French Revolution 1789-1799

• The revolution witnessed the collapse of the monarchy, radical changes in the
political landscape, and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte
• Its impact extended beyond France’s frontiers, inspiring nationalist movements
worldwide.
• The French Revolution epitomised the core values of liberty, equality, and
fraternity for all individuals.
• Mother of all revolutions
• Inspired by American Revolution
• French polity: France was an absolute monarchy, with King Louis XVI
holding supreme power. The monarchy was considered divinely ordained,
and the king ruled through a vast bureaucracy.
• French economy: The French economy was primarily agricultural, with a
significant portion of the population engaged in farming.
• In 1774, Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of
France. He was 20 years old and married to the Austrian princess Marie
Antoinette.
• Diamond necklace affair : Marie Antoinette.(Jeanne de Valois-Saint-
Rémy)
• During Seven Years war: Louis XV
• French East India Company(1664) during: King Louis XIV
• French society: Eighteenth-century French society was divided into three estates.
This rigid social stratification is known as the "Old Regime,"
• First Estate: The clergy, which included bishops, priests, and other religious
officials, enjoyed significant privileges and were exempt from taxation.
• Second Estate: The nobility, comprising the aristocrats and members of the royal
family, held vast lands and feudal rights over the peasantry. They too were
exempted from paying taxes.
• Because of their bourgeois background, the families of the Nobility of the Robe were at
first disdained by nobles who derived their rank from military service and from long-
standing possession (Nobility of the Sword)

• Third Estate: This estate encompassed the vast majority of the population,
including the bourgeoisie (merchants and professionals:നഗരവാസി), urban
workers, and peasants. They bore the brunt of the tax burden imposed by the
monarchy, fueling resentment towards the privileged classes.
French Revolution Causes
• Economic inequality: Most rural peasants lived in extreme poverty, struggling to
make ends meet while shouldering heavy tax burdens. The clergy and nobility,
meanwhile, were exempt from taxes and granted privileges.
• Financial crisis: Years of extravagant spending by the monarchy, particularly King
Louis XVI and the royal court, drained the state coffers and left the
government heavily indebted.
• Social injustice: The Third Estate, which comprised the majority of the
population, faced inequality in terms of representation and political power.
• Urban poor's resentment: The urban poor, facing unemployment, rising prices,
and inadequate social welfare, grew increasingly resentful of the ruling regime
and in resentment, they resorted to riots.
• Tithe(ടൈഥ്):10% tax levied by the church in France on the agricultural income of
peasants. The clergy collected the tax.(agriculture on church’s land)
• Taille : It was a direct tax on land for the peasantry of France who have been forced to pay
it to the state
• Vingtieme(വ ോങ്തീയ െം): The "vingtième" (or "one-twentieth") was a form of income
tax. It was intended to be a tax of 5% on annual income, collected directly by the
government from all citizens regardless of their social standing. However, the First and
Second Estates (nobility and clergy) were largely exempt or could buy exemption.
• Corvee(ക ാവീ): The corvée was a form of unpaid labor required of commoners in
France, primarily for public works like road maintenance. It was a type of tax levied in the
form of labor instead of money or goods.
• Banalite (ബെനാലിറ്റി) :Tax paid for the use of a lord's facilities like mills, ovens, and
presses,etc.
• Banvin(െൻവിൻ):Tax on wine
• Peage(പികേഷ്): taxes, levied on the use of roads, bridges, and other infrastructure
• Terrage(ൈറാഷ്):Special tax paid by farmers during harvest.
• Gabelle (ഗാബെൽ): The Gabelle, specifically the tax on salt(several goods), was a
significant grievance fueling the French Revolution
Economists/Financial advisors of King

• Turgot(ടർവ ോ)
Physiocrats(ഫിസികോക് ാറ്റു ൾ):Laissez-faire
• Necker(യെക്കർ)

• In 1789, King Louis XVI of France was advised to convene the Estates
General by Jacques Necker
• One of the reasons for the fall of the Bastille, a symbol of royal
authority and imprisonment, was the dismissal of Jacques Necker
Enlightenment ideas:
Thinkers such as Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu promoted ideas of
individual liberty, reason, and equality, inspiring a new wave of progressive
thought.
• Voltaire criticised religious intolerance and championed freedom of speech and
reason; rationalism .
• "If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him" : Voltaire

