Chapter 18: The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815

1. Chapter 18: The French Revolution and Napoleon 1789-1815

2. Section 1: On the Eve of Revolution • In 1789 France was experiencing a horrible financial recession • Wages were being cut, while food prices soared • The poorest citizens of Paris had enough and took action • French Society Divided • During this time, France had a strict class system: • -First Estate = Clergy • -Second Estate = Nobility • -Third Estate = bulk of population • The clergy enjoyed great wealth and led lavish lifestyles

3. Despite this, the First Estate did perform social services • The Nobles of the Second Estate held top government jobs • Many nobles felt the effects of the bad economy however • They hated absolutism and the possibility of losing special privileges • The Third Estate was made up of several different classes: • -Bourgeoisie (middle class) • -rural peasants • -urban workers

4. Urban workers were the poorest and faced unemployment and crime • Members of the Third Estate resented privileges of those above them • The First and Second Estates paid almost no taxes at the expense of the peasants • The Enlightenment led people to question social inequalities • The Third Estate started to demand financial equality • Financial Troubles • Economic problems in France were made worse due to deficit spending • Vocab pg 572

5. By the 1780’s huge debt and crop failures made the situation worse resulting in tax increases • Jacques Necker was a financial advisor to the king: • -reduce extravagant spending • -reform government • -abolish tariffs • He was dismissed after he suggested the First and Second Estates pay taxes • Louis XVI Calls the Estates-General • Estates-General consisted of legislative body from all three estates

6. The King had all Estates prepare a list of grievances called cahiers • These cahiers reflected class resentments • Delegates from the Third Estate insisted on reform, including the system for voting • Eventually the Third Estate named themselves the National Assembly • They took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disband until a just constitution was passed • Some reform minded clergy and nobles joined the Assembly • The King sent in troops to attempt to dismiss the National Assembly

7. Parisians Storm the Bastille • With the assembly surrounded, Parisians took action • More than 800 stormed the Bastille searching for weapons • They killed the leader of the Bastille but found no weapons • The Bastille became a symbol of the independence of the French people however • July 14th is known as Bastille Day • Pg 577 3-5

8. Section 2: The French Revolution Unfolds • Revolution can be broke into several phases: • -National Assembly (1789-1791) • -Radical Phase (1792-1794) • -Directory (1795-1799) • -Age of Napoleon (1799-1815) • Political Crisis Leads to Revolt • Revolt was fueled by two things: • -political crisis • -famine • 80% of income was spent on food • Things were made worse by rumors of the government seizing food

9. The National Assembly Acts • Nobles in the National Assembly voted to end their special privileges • Later the Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen • This was modeled after the Declaration of Independence • The Declaration upheld the slogan of the revolution, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” • Many women were imprisoned or executed for protesting the omission of women in the declaration • The Declaration was also ignored by many upper class who still lived in luxury

10. The National Assembly Presses Onward • To help pay off debt, the National Assembly voted to take over and sell Church lands • The Catholic Church was placed under complete state control • Many clergy and Catholic peasants rejected this • In 1791 The Assembly finished work on the Constitution of 1791 • The Constitution had many democratic ideas, but power was still in the hands of the wealthy

11. Radicals Take Over • Many European rulers denounced the revolution • European nations started to strengthen borders to keep out the “French Plague” • When Prussia and Austria vowed to defend the French Monarchy, the Revolution moved into the Radical Phase • The Legislative Assembly lasted less than one year • Working class men and women pushed the revolution into the Radical Phase • They demanded a new Republican form of government

12. The Legislative Assembly was torn apart between revolutionaries and moderates • Revolutionaries took control of the Assembly and declared war on various European countries • This war lasted for 23 years • Vocab pg 578, 3-5 pg 583

13. Section 3: Radical Days of the Revolution • There was much violence between loyalists and revolutionaries • Radicals eventually gained control of the Assembly and demanded suffrage for all males • They set up the French Republic and drew up a new constitution • King Louis was tried as a traitor and executed • Terror and Danger Grip France • France was in constant danger from foreign countries, and counter-revolutionaries

14. To deal with violence, the Committee for Public Safety was established • Young French recruits were inspired by the revolution and were eager to fight • The French army was young, but became very powerful • To deal with counter-revolutionaries, the Committee launched a reign of terror • Under Maxmillian Robespierre, the guillotine became the symbol of the revolution • 17,000 people were beheaded during the reign of terror • Eventually Robespierre was also executed

15. The Revolution Enters Its Third Stage • After the Reign of Terror, moderates created a new constitution • It set up a 5 man Directory and a 2 house legislature • The Directory was weak and supporters of a constitutional monarchy won a majority in the legislature • Revolution Brings Change • Most important change in France was a feeling of Nationalism • Social reform and religious toleration were also outcomes of the revolution • Vocab 585, 3-6 pg 590

16. Section 4: The Age of Napoleon • Napoleon Rises to Power • As a young soldier, Napoleon favored Republican rule • He was ambitious, and won many battles • He eventually became involved in politics • He overthrew the Directory and named himself Consul for life, then Emperor • Napoleon reforms France • His slogan became order, security and efficiency • He also restored economic prosperity

17. All levels of society backed Napoleon • His Napoleonic Code was accepted by fair by all classes, but still excluded women • Napoleon Builds an Empire • Through military power, he began to annex conquered lands • He controlled most of Europe by placing friends on the thrones of conquered states • His invasions helped spread revolutionary ideas across Europe and inspired nationalism in France • Napoleons Empire Faces Challenges • Napoleons first mistake occurred in 1812

18. Nationalism in other countries started to work against him • Conquered countries started to revolt against him • Napoleon attempted to invade Russia • Out of 600,000 soldiers, 20,000 returned home • This defeat hurt his reputation at home • Napoleon Falls from Power • After new alliances formed against him, Napoleon abdicated • Louis XVIII took the throne of France

19. Napoleon escaped from exile and returned to France to seize power again • He reassembled the army under his command • The French Army was crushed at the Battle of Waterloo • After this battle European leaders met at the Congress of Vienna to restore order and stability • They achieved a goal of European peace for the next 100 years • Vocab pg 592, 3-5 pg 600 • End of notes!