Chapter 1: The French Revolution - Digital Notes
Page 1: Introduction and Background
Why it matters:
- Introduced ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity
- Ended monarchy in France
- Influenced global democratic movements
Pre-1789 France: The Old Regime
- Society divided into Three Estates:
1. First Estate - Clergy (no taxes, owned land)
2. Second Estate - Nobility (privileged, no taxes)
3. Third Estate - Commoners (peasants, workers, bourgeoisie; paid all taxes)
- King Louis XVI inherited empty treasury (wars + extravagance)
Economic Crisis
- Debt from wars and helping the American Revolution
- High taxes on the third estate
- Rising bread prices due to subsistence crisis
- Unemployment and poverty widespread
Page 2: Enlightenment and Rise of Middle Class
Emergence of Middle Class:
- Merchants, lawyers, teachers - educated and wealthy
- Inspired by philosophers: Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu
Key Philosophers & Ideas:
- John Locke - Opposed divine rights; promoted liberty
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Social Contract theory
- Montesquieu - Separation of powers (executive, legislature, judiciary)
Dissemination of Ideas:
- Books, newspapers, salons, and coffee houses spread revolutionary thought
Page 3: Immediate Cause - Estates General and Tennis Court Oath
Estates General (May 1789)
- Louis XVI called to raise taxes
- Voting system: Each estate = 1 vote -> unfair to Third Estate
- Third Estate demanded one vote per member -> rejected
Tennis Court Oath (June 1789)
- Third Estate formed National Assembly
- Vowed not to separate until a constitution was drafted
Storming of the Bastille (14 July 1789)
- Symbol of king's tyranny
- Marked the start of the Revolution
Page 4: Rural Uprising and Abolition of Privileges
The Great Fear
- Peasants attacked manors, burnt documents of dues
National Assembly Reforms
- Feudal dues abolished
- Tithes to the Church ended
- Church lands confiscated
Constitution of 1791
- France became a Constitutional Monarchy
- Power divided: Executive (king), Legislature (Assembly), Judiciary
- Only active male citizens (25+, tax payers) could vote
Page 5: Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
Key Rights:
- Liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression
- Equality before the law
- Freedom of speech, press, and religion
- Law is the will of the people
Symbols Used:
- Red cap - Liberty
- Broken chain - Freedom
- Bundle of rods (fasces) - Unity
- The eye in triangle - Knowledge
Page 6: Radical Phase - Jacobins and the Republic
Jacobins:
- Radical political club
- Members: shopkeepers, workers, artisans
- Leader: Robespierre
Sans-culottes:
- Jacobin supporters who wore long trousers
August 1792:
- Jacobins stormed the palace
- Monarchy abolished
France became a Republic (Sept 1792)
- King Louis XVI executed in Jan 1793
- Marie Antoinette executed later
Page 7: The Reign of Terror (1793-94)
Robespierre's Rule:
- Harsh laws, rationing, price controls
- Equality enforced: same clothing, titles (Citoyen)
- Guillotine used to execute "enemies of the republic"
- Churches closed
Fall of Robespierre (1794)
- Arrested and executed
- End of Reign of Terror
Page 8: The Directory and Rise of Napoleon
Directory (1795-99):
- Power given to 5-member Directory
- Political instability and corruption
- Napoleon Bonaparte rose as a military leader
Napoleon's Role:
- In 1804, declared himself Emperor
- Spread revolutionary ideas across Europe
- Defeated in 1815 (Battle of Waterloo)
Page 9: Women and the Revolution
Women's Role:
- Active in protests and political clubs
- Demanded:
- Right to vote
- Equal wages
- Education
Achievements:
- Education reforms
- Legalised divorce
- Marriage as civil contract
Olympe de Gouges
- Wrote Declaration of Rights of Woman and Citizen
- Executed for opposing the Jacobins
Page 10: Slavery, Culture, and Legacy
Abolition of Slavery
- Enslaved Africans in Caribbean colonies
- 1794: Slavery abolished temporarily
- Reintroduced by Napoleon; finally ended in 1848
Everyday Life Changed:
- Censorship abolished
- Rise of newspapers and political songs
- National anthem: La Marseillaise
Legacy of the French Revolution:
- Inspired struggles for democracy worldwide
- Promoted nationalism and modern citizenship
- Laid foundation for modern republics