• Rousseau expanded upon these ideas by proposing a form of government based

on a social contract (book: Bible of French Revolution) between people and their
representatives.
• “മനുഷ്യൻ സവതക്രനാേി ജനിക്കുന്നു, എന്നാൽ അവൻ
എലലാേിൈത്ുും ചങ്ങലേിലാണ്”
• “നലല നിേമും നലല പൗരബര സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്നു”
• Emile :Book about education
• Naturalism: emphasized the inherent goodness of humanity and the corrupting influence of society
• Montesquieu in "The Spirit of the Laws," advocated for a division within
the government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches as well as
separation of power among them.
• This model of government was put into practice in the United States
following the colonies' declaration of independence from Britain.
• The French intellectuals found great inspiration in the American
Constitution and its protection of individual rights.
• John Locke:Two Treatises of Government
French Revolution Outbreak
• Louis XVI's need to increase taxes: XVI faced financial difficulties due to France's
involvement in costly wars, such as the American Revolutionary War, which
strained the royal treasury.
• Calling the Estates General: Louis XVI, as the monarch, did not possess the
authority to unilaterally impose taxes. He had to convene a meeting of the
Estates General, an assembly representing the three estates.
• The Estates General had not been called for 175 years, and Louis XVI took the
initiative to summon the assembly on 5 May 1789 at Versailles.
• Composition of the Estates General:
• 1st estate: 285
• 2nd estate: 308
• 3rd estate: 621
• Peasants, artisans, and women were excluded from the assembly.
• Voting in the Estates General in the past had been conducted according to the
principle that each estate had one vote.
• Demands of the Third Estate: The Third Estate members demanded that voting in
the Estates General be conducted by the assembly as a whole, with each member
having one vote

Tennis Court Oath 20 June 1789

• Walkout: When Louis XVI rejected the Third Estate's demand for voting reform,
the representatives of the Third Estate walked out of the assembly in protest.
• Tennis court oath: On 20 June 1789, they convened in the indoor tennis court at
Versailles and declared themselves the National Assembly.
• The National Assembly swore not to disperse until a constitution was drafted to
limit the powers of the monarch.
Storming of the Bastille 14 July 1789
• A severe winter resulted in a bad harvest, leading to rising bread prices,
hoarding, and exploitation by bakers.
• Angry women formed crowds and stormed into shops after enduring long
queues at bakeries. Louis XVI deployed troops to Paris, further heightening
tensions.
• One of the reasons for the fall of the Bastille, a symbol of royal authority and
imprisonment, was the dismissal of Jacques Necker

