FRENCH

REVOLUTION

THE OLD REGIME IN

FRANCE

Old Regime socio-political system which

existed in most of Europe during the 18th century

Countries were ruled by absolutism the

monarch had absolute control over the
government

Classes of people privileged and unprivileged

Unprivileged people paid taxes and treated badly

Privileged people did not pay taxes and treated

WHAT KING LOUIS XVI DID

Appointed the
people who
would collect
his taxes and
carry out his
laws
Levied all taxes
and decided
how to spend
the money

Controlled
justice by
appointing
judges

Controlled the
military

Made all laws

Made decisions
regarding war
and peace

The Three Estates

Varied widely in what they contributed in terms of work and taxes
First Estate

Roman Catholic clergy

One percent of the
population
Exempt from taxes

Second Estate
Third Estate

Nobility
Less than 2 percent of
the population
Paid few taxes
Held key positions
Government
Military

Largest group97% of the

population
Bourgeoisie merchants, factory
owners, and professionals
Peasantspoor with little hope,
paid rents and fees

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS BEFORE THE

REVOLUTION
Frances
Peasant

economy = agriculture

farmers paid most of

taxes in France

First Events of the Revolution

Estates General meets
By 1789, no group happy
Desire for reforms
Clergy and nobility lost power to
Third Estate proclaimed themselves
monarchy
National Assembly
Poor worse off
Tennis Court Oath

Storming of the Bastille

King brought in troops
People of Paris armed themselves
Searching for weapons, a mob stormed the Bastille

TENNIS COURT OATH

The Third Estate declared itself to be the National Assembly.

Louis XVI responded by locking the Third Estate out of the meeting.

The Third Estate relocated to a nearby tennis court where its

members vowed to stay together and create a written constitution
for France.

On June 23, 1789, Louis XVI relented. He ordered the three estates
to meet together as the National Assembly and vote, by
population, on a constitution for France.

What does this contemporary political cartoon say about

conditions in France under the Old Regime?

 The king (Louis XVI) lavished money on

FRANCE
IS BANKRUPT

himself and residences like Versailles

Queen Marie Antoinette was seen as a
wasteful spender
Government found its funds depleted as a
result of wars

Including the funding of the American Revolution

Deficit spending a government spending

more money than it takes in from tax
revenues
Privileged classes would not submit to being
taxed

Causes of the Revolution

Long-standing resentments against the
monarchy

Inequalities in society

Existing social and political structure

Called the Old Order, or ancient rgime

King at the top and estates under him

King Louis XVI, shy and indecisive

Unpopular, self-indulgent queen, MarieAntoinette

Rest of French society divided into three classes,

called estates

Enlightenment Ideas

A Financial Crisis

Inspiring new ideas from

Enlightenment philosophers

Severe economic problems

affected much of the country

Great Britains government

limiting the kings power

France in debt, spending

lavishly, borrowing money, and
facing bankruptcy

American colonists rebelled

successfully against British king
New ideas changed
government and society in
other countries

Hailstorm and drought ruined

harvest; harsh winter limited
flour production
People hungry and angry;
clergy and nobility no help

LONG-TERM CAUSES OF THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION
Absolutism
Unjust socio-political
system (Old
Regime)
Poor harvests which
left peasant farmers
with little money for
taxes
Influence of
Enlightenment
philosophes

System of
mercantilism which
restricted trade
Influence of other
successful
revolutions
Englands Glorious
Revolution (16881689)
American
Revolution (17751783)

SHORT-TERM CAUSES OF THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION
Bankruptcy
Caused by deficit
spending
Financial ministers
(Turgot, Necker,
Calonne) proposed
changes
But these were
rejected
Assembly of
Notables voted
down taxation for
the nobility in
1787

Great Fear
Worst famine in
memory
Hungry,
impoverished
peasants feared
that nobles at
Estates-General
were seeking
greater privileges
Attacks on nobles
occurred
throughout the
country in 1789

Estates-General
Louis XVI had no
choice but to call
for a meeting of
the EstatesGeneral to find a
solution to the
bankruptcy
problem
All three estates
Had not met since
1614
Set in motion a
series of events
which resulted in
the abolition of the
monarchy and a
completely new
socio-political

PREPARING FOR THE ESTATES-GENERAL

Winter of 1788-1789

Members of the estates elected

representatives

Cahiers
Traditional lists of grievances written by the
people
Nothing out of the ordinary

Asked for only moderate changes

MEETING OF THE ESTATES-GENERAL:

MAY 5, 1789

Voting was conducted by estate

Each estate had one vote

First and Second Estates could operate as a bloc to stop the Third
Estate from having its way

