THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

▪ LOUIS XVI ASCENDED

THE THRONE IN 1774
▪ HE WAS THE RULER OF
BOURBON DYNASTY
▪ HE WAS A DESPOTIC
RULER AND MISUSED HIS
POWER
▪ FRENCH PEOPLE
ATTACKED ON BASTILLE
PRISON ON 14TH JULY ,1789
▪ BASTILLE PRISON WAS
THE SYMBOL OF DESPOTIC
POWER OF KING
▪ THIS FORTRESS WAS
DEMOLISHED

Image of Louis XVI

 CAUSES OF FRENCH REVOLUTION
1.SOCIAL CAUSES
• French society was divided
into three estates
❖ FIRST ESTATES – CLERGY
• Comprised of bishops,
priests etc.
• They were exempted from
paying taxes
• They enjoyed special
privileges
• They imposed a tax called
TITHE which was 10 percent
of agricultural produce,
paid by peasants
❖ SECOND ESTATES – NOBILITY
• They enjoyed special privileges by birth
• Exempted from paying taxes to the state
• Enjoyed feudal privileges
• Extracted feudal dues from peasants
• Peasants rendered services to lord – work in his
house and fields.
❖THIRD ESTATES – merchants, peasants, artisans
etc.
• They had to pay taxes such as Tithe imposed by
church, feudal dues, Taille paid directly to the
state on the consumption of salt or tobacco.
 2.ECONOMIC CAUSES
❖SUBSISTENCE CRISIS
• It is an extreme situation in which basic means
of livelihood are endangered.
• Population of France rose from about 23
million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789.
• Due to rapid increase in demand production
of grains could not pace with the demand. As
a result prices increased. But wages could not
keep pace with the rise in prices.
 3. POLITICAL CAUSES
• In 1774, LOUIS XVI faced empty treasury due to
long years of war which drained financial
resources
• He helped 13 American colonies to gain their
independence from the common enemy, Britain
• To meet its regular expenses such as the cost of
maintaining army, court, government offices, the
state was forced to increase taxes on third
estates
 4. ROLE OF MIDDLE CLASS
• In 18th century groups within the third estate
became prosperous and had access to
education and new ideas termed as MIDDLE
CLASS
• They earned their wealth through expanding
overseas trade
• All of these were educated and believed that
no group in society should be privileged by
birth
 5. ROLE OF PHILOSOPHERS
• Middleclass and third estate people were inspired by
the ideas of different philosophers and spread the
same through books and newspapers
• JOHN LOCKE – TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT –
sought to disprove the doctrine of the divine and
absolute right of the monarch
• JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU – THE SOCIAL CONTRACT –
Proposing a form of government based on a social
order between people and their representative.
• MONTESQUIEU – He proposed a division of power
within the government between legislature, executive
and judiciary
 OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION (EVENT)
• On 5th May 1789,Louis XVI called an assembly of
ESTATES GENERAL for new taxes
• The first two estates sent 300 representatives
each while third one had 600 members who were
prosperous & educated. However entry of
women, artisans and peasants were denied.
• Voting had conducted according to principle i.e.
each estate - one vote but third estate members
demanded for each member - one vote .
• On 20th June they assembled in the hall of indoor
tennis court and formed NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
and drafted a constitution
• French people were led by
MIRABEAU and ABBE SIEYES
• MIRABEAU – was born in noble
family, brought out a journal and
delivered powerful speeches to
the crowd assembled at Versailles
• ABBE SIEYES – was a priest, wrote
a pamphlet named WHAT IS THIRD
ESTATE? .He also supported the
people of third estate.
• While National Assembly busy in
drafting a constitution the rest of
France faced many difficulties due
to severe winter and bad harvest.
• Bakers hoarded supplies and
women standing in long queues.
Crowds of angry women attacked
on the shops. The king ordered
troops to move in Paris.
• On 14th July, 1789 the agitated
crowd stormed at Bastille prison
 CONSEQUENCES OF FRENCH
REVOLUTION
• LOUIS XVI finally recognized the NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY
• Accepted the principle that his powers would be
checked by constitution
• On 4th August, Assembly passed a decree
abolishing feudal system of obligations &dues.
• Members of the church were forced to give up
their privileges
• Tithe was abolished and lands owned by Church
were confiscated
 FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
• The national assembly drafted the constitution in 1791 with
the main objective to limit powers of monarch.
