The Enlightenment Leads to Revolution

Transcription

1 The Enlightenment Leads to Revolution England Controls the 13 Colonies King George III is the King of England. He controls the thirteen English colonies. The king taxed the colonists, but the colonists had no representation in Parliament. Tensions rise between the colonists and England. The Colonists Declare Independence In 1776, the colonists declare independence. In the Declaration of Independence, the colonists apply many of the ideas of the Enlightenment. Thomas Jefferson includes Locke s ideas of Natural Rights. He says people have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He also argues that because the king did not protect Natural Rights, the people could rebel. This is again one of Locke s ideas. The New Government Includes Enlightenment Ideas The Declaration of Independence is based upon popular sovereignty. This means the right to rule came from the people. The government also applies Montesquieu idea of separation of powers and three branches of government. There was also a written form of government, or constitution that limited the government s powers. France on the Eve of Revolution In 1789, France was still into three social classes according to the old order, or ancien regime. These three social classes were called the three estates. The First Estate was the clergy, the Second Estate was the nobles, and the Third Estate was everyone else. The First Estate The First Estate was the clergy. The clergy owned ten percent of the land but was made up of only 1 percent of the population. They collected tithes, and paid no direct taxes. High ranking members of the church, like bishops and abbots, enjoyed wealth and privilege. The Second Estate The French nobles made up the second estates. Nobles made up 2% of the population. They had the top jobs in government, the army, the courts, and the Church. They paid no taxes and often lived lives of privilege and luxury. The Third Estate The Third Estate is very diverse. The top of this estate is the bourgeoisie. This is a type of middle class. This included bankers, merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, and doctors. Most of the people in this group were poor rural workers. The poorest members of this estate were the urban poor.

2 The Third Estate Resents the Privileges of the First and Second Estates Even if the members of the Third Estate were wealthy, they could not hold the best jobs. Urban workers were poor and often hungry. The First and Second Estates paid almost no taxes. The Third Estate paid taxes on everything. They paid taxes on everything form land to salt to soap. The ideas of the Enlightenment made the Third Estate question these privileges. Financial Problems in France Louis XIV had sent France very deeply into debt. He had spent millions of money he did not have on a lavish lifestyle and wars. These debts were causing huge interest payments. The Crisis Deepens Louis XVI desperately needs money. He calls the Estates General, hoping to raise taxes. This is a legislative body made up of members from all three estates. This had not been called for 175 years. Louis XVI Summons the Estates General Problems started early. Traditionally, every estate had a vote. That means 3% of the people had 2 votes and 97% of the people had one. In June 1789, the delegates of the Third Estate declared themselves a National Assembly (or legislative body.) The Tennis Court Oath After the delegates declared themselves a National Assembly, Louis locked them out of their meeting hall. They went to a nearby tennis court and said they wouldn t leave until they had a constitution. Members from the other estates joined. Louis agreed, but massed his troops around Paris. Storming the Bastille The Bastille is a grim prison that was used to house political prisoners. Political prisoners are in jail for their political views. The Bastille was a symbol of the king s power. The people wanted weapons that they believed were stored there. They did take over the Bastille but found no weapons. The French Revolution Unfolds Famine in France The political crisis coincides with the worst famine in memory. Starving peasants roamed the countryside and towns and swelled unemployment. People with jobs had to spend up to 80% of their income on bread.

3 The Great Fear Rumors spread among the peasants of France. They begin to seize the land of nobles, set fire to manors, and even kills some nobles. This period of rioting died down but showed the anger of the Third Estate. The National Assembly Acts The National Assembly ends all special privileges for nobles. The Assembly passes the Declaration of the Rights of Man. This said all men were born and remain free and equal in rights. It also called for freedom of religion and taxes based on the ability to pay. It made all men equal before the law. Women were not granted equal citizenship. The Women s March on Versailles Six thousand women march the thirteen moles from Paris to Versailles. They demand that the king return to Paris. He agreed, and lived as a virtual prisoner in Paris for the next three years. Marie Antoinette Much of the people s anger was aimed at Austrian born queen, Marie Antoinette. She lived a life of luxury and pleasure, even when the rest of France was suffering. She returned to Paris with the king and their children. The National Assembly Creates a New Government The National Assembly puts the Catholic Church of France under government control. This angers many peasants and others in the country. In 1791, the National Assembly creates a Constitution. The Constitution created a limited monarch. There was a Legislative Assembly that could make laws, collect taxes, and made all men equal before the law. Many reformers thought this was the end of the Revolution. Louis s Escape Fails Louis and his family try to flee their captivity in Paris. Louis and his family were disguised as servants and attempt to flee to the border in a carriage. A soldier compared the face of Louis with currency with his picture on it. He was captured and returned to Paris. Radicals Take Over The new Legislative Assembly did not make it a year. They were faced with problems on all sides and French money became almost worthless. Working class men and women, called sans-culottes (without short pants), pushed for changes. They demanded a Republic, or government without a King or Queen. The Jacobins Take Control A radical political club called the Jacobins take control of the National Assembly. They were mostly middle class lawyers and intellectuals. Many other European monarchs feared their own revolutions.

4 The National Assembly Declares War The National Assembly declare war on Prussia, Austria, Britain, and other European states. They are doing this to free others from tyranny. The fighting would continue on and off for over twenty years. The Radical Days of the Revolution The New Government is Losing Battles The National Assembly had declared war on many European countries. They were doing poorly and losing many soldiers. Many people in Paris and other cities riot against the government and nobles. Over 1200 prisoners are killed by an angry mob. A New Government is Created A new, more radical government is created by the Jacobins. It is called the National Convention. They set out to eliminate all remains of the old order. All titles are abolished, nobles lose all of their land. Louis XVI is tried and convicted by a single vote of being a traitor to the Revolution. Terror and Danger Grip France The new government faces problems of all kinds. They are at war in all directions. There are food shortages and inflation. There are rebellions against the government. The government itself is split between the Jacobins and the Girondins. The Reign of Terror Maximilien Robespierre becomes the head of the Committee of Public Safety. This committee has absolute power. The members were in charge of all trials and executions. He wants to make France a Republic of Virtue through the use of terror. He calls terror prompt, sever, and inflexible justice. The Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror lased from September 1793 to July Anyone that resisted the revolution was accused. 300,000 people were arrested and 17,000 were executed. That works out to 454 arrests per day and 26 executions a day. Many were executed based on false accusations. The Guillotine The guillotine was the primary method of execution during the Revolution. Its quick falling blade killed instantly, and was created to replace the ax, which sometimes took a few tries. It was created by Dr. Joseph Guillotin as a human method of execution. The Reign of Terror Ends Eventually, people grow tired of the Reign of Terror and turn against the Committee of Public Safety. The members of the assembly arrest and execute Robespierre and several other Radicals. After this, the executions slow dramatically.

5 A New Government is Formed A five man directory is created to run the government along with a legislature. This government is weak and does very little. Politicians look to a young military commander named Napoleon Bonaparte to save the state. The Age of Napoleon Napoleon Rises to Power Napoleon was a 20 year old lieutenant when the revolution started. He had several victories against the Austrians and the British. He stated the in choosing sides It is better to eat than be eaten. Napoleon in Egypt Napoleon leads an attack against Egypt to cut England off from its colonies in India. It is a total failure. His fleet is destroyed and his men are trapped in Egypt. Napoleon hides these failures through a large system of spies and censorship of the press. Napoleon Becomes a Politician In 1799, Napoleon helped to overthrow the Directory and created a three man governing board called the Consulate. He then called himself First Consul, and by 1802, he called himself consul for life. Napoleon Crowns himself Emperor In 1804, Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of the French. He invited the pope to come to Paris to give him the crown, but when took it from the pope himself. This was a symbol that he owed the throne to himself alone. Napoleon Holds Plebiscites Each step along the way, Napoleon held a popular vote to see if the people supported him. The people supported him enthusiastically, but he ruled like an absolute monarch. Napoleon Reforms French Society Napoleon replaces the ideas of the revolution like liberty, equality, and fraternity with new ideas like order, security, fraternity. He will order things again after the chaos of the Reign of Terror. He built roads and canals. He made peace with the Catholic Church again. He created the Napoleonic Code, which was a new set of laws. These laws, abolished feudalism, made all citizens equal before the law, and called for religious tolerance. Women lost all rights that they had gained in the Revolution. Napoleon Builds an Empire Between 1804 and 1812, Napoleon created a huge empire throughout Europe. He battled the combined forces of all of the other countries in Europe. He was a brilliant strategic thinker and general.

6 He annexed, or took over, the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Italy and Germany. He also cut Prussia in half. Napoleon put people loyal to him on thrones throughout Europe. Napoleon is seen as a hero at home. Napoleon Cannot Take England Napoleon created a fleet to attack England, but it is crushed at the Battle of Trafalgar. Napoleon begins the Continental System, which tried to close ports to English products. Napoleon never conquered England. Napoleon s Conquest Creates Changes In many places, Napoleon created governments that abolished titles of nobility, ended church privileges, opened careers to all men, and ended serfdom. Also, the Napoleonic Code spread to many regions of Europe. Napoleon would face problems however. Nationalism Works Against Napoleon Nationalism is strong pride in one s country. Many countries viewed Napoleon s army as an invading force. They wanted to be free to rule themselves. Spain and Austria Battle the French Spain and Austria were conquered by Napoleon. French troops face harsh resistance from Spanish and Austrian troops and civilians who want the French out. They face guerilla warfare, or small hit and run attacks designed to bleed the army dry. Napoleon Invades Russia Napoleon and the czar of Russia had been allies. Problems develop over economic issues. Napoleon creates an army with soldiers from 20 nations, called the Grand Army. Napoleon is Defeated in Russia Napoleon attacks Russia with 600,000 soldiers and 50,000 horses. To avoid battles, the Russians retreated eastward, burning crops and villages as they went. This is called a scorched earth policy. This left Napoleon hungry and cold in the Russian winter. Napoleon Retreats from Russia Napoleon enters Moscow in September, but must begin his retreat in October. The 1000 mile retreat from Moscow turns into a battle for survival. The Grand Army began with 600,000 men. 20,000 returned. The rest starved, froze, or deserted. Napoleon is Defeated at Leipzig Russia, Britain, Austria, and Prussia unite against Napoleon. He is defeated at the Battle of Leipzig. He then abdicates and is exiled to Elba, an island in the Mediterranean.

7 Louis XVIII is Crowned Louis XVIII agreed to be king of France. People are unhappy with him and the monarchy. Napoleon escapes exile and returns to France. Soldiers flock to him. The king flees. He takes over France again. The 100 Days Napoleon rules France again for 100 days. His opponents are amassing their troops during this time. His army is crushed at the Battle of Waterloo. He is exiled and will not return. Napoleon s Legacy Napoleon is exiled to the lonely island of St. Helena. Napoleon spread the ideas of the French Revolution to the rest of Europe. He also created a much more egalitarian France. The Congress of Vienna The heads of state of Europe got together in 1814 to figure out how to restore Europe. They redrew the map of Europe in an attempt to create a balance of power.