable victories. Takes Power By 1799, the Directory had lost control of the political situation and the confidence of the French people. Napoleon’s troops surrounded the national legislature and drove out most of its members. The lawmakers who remained then voted to dissolve the Directory. In its place, they established a group of three consuls, one of whom was Napoleon. Napoleon quickly took the title of first consul and assumed the powers of a dictator. A sudden seizure of power like Napoleon’s is known as a coup. His first task was to get the economy on a solid footing. Napoleon set up an efficient method of tax collection and established a national banking system. Napoleon also took steps to end corruption and inefficiency in government. He fired corrupt officials and set up public schools, in part to educate future effective public officials.
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VI. Napoleon Takes Over D. Crowns himself Emperor
E. Nearly conquered Europe Napoleon Crowned Emperor In 1804, Napoleon decided to make himself emperor, and the French voters supported him. On December 2, 1804, dressed in a splendid robe of purple velvet, Napoleon walked down the long aisle of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The pope waited for him with a glittering crown. As thou- sands watched, the new emperor took the crown from the pope and placed it on his own head. With this gesture, Napoleon signaled that he was more powerful than the Church, which had traditionally crowned the rulers of France. War on Europe Napoleon had already annexed the Austrian Netherlands and parts of Italy to France and set up a puppet government in Switzerland. Now he looked to expand his influence further. Fearful of his ambitions, the British persuaded Russia, Austria, and Sweden to join them against France. Napoleon met this challenge with his usual boldness. In a series of brilliant battles, he crushed the opposition. The commanders of the enemy armies could never predict his next move and often took heavy losses. Although Napoleon controlled most of Europe by 1812, nationalism, motivated by resentment about paying taxes to France and sending soldiers to serve in Napoleon’s armies, helped stir revolts against his French rule. In 1812 the Spaniards, with the aid of British troops, overthrew their French occupiers and reinstated their old king under a system of limited monarchy. Soon, Prussia joined in the revolt against Napoleon. It Kept Dwindling Down. . • Russia’s decided to join the movement against Napoleon. • Napoleon assembled an army of 600,000 soldiers to take on the Russians;the Russians, however, adopted a “scorched‑earth policy.” He gets as far as Moscow, but the entire city is burned down. His troops didn’t have any shelter in the harsh winter. Despite the harsh Russian winter, Napoleon delayed before ordering a retreat; when the weakened French troops finally did withdraw, the Russians attacked them. When it was all over, 400,000 of Napoleons troops were dead of battle wounds, starvation and freezing to death.
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Original Video Link: https://vimeo.com/155482449
F. 1814, defeated & exiled to Islands of Elba & St. Helena G. Napoleon’s Impact (1) Napoleonic Code. (2) secured the revolution in France (3) spread Enlightenment around Europe Click to play Video: Mac users click on black circle on left to view video Original Video Link: The Fall and Rise and Fall Again The victors restored the French throne to Louis XVIII, reduced France’s boundaries to those of However, he was determined to rule again. Napoleon returned to France 1815, however, the European governments, banned together to defeat Napoleon. In a final battle at Waterloo was defeated; Napoleon was then placed under house arrest on the island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821. Push Play for Napoleon Video - Napoleonic Code - Napoleon had a new law code written up which replaced any of the feudal and royal laws written at that time. It was based on the Enlightenment ideas, such as the equality of all citizens before the law, religious toleration and advancement based on merit or hard work. However, it actually limited liberty and promoted order and authority over individual rights. For example, freedom of speech and of the press, established during the Revolution, were restricted under the code. This law cold is still used today in France.
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After Waterloo, diplomats and heads of state again sat down at the Congress of Vienna. They faced the monumental task of restoring stability and order in Europe after years of revolution and war. The peacemakers redrew the map of Europe. To contain French ambitions, they ringed France with strong countries. In the north, they added Belgium and Luxembourg to Holland to create the kingdom of the Netherlands. To prevent French expansion eastward, they gave Prussia lands along the Rhine River. They also allowed Austria to reassert control over northern Italy. This policy of containment proved fairly successful in maintaining the peace. The Congress of Vienna promoted the principle of legitimacy, restoring hereditary monarchies that the French Revolution or Napoleon had unseated. Even before the Congress began, they had put Louis XVIII on the French throne. Later, they restored “legitimate” monarchs in Portugal, Spain, and the Italian states. They redrew national boundaries without any concern for national cultures. In Germany, they created a loosely organized German Confederation with Austria as its official head. But many Germans who had battled Napoleon were already dreaming of a strong, united German nation. VII. Peace in Europe A. Congress of Vienna the allies redrew map of Europe, & restored the kings who had ruled before Napoleon.
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