• The powers were separated and assigned to different
organs like legislature, executive and judiciary
• The constitution of 1791 gave the power to make laws in
the national assembly, which was indirectly elected.
• Active citizens were only men above 25 years of age who
paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of laborer’s wage. The
remaining men and women had no right to vote.
• The constitution began with a declaration of the right of
man and citizen such as right to life, freedom of speech,
freedom of opinion, equality before law etc.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTIVE AND PASSIVE CITIZENS
ACTIVE CITIZENS – Only men above 25 years of age who paid
taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were
given the status of active citizens. Only they had the right to
vote.
PASSIVE CITIZENS – The remaining men as well as all the
women of France who were not entitled to vote were
called Passive Citizens
 FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND
BECOMES A REPUBLIC
• Louis XVI had signed the constitution but he
entered into secret negotiations with king of
Prussia
• Rulers of other neighbouring countries were
worried by revolutionary action taking place in
France
• Thousands of volunteers joined the French army
and sang the patriotic song MARSEILLES
composed by Roget de L’Isle. Now this is the
national anthem of France
• Now political clubs were established by the
people and famous club was JACOBIN CLUB – its
members were small shopkeepers, artisans,
daily wage workers. Leader was MAXIMILIAN
ROBESPIERRE.
• JACOBINS were known as sans – culottes means
those without knee breeches.
• On 10 August 1792, they stormed the Palace of
Tuileries, massacred the king’s guards and later
imprisoned the royal family.
• On 21 September 1792 monarchy abolished and
declared France a republic
• On 21 January 1793 Louis XVI was executed
publicly at Place de la Concorde.
 REIGN OF TERROR (1793 – 94)
• ROBESPEIRRE followed a policy of severe control and
punishment
• All his enemies, other political parties, ex-nobles, clergy,
members of his own party who did not agree with his
methods were GUILLOTINED
• He issued maximum ceiling on wages and prices
• Meat & bread were rationed
• Peasants were forced to transport the grain and sell it at
the prices fixed by government
• All citizens could use equality bread
• Men and women were addressed as citoyen and
citoyenne in place of monsieur and madame
• Finally he was arrested and guillotined.
 A DIRECTORY RULES FRANCE
• A new constitution was introduced – it
provided for two legislative councils, an
executive made up of 5 members
• The directors often clashed with the legislative
councils
• The political instability paved the way for the
rise of Napolean Bonaparte
 ROLE OF WOMEN
• From the very beginning they were active
participants in the revolution
• Most women of the third estate were
laundresses, seamstresses, domestic servants,
not allowed to access education &job training
• They formed women clubs and started
newspapers, example – THE SOCIETY OF
REVOLUTIONARY AND REPUBLICAN WOMEN
• But the Constitution of 1791 reduced them as
PASSIVE CITIZENS
Revolutionary government introduced laws for
women
• Schooling was made compulsory for girls
• Their fathers could no longer forced them for
marriage
• Divorce was made legal could be applied by both
men &women
• During reign of terror, women clubs were closed
women leaders were arrested
• Women in France got the right to vote finally in
1946
 ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
• Slave trade began in 17th century.
• French merchants sailed from their
ports i.e. Nantes & Bordeaux to
African Coast where they bought
slaves from local chiefs and the
slaves were packed tightly into
ships and sent to Carribbean. That
is known as triangular slave trade
• National Assembly hold long
debates on this issue but did not
pass any law.
• Jacobin in 1794 abolished slavery in
the French colonies
• Slavery was finally abolished in
French colonies in 1848
 REVOLUTION AND EVERYDAY LIFE
• After the storming of the Bastille, censorship
was abolished
• Freedom of speech and expression proclaimed
to be a natural right
• Newspapers, pamphlets, books and printed
pictures flooded the towns of France
• Plays, songs, festive processions attracted
large processions.
 RISE OF NAPOLEAN BONAPARTE
• In 1804, Napolean
Bonaparte crowned
himself Emperor of France
• He introduced many laws
such as protection of
private property, uniform
system of weights &
measures
• He introduced decimal
system
• He was finally defeated at
Battle of Waterloo.