French Revolution

1. The French Revolution
The French Revolution
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

3. 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

4. Divide up room
 1st
Estate on right (2 people)
 2nd
Estate in middle ( 2 people)
 3rd
Estate on left ( everyone else)
 The issue for today’s vote:
– Extra Credit

5. 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 XVI’s 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!!!

8. 3rd
Estate Response
 May 1789 -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”
 Embarrassing situation for the king
 King agrees
 Establishment of The National Assembly

9. Bastille Day
 July 1789 French farmers, peasants do not have
enough to eat and are paying high taxes
– Nobles out of touch (“Let them eat cake”)
 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

10. Bastille Day continued
 People in Paris hear
about the troops
– Begin to riot.
– July 14, 1789 - Attack the
Bastille – fortress prison
in Paris holding political
prisoners, debtors,
criminals etc.
• Seen as a symbol of Kings
power
• People storm the prison and
free the prisoners.

11. 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”

12. 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

13. Revolution Getting out of
Control
 King Louis XVI attempts to flee the
country with his wife Marie Antoinette
 Captured and brought back
 Radicals getting more say in how the
government should be run

14. Outside Influences
 1792-1793 Other nations of Europe worry
that revolution in France will spread to
their countries.

15. We
better
stop this
This is
getting out
of hand
The killed
their
King!!!
This is
not
good

16. Other nations invade France
– Austria, Prussia (Germany), Spain, Britain,
wage war on France.
– French fight them off
 Radicals in France gain even more power

17. Rule of Revolution #2
 “In the midst of chaos, the one who comes
out on top is the one who is most
organized and willing to speak out.”
• Mr. J

18. Radicals Gain Control
 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
– “Reign of Terror” Begins
• Around 30,000 people will be
sent to the guillotine
• Nobles, peasants, workers,
anyone Robespierre saw as a
threat to the revolution

19. Reign of Terror
– “Reign of Terror” Begins
• Around 30,000 people will be sent to the
guillotine
• Nobles, peasants, workers, anyone
Robespierre saw as a threat to the
revolution

21. End of Reign of Terror
 1794 – National
Convention feels
Robespierre has gone over
the line
– He is arrested, tried,
convicted and executed
– Don’t you just love the
irony of it all???

22. 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,
 France has LARGE, experienced army
– Rising young star in that army – Napoleon Bonaparte