• On 14 July 1789, an agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille, a symbol
of royal authority and oppression. This day is being celebrated as the Bastille
Day or Independence Day of France.
Declaration of rights of men and citizens 1789 August 12
• By National Assembly
• Liberty ,equality, fraternity
• Absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy
• Women ,slaves had no rights
• Based on Rousseau : social contract
• “സ്വതന്ത്രരുെം അ കോശങ്ങളിൽ തുല്യ ത ുള്ള രുമോ
ിട്ടോണ് മെുഷ്യർ ജെിക്കുന്നതുെം ജീ ിക്കുന്നതുെം”
Women and French revolution
March on Versailles October 5 1789
• Hungry and restless protesters, mainly women, marched from Paris to Versailles
in October. They demanded bread and the return of the King and his family to
Paris, leading to significant political changes. They broke into the quarters of
Queen Marie Antoinette.
• The crowd demanded bread and wanted to bring the King and his family back
to Paris to “live among the people”.
• Olympe de Gouges(ഒളിമ്പ് ബെ ഗൂഷ്):Declaration of the Rights of
Woman and of the Female Citizen(സ്തക്തീേുബൈേുും സ്തക്തീ
പൗരരുബൈേുും അവ ാശ ക്പഖ്യാപനും)
• Madame Jeanne Roland: French revolutionary
Contributions of National Assembly
• Prepared a constitution to limit Kings powers.
• Reforms: On 4 August 1789, the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal
system, including obligations and taxes.
• Clergy: The clergy were also forced to relinquish their privileges, and church
lands were confiscated, providing the government with significant assets worth
at least 2 billion livres (French currency).
• Assignats(അടസനാറ്റ്) were paper money (fiat currency) authorized by the
Constituent Assembly in France from 1789 to 1796, during the French Revolution,
to address imminent bankruptcy.
• മതവമധോ ികളുയട െി ന്ത്രണത്തില്ോ ിരുന്ന സ്വത്തുക്കൾ
കണ്ടുയകട്ടി.
• പൂർണ്ണമോ മതസ്ഹിഷ്ണുത ന്ത്പഖ്യോപിച്ചു.
• പുവരോഹിതർ ൺയമന് ശമ്പളെം പറ്റുന്ന രോ ി മോോറി
Constitution making
• The National Assembly drafted the constitution in 1791
• The preamble to the French Constitution of 1791, which was actually a revised
and expanded version of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• The Assembly established a system of voting based on property and tax
ownership, limiting the franchise to men over 25 who paid taxes equal to at
least 3 days of a laborer's wage.
• This created a society where only a fraction of the population could vote.
• Many People opposed :Gave more powers to wealthier sections of society
Political clubs:
Dissatisfied people started forming political clubs to discuss the problems they
faced.
Jacobins:
• One such club which attained popularity was the Jacobin Club in Paris. The
members were from poor sections of society – small-scale business people,
artisans, servants and wage labourers. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre,
a French lawyer and statesman.
• the Jacobins were more radical and believed in a centralized ,republican and
democratic government
• Jacobins were known as sans culottes
Girondists :
• the Girondists were moderate and believed in a constitutional monarchy with
limited powers for the king
Revolutionary Wars
• Despite signing the Constitution, Louis XVI engaged in secret negotiations with
the King of Prussia and Austria. The rulers of neighbouring countries were
concerned about the developments in France and made plans to send troops to
suppress the events taking place since 1789.
• On June 20, 1791, the royal family quietly left Paris. They managed to get within a
few miles of the border before being recognized in the town of Varennes and
forced to go back.
• Declaration of Pillnitz(പില്ിെിറ്റസ് ന്ത്പഖ്യോപെെം) : by Austria, along with
Prussia to protect King Louis XVI
• Declaration of War: In April 1792, the National Assembly voted to declare
war against Prussia and Austria.
National Convention and Birth of the First French Republic 1792
• The Jacobins organised an uprising during the summer of 1792 in reaction to high
prices and a lack of food. In August, they stormed the Palace of the Tuileries,
overpowered the king's guards, and held the king hostage.
• The Assembly subsequently voted to imprison the royal family, and elections
were held. The newly elected assembly, known as the Convention, abolished the
monarchy in September 21 1792 and declared France a republic.
• Louis XVI was sentenced to death for treason and publicly executed on January
21, 1793, followed by the execution of Queen Marie Antoinette.
1792-97 first war of coalition: British, Dutch,Russia, Spain joined Austria and
Prussia
• Committee of public safety(യപോതുരക്ഷോ സ്മിതി)
• The Committee of Public Safety was a provisional government and war cabinet created
during the French Revolution to oversee the defense of the republic against foreign and
domestic threats
• The September Massacres
• The September Massacres were a period of violence, where prisoners in Paris
were killed. This involved summary executions of prisoners, including women
and children.

