FRENCH

REVOLUTION
 SECTION 1 – OLD ORDER OF FRENCH SOCIETY

• 1700s - 3 CLASSES OF SOCIETY / CALLED THE 3 ESTATES

• FIRST ESTATE – CLERGY, PAID NO TAXES.
• All people associated with the Catholic Church (pope, bishop, carinal, priest)
• SECOND ESTATE – NOBLES, PAID NO TAXES
• Wealthy families

• THIRD ESTATE – EVERYONE ELSE, A) Bourgeoisie – middle class, merchants / bankers / lawyers B) Rural
peasants – farmers C) Urban Workers – Poorest of the group
• The common people’s major problem: the wealthiest people in the land and the church did not have to pay any taxes. Taxes fell on
the common people and the poor people.
• A) Bourgeoisie - were hard working people and known as the middle class. Have good carriers and are comfortable well earning,
middle class occupations
• B) Rural peasants – farmers (people who work on farms or farm owners)
• C) Urban Workers –Were the poorest of the groups and of French Society and worked in factories, made less money, sharing homes
together, barely able to afford food and luxuries, and had terrible working conditions
• Laws need to change to make it better for the common people (first and second estates only made about 3 percent of the population)
• The problem was that the Third Estate was the only estate to pay the taxes. 95% of the land was owned by the wealthier estates,
 LOUIS XVI (KING DURING FRENCH
REVOLUTION)
• FRANCE IN FINANCIAL TROUBLE
• Louis the 16th spent a lot of money (especially in the American revolution)
• French government increases taxes for the the Third Estate but they complain saying that they can’t keep up with paying the high taxes.

• JACQUES NECKER FINANCE MINISTER – FIRED, WHY??????

• The guy in charge of bring money into the country. Louis 16th goes to him and asks him what can be done to improve the country. Gets fired
because he recommends to Louis 16th to start taxing the First and Second Estates (said they would get out of their debt by doing so). So the
Church and the Nobles said to Louis 16th that they will not support him anymore if he taxes them. Louis the 16th was pressured by them.

• 1789 CALLS THE ESTATES GENERAL (French Parliament) AFTER 175 YEARS OF INACTIVITY
• Has not been done in almost 175 years, Estates General (Parliament) is called. Louis 16th ruled as an absolute monarch and did not allow the
estate general to meet. Louis wants to get their opinion to see if they can help get France out of debt/financial trouble. Risk Louis 16h is
taking is that they might want something in return. The estate general is going to want to change things and want something in return.

• VOTING PROCEDURES????????
• Each Estate had one vote even though if one had much more members, Any time the Third Estate wanted to make Enlightenment changes
were outvoted by the higher Estates. The Third Estate complains to the Estates General but couldn’t get through. Since the third Estate
• Problem Within the Estates General: each state only had one vote so the third estate kept getting outvoted 2 to 1 so they broke away and
created the national assembly
 3RD ESTATE REACTS

• 3RD ESTATE BREAKS AWAY FROM THE ESTATES GENERAL AND FORMS THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
• The Third Estate ends up one day breaking away from the Estate’s General. Calls themselves the National Assembly. The Third Estate made themselves their
own body of power. Didn’t want to be part of/with the other Estates so they begin meeting up. So they break away and find a meeting hall to talk about how they
can make changes. Louis 16 th is told by his advisors that the Third Estate broke off and are going to start a revolution.

• EVENTS THAT LED TO THE TENNIS COURT OATH

• Louis has Third Estate locked out of their meeting hall which leads to the Tennis Court Oath. Once they were locked out, they met at a tennis court.
• Third Estate when they are locked out to meet find indoor tennis court and meet there and made an oath.  

• WHAT WAS THE OATH????????

• Their oath was that they would continue to meet until they wrote a constitution (their oath to themselves). The said that France needed a new constitution so the
Third Estate would not stop meeting until there was a new constitution.
• Oath was they would continue wherever they were forced to meet until they wrote a new Constitution and   wouldn’t let king or nobles get in their way. French had
similar idea of American revolution, and wanted to make their own rights. 

