THE FRENCH REVOLUTION CLASS 9 NCERT CHAPTER 1

1. THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION

2. STORMING OF THE BASTILLE
• ON THE MORNING OF 14TH JULY 1789,THE CITY OF PARIS
WAS IN A STATE OF ALARM.THE KING HAD COMMANDED
TROOPS TO MOVE INTO THE CITY.
• RUMOURS SPREAD THAT HE WOULD SOON ORDER THE
ARMY TO OPEN FIRE UPON THE CITIZENS.
• SOME 7000'S MEN AND WOMEN GATHERED IN
FRONT OF THE TOWN HALL AND DECIDED TO FORM A
PEOPLE'S MILITIA.

3. • A GROUP OF SEVERAL HUNDRED
PEOPLE MARCHED TOWARDS THE
EASTERN PART OF THE CITY AND
STORMED THE FORTESS –
PRISON ,THE BASTILLE,WHERE
THEY HOPED TO FIND HOARDED
AMMUNITION .
• THE COMMANDER OF THE
BASTILLE WAS KILLED AND THE
PRISONERS RELEASED.
• THOUGH THERE WERE ONLY
SEVEN OF THEM .

4. FRENCH SOCIETY DURING THE LATE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
• IN 1774,LOUIS XVI (16) OF THE BOURBON
FAMILY OF KINGS ASCENDED THE THRONE OF
FRANCE.
• HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD AND MARRIED TO
THE AUSTRIAN PRINCESS MARIE
ANTOINETTE.
• UNDER LOUIS XVI, FRANCE HELPED THE
THIRTEENAMERICANCOLONIES TO GAIN
THEIR INDEPENDENCEFROM THE COMMON
ENEMY,BRITAIN.
• THE WAR ADDED MORE THAN A BILLION
LIVRES TO A DEBT THAT HAD ALREADY
RISEN TO MORE THAN 2 BILLION
LIVRES.
LIVRES- UNIT OF CURRENCY IN
FRANCE ,
DISCONTINUED IN 1794.

5. SOCIETY OF ESTATES (OLD REGIME)
❑ FRENCH SOCIETY IN 18TH
CENTURY WAS DIVIDED INTO
THREE ESTATES,AND ONLY
MEMBERS OF THE THIRD ESTATE
PAID TAXES (CALLED TAILLE).
❑ THE CHURCH TOO EXTRACTED
ITS SHARE OF TAXES CALLED
TITHES.

6. THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
• THE POPULATION OF FRANCE ROSE FROM ABOUT 23 MILLION IN 1715 TO
28 MILLION IN 1789.
• THIS LED TO A RAPID INCREASE IN THE DEMAND FOR FOODGRAINSAND AN
INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF FOOD.
• AT THATTIME, MOST WORKERS WERE EMPLOYED AS LABOURERSIN
WORKSHOPSWHOSEOWNER FIXED THEIR WAGES.
• BUT WAGESDID NOT KEEP PACE WITH THE RISE IN PRICES.
• SO THE GAP BETWEEN THE POOR AND THE RICH WIDENED.
• WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS DROUGHTOR HAILALSO AFFECTED
PRODUCTIONAND LED TO A SUBSISTENCE CRISIS.

7. SUBSISTENCE CRISIS

8. A GROWING MIDDLE CLASS ENVISAGES AN
END TO PRIVILEGES.
• THERE WAS A GROWING MIDDLE CLASS WHO WAS EDUCATED
AND BELIEVED THAT NO GROUP IN SOCIETY SHOULD BE
PRIVILEGED BY BIRTH.
• PHILOSOPHERS LIKE JOHN LOCKE AND JOHN JACQUES
ROUSSEAU ALSO SUPPORTED THID IDEA AND PUT
FORWARD THE IDEA OF A SOCIETY BASED ON EQUALITY.
• MONTESQUIEU PROPOSED A DIVISION OF POWER WITHIN
THE LEGISLATURE,EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIARY WHICH
WAS LATER ADOPTED BY AMERICANCONSTITUTION.
ENVISAGES*-CONTEMPLATE OR CONCEIVE OF AS A POSSIBILITY
OR A DESIRABLE FUTURE EVENT

9. OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTUION
• ON 5 MAY 1789 LOUIS XVI CALLED AND ASSEMBLY OF THE ESTATES
GENERAL IN ORDER TO PASS THE PROPOSAL TO RAISE TAXES.
• THE ASSEMBLY WAS ATTENDED BY 300 REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF
THE FIRST AND SECOND ESTATE, AND 600 REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE
THIRD ESTATE.
• PEASANTS AND LABOURS WERE NOT ALLOWED BUT 40,000 LETTERS
CONTAINING THEIR GRIEVANCES WERE CARRIED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF
THE THIRD ESTATE.
• ACCORDING TO PRINCIPLE OF THE MONARCH EACH ESTATE HAD ONE VOTE.
BUT REPRESENTATIVES OF THIRD ESTATE WANTED EACH OF THE
REPRESENTATIVES TO HAVE ONLY ONE VOTE.
• LOUIS XVI REJECTED THIS NEW PROPOSAL. AS A RESULT, ALL THE
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THIRD ESTATE WALKED OUT OF THE ASSEMBLY IN
PROTEST.

10. THE TENNIS COURT
OATH
➢ON 20TH OF THE JUNE THEY GATHERED IN
AN INDOOR TENNIS COURTIN VERSAILLES,
WHERE THEY DECLARED THEM AS NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY.
➢THEYTOOK AN OATH NOT TO DISBURSETILL
THE NEW DRAFTINGOF A CONSTITUTIONOF
FRANCE.
➢MERABEAU AND ABBE SIEYESWERE
GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITYOF LEADING THE
DRAFTING OF THE CONSTITUTION.
➢MERABEAUBELONGED TO NOBLE FAMILY
AND ABBE SIEYES WASA PRIEST TO THE
CHURCH.BUT THEY BELIEVED IN THE NEED OF
A PRIVILEGE FREE SOCIETY
➢AFTER THISTHE STORMING OF BASTILLE
TOOK PLACE

11. FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
❑ON THE NIGHT OF 4 AUGUST1789,THEASSEMBLYPASSED A
DECREE ABOLISHINGTHE FEUDAL SYSTEM OF
OBLIGATIONSAND TAXES.
❑THE NATIONALASSEMBLY COMPLETED THE DRAFT OF THE
CONSTITUTION IN 1791. ITS MAIN OBJECT WAS TO LIMIT
THE POWERS OF THE MONARCH.
❑THESE POWERS WERE NOW SEPARATEDAND ASSIGNED TO
DIFFERENTINSTITUTIONS-THE LEGISLATURE,EXECUTIVE
AND JUDICIARY.

12. THE POLITICAL SYSTEM UNDER THE CONSTITUTION
OF 1791

13. POLITICALSYMBOLS
❖ A BROKEN CHAIN:-SYMBOLISEDTHE
FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY.
❖ THE BUNDLE OF RODS OR
FASCES:- ONE ROD CAN BE EASILY
BROKEN, BUT NOT AN ENTIRE BUNDLE.
IT SYMBOLISES STRENGTH LIES IN UNITY.
❖ THE EYE WITHIN A TRIANGLE
RADIATING LIGHT:- THE ALL SEEING
EYE STANDS FOR KNOWLEDGE.THE
RAYS OF THE SUN WILL DRIVE AWAY THE
CLOUDS OF IGNORANCE. IT DEPICTS
KNOWLEDGE REMOVES IGNORANCE.
❖ SCEPTRE:-IT WAS A SYMBOL OF
ROYAL POWER. IT DEPICTEDTHE POWER
OF AUTOCRACY.

14. ➢ SNAKE BITING ITS TAIL TO
FORM A RING:-THIS TYPE OF
RING HAS NEITHER
BEGINNING NOR END. IT IS A
SYMBOL OF ETERNITY.
➢ RED PHRYGIAN CAP IT WAS
WORN BY A SLAVE UPON
BECOMING FREE. IT
SYMBOLISES THE FREEDOM
FROM BONDAGE OR SLAVERY.
➢ BLUE-WHITE–RED:- THE
NATIONAL COLORS OF
FRANCE.
➢ THE WINGED WOMAN:-
PERSONIFICATION OF LAW
➢ THE LAW TABLET:- THE LAW
IS THE SAME FOR ALL, AND
ALL EQUAL BEFORE IT.

15. FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND
BECOMES A REPUBLIC
❑LOUIS XVI APPROVED THE RECOGNITIONTO THE NATIONALASSEMBLYBUT HE
WAS VERY GREEDY AND WANTED HIS ABSOLUTEAND DESPOTIC POWER BACK.
❑THEREFORE,HE ENTERED INTO SECRET NEGOTIATIONSWITH THE KING OF
PRUSSIA.
❑THE CITIZENSOF FRANCEAFTER KNOWING THIS DECLARED WAR AGAINST
PRUSSIA AND AUSTRIAIN APRIL 1792 OUT OF WHICH REVOLUTIONARY
LEADER MAXIMILIANROBESPIERRE ROSE AND FORMED HIS POLITICALCLUB
THAT IS THE JACOBINCLUB.
❑FINALLYON THE MORNING OF AUGUST10 HE AND HIS CLUB MEMBERS
STORMED THE PALACE OF TUILERIES,MASSACREDTHE KINGS GUARDSAND
HELD THE KING HIMSELF AS HOSTAGEFOR SEVERAL HOURS.

16. REIGN OF TERROR
THE REIGN OF TERROR WAS A DARK AND VIOLENT PERIOD OF TIME
DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. RADICALS TOOK CONTROL OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT. THEY ARRESTED AND EXECUTED
ANYONE WHO THEY SUSPECTED MIGHT NOT BE LOYAL TO THE
REVOLUTION.
LEADING UP TO THE TERROR
BY 1793, THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT WAS IN CRISIS. FRANCE WAS
BEING ATTACKED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES ON ALL SIDES AND CIVIL WAR
WAS BREAKING OUT IN MANY REGIONS. RADICALS LED BY MAXIMILIEN
ROBESPIERRE TOOK OVER THE GOVERNMENT AND STARTED THE REIGN OF
TERROR.

17. HOW LONG DID IT LAST?
THE REIGN OF TERROR BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5,
1793 WITH A DECLARATION BY ROBESPIERRE THAT
TERROR WOULD BE "THE ORDER OF THE DAY." IT
ENDED ON JULY 27, 1794 WHEN ROBESPIERRE
WAS REMOVED FROM POWER AND EXECUTED.
THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY
DURING THE REIGN OF TERROR, FRANCE WAS
RULED BY A GROUP OF MEN CALLED THE
COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THE LEADER OF
THIS GROUP WAS A MAN NAMED ROBESPIERRE.
ROBESPIERRE WAS ALSO THE LEADER OF A
RADICAL GROUP CALLED THE JACOBINS. THE
JACOBINS FELT THAT IT WAS THEIR DUTY TO
PRESERVE THE REVOLUTION, EVEN IF IT MEANT
VIOLENCE AND TERROR.
THE COMMITTEE OF
PUBLIC SAFETY

18. NEW LAWS
THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY INTRODUCED SEVERAL NEW LAWS. THEY
WANTED TO MAKE "TERROR" AN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT POLICY. ONE OF
THESE LAWS WAS CALLED THE "LAW OF SUSPECTS." THIS LAW SAID THAT
ANYONE WHO WAS EVEN SUSPECTED AS AN ENEMY OF THE REVOLUTION WAS
TO BE ARRESTED. THEY CREATED A COURT CALLED THE REVOLUTIONARY
TRIBUNAL FOR THE TRIAL OF THEIR POLITICAL ENEMIES. AT ONE POINT, THE
COURT COULD ONLY DETERMINE TWO VERDICTS: THE ACCUSED WAS EITHER
1) INNOCENT, OR 2)WAS PUT TO DEATH. THE TERROR.
THE TERROR
THROUGHOUT THE NEXT YEAR, FRANCE WAS RULED BY THE TERROR. PEOPLE
HAD TO BE CAREFUL OF EVERYTHING THEY SAID, WHAT THEY DID, AND WHO
THEY TALKED TO. THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF OPPOSITION TO THE
REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT COULD MEAN PRISON OR EVEN
DEATH. SOMETIMES REVOLUTIONARIES ACCUSED PEOPLE THEY DIDN'T LIKE
OR WANTED TO GET RID OF WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE. ALL ANYONE HAD TO
DO WAS ACCUSE SOMEONE, AND THEY WERE CONSIDERED GUILTY.

19. HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED?
AROUND 17,000 PEOPLE WERE OFFICIALLY
EXECUTED IN FRANCE, INCLUDING 2,639 IN
PARIS. MANY MORE DIED IN PRISON OR WERE
BEATEN TO DEATH IN THE STREETS. OVER
200,000 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED.
FALL OF ROBESPIERRE AND THE
JACOBINS
AS THE BLOODSHED AND EXECUTIONS OF
THE TERROR BECAME WORSE, MANY PEOPLE
REALIZED THAT IT COULD NOT CONTINUE.
ENEMIES OF ROBESPIERRE ORGANIZED TO
OVERTHROW HIM. ON JULY 27, 1794, HE WAS
REMOVED FROM POWER AND THE REIGN OF
TERROR WAS OVER. HE WAS EXECUTED THE
NEXT DAY.
ROBESPIERRE

20. THE GUILLOTINE WAS A DEVICE USED
TO EXECUTE PEOPLE DURING THE
TERROR

21. A DIRECTORY RULES FRANCE
➢WHAT WAS THE FRENCH DIRECTORY?
❖THE DIRECTORY WAS THE NAME OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT
RULED FRANCE DURING THE FINAL STAGE OF THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION. THE GOVERNMENT WAS BASED OFF A NEW
CONSTITUTION CALLED THE "CONSTITUTION OF YEAR III.
➢HOW LONG DID THE DIRECTORY RULE FRANCE?
❖ THE DIRECTORY RULED FRANCE FOR FOUR YEARS FROM
NOVEMBER 2, 1795 TO NOVEMBER 10, 1799. IT CAME INTO
POWER AFTER THE "REIGN OF TERROR" WHEN THE COUNTRY
WAS RULED BY THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

22. WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE DIRECTORY?
❑ THE DIRECTORY CONSISTED OF AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH CALLED THE
"FIVE DIRECTORS" AND A LEGISLATIVE BRANCH CALLED THE "CORPS
LEGISLATIF." THE CORPS LEGISLATIF WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO HOUSES:
THE COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED AND THE COUNCIL OF
ANCIENTS. FIVE DIRECTORS -
➢THE FIVE DIRECTORS WERE FIVE MEN WHO WERE SELECTED BY THE
COUNCIL OF ANCIENTS. THEY ACTED AS THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND
WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING OF THE COUNTRY.
➢COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED - THE COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED
PROPOSED NEW LAWS. COUNCIL OF ANCIENTS -
➢THE COUNCIL OF ANCIENTS VOTED ON THE LAWS PROPOSED BY THE
FIVE HUNDRED

23. RULE OF THE DIRECTORY
▪ AS THE DIRECTORY MOVED FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS, THE
PEOPLE BECAME UNHAPPY WITH THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
▪ THE DIRECTORY USED MILITARY FORCE TO PUT DOWN
UPRISINGS.THEY ALSO ANNULLED ELECTIONS WHEN THEY
DIDN'T LIKE THE RESULTS.
▪ DESPITE THESE STRUGGLES,THE DIRECTORY DID HELP
FRANCE TO RECOVER SOMEWHAT FROM THE TERROR AND
SET THE STAGE FOR FUTURE GOVERNMENTS.

24. END OF THE DIRECTORY AND THE RISE OF
NAPOLEON
• AS THE DIRECTORY BECAME MORE AND MORE CORRUPT,
THE MILITARY LEADERS OF FRANCE GREW IN POWER. ONE
PARTICULAR GENERAL, NAPOLEON, HAD GAINED MANY
VICTORIES ON THE BATTLEFIELD. ON NOVEMBER 9, 1799,
HE OVERTHREWTHE DIRECTORY AND ESTABLISHED A NEW
GOVERNMENTCALLED THE "CONSULATE."
• HE ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS THE FIRST CONSULAND
WOULD LATER CROWN HIMSELF EMPEROR.

