The French Revolution

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The French Revolution
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• The French Revolution was a major transformation
  of the societal and political systems of France.

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II. French Society

• Everyone belonged to one of the three estates
• First Estate Clergy (paid no taxes)
• Second Estate Nobles (paid no taxes)
• Third Estate Peasants (burdened by taxes)

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III. France in Crisis

• Government had spent more money than it had
  earned for many years.
• Bad harvests caused food prices to rise many
  peasants did not have enough to eat starving
  people rioting.
• King Louis XVI calls the Estates General
• Each estate has different ideas on how to solve
  nations problems
• Reach a stalemate on the voting issue
• First Second Estates wanted each estate to vote
  separately with each group counting as one vote
• Third Estate wanted all three groups to meet as a
  single body and votes to be counted by head.
• After weeks of deadlock, the Third Estate met and
  claimed to represent the people of France and
  declared themselves the National Assembly.

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IV. Phase I (1789-1791)

• The National Assembly is formed and the Tennis
  Oath taken
• July 14, 1789 Storming of the Bastille
• France is in turmoil
• Famine causes violent attacks on nobles
• Paris factions competing for power

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IV. Phase I (1789-1791)

• The National Assembly meets
• Feudalism is abolished
• Issues the Declaration of the Rights of Man and
  the Citizen.
• states all men have natural rights government
  must protect those rights
• guarantees all male citizens equality under the
  law

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IV. Phase I (1789-1791)

• 1791 the National Assembly completes the
  constitution
• creates a limited monarchy
• executive - king
• legislative Legislative Assembly
• judicial Judicial Board
• reformed French laws
• supported free trade
• took control of French Catholic Church
• seized lands to pay government debt
• causes tensions between revolutionaries in Paris
  and peasants in provinces

Stop!
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V. Phase 2 (1792-1793)

• A period of escalating violence that leads to the
  Reign of Terror.
• 1792 France declares war on much of Europe
• many defeats people believe King is helping the
  enemy
• Radical revolutionaries take control of the
  assembly in 1792
• Ended the monarchy
• Made France a republic
• Elected a new legislative body called the
  National Convention
• Wrote another constitution
• 1793 executed the king and queen for treason

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VI. Phase 3 (1793-1794) Reign of Terror

• 1793 France in chaos
• At war with most of Europe
• Peasants rioting for food
• Revolutionary groups fighting for power

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VI. Phase 3 (1793-1794) Reign of Terror

• Convention sets up the Committee of Public Safety
  to restore order to France.
• 12 member committee with absolute power
• Led by Maximilien Robespierre
• Put national good above personal rights
• courts conducted hasty trials
• 250,000 arrested for treason
• estimated 40,000 died
• people executed by the guillotine
• July 27, 1794 Robespierre was arrested along with
  other radicals on the Committee and executed

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VII. Phase 4 (1795-1799) The Directory

• Constitution of 1795
• Set up a five-man Directory and a two-house
  legislature elected by male citizens of property
• Discontent continued in France and many
  politicians looked to Napoleon Bonaparte to
  advance their own goals.