CH 16: The European Moment in World History, French Revolution

Transcription

1 CH 16: The European Moment in World History, French Revolution

2 Key Events The fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Committee of Public Safety began the Reign of Terror. Napoleon Bonaparte created the French Empire. Allied forces defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.

3 The 3 Estates of France France was divided into three orders, or estates the first, second, & third. 1st - Clergy - 130,000 people 2nd - Nobility - 350,000 people 3rd - Everyone Else Peasants 80% Artisans/Shopkeepers 20%

4 Battle of the Chesapeake French (left) vs. British (right) -- during American War for Independence. Louis XIV bankrupts France by spending to prevent the British from winning in America. Tremendous shortage of bread coupled with mismanagement of French finances causes the cost of bread to skyrocket. French citizens starve. Bitter winter weather adds to the misery of the French people. Louis mismanaged French finances. Massive taxes on 3rd estate.

5 The French Revolution, Thousands of French soldiers had fought for the American revolutionaries. French government was facing bankruptcy Had long attempted to modernize the tax system & make it fairer, but was opposed by the privileged classes King Louis XVI called the Estates General into session in a new effort to raise taxes Estates General convened in 1789, Third Estate representatives broke loose & declared themselves The National Assembly Drew up the Declaration of the Rights of Man & Citizen Launched the French Revolution Above Right: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De LaFayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791 Below: Washington & LaFayette at Valley Forge.

6 The French Revolution, Unlike the American Revolution, the French uprising was driven by pronounced social conflicts Nobility resisted efforts to tax them Middle class resented aristocratic privileges Urban poor suffered from inflation & unemployment Peasants were oppressed Hunger was a major problem - the price of bread skyrocketed Enlightenment ideas gave people a language to articulate grievances. Above Right: Portrait of Gilbert Motier the Marquis De LaFayette as a Lieutenant General, 1791 Below: Washington & LaFayette at Valley Forge.

7 The French Revolution, French Revolution was violent, farreaching, & radical Ended hereditary privilege Even abolished slavery (for a time) The Church was subjected to government authority King and queen were executed (1793) The Terror ( ) killed tens of thousands of people regarded as enemies of the revolution Effort to create a wholly new society 1792 became Year I of a new calendar Briefly passed a law for universal male suffrage France was divided into 83 territorial departments Created a massive army (some 800,000 men) to fight threatening European countries Spurt of nationalism, with revolutionary state at the center Radicals especially pushed the idea of new beginnings

8 The French Revolution, Influence of French Revolution spread through conquest Napoleon Bonaparte (r ) seized power in 1799 Preserved many moderate elements of the revolution Kept social equality, but got rid of liberty Subdued most of Europe Imposed revolutionary practices on conquered regions Resentment of French domination throughout Europe

9 The Impact Today The French Revolution became the model for revolution in the modern world. The power of nationalism was first experienced during the French Revolution. The French Revolution spread the principles of liberty & equality The Tennis Court Oath, by Jacque-Louis David

10 The Bastille: July 14, 1789 Parisian mob of 8,000 men & women in search of weapons descend upon the Bastille, a royal armory filled with arms & ammunition. This marked the beginning of the Revolution. The Storming Of the Bastille July 14 th is celebrated to this day as Bastille Day

11 The Tennis Court Oath: Members of the National Assembly vow to meet until a new government is established. The Tennis Court Oath was a pivotal event during the first days of the French Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789.

12 Destruction of the Old Regime The assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The declaration proclaimed freedom & equal rights for all men, access to public office based on talent, & an end to exemptions from taxation.

13 The Move to Radicalism Maximilien Robespierre was a lawyer and activist, so known for his honesty that he was called The Incorruptible. He followed Rousseau s ideas in The Social Contract, believed that anyone who would not submit to the general will as he interpreted it should be executed.

14 His journalism became renowned for its fierce tone, uncompromising stance toward the new leaders & institutions of the revolution, & advocacy of basic human rights for the poorest members of society. Marat was one of the most radical voices of the French Revolution. He became a vigorous defender of the sansculottes, publishing his views in pamphlets, placards and newspapers, notably his "L'Ami du peuple", which helped make him their unofficial link with the radical, republican Jacobin group that came to power after June The Jacobins were a revolutionary political movement that had been named after the Jacobin monastery where they had meetings.

15 Maximilien Robespierre Revolutionary leader Became the head of the (super ironic name) Committee of Public Safety - which helped to protect the newly established republic against foreign attacks & internal rebellion. As a wartime measure, the Committee was given broad supervisory powers over military, judicial, & legislative efforts. Once against the death penalty, Robespierre comes to believe in it. The Terror is a check on virtue. Without terror there can be no virtue, according to Robespierre. Helps to create a police state where people live in fear of being seen as an anti-revolutionary. His veiled public threats against those close to him in the government leads to a call for his arrest.

16 Napoleon Bonaparte Military genius who leads France to victory during battles against Austria, Prussia & Britain during the Revolution. French military & political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution & its associated wars in Europe. His legal code in France, the Napoleonic Code, influenced numerous civil law jurisdictions worldwide. Remembered for his role in leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. Won the majority of his battles & seized control of most of continental Europe in a quest for personal power & to spread the ideals of the French Revolution. Widely regarded as one of the greatest commanders in history, his campaigns are studied at military academies worldwide. He remains one of the most studied political & military leaders in all of history.