1. Chapter 3 sections 1-3 The French Revolution

2. French Society Divided
France divided into 3 social classes, or estates (1st – clergy, 2nd – nobles, 3rd – majority of population)
Clergy had enormous wealth and privilege
Church owned 10% of land, collected tithes paid no direct taxes

3. Nobles Held titles: Duke, Baron, Lord
Top jobs in government, army, courts
Owned land but received little income
Feared losing traditional privileges, and freedom from paying taxes

4. Third Estate Diverse Bourgeoisie: middle class
Bulk of estate were rural peasants
Poorest were urban workers
Resented privileges of other Estates
Paid all taxes

5. Financial Troubles Deficit spending
Debt: Seven Years’ War, American Revolution, lavish court
Borrowed money
Bad harvests
Gov’t would have to raise taxes, reduce spending – nobles and clergy did not like plan (lead to them paying taxes)

6. Calling the Estates-General
After economic reform failed
Legislative body consisting of representatives of the 3 estates
Not been called in 175 years
Prepared cahiers, or notebooks filled with complaints
Tennis Court Oath: Third Estate swore ‘never to separate and to meet wherever the circumstances might require until we have established a sound and just constitution

7. Revolution
Bastille: July 14, 1789 medieval fortress in Paris stormed by 800+ Parisians, demanded weapons
Phases:
National Assembly ( )
radical ( ) included Reign of Terror
Directory ( ) against extremism
Age of Napoleon ( )

8. National Assembly 1789 – political turmoil followed by famine and fear
August – Declaration of the Rights of Man
- “all men were born free and equal in
rights”
Voted to take over and sell church lands; church under state control
Constitution of 1791 establishes new government, limited monarchy: new Legislative Assembly could collect taxes, make laws, decide on war/peace

9. Radicals
Emigres – caused increased border patrols. Nobles, clergy fled and reported incidents of attacks on privileges. Turned some foreign rulers against France
October Legislative Assembly took office (lasted less than 1 yr)
Sans-Culottes – demanded a republic
Jacobins – middle-class lawyers/intellectuals, used newspapers editors to advance republican cause

10. Revolution and Terror
Convention September 1792 – more radical, established republic, new constitution, led by Jacobins
Monarchy is abolished – King executed January 1793
Committee of Public Safety – taxed all citizens to contribute to the war effort to save the revolution (at war with much of Europe)
Young recruits and young officers developed new tactics to defend the republic

11. Robespierre Rose to leader in Committee
Promoted religious tolerance, wanted to abolish slavery
Use of terror = “prompt, severe, inflexible justice”
Reign of Terror – September 1793-July 1794, revolutionary courts conducted hasty trials of people who resisted the revolution
Dr. Joseph Guillotin – invented more humane method of beheading
Turned tables – Robespierre arrested and executed July 27, 1794

12. The Directory Revolution increased nationalist feelings
Constitution of 1795 – 5 man Directory and 2-house legislature elected by male citizens of property
Weak but dictatorial; leaders lined their own pockets but failed to solve problems
Rising royalist feelings
1797 – supporters of constitutional monarchy won majority of seats in legislature
Revolution increased nationalist feelings
(terms collage)