• JULY 14TH, 1789 – STORMING OF THE BASTILE

• Considered July 14 as Independence Day of France. The Bastille was mostly prison but was known to have lots of and gunpowder. They wanted to free political prisoners
and wanted ammunition since they feared the king would ammunition send troops. Protestors broke through the Bastille and captured the commander, put his head on a
stick, and marched.
 SECTION 2 – REVOLUTION UNFOLDS

• NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WRITES THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS OF MAN AND CITIZEN (August 1789) – modeled after the - Declaration of Independence of America (included the problems
of France)
• Included freedom of religion – reduced the power of the church
• Catholics that wrote this went after the church
• First Estate was their main target since they had much power over the Monarch.
• Wanted religious toleration so Catholicism wasn’t the only one. 

• Sell church property to pay off debts – reduced the power of the church
• Weakens the power of the church because there will be more than one religion in France religious tolerance.
• They knew the church had so much land, in the declaration, it said they they wanted to take a lot of the church land and sell it.

• Church put under state control – reduces the power of the Church
• Means that the church is going to be bound by laws of France (not going to be allowed to have special privileges).

• March on Versailles (10-5-1789) – Why women? Refused to leave until???????

• Was mostly made of women. 
• The Versailles was where the king/queen monarchs lived (no poverty there) and were informed of the news of the revolutions. They would begin marching to hopefully, persuade Mary Antoinette. 
• March on Versailles was to make the queen recognize the revolution and Refused to leave until leave until the King and Queen would leave their luxurious lifestyle and see the terrible conditions they were living in.  Was meant to hopefully
recognize the Queen so she would help.
• WHY WOMAN? - What was going to be different about the woman’s message?: Maria Antoinette. Woman thought they can appeal to her. If she saw all theses woman with their children. She didn’t really recognize them. Many of the
woman were able to break into the the Versatile
• Different parts of history saying that either she totally blew them off or didn’t help them but might have been on their side.
• Many women were able to break in the Versailles into her bedroom, parts of history ask what would have happened.
• Many protestors wanted the King and Queen to help and didn’t want to overthrow them, YET. They respond to the request and moved back to Paris France.
• Mary Antoinette was a Hapsburg from Austria, building relationships with marrying into royal families. 
• 1791 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY writes a constitution creating a limited monarchy – LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (made up of commoners/middle class) created
• The Tennis Court oath comes to life with the new creation of the Constitution.
• Limited Monarchy is established and replaces absolute monarchy. Limited monarchy has to share power with legislative assembly (Parliament).
• New constitution created a Limited Monarchy that replaced the absolute monarchy. Not longer an Estates General. Parliament in France is called the Legislative Assembly.

• 1791 DECLARATION OF PILNITZ – AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA

• After the revolution, Austria and Prussia would sign declaration of Pilnitz which stated if the revolutionists mistreated the king or queen, they would call war against France since they just saw the fall of a monarchy and that Mary Antoinette was a Hapsburg (so autria was defensive
of the situation)
• Declaration of Pilnitz  was agreement between Austria and Prussia, if French Revolutionists harmed King and Queen, they would declare war to save them.

• LOUIS XVI (1/1793) AND MARIE ANTOINETTE (10/1793) DID THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR OWN DOWNFALL?????????
• When limited monarchy was created they wanted King and Queen to agree but king/queen tried to leave and were caught at night.   They weren’t trusted as the people though they would escape and make armies to destroy the Revolution. When they were caught
they were put under house arrest. Legislative Assembly put them on trial and in January LOUIS XVI was beheaded and in October Marie Antoinette was beheaded.
• WAYS THEY CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR OWN DOWNFALL:
• 1. By firing financing minister, they contributed to downfall.
• 2. When the people were locked out and went to the tennis court, it showed that the king didn’t follow will of people.
• 3Not changing the the estate general vote) would have kept their throne
• Both Trying to escape France

• REACTION OF CATHERINE THE GREAT – Enlightened views change

• One of the most enlightened despots. (monarchs willing to accept changes in their land, not give up their power)
• She originally agreed in enlightenment and that peoples lives could be better. What changed her mind was when she saw the king and queen of France be killed/beheaded. Now she was going to be hard on her people.
• Enlightened despots did not want to give up their power, they just listened to Enlightenment ideas because they thought it would help economy and country,
 RADICALS FIGHT FOR CONTROL
IN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
• SANS-CULOTTES – Urban workers, not represented in the Assembly
• Were not a political party. These were the people who worked in factories in the cities and were the poorest of people.
Were not a political party because they were too poor and did not have representation in the the legislative
• Sans-Culottes - Got that name from pants that men wore that show their privilege/wealth (they don’t were wealthy
cloths/without culottes

• JACOBINS – Middle Class, lawyers / bankers / merchants, represented in the Assembly

• Were a political party, in the legislative assembly. Mainly successful, professional people in the middle class.

