File - Walden`s World History

The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815

FRENCH REVOLUTION BEGINS Long

Term Cause

 Social

Short

Inequality

Term Cause

 Financial  Food

Crisis

Shortages  Unemployment  Inflation

The Old Regime 

Under the ancient regime or old order, everyone in France belonged to one of thrre classes: First estate  Second estate  Third estate 

First Estate 

The Clergy Higher clergy – aristocrats  Parish Priests – from common (poor) class 

Made up ½ -1% of population  Enjoyed enormous wealth and privilege  Owned about 10% of land, collected tithes, and paid no taxes  Provided some social services 

Second Estate The Nobility  Owned land but had little money income  Hated absolutism  Feared losing traditional privilege, especially exemption from taxes  Owned 25-30% of land 

Third Estate The Bourgeoisie and Peasants  Peasants were 97% of French population  Resented privileges of other estates  Burdened by taxes  Earned miserable wages  Faced hunger and starvation 

Third Estate - cont 

Peasants 75-80% of population  Most owned little or no land  Still burdened by “relics of feudalism” 

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Bourgeoisie – middle class 8% of population  Own 20-25% of land  Unhappy with privilege of nobles 

Impact of Louis XIV Left France in great debt  Wars  General rise in costs  Lavish court very costly 

Economic Trouble 1787 & 1788 – bad harvests & slowdown in manufacturing  Led to: 

food shortages  inflation  unemployment 

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FR govt – kept spending (war & luxuries) 

Marie Antoinette – Queen – spent lots!!!

Louis XVI to the rescue?!?! 

Calls for meeting of Estates General This is the FR Parliament  Has not met in 175 Years! 

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Why? 

Louis want to raise taxes!

The Estates General 

Meet @ Versailles May 5, 1789  Each Estate is represented  

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1st Estate 300 delegates 2nd Estate 300 delegates 3rd Estate 600 delegates 

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Mostly lawyers, trying to create a Const. Monarchy

Problem – voting   

Each Estate gets 1 vote 1st & 2nd Estates almost always vote together 3rd Estate demanded each rep have a vote

The meeting of the Estates General May 5, 1789

National Assembly King said NO to new form of voting  June 17, 1789 – 3rd Estate renames themselves the National Assembly and decides to draft a Constitution  June 20 – Nat’s Assem. find meeting room door lock, go meet @ tennis court 

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Tennis Court Oath - vow to meet until a Constitution is complete

Tennis Court Oath

The National Assembly, considering that it has been summoned to establish the constitution of the kingdom. . . decrees that all members of this assembly shall immediately take a solemn oath not to separate. . . until the constitution of the kingdom is established on firm foundations. . ."

The Meeting of the Estates General France’s economic crisis worsened, bread riots spread, and nobles denounced royal tyranny.

Louis XVI summoned the Estates General.

The Third Estate declared themselves to be the National Assembly and invited delegates from the other two estates to help them write a constitution.

When reform-minded clergy and nobles joined the Assembly, Louis grudgingly accepted it.

Storming of the Bastille On July 14, 1789, more than 800 Parisians gathered outside the Bastille, a medieval fortress used as a prison. They demanded gunpowder believed to be stored there. And thought political prisoners were being held here.

The commander of the Bastille opened fire on the crowd, and a battle ensued, in which many people were killed. The storming of the Bastille quickly became a symbol of the French Revolution, a blow to tyranny. Only 7 prisoners were found – none political. Today, the French still celebrate July 14 as Bastille Day.

The Revolution Begins!! July 14, 1789 – Storming the Bastille  Start of the French Revolution  Royal Authority collapsed  Riots through France – chateau’s raided  Militia’s form fearing foreign invasion 

National Assembly Moderate phase 1789-1791

National Assembly at Work Many changes are made  Aug 2, 1789 – vote to abolish rights of landlords and financial privileges  Aug 26 – adopted ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man’ 

Inspired by US Declaration of Independence  Reflected Enlightenment thought 

Declaration of Rights of Man 

Men are born free and equal in their rights . . These rights are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.  The fundamental source of all sovereignty resides in the nation.  The law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to take part personally, or through representatives, in the making of the law.  Any citizen can hold public office  No tax exemptions  Freedom of speech & press

