Chapter 19 The French Revolution and Napoleon

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Chapter 19 - The French Revolution and Napoleon

• Section 2 Creating a New France

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• Setting the Scene
• Excitement, wonder, and fear engulfed France as
  the revolution unfolded at home and spread
  abroad. Today, historians divide this
  revolutionary era into four phases. The moderate
  phase of the National Assembly (1789-1791) turned
  France into a constitutional monarchy. Then, a
  phase (1792-1793) of escalating violence led to a
  Reign of Terror (1793-1794). There followed a
  period of reaction against extremism, known as
  the Directory (1795-1799). Finally, the Age of
  Napoleon (1799-1815) consolidated many
  revolutionary changes. In this section, you will
  read about the moderate start of the French
  Revolution.

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I. Revolts in Paris and the Provinces

• The political crisis and the severe famine of
  1789 set off what became known as the "Great
  Fear"

As grain prices soared, people spent up to 80 of
their income on bread and bread riots became
common.
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I. Revolts in Paris and the Provinces

• When nobles tried to reimpose medieval dues,
  peasants attacked, stole, and burned their
  property

Burning chateaux as the peasants riot in the
countryside
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I. Revolts in Paris and the Provinces

• Paris was the center of the revolution - factions
  such as the Moderates and the Paris Commune
  competed for power

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I. Revolts in Paris and the Provinces

• The Moderate Lafayette headed the National Guard,
  organized in response to the arrival of royal
  troops in Paris

The Garde Nationale was the first group to don
the tricolora red, white, and blue badge which
became the national flag of France.
Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier,
Lafayette (1757 1834) (formerly the "marquis de
Lafayette" until June 1790)
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II. Moderate Reforms

• 4 August 1789 - nobles of the National Assembly
  voted to end their special privileges and abolish
  feudalism

The end of class privileges
Medallion celebrating the Night of August 4
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II. Moderate Reforms

• The Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights
  of Man and the Citizen, modeled on the
  Declaration of Independence

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II. Moderate Reforms

• The Declarations principles were evident in the
  slogan of the French Revolution, "Liberty,
  Equality, Fraternity"

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II. Moderate Reforms

• 4 October 1789 - women demanding bread marched
  toward Versailles and forced the King to return
  to Paris

Women march on Versailles
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III. The National Assembly Presses Onward

• 1790 - the Civil Constitution of the Clergy put
  the Church under state control

Cartoon representing the confiscation of church
lands
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III. The National Assembly Presses Onward

• The Constitution of 1791 established a limited
  monarchy and an elected Legislative Assembly

"The King Accepting the Constitution amid the
National Assembly, 14 September 1791"
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III. The National Assembly Presses Onward

• June 1791 - Louis XVI and his family were caught
  fleeing France and were viewed as traitors to the
  revolution

Cartoon depicting French King Louis XVI and
family in their royal carriage being arrested
after an attempt to escape from the capital to
Austria
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IV. Reaction Outside France

• Enlightenment thinkers supported the revolution,
  but European rulers turned against the French
  reforms

Catherine the Great
Edmund Burke
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IV. Reaction Outside France

• Horror stories told by émigrés caused European
  rulers to increase border patrols to stop the
  spread of the French plague

French Democrats Surprising the Royal Runaways
James Gillray, 27 June 1791
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IV. Reaction Outside France

• August 1791 - Prussia and Austria issued the
  Declaration of Pilnitz, threatening to intervene
  to protect the French monarchy

Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II
Frederick William II of Prussia
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V. War at Home and Abroad

• 1791 - conflicts arose between the radicals
  (sans-culottes and Jacobins) and moderate
  reformers

Sans-culottes
Jacobins
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V. War at Home and Abroad

• April 1792 - the Assembly declared war on
  Austria, Prussia, Britain, and other states. The
  fighting lasted on and off until 1815