The French Revolution

• The old Regime: The old regime- the traditional, political, and social system of france
• The old regime: people were divided into social classes called estates
• Estates:

  1st- Clergy; population 0.5%; Land 10%

  2nd- Nobles; population 1.5%; land 20%

  3rd- Commoners; population 98%; land 70%
• The Estate system: the first and second estates (clergy and nobility) did not have to pay taxes
• The Estate system: Third estate- A. urban middle class— 3% “bourgeoisie” = new rich (made money didn’t inherit it)
• The Estate system: Third estate- B. Urban lower class- 15% “sans culottes” =without pants
• The Estate system: Third estate- C. Peasants- 80% of France
• The leaders of the french Revolution: The bourgeoisie; as the were rich, well educated, and engrained with the ideas of the enlightenment
• Louis XVI (16): king during the revolution
• Louis XVI (16): Marries Austrian princess Marie Antoinette
• Louis XVI (16): Economic crisis- the French government was deeply in debt due to borrowing money for wars and a lavish lifestyle
• Louis XVI (16): Robert Tugot advised Louis XVI to tax the nobles- “Watch your head”
• The estates general: may 1, 1789- the estates general will meet at Versailles
• The estates general: Estates general: representative body of the french people
• The estates general: Each estate had one vote, so the 3rd estate demanded they all meet together
• The estates general: 3rd estate changes its name to the national assembly
• The estates general: Took the tennis court oath and vowed to give france a constitution
• Bastille Day: Bastille was a prison in Paris
• Bastille Day: On July 14, 1789, Paris mobs stormed the bastille
• Bastille Day: This showed popular support for the revolution (first bloodshed)
• Great Fear: (Summer of 1789)
• Great Fear: Peasant rebellions in the country side
• Great Fear: Burnt nobles homes
• Great Fear: Set crops on fire
• Great Fear: Much of the countryside gets burned down (bread prices rise)
• Womens march on Versailles: An angry mob of women (40,000) march to versailles
• Womens march on Versailles: Knock down the gates to Versailles
• Women’s March on Versailles: Louis XVI agrees to go back to Paris with the commoners, he has lost control
• Reforms of the National Assembly: Declaration of the rights of men and citizen (August 1, 1789)
• Reforms of the National Assembly: Civil constitution of clergy- gave the French government control of the Catholic Church in France (1790)
• Reforms of the National Assembly: Constitution of 1791- established a limited monarchy
• In June 1791, Louis XVI and his family try to flee France
• Political Spectrum: in October 1791, the new legislative assembly meets and splits into factions
• Political Spectrum: From right to left Reactionaries, conservatives, moderates, liberals, radicals
• Political Spectrum: Right wing= republican; Left wing= democrat; the more left the more change that was wanted
• Political Spectrum: Conservatives- want no change
• Political Spectrum: Moderates- want a little change
• Political Spectrum: Liberals- want a lot of change
• Political Spectrum: Radicals- want complete change (doesn’t matter how; can be bloody)
• Political Spectrum: Reactionaries- want backwards change (go back to the old ways)