Olympe de Gouge Female author  Fought for the rights of women  Wrote “Declaration of the Rights of Women”  Demanded women have equal rigths  Ignored by National Assembly 

Louis XVI’s Response Refused to accept National Assembly  Ignored the demands of the public  Did nothing to stop the starvation of the masses 

Marie Antoinette 

15 when she was married  Became queen at 19  Legend by 20  Danced while people starved  Gambled, drank, spent money extravagantly  Lived the life of a queen

Life of a common woman No voice in government  No food for family 

Bread shortages  High prices 

March to Versailles Oct 5 – 1000s of Parisian women march to Versailles – 12 miles  Their children are starving – no bread  Stormed the palace, killed guards 

Famous misquote 

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On the eve of the March to Versailles, Marie Antoinette said: “If they have no bread, let them eat cake” NOT TRUE!!!!! Used as propaganda to keep hated rep of Marie on the brains of the French and the rest of the world!

Demand to Meet the King Want him to provide flour for bread  Forced King to accept new decrees  Royal Family agrees to return with women to Paris to show support for Nat’l Assembly  Also bring flour  Royals now virtual prisoners in Paris  (Even the kids) 

The women of Paris sang: 

“We Have the Baker, the Baker’s Wife, and the Baker’s Son. We Shall Have Bread.”

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The baker was the king who had ordered that the royal supply of flour be brought back to Paris as part of the procession.

Review 

How did Louis XVI respond to the demands of the National Assembly?  Why did Parisians hate Marie Antoinette?  Describe the march to Versailles for the Parisian women  What happened when the women arrived?  What was the outcome of the March to Versailles?

French Revolution Protest signs 

Directions: Make a protest sign that illustrates something about your topic. Use as few words as possible! Slogans would be a good suggestion. Also, include simple pictures to illustrate your point.  At least 4 colors – black does not count  Creativity, not artistic ability, will be graded  Be mature! Have fun! Be creative! 

Choices:       

Taxes Food Shortage (bread) Unemployment Equality One person, One vote Rising prices Tennis Court Oath

     

Foreign Invasion Monarchial System Extravagant spending Freedom (Individual) Court Luxuries Meeting of the Estates General

You CAN NOT use this example!

No Bread = More Dead!

Changes by the National Assembly 

Catholic Church reformed Church land seized & sold  Church secularized 

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Priest & Bishops – elected 

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Civil Constitution of the Clergy Paid by govt

Many Catholics began to oppose the Rev

New Constitution Limited Monarchy  With Legislative Assembly to make laws  Elections set up for wealthy to win  All male citizens equal  Men 25 years old and older who paid a tax could vote 

By 1791 Old Order destroyed  New order opposed by: 

Catholic priests  Nobles  Lowed class hurt by inc prices 

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June – King & family try to escape 

Caught & returned to Paris

Legislative Assembly Radical phase 1792-1794

Revolution Become Radical 

Paris Commune forms – govt of Paris 

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Forced Leg. Assembly to call Nat’l Convention

National Convention Led by Georges Danton  Sans-culottes wanted revenge for king’s attempted escape  1000s arrested & massacred 

FATE OF THE KING? Sept 1792 – Nat’l Conv opened  Decided to draft an new Const  Sept 21 – abolished monarchy  Est – French Republic  Split into factions (sides) about king  Girondins – fear radical, want king alive  Mountains – radical, want king executed  won 

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS Jan 21, 1793 – King beheaded  Creates new enemies of Revolution  Oct 16, 1793 – Queen beheaded 

CRISIS – Potential Foreign Invasion  King’s

execution outraged Europe’s leaders  AUST, PR, SP, PORT, BR & Dutch Rep - Ready to invade FR in1793  FR too weak b/c Nat’l Conv not supported in all of FR – no unity!

