1. Chapter 18: The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815

2. Section 1: On the Eve of Revolution
In 1789 France was experiencing a horrible financial recession
Wages were being cut, while food prices soared
The poorest citizens of Paris had enough and took action
French Society Divided
During this time, France had a strict class system:
-First Estate = Clergy
-Second Estate = Nobility
-Third Estate = bulk of population
The clergy enjoyed great wealth and led lavish lifestyles

3. Despite this, the First Estate did perform social services
The Nobles of the Second Estate held top government jobs
Many nobles felt the effects of the bad economy however
They hated absolutism and the possibility of losing special privileges
The Third Estate was made up of several different classes:
-Bourgeoisie (middle class)
-rural peasants
-urban workers

4. Urban workers were the poorest and faced unemployment and crime
Members of the Third Estate resented privileges of those above them
The First and Second Estates paid almost no taxes at the expense of the peasants
The Enlightenment led people to question social inequalities
The Third Estate started to demand financial equality
Financial Troubles
Economic problems in France were made worse due to deficit spending
Vocab pg 572

5. By the 1780’s huge debt and crop failures made the situation worse resulting in tax increases
Jacques Necker was a financial advisor to the king:
-reduce extravagant spending
-reform government
-abolish tariffs
He was dismissed after he suggested the First and Second Estates pay taxes
Louis XVI Calls the Estates-General
Estates-General consisted of legislative body from all three estates

6. The King had all Estates prepare a list of grievances called cahiers
These cahiers reflected class resentments
Delegates from the Third Estate insisted on reform, including the system for voting
Eventually the Third Estate named themselves the National Assembly
They took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disband until a just constitution was passed
Some reform minded clergy and nobles joined the Assembly
The King sent in troops to attempt to dismiss the National Assembly

7. Parisians Storm the Bastille
With the assembly surrounded, Parisians took action
More than 800 stormed the Bastille searching for weapons
They killed the leader of the Bastille but found no weapons
The Bastille became a symbol of the independence of the French people however
July 14th is known as Bastille Day Pg

8. Section 2: The French Revolution Unfolds
Revolution can be broke into several phases:
-National Assembly ( )
-Radical Phase ( )
-Directory ( )
-Age of Napoleon ( )
Political Crisis Leads to Revolt
Revolt was fueled by two things:
-political crisis
-famine
80% of income was spent on food
Things were made worse by rumors of the government seizing food

9. The National Assembly Acts
Nobles in the National Assembly voted to end their special privileges
Later the Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
This was modeled after the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration upheld the slogan of the revolution, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”
Many women were imprisoned or executed for protesting the omission of women in the declaration
The Declaration was also ignored by many upper class who still lived in luxury

10. The National Assembly Presses Onward
To help pay off debt, the National Assembly voted to take over and sell Church lands
The Catholic Church was placed under complete state control
Many clergy and Catholic peasants rejected this
In 1791 The Assembly finished work on the Constitution of 1791
The Constitution had many democratic ideas, but power was still in the hands of the wealthy

11. Radicals Take Over
Many European rulers denounced the revolution
European nations started to strengthen borders to keep out the “French Plague”
When Prussia and Austria vowed to defend the French Monarchy, the Revolution moved into the Radical Phase
The Legislative Assembly lasted less than one year
Working class men and women pushed the revolution into the Radical Phase
They demanded a new Republican form of government

12. The Legislative Assembly was torn apart between revolutionaries and moderates
Revolutionaries took control of the Assembly and declared war on various European countries
This war lasted for 23 years
Vocab pg 578, 3-5 pg 583

13. Section 3: Radical Days of the Revolution
There was much violence between loyalists and revolutionaries
Radicals eventually gained control of the Assembly and demanded suffrage for all males
They set up the French Republic and drew up a new constitution
King Louis was tried as a traitor and executed
Terror and Danger Grip France
France was in constant danger from foreign countries, and counter-revolutionaries

14. To deal with violence, the Committee for Public Safety was established
Young French recruits were inspired by the revolution and were eager to fight
The French army was young, but became very powerful
To deal with counter-revolutionaries, the Committee launched a reign of terror
Under Maxmillian Robespierre, the guillotine became the symbol of the revolution
17,000 people were beheaded during the reign of terror
Eventually Robespierre was also executed

15. The Revolution Enters Its Third Stage
After the Reign of Terror, moderates created a new constitution
It set up a 5 man Directory and a 2 house legislature
The Directory was weak and supporters of a constitutional monarchy won a majority in the legislature
Revolution Brings Change
Most important change in France was a feeling of Nationalism
Social reform and religious toleration were also outcomes of the revolution
Vocab 585, 3-6 pg 590

16. Section 4: The Age of Napoleon
Napoleon Rises to Power
As a young soldier, Napoleon favored Republican rule
He was ambitious, and won many battles
He eventually became involved in politics
He overthrew the Directory and named himself Consul for life, then Emperor
Napoleon reforms France
His slogan became order, security and efficiency
He also restored economic prosperity

17. All levels of society backed Napoleon
His Napoleonic Code was accepted by fair by all classes, but still excluded women
Napoleon Builds an Empire
Through military power, he began to annex conquered lands
He controlled most of Europe by placing friends on the thrones of conquered states
His invasions helped spread revolutionary ideas across Europe and inspired nationalism in France
Napoleons Empire Faces Challenges
Napoleons first mistake occurred in 1812

18. Nationalism in other countries started to work against him
Conquered countries started to revolt against him
Napoleon attempted to invade Russia
Out of 600,000 soldiers, 20,000 returned home
This defeat hurt his reputation at home
Napoleon Falls from Power
After new alliances formed against him, Napoleon abdicated
Louis XVIII took the throne of France

19. Napoleon escaped from exile and returned to France to seize power again
He reassembled the army under his command
The French Army was crushed at the Battle of Waterloo
After this battle European leaders met at the Congress of Vienna to restore order and stability
They achieved a goal of European peace for the next 100 years
Vocab pg 592, 3-5 pg 600
End of notes!