The French Revolution Begins (1789)
3 estates/classes
1st-Roman Catholic Clergy-paid little or no taxes
2nd –Nobles-had highest paying positions in government and military
-paid little or no taxes
3rd-Top-Bourgeoisie-Middle Class
Middle-Merchants, Bankers, factory ownersNo voice in government
Bottom-peasants-80% of the population-paid taxes
Francefood shortages, rising prices
-almost bankrupt, costly wars
-banks decided they could no longer afford to loan govt. money
King Louis XVI-poor/indecisive ruler. Married Marie Antoinette-hated by the people.
-Due to terrible financial decisions, he is forced to hire Jacques Necker as his financial advisor (urges him to call meeting of the estates general.)
-King Louis decided to ask the nobles and clergy to pay taxes which they hated.
Louis called a meeting of the Estates General at his palace in Versailles
-Estates General made up of all three estates
-Each estate had own room and one vote
-This ensured that the 1st and 2nd estate could always outvote the 3rd
-The 3rd estate appealed so that every single delegate would have a vote which would balance out the 1st and 2nd estate with the 3rd.
-King Louis refused-and decided to follow medieval rules
-Therefore, they decided to meet separately and declare themselves the National Assembly.
-When they found themselves locked out of their meeting room they broke into a near by tennis court-Tennis Court Oath-vowed to stay there until a new constitution was made-thereby ending the absolute monarchy.
King Louis called in troops to surround the city of Versailles.
-People are fearful the troops are going to stop the National Assembly
-Storm into the Bastille prison for gunpowder
-Kill the guards and the governor of the Bastille and parade around the street with his head on a pike
-July 14th-now known as Bastille Day-French National Holiday
-Peasants in the countryside heard of this uprising and started to uprise against the nobles as well.-Great Fear-peasants break into manor houses and burn feudal documents.
National Assembly
-passed new laws that ended the 1st and 2nd estate privileges
-Issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
-Made France a Constitutional Monarchy
-Was to be ruled by an elected assembly and limited the King’s power
-King and Queen try to flee to Austria but are captured and imprisoned
-National Assembly declares war on Austria (1792),Prussia joins in with Austria.
-War doesn’t go well-radicals decide to set up a National Convention
National Convention
-Made up of Jacobins-made up mostly of lawyers
-Girondists-conservative/moderate-thought the revolution went too far.
-Mountains-were radical and wanted extreme change
-Soon controlled the convention
-Had Louis XVI executed
-This made Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, and Sardinia join Austria and Prussia against the war in France.
Robespierre
-National Convention set up the Committee of Public Safety to run the country
-Came under the control of Maximilien Robespierre
-Over 40,000 were sent to the guillotine (including the King and Queen)
-Robespierre- “Reign of Terror”
-wanted to create a Republic of Virtue
-Committee opened new schools, taught skills to farmers, and worked to keep prices under control.
-Created a new religion-didn’t last-people are predominantly Catholic
-implemented a draft-single men 18-25 had to join and their numbers rose to over 1 million
-Robespierre’s downfall-he turned on his fellow Committee of Public Safety members
-In turn, they turn on him and send him to the guillotine
Post Reign of Terror
-After Robespierre’s death, the middle class created the Directory
-Directory consisted of five moderates
-spent time handling food shortages, rising prices, government bankruptcy, and attacks from foreign countries
-Directory lost a lot supportlooked for a new leader-in steps Napoleon
Rise of Napoleon
Napoleon went to military school and was a general by the age of 24.
-Military campaigns
-successful in Italy
-Not as successful in Egypt, left his troops and came back to France
-named himself 1st consul
While in power
-set up new schools
-created Napoleonic Code
-reorganized the tax system and country’s finances
-crowned himself Emperor in 1804
Napoleon’s Empire
-wanted to build a huge empire
-by 1807 he had a huge empire across Europe from the Atlantic Ocean to Russia
-Prussia, Austria, Sweden are forced to become France’s allies
Napoleon goes after Britain
-arch enemy of France
-attack Britain by water and lose the Battle of Trafalgar
-Since this is unsuccessful-Napoleon attacks Britain’s economy
-Continental System-no on in Europe could trade with Britain
-Not many follow-especially Spain and Portugal-Peninsular War started because of this
Napoleon Invades Russia
-Unsuccessful in Britain, turns on Russia its former ally
-Napoleon and 600,000 soldiers invade Russia
-Russian’s tactics-don’t fight, draw them into the heart of Russia
-Only one battle is actually fought
-Russia practiced scorched-earth policy and burned the ground and livestock so the Russian soldiers would have no food-highly effective
-Also, Russia’s winter killed many
-Only 100,000 returned to Russia alive
Napoleon’s Downfall- (3 major mistakes- 1. 2. 3. )
-Napoleon’s captured and exiled to Elba
-Napoleon escapes and his army quickly comes to fight for him again
-He and his army fought in Belgium in the Battle of Waterloo
-Napoleon defeated and was exiled to St. Helena and died of stomach cancer.
Congress of Vienna
-Goalstabilize Europe again-but how?
-Klemens von Metternich was the leader of the Congress of Vienna
-To keep peace they kicked out the family members Napoleon put in power throughout Europe
-Need to weaken France but don’t want to upset too much so that they try and fight again
-Wanted to strengthen counties around Europe
-Also set up the Concert of Europe-leaders agreed to meet from time to time at conferences.