RESPONSE – Committee of Public Safety • Nat’l Conv forms – Comm of Public Safety •Committee of 12 •Dominated by Georges Danton, •Replaced by Maximilien Robespierre •Solution? •Reign of Terror

REIGN OF TERROR 1793-94 Acted to defend FR from foreign & domestic threats  ‘If you are not with us, you are against us’  Set up “Revolutionary Courts” 

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Killed 40,000 (16,000 guillotined) 

Many were peasants against Sans-Culottes

Target rebellious cities (Lyon, Nantes)  Claimed when crisis was over a “Republic of Virtue” would follow 

REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Robespierre’s idea  All people titled “Citizen”  Inspired by Ancient Rome  Rejected Christianity “Reason” 

for

New Calendar (no Christian references)  Notre Dame  “Temple of Reason 

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Failed – FR very Catholic

A NATION AT WAR Revolution still going  Foreign armies invade again  FR fields 1 million man army (largest ever in Eur)  Summer 1794 – FR pushed back invaders  Decreases need for Reign of Terror  But Robespierre keeps it going  Obsessed with ridding FR of “corruption”  Out of control? 

END OF THE TERROR National Convention decided to act  Robespierre sentenced to guillotine  Reign of Terror ended  Churches reopened 

CONSTITUTION OF 1795 

Est National Legislative Assembly (2 houses) 

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The Directory – executive committee    

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Legislators elected  Only 30,000 land owners/renters could vote Ruled w/legislature Very corrupt Can’t solve economic problems Use military force to stay in power

People start to want monarchy back!

BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED 1799 – Coup d’etat - overthrow of government  Led by Napoleon Bonaparte  Toppled Directory 

Age of Napoleon 1799-1815

SETTING THE SCENE Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica, a Frenchruled island in the Mediterranean. His family were minor nobles, but had little money. At age nine, he was sent to France to be trained for a military career. When the revolution broke out, he was an ambitious 20-year-old lieutenant, eager to make a name for himself.

MILITARY SUCCESSES 1792 – became a captain  1794 – made Brigadier General (24 yrs old)  1796 led FR armies in Italy 

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Won by using speed, deception & surprise

Returned to FR a hero Given job of invading BR  Knows FR isn’t ready  Hits BR in Egypt 

LEADS FRANCE Led Coup d’etat, overthrowing Directory  1799 -Created Consulate (A Republic?)  3 man government  Nap was 1st Consul, held absolute power  1802 – made Consul for Life 

BACK WHERE THEY STARTED

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1804 – Napoleon crowned himself Emperor

DOMESTIC POLICIES Makes peace with Catholic Church  Napoleonic Codes 

Organized laws onto 7 codes  Preserved gains of FR Rev 

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New Bureaucracy 

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New Aristocracy 

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Based on ability Based on merit

Nap ruled as Absolutist

NAPOLEON’S EMPIRES

GRAND EMPIRE 1807-1812 – Nap master of Europe  3 PARTS  French Empire – France  Dependant States – under rule of Nap’s relatives 

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Allied States – defeated by Nap & forced to fight BR 

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Incl – SP, Holland, IT…

Incl – PR, Aust, RU…

Spread FR culture & ideas (Nationalism)

EUROPE’S RESPONSE TO NAPOLEON

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2 Major Reasons for collapse of Nap  Survival of Britain  Nationalism

BATTLING BRITAIN • In 1805, Napoleon tried to invade England but his fleet was destroyed at the Battle of Trafalgar

•Napoleon needs to find a non-military way to defeat Britain.

CONTINENTAL SYSTEM Napoleon waged economic warfare through the Continental System, which closed European ports to British goods Failed:

1. Allied States resented Nap controlling their trade 2. BR began selling to new markets (Mid East…

NATIONALISM Nap pushed FR culture & Rev ideas on areas he conquered  Had opposite impact 

Conquered areas began to rally against Fr  Inc patriotism of their own against FR 

FALL OF NAPOLEON - RUSSIA 

Russia refuse to follow Continental system  Nap, afraid others would follow – planned to invade RU 

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RU refused to fight – retreated  Strategic Nap found Moscow on fire No food for Nap’s troops

NAPOLEON’S DEFEAT 

Only 40,000 of Nap’s troops survived  Eur sees opportunity to attack Fr  March 1814 – Paris captured  Monarchy restored – Louis XVIII  Nap exiled to Elba

NAPOLEON RETURNS New King – not well liked  Nap escaped from Elba, goes back to FR 

King sends troops to capture Nap  Troops joined Nap 

Napoleon & his new army enter Paris  King flees 

THE FINAL DEFEAT Nap moves to defeat army that defeated him – heads to Belgium  June 18 – Waterloo 

Nap defeated by Duke of Wellington (BR)  Nap exiled to St. Helena 