French Revolution (The beginning) 1989-1992
Economic Blunder
o 1st seven years war and War of Austrian Sucession damage france economy
o Tugor tries to fix by cutting down on Gov. Spending and imposing new taxes
Was very unpopular so Louis XVI is removes him
o Louis puts Necker as new financial minister
Necker takes out huge loans for American Revolution
Everyone blames him the bad economy and he is kicked out.
o Calonne tries to call the Assembly of Notables for support on new taxes
Assembly goes against him instead of supporting him. He is kicked out but was
very popular
o Archbishop Brienne is appointed and submits calonne’s idea to parlement in france
Parlement overwhelmingly rejects it
Louis XVI attempts to throw out parliament but fails
Brings back Necker as well
o Convenes meeting of the Estates General 1789
Estate General
o 1st Estate
Basically the Church, The higher Clergy lived w/ the king @ Versailles and made
1% of population
Owned 20% of land (which was untaxed)
Most of the upper clergy was corrupt
Lower clergy not as corrupt but as poor as the peasants themselves
o Second Estate
Nobles of the Sword and the Robe make up 10-13% of population
Owned 70% of land
Owned most high state positions
o Third Estate (the problem)
Everyone else not in 1st or 2nd
Bourgeoise wanted there own form of representation (middle class)
Made up all productive wealth (not from land)
Wanted voting by head instead of by estate
Were by far the largest group (doubled their number)
Turned into the National Assembly
After meeting of the Estates General
o Tennis Court Oath
Revolutionaries agree never to leave till they write a constitution
o King Mean while recognizes National Assembly but refuses to make voting by head. Also
sends 20,000 troops to paris
Also removes Necker in July 11
In fear of aristocrats over throwing National Assembly they storm Bastille Castle
o Storming of Bastille Castle
20,000 troops join the people and storm the castle of Bastille
Royal officials in Paris were ousted and were replaced w/a Revolutionary
municipality, and a citizens’ militia was formed.
Necker is recalled
o The Great Fear
Rumors that the nobles were going to ruin the peoples’ harvest
The peasants revolted and attacked
o August 4, 1789 (The August Decrees)
Feudalism is destroyed in one night. Nobles’ reaction to the Great Fear.
All Frenchmen were now equal
o Tricolor becomes extremely popular everyone is a part of it.
o August 26, 1789 Declaration of the rights of man
Makes all men equal (not women)
o October 5, 1789 Bread March of Women
Women March to Versailles demanding bread. Get the royal family to
leave Versailles and go to the Tuileries Palace.
o Issued the Assignant as the new currency
Done because the gov was bankrupt and the confiscation of the church’s
lands.
Value depreciated to the point where it cost more to print it than it costs.
o Civil Constitution of the Clergy July 12, 1791
Took Church lands and made priest swear loyalty to the state
Bishops would be hand picked
Condemned by Pope Pius VI
Biggest mistake of the National Assembly
Alienated priest 50% complied other refused
o 1791 Finally finish the French Constitution
French Constitution
o Ideal government for the Bourgeoisie
o The king could stop a law for 4 years (veto)
Couldn’t pass laws
Ministers held responsible for actions (Diamond Necklace Scandal)
o Had Active and passive citizen
Requirement for active citizen was to pay tax of three days worth of
work.
Many men couldn’t pay this tax
Active Citizen could vote passive couldn’t
Made sure country wasn’t run by the majority but by the Bourgeoisie
(locke)
Legislative assembly
o Self Denying Ordinance allowed no N.A members to join Legislative Assembly
o Flight to Varennes, King Tries to escape Paris but fails
o Brunswick Manifesto- Austria and Prussia threatened to go to war France if they
touch the monarchy
o August 10, 1792 Angered at the king and frustration from Brunswick manifesto
publication peasants Storm the Tulileries .
Got rid of the Monarchy and formed a new government
Put Louis XVI on trial for violating the liberty of his subjects
January 21, 1793 Louis XVI is executed like any ordinary man
Sans-Culottes of France agreed with the ideology of Thomas Paine (see
enlightenment)
Believed in Democracy and that the government should govern as
little as possible
People destroy Prisons in fear they may hold counter revolutionaries in
September Massacres
Battle Of Valmy stops the hysteria (French win)
Revolt goes all the way to September 22, 1792 becomes known as the
first day of the first year.
The National Convention is Formed September 20, 1972
National Convention
Had a whole set of problems
o Clashing Political Clubs (Jacobin vs. Girondist)
o Economic troubles (the assignats fell by 50%)
o Counter revolution rebellions in the countryside
o War w/ Austria Prussia Britain and Spain
Wrote a new constitution June 10, 1793 but didn’t enforce it because they were at war.
Made the Decree of Fraternity
o Offered assistance to anyone else who wanted to overthrow their government
Jacobins (also called Montagnards/ Mountain)
o Power base in Paris
o Had the support of Sans-Culottes
o Extremist
o Saw Paris as Center of the revolution
o Saw Louis XVI as a traitor (wanted him dead)
Girondist’s
o Power base in the provinces
o Feared the influence of Sans-Culottes
o Feared national Dominance of Paris in the national politics
o Supported More national government centralization
o Wanted to exile Louis XIV
Committee of Public Safety is established (Jacobin control)
o Robespierre is elected as leader
“To punish the oppressors of humanity is clemency; to forgive them is
barbarity.”
o Arrest and declare Girondists enemies of France
Are killed and Jacobins now rule
o October 16, 1973 Marie Antoinette Guillotined
Levee en masse
o 500,000 troops are put to arms to fight
o Very unpopular
o *These troops did not win Battle of Valmy
o Where Napoleon Started.
Reign of Terror Begins
o Pass General Maximum September 5, 1793
Limited the price of grain & other essentials 1/3 higher than 1790 prices
Wages reduced to ½ of 1790 figures
This stopped inflation
Was strictly enforced
Hoarders were punished
Food supplies were secured by the army.
o Law of Suspects September 17, 1793
Revolutionary Tribunal tried all those who appeared counter-
revolutionary
Anyone convicted was killed
Things became extreme, anyone not enthusiastic about the revolution
considered counter-revolutionary
o Vendee Revolt
Royalist and Catholics revolt against republic
Resented Civil Constitution of the Clergy
Republic needed 300,000 men
Vendee residents rebelled against levee
Residents also failed to benefit from confiscation of church lands
Targeted
Local Gov officials
National Government
o Religious Terror
Catholic Church linked w/ counter revolutionaries and old acien_regime
ways
Made a new Republican Calendar
Got rid of Sunday and religious holidays
Months after seasonal features
Year Started 1792
Banned public exercise of religion
Notre Dame → Temple of Reason
Created festival of supreme (5 day parade of nationalism)
*Robespierre Never Supported it.
o Leaders of any political group against Jacobins were killed
o Law of 22Prairial June 10, 1794
Defendants had no rights
Trials were only “liberty or Death”
o Reign of Terror Kills 16000-40000\
Thermidorean Reaction July 27-28 1794
o People rise up and kill Leaders of the Committee of public safety
Robespierre is killed
o Finish the rest of the participants of The Terror in the White Terror
o Jacobin Clubs are closed
Directory
Constitution of August 22, 1795
o Bicameral Government (two legislative)
Council of 500
Council of Elders (250)
Men Over 40
o Had to pay tax to be eligible to vote
o 5 man executive (each controlled one
Coup d’etat of 18 Brumaire
o Napoleon Takes over revolution is over!!!