• COMMON WANTS – Both are radicals, both want an end to the monarchy and an end to 1 st and 2nd estate
privileges
• They both wanted to completely get ride of the monarchy
• They are calling for an end of no taxation for the first and second estate and an end of privileges
• Radical groups fought for control over assembly and politics itself and make laws for themselves. Jacobins didn’t want
monarchy and when the King and Queen were escaping it raised the question: Who is going to rule when the King and
Queen are replaced?  
 SECTION 3 – RADICAL DAYS OF THE
REVOLUTION
• RENAME THE LEG. ASSM. THE NATIONAL CONVENTION – 1792 Abolish the monarchy, create a republic
• The National Convention, led by Radicals, led by the Jacobins, actually legally abolished the monarchy and create a republic. So within a year of the Constitution, we have
much more radical movement underway in France. The Revolution, led by the common people in the Third Estate, wrote their constitution, they fulfilled there Tennis
Court Oath (they write a constitution that creates a limited monarchy). They don’t abolish the monarchy, they had no intention of doing that; they wanted to keep a
monarchy but then we get to the stage where the king and queen try to escape, they're put on trial, the Jacobins takeover the Legislative Body and in 1992 they abolish the
monarchy and in 1793 they execute the king and the queen. (So the radicals are clearly taking over here in the revolution.)The Jacobins are establishing themselves as a
very strong political party not to be messed with.)

• TENSIONS AND PROTESTS LEAD TO THE CREATION OF????????? Committee of Public Safety (which was the Jacobin’s
response to the protests)
• Many people who fought for the revolution did not fight to abolish the monarchy. Many revolutionary didn’t want to abolish the monarchy, they just wanted the monarchy
to meet the needs of the people. They wanted the monarchy to accept enlightenment. They weren't looking to execute the monarchy even though that ended up happening.
• So tensions were actually starting between the revolutionaries. Tensions between those who say lets do away with the monarchy and lets start all over with a republic, and
those revolutionaries who were sitting there saying no we never intended on doing away with the monarchy; well keep the monarchy well just limit the monarchy because
France's history since the fall of the Roman Empire has been a monarchy.
• So the tensions and the protests were over what the Jacobins and the new government were doing. So the Third Estate who broke away and formed their own body and
wrote their constitution, it’s those people who were split amongst themselves. The more radical part of the revolutionaries vs. the moderate part of the revolutionaries.
• Because there were a lot of people speaking out against the Jacobins (speaking out against this radical behavior, this new republic, which btw whose going to lead the
republic?), it sure looked like the Jacobins were going to take the lead. So whoever the head Jacobin was, was going to be seen to have all the power.
 COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY

• LED TO THE REIGN OF TERROR (9/93 – 7/94) – trials and executions carried out by the Committee of Public Safety
• The National Convention then creates the Committee of Public Safety. There job is to go around the streets of Paris and make sure there is no protest/make sure there is no one speaking
out against the government. This Committee of Public Safety starts arresting people, started putting people on trial, started executing people (and they are executing people who have
been like them in favor of the revolution). They were executing revolutionaries, but they were executing revolutionaries who were saying “I don’t believe we should be executing the
king and queen, that’s wrong. I don’t believe we should end the monarchy”. So the Committee of Public Safety started to limit people from free speech.
• The Reign of Terror was a time in the French Revolution after the death of Marie Antionette and Louis 16 th. This is a 9-10 month period of time where the Committee of Public Safety
almost acted like a secret police force. They were arresting anyone who is speaking bad about France and the path France was taking and thousands of people were being arrested and
many were being executed.