• France repelled invasions and occupied neighboring territories

• Napoleon Bonaparte rose to prominence after ending the war
The Reign of Terror 1793 to 1794
• The period from 1793 to 1794 is known as the Reign of Terror, characterised by
severe control and punishment under the leadership of Maximilien Robespierre.
• Robespierre targeted people he believed to be republican enemies, such as
clergy, ex-nobles, people in other political parties, and even his own party's
dissidents.
• Those deemed guilty were arrested, imprisoned, and tried by revolutionary
tribunals, with a high likelihood of being sentenced to death by guillotine.
• The downfall of Robespierre: Over time, even Robespierre's supporters began to
call for moderation in his policies. Eventually, he was convicted by a court in July
1794, arrested, and executed by guillotine.
Rule of the Directory 1795-1799
• The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the wealthier middle classes to come
to power. A new constitution was introduced that restricted voting rights to
property-owning sections of society, excluding non-propertied individuals.
• Introduction of the Directory: The legislative councils appointed a Directory,
which consisted of five members and served as the executive branch of the
government. The creation of the Directory aimed to prevent the concentration of
power in a single individual, as had been the case under the Jacobins.
• The Council of Five Hundred and the Council of Ancients were the lower and
upper houses, respectively, of the French legislature during the Directory (1795-
1799). The Council of Five Hundred (Conseil des Cinq-Cents) proposed legislation
and was responsible for nominating candidates for the Directory, while the
Council of Ancients (Conseil des Anciens) voted on legislation and chose the
Directors from the Five Hundred's list.
• Instability of the Directory: The Directors often clashed with the legislative
councils, leading to conflicts and attempts to dismiss them. The political
instability within the Directory created a sense of discontent and dissatisfaction
among the people. Jacobins and Girondins against Directory
• Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte: The political instability and power struggles within
the Directory created an opportunity for military leaders to seize
control. Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as a military dictator and eventually took
power 1799 (Rule by the Consulate 1799-1804), marking the end of the
Directory.
• Napoleon became the emperor :1804
• Absolute monarchy to dictatorship
• Church restored by Napoleon
• Nobility returned
Napoleon’s Policy
• Continental System was a series of economic sanctions that Napoleon I imposed
on the British Empire to destroy British trade and cripple the British economy.
• British response to Continental system: Orders in Council
• The Battle of Trafalgar 1805 ( Napoleon lost to British Admiral Horatio Nelson )
• The Battle of Waterloo(Belgium) 1815 ( Napoleon lost to Arthur Wellesley )
• After The Battle of Waterloo Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island of St
Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean and Napoleon died here 1821
• Napoleon was born at Corsica island 1769
• Good economic growth during Napoleon
• A new fund was created by Napoleon : Sinking Fund
• Tree of Liberty(സവാതക്രയത്ിൻ്ബറ വൃക്ഷും)
• The Congress of Vienna, held in 1814 and 1815, was a conference of European
diplomats convened to settle the political landscape of Europe after the
Napoleonic Wars
• ന്ത്രോൻസ്ിൽ ബൂർബൺ രോജഭരണെം പുെഃസ്ോോപിക്കുക.
• Chair of Vienna congress : Metternich(ബമകറ്റണിച്ച്)(Austrian Ruler)
• "When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches cold.”
• ക്ഫാൻസ്ത തുമ്മിോൽ േൂകറാപ്പിനാബ ജലകൊഷ്ും പിൈിക്കുും
After Napoleon, Louis XVIII, the brother of Louis XVI, ruled France.
French Revolution Impacts
• ആധുെിക വേശീ ത എന്ന ആശ െംെം ന്ത്രഞ്ചസ
ിപ്ല ത്തിന്യറ സ്െംഭോ െ ോണ്
• Reduction of Social Inequality: The revolution aimed to reduce social inequality
by curbing privileges based on birth.
• Republican government: A republican form of government with electoral
rights was established, replacing the monarchy.
• Abolition of the feudal system: The feudal system was abolished, which
perpetuated social hierarchies and obligations.
• Abolition of slavery: Although it took time for the total abolition of slavery, the
French Revolution played a pivotal role in bringing about its eventual demise.
• Subordination of the Church: The Church lost its supremacy and became
subordinate to the state.
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen: The Declaration underscored
the significance of both individual and collective rights.
• It championed principles such as liberty, equality, and fraternity, shaping the
course of history and inspiring subsequent movements for justice and
freedom.
• Separation of powers: It resulted in establishing a system with three separate
organs of government: legislative, executive, and judiciary.
• Inspiration for Europe: It sparked hope across Europe, inspiring people to
challenge despotic rule and strive for the establishment of egalitarian societies.
• "I am the revolution" : Napoleon Bonaparte
• “give me good mothers and I shall give you a great nation“: Napoleon Bonaparte
• “I found the crown of France in the gutter. I picked it up with the tip of my sword
and cleaned it, and placed it atop my own head," Napoleon Bonaparte
• son of the French Revolution: Napoleon Bonaparte
• "I am the state" :King Louis XIV of France
• "After me comes the flood“ : King Louis XV of France
• if you don't have bread eat cake : Marie-Antoinette
• A Tale of Two Cities :Novel by Charles Dickens
• െി േൂണികവഴ്സൽ കമാണിറ്റർ ന്ത്രഞ്ചസ ിപ്ല കോല്ത്തസ െില്െിന്നിരുന്ന
ഒരു പന്ത്തമോ ിരുന്നു .

• Nanine Vallain ന്ബറ ലിെർട്ടി എന്ന യപ ിന്റിെംഗ് ന്ത്രഞ്ചസ ിപ്ല ുമോ ി

ബന്ധയെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

• ലൂേിസ്ത-ലികോകപാൾഡ് കൊളി വരച്ച Marat addressing the people(മറാട്ട്

ജനങ്ങബള അഭിസുംകൊധന ബചയ്യുന്നു) എന്ന യപ ിന്റിെംഗ് ന്ത്രഞ്ചസ
ിപ്ല ുമോ ി ബന്ധയപട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു.

• ന്ത്രഞ്ചസ ിപ്ല കോരി ോ പന്ത്തന്ത്പ ർത്തകൻ ജീൻ കപാൾ മറാട്ട് തന്യറ

പന്ത്തമോ Friend of our people/country (ജനങ്ങളുബൈ സുഹൃത്്) ൽ വേശീ
അസ്െംബ്ലി തയ്യോറോക്കി ഭരണഘടെയ ക്കുറിച്ചസ ഇങ്ങയെ
അഭിന്ത്പോ യെട്ടു:
• "ജനങ്ങബള ക്പതിനിധീ രിക്കു എന്ന ൌതയും സമ്പന്നർക്ക് ഏൽപ്പിക്കബപ്പട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു".