1. French Revolution

2. THE BACKGROUND

3. The Ancien Regime: 3 Estates (classes)
1st Estate: The Clergy
130,000 people (1%)
Owned lots of land
Received tithes + fees
2nd Estate: The Nobility
hereditary
300,000 people (2%)
Owned 30% of the land
Controlled almost everything, paid no taxes
3rd Estate: Everybody Else
Wealthy Commoners=17%
Peasants=80%
Lacked political privileges
paid ALL taxes

4. 3rd Estate Top Component: The Bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie= wealthy and growing middle class in France.
Literate, influenced by Enlightenment ideas
Involved in commerce, finance, manufacture AKA had some money

5. 3rd Estate Lower Component Sans-Culottes
Sans-Culottes= Urban Poor People
Life was OK when crops were good   if they weren’t.
Violent protests and anger over
Increased bread prices
taxes

6. THE CAUSES

7. I. National Bankruptcy Expensive wars (American War for Independence)
Unfair tax system
Versailles = 1/3 of national budget

8. The Unlucky Couple

9. II. New Ideas About Government
Locke; natural rights
Rousseau; government = a contract
okay to overthrow a government not doing its job
Bourgeoisie (Middle Class) began to demand to have a say in their government

10. III. No Food
bad harvests
Hungry people = angry people

11. THE EVENTS
MODERATE PHASE

12. IV. Crisis
Louis XVI called the Estates General (Parliament) to a meeting to help gain support for new taxes
Estates General = members from each estate who met to help advise the King
Argued over how to vote – by estate or one man, one vote

13. V. National Assembly 3rd estate walked out
Met at a tennis court on the palace grounds
Gave the Tennis Court Oath – would not disband until France had a Constitution
Night of August 4th - Abolished nobility
France now a Constitutional Monarchy

15. VI. Storming of the Bastille Prison
July 14, 1789
Paris workers (sans culottes) attacked the Bastille (gov’t prison) which was thought to hold weapons that would be used to stop the people’s revolution

17. The Events
The Radical Phase

18. VII. Reign of Terror
Austria & Prussian rulers invade France to stop the revolution (absolute monarchs feared their own people would rise up)
Fear & panic grip France
Radical “Jacobin” political party takes control of Paris. France run by the Committee of Public Safety (led by Robespierre)
Guillotine used to execute “enemies of the revolution” including Louis XVI

19. Order Restored

21. VIII. Napoleon Successful war general
Has a coup d’etat (military takeover)
Declares himself EMPEROR (ironic, right?!)
Conquered almost all of Europe – stopped by the Russian winter & “scorched earth” policy of the Russians
Napoleonic Code = equality before the law & meritocracy but NOT “freedom” [rights like speech, press, and assembly restricted]
“If the Press is not controlled, I shall not remain in power 3 days.” - Napoleon

24. IX. Napoleon’s Downfall
British and others defeat his army at Waterloo – he is exiled to St. Helena Island in the Atlantic
Constitutional Monarchy (not absolute!) restored in France. Very few rich men = voters. Napoleonic Code = still used.
Congress of Vienna – reestablishes the old monarchs overthrown by Napoleon…Europe moving toward democracy but not there yet!