First Estate + Second Estate - vs. - Third Estate

Representatives from the Third Estate demanded that voting

be by population

This would give the Third Estate a great advantage

Deadlock resulted

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Votes

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THE TENNIS COURT OATH

The National Assembly, considering that it has been summoned to
establish the constitution of the kingdom, to effect the regeneration of the
public order, and to maintain the true principles of monarchy; that
nothing can prevent it from continuing its deliberations in whatever place
it may be forced to establish itself; and, finally, that wheresoever its
members are assembled, there is the National Assembly;
Decrees that all members of this Assembly shall immediately take a solemn
oath not to separate, and to reassemble wherever circumstances require,
until the constitution of the kingdom is established and consolidated
upon firm foundations; and that, the said oath taken, all members and
each one of them individually shall ratify this steadfast resolution by
signature.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
(1789-1791)

Louis XVI did not actually

want a written constitution
When news of his plan to
use military force against
the National Assembly
reached Paris on July 14,
1789, people stormed the
Bastille

UPRISING IN PARIS
People of Paris seized
weapons from the
Bastille
July 14, 1789
Parisians organized
their own government
which they called the
Commune
Small groups
factions competed
to control the city of
Paris

Uprising spread
throughout France
Nobles were attacked
Records of feudal dues
and owed taxes were
destroyed
Many nobles fled the
country became
known as migrs
Louis XVI was forced
to fly the new tricolor
flag of France

DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

National Assembly worked to form a new government

They wanted the king to share the power with the legislature
Nobles finally gave up being exempt from taxation and agreed
that all male citizens could hold government, army or church
office
Now they wanted equality of all citizens before the law

They were inspired by the American Declaration and Constitution as

well as the English Bill of Rights
The Declaration of Rights included Enlightenment ideas of Lock
Montesquieu and Rousseau

Guarantee freedom of press religion and protect against arrest and punishment

Did not grant equal rights to women

DECLARATION OF THE
RIGHTS OF MAN
Freedom of
religion

Freedom of
speech

Freedom of
the press

Guaranteed
property
rights

Liberty,
equality,
fraternity!

Right of the
people to
create laws

Right to a
fair trial

Creating a New Nation

Legislating New Rights

Restrictions on Power

Feudal dues eliminated

Louis tried to protect his throne

Declaration laid out liberty,

equality, fraternity

Angered the common people

Inspired by the English Bill of

Rights, American Declaration of
Independence, and the writings
of Enlightenment philosophers

Prices still high; mob broke into

the palace demanding bread
Royal family seized; National
Assembly took bolder steps

Men are born equal and remain

equal under the law

Passed laws against the

church, clergy, and public
employees

The rights did not extend to

women

Some outraged by actions

Declaration of the Rights of

Woman
Journalist Olympe de
Gouges argued in her
Declaration of the
Rights of Woman that
women are equal
citizens and should
benefit from
governmental reforms
just as men did.

Women did gain some

rights during the
Madame Jeanne
Roland also served as French Revolution, but
these were designed
a leader in the
for purposes other
womens rights
movement, and was than liberating
women.
able to heavily
influence her husband Women could inherit
property, but only
(a government
because doing so
official).
weakened feudalism and
reduced wealth among the
upper classes.
Divorce became easier,
but only to weaken the

Formation of a New Government

In 1791, the Legislative Assembly is formed. Citizens gained broad
voting rights, but rights were not universal. Constitution restricted
power of king and ended distinctions of birth. King and queen feared
they would be harmed.

Foreign Powers

End of Monarchy

Austria and Prussia warned against

harming monarchs

August 10, 1792 royal family

imprisoned by mob

Austrian army defeats French

Financial strain of war, food
shortages, and high prices

Radical faction took charge with

National Convention

King blamed; action demanded

Monarchy abolished; France

declared a republic

French revolutionary troops won the Battle of Valmy. New French

republic held ground against Europes Old Order.

THE DIRECTORY

Cartoon
depicting
the errors
and bad
judgment of

Promoted middle class

interests
Financial crisis
Food shortages
Riots in Paris
Rise of Napoleon

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

Popularity rises after

victories over the
Austrians
Conflict with Britain
1799 Coup detat
The Consulate

NAPOLEON BECOMES
EMPEROR
1804: Napoleon crowns
himself emperor

Napoleons Empire

Imposed a constitution which was a dictatorship

Napoleonic Code

Based on Enlightenment ideas

Law code

Napoleonic Europe

By 1812, Napoleon controlled most of Europe, Frances boundaries now extended to the Russian
border

People were not happy from other countries living under his rule because of nationalism

Spain made first attack

Downfall of the Empire

When Russia joined the move against Napoleon it signaled the end of the empire

Napoleon invaded Russia

Russians Won

Napoleon did not allow true representation in government

His rule set uniform laws in government like taxes education agriculture

LEGACIES OF THE
FRENCH REVOLUTION

End of absolutism
Power of nobles ended
Peasants became
landowners
Nationalism
Enlightenment ideals

Restoring Peace in Europe

Congress of Vienna
Map of Europe was redrawn
France had to give up its
recently gained territory
Monarchs were restored