1. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: Revolution Begins!!

2. Spark: Meeting of Estates-General
Called by Louis XVI to resolve the financial crisis
Meets May-June 1789
First Estates-General since 1614! (175 years)
Voting system
Each estate still only gets ONE VOTE

3. THE SECOND ESTATE = 1 Vote
THE VOTE
THE FIRST ESTATE = 1 Vote
300 reps
THE SECOND ESTATE = 1 Vote
300 reps
THE THIRD ESTATE = 1 Vote
648 reps
Impact: 3rd Estate MAD and willing to defy King’s authority

4. Revolution: THE TENNIS COURT OATH!!
June 20, 1789
3rd Estate declares itself REAL gov’t of France
Calls itself National Assembly
King Louis XVI orders National Assembly to disband
Vows not to disband until a constitution is formed!!!
Impact: 3rd estate has defied King’s authority and created an alternative gov’t!

5. Revolution: Storming Of The Bastille
July 14, 1789
Rumor = King was planning a military coup against the National Assembly
Parisians storm Bastille
People want … GUNPOWDER
Is looted and destroyed by French people
18 died, 73 wounded, 7 guards killed
Impact: Paris in hands of
revolutionaries
King’s power further weakened

6. Revolution: The Great Fear
Summer 1789: revolution spreads to countryside
Why? Rumors spread that…
King mounting a counterattack
Nobles attempting to put down revolution
So: Peasants revolt!!!
Impact: by end of summer 1789 France is under rebel domination!!

7. Moderate Revolution! (1789 – 1792)
National Assembly begins reforming French society
Will change absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy
Revolutionary change supposedly be guided by :

8. + = 1789-91: Limiting the Monarchy New French Flag Created
FLAG OF PARIS
BOURBON FLAG =

9. 1789-1791: LIMITING THE MONARCHY
August Decrees (1789):
- estates system abolished
- noble privileges ended
- church tithe ended
-gov’t, military, and religious offices open to all classes

10. 1789-91: LIMITING THE MONARCHY
Declaration of the Rights of Man (Aug.1789)
Called for basic human rights in France
Equality
Speech
Religion
Fair punishment
Limited monarchy

11. 1789-91: LIMITING THE MONARCHY
Women’s March on Versailles (Oct. 1789)
October 5, 1789: 7,000 women storm Palace of Versailles
Why? Anger over food shortages a
“We are going to cut off her head, tear out her heart, fry her liver, and that won’t be the end of it”
King and Queen forced to live under house arrest in Paris (Tuileries Palace)
Louis agrees to accept limits on power

12. 1789-91: LIMITING THE MONARCHY
Voting Reform (Dec 1789)
Representative government created
“Active Citizens”: could participate in gov’t.
BUT: have to be rich and a man
“Passive Citizens”: majority of people
could NOT participate
So MOST still shut out of the system!!

13. 1789-91: LIMITING THE MONARCHY
Church Reform (July 1790)
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
land and $$ taken from Church
Tithe abolished
clergy become gov’t employees
Bishops and priests elected by the people
All priests must take oath of allegiance to rev. gov’t.

14. THE KING’S FLIGHT (June 1791)
: Limiting the Monarchy
THE KING’S FLIGHT (June 1791)
June 20, 1791
King freaks out and tries to flee France
Louis is arrested and sent back to Paris
King accused of abandoning people
Some argue that the King’s flight = TREASON

15. CONSTITUTION OF 1791 (Sept, 1791)
: Limiting the Monarchy
CONSTITUTION OF 1791 (Sept, 1791)
Creates Constitutional Monarchy!!!!
Three branches
National Assembly = Legislative Assembly
Executive = King (only real power = VETO)
Judicial
King Louis XVI agrees to go along with it

16. But not everyone is happy…
Majority STILL left out of gov’t.!

17. Many Nobles and Clergy flee France
Called “emigres”

18. King Louis XVI resents loss of power

19. And other monarchs aren’t happy either…

20. By early 1792 many are calling for more radical changes…