The French Revolution

1
The French Revolution

• From Louis XVI - Napoleon

2
Setting the Stage

• 1788 King Louis XVI needs cash
• France bankrupt
• Fighting the British during the 7 Years War
  (French and Indian War)
• Supported America during the American Revolution
• Upkeep on Palace of Versailles

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Background Causes
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Louis Calls the Estates-General

• Estates General
• Similar to Parliament
• Representatives from each of the 3 classes of
  French society

1st Estate - Clergy
2nd Estate - Nobles
3rd Estate Everyone else - bourgeoisie -
artists, farmers, Peasants, city workers etc
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Estates General

• 1st Estate has 300 members and one vote
• 2nd Estate has 300 members and one vote
• 3rd Estate has 600 members and one vote
• How do you feel about this if you are in the 3rd
  Estate???
• WHY?

6
Demand for Change

• 3rd Estate wants to change voting procedures.
• Want to establish a National Assembly where EACH
  representative has a vote.

7
King Louis XVIs Response

• Get the idea??

NADA!!! No!!, No Way!!! Aint gonna happen!!!,
Forgetaboutit!!! Nope!!! Uh-uh!!! Not on my
watch!!! Not here, not now, not ever!!!
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3rd Estate Response

• May 1788 -Representatives meet on an indoor
  tennis court and pledged that they would not
  leave until the king agrees to their demands
• The Tennis Court Oath
• Like a big sit in
• Embarrassing situation for the king
• Why?
• King finally agrees
• Establishment of The National Assembly

9
Bastille Day

• July 1788 French farmers, peasants do not have
  enough to eat and are paying high taxes
• Nobles out of touch (Let them eat cake)
• People can not afford food
• Peasants getting a bit rowdy
• Louis XVI starts assembling troops at Versailles
• People fear he is planning to attack the new
  National Assembly and arrest members

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Bastille Day continued

• People in Paris hear about the troops
• Begin to riot.
• July 14, 1788 - Attack the Bastille fortress
  prison in Paris.
• Seen as a symbol of Kings power
• People storm the prison, free the prisoners, take
  guns and ammo.

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The Bastille
Now
Then
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Declaration of the Rights of Man

• National Assembly votes to eliminate all classes,
  titles, nobility.
• Say nobles and clergy must pay taxes too
• Serves as a basis for French Constitution

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
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Revolution gets out of hand

• Riots soon spread to countryside
• Peasants attack nobles in their houses. Kill
  many nobles
• Nobles and Clergy living in fear
• A Tale of Two Cities is set in this time period

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Revolution Getting out of Control

• King Louis XVI attempts to flee the country with
  his wife Marie Antoinette
• Captured and brought back
• Radicals (Jacobins) getting more say in how the
  government should be run

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This is not good
This is getting out of hand
We better stop this

• 1792-1793 Other nations of Europe worry that
  revolution in France will spread to their
  countries.

The killed their King!!!
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Other nations invade France

• Austria, Prussia (Germany), Spain, Britain, wage
  war on France.
• French fight them off
• Radicals in France gain even more power

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Radicals Gain Control

• Maxmilian Robespierre and the Committee for
  Public Safety
• Begin hunting down all those seen as a threat to
  the Revolution
• 1793 Louis and Marie sent to the guillotine

18
Reign of Terror

• Reign of Terror Begins
• Around 30,000 people eventually sent to the
  guillotine
• Nobles, peasants, workers - anyone Robespierre
  saw as a threat to the revolution

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End of Reign of Terror

• 1794 National Convention feels Robespierre has
  gone over the line
• He is arrested, tried, convicted and executed
• Dont you just love the irony of it all???

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Impact of the Revolution

• Monarchy is gone
• Old feudal customs are gone
• Slavery in French colonies abolished
• France becomes democratic country
• The Directory
• 2 house legislature and committee of 5 Directors
• Inefficient, quarrelsome,
• It does not really work
• France has LARGE, experienced army
• Rising young star in that army Napoleon
  Bonaparte