• ROBESPIERRE – Jacobin lawyer, “a republic of virtue only thru the use of terror”
• Who people were absolutely afraid of. He ended up being arrested and beheaded. Many of his followers/many of the radical Jacobins/most of the C.O.P.S. After a year, thousands of
French people were put in jail and executed because they were speaking out. There was a secret movement to get rid of Robespierre. (him and many of his followers were arrested and at
the same time in the middle of the night, they were put in jail, they had no opportunity to rally together, they didn’t know it was coming, and many of them were put to death.
• This is a quote that explains what Robespierre is all about. It’s a rather famous quote because it was a quote that was used against him throughout history. Robespierre said “a republic
of virtue only thru the use of terror” he is saying that “Yes were going to have a republic”. Virtue means doing things the right way. So Robespierre believed the only way you can
have a republic where people did the right thing is if you instilled fear in them/if you instilled terror in them. If they knew they didn’t do the right thing, they'd be jailed or executed. So
doing the right thing in Robespierre’s mind was not questioning what Robespierre and the Jacobins were doing (that was doing the right thing). Which goes against so many enlightened
principals.
• So the French Revolution was a revolution that started out for the right reasons. The old order of things abused most of the common people in the land. The common people started to
protest/they wanted change. But this enlightened movement actually established a government that was worse (with the Committee of Public Safety. And fortunately for the French
 SECTION 4 – AGE OF NAPOLEON

• 1799 OVERTHROWS THE DIRECTORY – SET UP AFTER THE REIGN OF TERROR, SETS UP THE CONSULATE, 1 ST CONSUL /
CONSUL FOR LIFE / EMPEROR NOT ON TEST
• The Directory was the government that was put in place after the fall of the Committee of Public Safety. It was a mess, it didn’t work. Napoleon was on of the people who overthrew
the Directory because it was inefficient, it wasn’t working. Most people supported Napoleon and others who were overthrowing this government. After the Directory was overthrown,
in 1799, they set up what became known as the Consolette. The Consolette had 3 people (it was like a 3-headed government and Napoleon was one of them). Now Napoleon was
never one that thought he was going to be one of three, he wanted it to be only him. So you know what he does: Napoleon was a very smart guy; Napoleon realizes that he probably
needs the people’s support if he wants to get to the place he wants to get to. He is siting there thinking he’s going to take this country over but he needs the people on his side to do it.
So when Napoleon is part of the Consolette, and Napoleon rose up through the ranks of the military (rose up as the rank of a general who started winning battles for France and
defeating French enemies around Europe and conquering land. Everyone in France knew him because he started winning battles (NOT politician, was military guy). But during this
time during the French Revolution, Napoleon saw the opportunity to become a politician, to take over and lead France. So he easily was named to the Consolette because he was
extremely popular. He then got the people to vote to give one member of the Consolette most of the power rather than it being split in three. So Napoleon gets an election and held
which gives one person (which will be called First Counsel) most of the power of the Consolette and Napoleon overwhelmingly wins the vote. Napoleon keeps going, there is a time
limit that these people serve on the Consolette. So now Napoleon gets a vote passed that First Consul should be able to serve for life and the people support him and vote for him. Then
Napoleon goes one step further and then took the name and got approval to take the name of Emperor. Not going to be a king; because the monarchy had been abolished and did not
want to be seen as a king. Emperor comes from Roman Empire. An emperor rules over an empire. By Napoleon taking the name Emperor, he is clearly sending the message that he is
going to build an Empire.

• REFORMS – Peace with the church – angered revolutionaries (ups and downs of church power!!!!) / Napoleonic Code – equality before the
law (Tip: Check power throughout the Revolution)
• Make sure you can trace the steps of the power of the church during the different phases of the FR..
 EMPIRE BUILDING

• 1) NATIONALISM – WHAT IS IT? HOW DID IT HELP? HOW DID IT HURT?

• WHAT IS IT? - Means pride in one’s country, loyalty to one’s country, feeling really good about one’s country (enthusiasm)
• HOW DID IT HELP? – People will be willing to work and fight harder for France and be on good terms with/listen to government and respect and trust them. Nationalism really helped unite France. They were a country that was becoming powerful because they were all in with each other. Nationalism helped France
grow and feel good about itself. France started to have the attitude that they were the best led country and the best country and they/France would be able to prove it to everyone else. Nationalism was positive in France because they were united, made them become powerful with one another.
• HOW DID IT HURT? – Nationalism can lead to overconfidence and try to do too much and lose in battle, anyone who feels good about themselves might have a big ego and turn people/other countries off (create unwanted enemies). Create jealous, too big of an ego. France might try to do things there not capable of.
Hurt French because it may spur on nationalism in other lands as well. They may do the best they can to reject a foreign ruler.

