The French Revolution

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The French Revolution

• 11/20/2009

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Society under the Old Regime
1st Clergy 2nd Nobility 3rd Everyone else
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Causes of the French Revolution

• Abuses of the Old Regime
• King an absolute monarch
• First Second Estates numerical minority, held
  many advantages
• Third Estate paid numerous taxes, particularly
  the bourgeoisie
• Bourgeoisie wanted laissez-faire policy

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Causes of the French Revolution

• French philosophers challenged royal and church
  authority
• Voltaire (limited monarchy)
• Rousseau (social contract)
• Montesquieu (separation of powers)

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Causes of the French Revolution

• Influence of English American Revolutions
• Incompetent unpopular government

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Louis XVI Marie Antoinette
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Financial Difficulties Jumpstart the Revolution

• Louis XVI brings France to bankruptcy
• Louis summons the Estates General to gain
  financial support (1789)
• First Second Estates (3 of population) get 300
  representatives each
• Third Estate (97 of population) gets 600
  representatives
• Each Estate votes as a block gets 1 vote

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Revolution Begins (1789)

• Estates-General becomes the National Assembly and
  takes Tennis Court Oath
• The Bastille is destroyed

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Storming the Bastille
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National Assembly Reforms

• Abolition of special privileges
• Declaration of the Rights of Man
• Financial measures (seize church lands)
• Religious measures (church subordinated)

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National Assembly Reforms

• Local government reformed
• Constitution of 1791
• Limited monarchy
• Elected legislative assembly favored bourgeoisie
  (professionals of old Third Estate)

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Women march on Versailles
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End of the Monarchy

• Bourgeoisie peasants supported new gains
• Many opposed the limited monarchy
• Girondists (moderates, favor Bourgeoisie)
• Jacobins (radicals, favor the workers)
• Catholics (opposed Church reforms)
• Nobles (many fled, known as Émigrés)
• Monarchs (esp. Louis XVI, Prussia Austria)

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Revolution Promoted

• King deposed National Convention called
• First French Republic
• Louis executed
• France invaded by 5 countries

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Revolution Promoted

• Committee of Public Safety (Jacobins)
• Conscripted (drafted) armies defeat invaders
• Reign of Terror ? crushes domestic enemies
• Reforms continue (education, abolish slavery,
  metric system, etc.)

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September Massacres (1792)
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Marat
Danton
Revolutionaries are now being executed
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Maximillian Robespierre leads the Reign of
Terror
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Significance of the Revolution

• Democratic Ideals
• Liberty
• Equality
• Fraternity
• Emphasis on Nationalism
• Worldwide Influence