1. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION THE 3 ESTATES 1. The clergy 2. The nobility 3. Everyone else

2. American “Revolution” - removed British rule, kept British systems of government French Revolution - goal - to create a new French Society - somewhat orderly - clean transition - extremely violent, chaotic - resulted in decades of political & social instability

3. FIRST ESTATE - THE CLERGY - High Clergy - came from wealthy noble families - Lower Clergy - parish priests who came from the lower & middle classes The lower clergy resented the high clergy & were more in touch w/ the suffering of the common people - nearly exempted from taxes -100,000 in #, owned 10% of the land and collected a 10% tax for their services

4. 2ND ESTATE - THE NOBILITY - owned 1/4 of the land - very privileged, but still jealous of king’s power 400,000 people - less than 2% of the total population

5. 3rd ESTATE - EVERYONE ELSE - included peasants, city workers, & middle class - included rich and poor - both peasantry & lawyers, merchants, bankers, etc, - owned 1/2 the land, comprised 98% of the population

6. I. Revolutionary Wave - 1787-1789 Atlantic Revolutions: Dutch Republic, Austrian Netherlands, France - A result of Enlightenment ideas, an educated public, prosperity, & higher expectations France - wealthiest, most powerful state in Europe - Its revolution was the longest, most violent, most influential

7. Dutch Revolt - middle class revolt against the House of Orange - Orange was tight with the British, gov’t sponsored banks held 40% of the British debt - Angry bankers, supporters of America, merchants demanded political reform - Revolt failed due to divisions among the rebels and military intervention by Prussia to support Orange

8. Belgian Independence Movement Joseph II - Austrian emperor - Enlightened despot - initiated enlightened reforms that threatened the Church and nobility - democrats jumped on the opportunity to challenge the nobles and demand representative gov’t - divisions amongst the rebels resulted in a defeat for the democrats, who decided to support the Austrian emperor against the nobles

9. Poland -Partitioned by its neighbors due to its decentralized nature and lack of effective leadership -Polish Patriots - tried to create a centralized gov’t w/ a parliament - movement eventually crushed by Catherine the Great

10. That makes 4 Revolutions since 1776: American Dutch Belgian Polish Their inspiration - The Enlightenment

11. France’s Problems: - social inequality - debt incurred from war & insufficient tax base - King had no authority to tax the 1st or 2nd estates - he asked them to accept taxation, but they refused - financial crisis led to a calling of the Estates General (meeting of reps from all 3 estates)

12. Estates General - had not met since 1614 Text LEFT - 3rd estate sat on left side (left = liberal) RIGHT - 1st & 2nd est. sat on right (right = conservative)

13. - each estate chose reps to be sent to Paris Estates- General - form and function - each estate met separately to vote on the issue - w/ 3 votes cast, you could never have a tie - 1st & 2nd estates shared interests & often voted the same May 1789 - 1/2 of the 1200 delegates were from the 3rd estate, most were bourgeois - 3rd estate demanded that all 3 estates meet together and each delegate cast one vote (vote by head, not by order)

14. Intense public scrutiny of the proceedings: 1788 - poor harvest led to near starvation for many - selection of delegates at local level heightened awareness of the proceedings - created local interest - recent crash of textile industry caused high unemployment - people looked to the meeting of the Estates General for answers to their problems - daily newspapers kept people informed on the proceedings

15. THE TENNIS COURT OATH -1st & 2nd Estates - insisted on voting by order - 3rd Estate - insisted on voting by head 3rd Estate - declared themselves the National Assembly representing all of France - 1st Estate joined them - Locked out of the meeting hall, they met on a tennis court and swore not to disband until a constitution for France was created - 2nd Estate was forced to join

16. STORMING OF THE BASTILLE Text - angry commoners thought army would crush N.A. - July 14, 1789 - they overran the Bastille, a prison that was a symbol of royal tyranny - heads of Bastille commander & mayor of Paris paraded through the streets

17. The Great Fear: - rumors spread that nobles were organizing militia to crush peasants and take their land - Peasants lashed out - centuries of anger were unleashed on the nobles & clergy II. From Monarchy to Republic - Peasants burned documents that granted nobles privileges that dated from feudal time

18. Revolution of Rights and Reason - Nat. Assembly issued Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen- preamble to new constitution inspired by Amer. revolution, Enlightenment, Bill of Rights - Gov’t administration - NA banned feudalism- Talent, not birthright would dictate gov’t hirings Great Fear convinced noble members of the NA to give up their feudal fees (seigneurial dues) & tax privileges -granted freedom of speech press, religion, equal taxation & equality before the law

19. And the Rights of Women? - did the Dec. apply to women? - women organized clubs, printed pamphlets, demanded more participation in gov’t Olympia de Gouges - Declaration of the Rights of Women, 1791- used language from the official Dec. to call for the inclusion of women - The National Assembly ignored the demands

20. MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT -English author of A Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1792 -felt “Rights of Man” should be naturally extended to women

21. Women’s March on Versailles - Oct. 5, 1789 Women march to the Palace to protest bread shortages, rising prices - force K & Q back to Paris to fix it

22. The Church - Lands confiscated by the NA - assignats - printed money that was derived from the newly confiscated lands - Priests’ wages paid by gov’t - Clergy forced to swear oath of loyalty to new Contitution, 1/2 refused & were exiled - many people turned on the revolutionaries, including the royal family, which attempted to flee from France

23. - Royal family attempted to flee France to seek aid from Marie Antoinette’s family - the Habsburgs of Austria - in the Austrian Netherlands - they were recognized on the road and arrested on their Flight to Varennes near the border of Austrian Netherlands - impact - the king became a “traitor” - the king was not viewed as an enemy until he fled End of the Monarchy

24. War with Austria and Prussia - Abroad, reformists praised the revolution, monarchs & nobles feared it could spread and unseat them - French revolutionaries feared the emigres (nobles who fled France) were recruiting help from the queen’s Habsburg relatives for a counter-revolution - 4/20/1792 - France declared war on Austria - Prussia backed Austria, they invaded France and threatened to destroy Paris if the king or queen were harmed

25. - doubts about the king led to calls for elimination of the monarchy entirely SANS CULOTTES - literally “w/out pants” - culottes were fancy knee britches worn by the wealthy - The name used by those who wanted to eliminate the monarchy The Second Revolution (Aug. 10, 1792) - They attacked the residence of the king, forcing him to seek refuge with the LA

26. A Sans Culotte Note the culottes (knee pants) of the nobleman

27. Legislative Assembly called for elections for a new legislature - universal male suffrage for the first time The National Convention (the newly elected gov’t) = The First Republic - all royal influence abolished - Jacobins - a radical faction w/in the Convention took control of the new gov’t - they were middle class lawyers and professionals - ardent republican beliefs

28. Girondins - moderates of the Convention who wanted to spare the king The Mountain - radicals of the Convention who wanted to execute the king - called for vote to execute Extremely close vote in favor of executing the royal family Execution of the King