• 2) REDREW THE MAP OF EUROPE

• As Napoleon started to conquer and put together his empire, the map of Europe changed. All of a sudden the lines were different. France controlled much of the German territories and much of Italy. During the time of Napoleon, the map had to be redrawn many times because it want like it used to have been. (one year there is a
county, the next it doesn’t exist. (that country is now part of France’s territory).

• 3) CONTINENTAL SYSTEM – Economic Warfare against Great Britain, lone country outside his empire
• The continental system was an economic warfare.. France’s economic warfare was against Great Britain.
• Why did they turn to it? – Napoleon new that he could not take Britain on. Why specifically could not take on Britain? – Great Britain France could not take on Britain's Navy. Did not have the navy
• What is an economic warfare? - Cut off England’s economy by not letting them trade
• England was the last holdout, (napoleon was having success) he could not get to them because hey had a strong navy If he cant get to them and fight them then he would blockade them so Britain could not trade. It was fought o block English ships from trading with countries. Trying to keep English ships.
• Napoleon was trying accomplice defeating England. He had to do it that way because he couldn’t defeat their military. He though that once he cut there economy Britain would surrender or have to fight (military)
• Failed because when Napoleon, blocked trade more people were upset with him because he didn’t let ships in and out of ports. Continental system backfired. Crumpled because his empire would begin to crumble

• 4) 1812 INVADES RUSSIA – Scorched Earth Policy, (600,000 to 20,000)

• Napoleon decides to invade Russia. Russia uses this policy (Scorched Earth Policy) to defend themselves. Russia new that if they took on the French they would lose so they had to weaken them.
• Scorched Earth Policy- the Russians were burning all the farms, towns, farms, and kept retreating back in Russia. The French invade but it moved into Russian winter. The French troops had no shelter and food and here being separated from their supply . (600,000 troops French went into Russia. 20,000 is what they
came out with). Staved to death, freeze to death, killed their own horses to eat. 100-200 thousand just left/fled. So many of the French troops abandoned the military. Napoleon thought that he would be able to quickly invade Russia but was advised to wait. Critical error.

• OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF????????????????????????????

• Other people realized that this was an opportunity to take on napoleon.
 IT’S OVER – OR IS IT?

• QUADRUPAL ALLIANCE - Russia, Great Britain, Austria, Prussia attack

• The Quadruple Alliance was made of Russia, Great Britain, Austria, and Prussia which were of the stronger
countries.

• Napoleon Exiled to Elba 1814, escapes

• Napoleon is defeated and is exiled to Elba in 1814 an island. They put him there since most of the islands
were controlled by the French. They exiled because they didn’t want to treat an emperor that way even if it
resulted in over a million deaths. The Quadruple Alliance believed that wasn’t the way to go and thought it
was the Enlightened Way. Parts of Italy are controlled by France and escapes with help. Napoleon begins
marching and troops and supporters gather around him while leaders flee. In 100 days, Napoleon remakes
army to conquer Britain so they didn’t have time to regroup but his plans wouldn’t go as planned.

• Final defeat at WATERLOO 1815 – exiled again, St. Helena

• Napoleon is exiled again to an island called St. Helena sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. England has
sent prisoners to St. Helena so they are fully isolated. Only British ships reach there to refuel and rest.
Napoleon lives there until he dies. (Waterloo is correlated to defeat).
 CONGRESS OF VIENNA

• Peace treaty. Countries of Europe will decide how to move forward here.

• MAJOR GOALS
• Suppress revolutionary uprisings in Europe
• Pledged that European nations would come to defend the monarchies and defend the revolution. Sounds like the leaders
of Europe will defend
• Quadruple Alliance begins solving problems Ex: Map has been redrawn and who gets land? Quadruple Alliance would
never allow another Revolutionary Uprising in Europe. Didn’t like each other but still pledged to defend one another.

• PROMOTE PRINCIPLES OF LEGITIMACY????????

• Restoring the proper monarchs and the proper families to the throne who were in power before the French revolution..

• Restoring old ruling families back to their proper legitimist place that napoleon had conquered

• POF stated that true ruling families before Napoleon who were in charge of France before him were going to be restored to