The French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789 - 1815

1
The French Revolution and Napoleon, 1789 - 1815

• Revolution Threatens the French King

2
The Old Regime

• France was still using a feudal system during the
  1700s
• Feudal system Old Regime
• Broken into three social classes or estates
• First two estates had privileges lots of and
  land. Made up of nobility and Catholic Church
• Third Estate 98 of Frances population

3
The Third Estate

• People in the 3rd Estate had different financial
  issues.
• First group Bourgeoisie (artisans and
  merchants well educated liked Enlightenment
  ideas) felt they deserved more privileges etc.
• Workers cooks and servants werent paid well
  and often went hungry when bread prices rose
• Peasants 80 of Frances population!

4

• The Fall of the Bastille

• Peasants paid half of their income to nobles, the
  church and the government
• Peasants very resentful of the clergy, the
  government and the nobility

5
The King and Queen of France

• Marie Antoinette

• Louis XVI

6
Forces of Change

• Enlightenment ideas equality, liberty and
  democracy
• Rousseaus friend put it simply, The Third
  Estate is the People and the People is the
  foundation of the State. It is in fact the State
  itself
• Economic Woes bad crops, higher cost of living,
  major debt from helping the Americans out during
  the Revolution etc.

7
Forces of Change continued

• Weak leadership Louis XVI was indecisive and
  let small matters turn big
• Also ignored his advisors
• Married Marie Antoinette who people hated b/c she
  was Austrian and spent too much
• Sent France into bankruptcy

8
Revolution Dawns

• The Tennis Court Assembly The Third Estate
  broke into a tennis court until theyd drafted a
  constitution!

• When the Estates-General met to deal with the
  bankruptcy, the Third Estate demanded more power
• Third Estate formed the National Assembly and
  wanted to write laws and reforms for the French
  People
• Wanted a representative government

9
Storming the Bastille

• Louis XVI wanted to make peace with the 3rd
  Estate, but was also freaked out and assembled an
  army of Swiss guards
• The 3rd Estate found out about the Swiss guards,
  got mad and stormed the Bastille (a Paris
  prison). The 3rd Estate mob stole gun powder and
  took over the prison. This was a big deal (ha!)

10
The Great Fear Sweeps France

• The storming of the Bastille

• Great Fear Peasants, women and people in the
  Third Estate just went nuts and killed a lot of
  nobles
• The mob of rioters eventually drove the king and
  queen out of Paris