25. DID WOMEN HAVE A REVOLUTION?
• WOMEN CAME INTO
THE FOREFRONT ON
OCTOBER 5, 1789,
WHEN THEY MARCHED
TO VERSAILLES AND
BROUGHT KING LOUIS
THE SIXTEENTH BACK
TO PARIS.

26. THE SOCIETY OF REVOLUTIONARY AND
REPUBLIC WOMEN • THE SOCIETYOF REVOLUTIONARY
AND REPUBLICANWOMENWAS
FORMED IN 1793 TO VOICE ITS
OPINION AND GRIEVANCES
AGAINSTTHE CONSTITUTIONOF
1791 WHICH DENIED THEM THE
RIGHTTO VOTE.
• THE REVOLUTIONCARRIED OUT
BY THE WOMEN OF FRANCE
TRIGGERED
THE INTERNATIONAL
SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT, FOR
THE NEXT TWOCENTURIES.AS A
RESULT OF THIS MOVEMENT,IN
1946, THE WOMEN OF FRANCE
WON THE RIGHTTO
EXERCISE THEIR FRANCHISEAND
EQUALWAGES.

27. THE LIFE OF REVOLUTIONERY WOMAN
OLYMPE DE GOUGES

28. ABOLITION OF
SLAVERY
• BEFORE THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IN 1789,
FRANCE HAD THREE COLONIES OF THE
CARIBBEAN - MARTINIQUE,GUADELOUPE
AND SAN DOMINGO UNDER ITS CONTROL.
THESE PLACESWERE MAJOR SUPPLIERS OF
SUGAR,COFFEE,INDIGOAND TOBACCO.
• THE TRIANGULAR SLAVE TRADE BETWEEN
EUROPE,AFRICA AND AMERICA BEGAN IN THE
17TH CENTURY.
• MERCHANTS SAILED FROM THE FRENCH
PORTS TO THE AFRICAN COASTWHERE THEY
BOUGHT NEGROES, WHO ARE NATIVES OF
AFRICA, FROM THE LOCAL CHIEFTAINS.

29. • PORT CITIES LIKE BORDEAUX AND NANTES WERE
FLOURISHING ECONOMICALLY BECAUSE OF THE SLAVE TRADE.
• THE NATIONAL CONVENTION VOTED TO ABOLISH SLAVERY
IN ALL THE FRENCH COLONIES ON FEBRUARY 4, 1794.
• SLAVERY WAS REINTRODUCED IN THE FRENCH COLONIES BY
NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. SLAVERY WAS FINALLY ABOLISHED
IN 1848 BY THE FRENCH SECOND REPUBLIC.

30. REVOLUTION AND EVERYDAY LIFE
❑AFTER 1789 THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
THE FRENCH PEOPLE, IN THE WAY THEY DRESSED, THE LANGUAGE THEY
SPOKE AND THE BOOKS THEY READ.
❑AFTER THE STORMING OF THE BASTILLE IN JULY 1789, CENSORSHIP WAS
ABOLISHED.
❑THE GOVERNMENT PUT INTO PRACTICE THE IDEOLOGIES OF LIBERTY,
EQUALITY AND FRATERNITY.
❑THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZEN CONTAINED IN
THE PREAMBLE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF 1791 ASSERTED THAT EVERY
CITIZEN HAD THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION.

31. CONCLUSION
❖WRITTEN MATERIAL SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS, BOOKS, PAMPHLETS AND
PICTURES WERE SPREAD THROUGHOUT FRANCE.
❖PRINTED PICTURES AND PAINTINGS WERE CIRCULATED, AND PAMPHLETS
AND BOOKS WERE READ ALOUD FOR THE ILLITERATE. PLAYS, SONGS
AND PROCESSIONS MADE IT EASY FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE TO
GRASP THE REVOLUTIONARY IDEALS OF LIBERTY, EQUALITY AND
JUSTICE.
❖FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN THE DECLARATION OF 1791 SUPPORTED THE
RIGHT TO OPPOSE VIEWS OF EVENTS. THIS PAVED WAY FOR POLITICAL
CLUBS TO CONVINCE THE OTHERS OF THEIR POSITION THROUGH THE
MEDIUM OF PRINT.