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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY, image, image, image,…
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION: LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY
DIFFICULT TIMES FOR THE MONARCHY
the combination of a series of factors triggered the revolution
FACTORS THAT TRIGGERED THE REVOLUTION
The liberal ideas of the Enlightenment
Criticism of absolutism and the division of society into estates of the realm became widespread
The example of the United States.
Some French people, had fought on the side of the colonists in the American War of Independence
Inequality before the law
with feudal societies from the Old Regime, due to their estate privileges, noblemen and clerics did not pay direct taxes,
Economic crisis
France lost Canada and possessions of India and Africa against Great Britain
Royal Treasury, which was forced to pay the huge debts it had taken on to finance the war
the court at Versailles did not reduce its spending on luxuries
Political unrest
Many propaganda pamphlets criticising the Old Regime
The king and queen were openly criticised and discredited
more than 25,000
books of grievances
Social inequalities
The population had grown and farming production could no longer meet the demand for food during poor harvests
existing social inequalities became more evident
PHASES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
THE ESTATES-GENERAL (1789)
The French Revolution was a long revolutionary process that began in 1789 and finished in 1804, when the Napoleonic Empire was founded
The Estates-General was assembled
the rich pay taxes
the voting system was one vote per estate
with one vote per attendee
nobility and clergy rejected this so the Estates-General were dissolved
The third estate delegates then formed the
National Assembly
only representatives of the French people
swore not to depart until France had a Constitution
NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY (1789–1791)
While the National Assembly was doing its work, the social situation got worse
Parisians rose up
nobles’ homes were raided/attack
attacked the Bastille prison
The soldiers defending the prison opened the doors so they could escape
The king could not dissolve the Assembly
reforms
the abolition of feudal privileges
the establishment of censitary suffrage
the creation of a single direct and universal tax
Constitution of 1791
which established
the division of powers
the division of powers
incorporated the
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Although Louis XVI seemed to accept the situation
he contacted other absolute monarchies to conspire against the new regime
DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF THE CITIZEN
France’s National Constituent Assembly
Article 1
. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights
Article 3.
The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation.
Article 11.
The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (1791–1792)
Once the Constitution was approved
Constituent Assembly was dissolved and elections were held following censitary suffrage
new political tendencies appeared
The Girondins
With the second highest number of representatives, they were moderates, federalists and supporters of the parliamentary monarchy.
The Jacobins
They were radical liberals, centralists and supporters of the Republic, who were in the minority
The Plain
They were deputies who were in the majority and did not belong to any party
absolutist powers of Austria and Prussia attacked France and threatened Paris in 1792
sans-culottes rose up
they were suspicious of the loyalty of a king who had conspired with the invaders
NATIONAL CONVENTION (1792–1795)
Assembly assumed legislative and executive powers
Republic was proclaimed
September 1792
Jacobins obtained more representatives than the Girondins in the elections
MARIE ANTOINETTE (1755–1793)
the emperor of Austria’s sister, married Louis XVI
French people accused her of defending Austrian interests and spending money on whims while the people starved
executed by guillotine in 1793
‘the Terror’
Robespierre
leader of the Jacobins
led the Public Health Committee which was responsible for defending the revolution
execution of anti-revolutionaries and anyone suspected of beingit
‘White Terror’*
against the Jacobins
Convention began drafting a new Constitution
LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY
represented the French Revolution
starting in 1789
simplicity and the force of its ideas made it popular
Convention adopted on documents and monuments
THE DIRECTORY (1795–1799)
new Constitution
(was less open in rights and freedoms than the one from 1791)
was approved in 1795
‘Directory’
Internal instability
lack of a definitive victory abroad led to a new
coup d’état
THE CONSULATE (1799–1804)
Napoleon Bonaparte
led in 1799
seized power and drew up another constitution that same year
Congress and a Senate with very few powers
Napoleon could therefore rule in an authoritarian way as the first consul of the Republic
