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French Revolution Begins • Apparent success in France due to world trade and the Enlightenment aren’t representative of the unrest in France. Series of bad harvests, high prices, high taxes, and political strife left the middle and lower classes unhappy The Old Order • Under the “Old Regime”, people were classified into estates • The Privileged Estates- two estates had privileges (exemption from taxes, etc.) • The Catholic clergy owned 10% of the land • The Nobles (2%) owned 20% of the land •  how do you think the “Privileged Estates” felt about the Enlightenment?

The Third Estate • 97% belonged to the third estate (30% of land controlled by 3% of population) • The Third Estate is broken into three groups: the bourgeoisie (merchant, bankers, professionals), the second group were urban workers who could barely afford food, and the last group were peasants (80% of total pop.) • Peasants paid about half the income they did generate in dues to the nobles, tithes to the Church, and taxes to the king’s agents

The Forces of Change • In addition to resentment from lower classes, new ideas about government, economic problems, and bad leadership helped bring the French Revolution Enlightenment Ideas • Third Estate was impressed by the success of the American Revolution, and started thinking about revolution in France • They used the works of Rousseau, Montaigne, and Voltaire as their blueprint Economic Troubles • By 1780’s, France’s economy had begun to decline  caused the Third Estate to panic • Bad weather caused crop failure, the cost of living was rising, and the taxation system in France made it impossible to make profit price of bread doubled! • 1770’s-1780’s the government fell into deep debt thanks to Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette, and the American Revolution

A Weak Leader • Louis XVI was indecisive and let matters “drift” • Since Marie Antoinette was a descendent of the Austrian royal family, most French hated her married to their king • Her spending led to her nickname  Madame Deficit • In order to generate money to pay the increasing debt, Louis XVI wanted to raise taxes • The 2nd Estate forced him to call a meeting of the EstatesGeneral on May 5th, 1789 at Versailles

Dawn of the Revolution • The 1st and 2nd Estate had always dominated the 3rd– each estate got one vote The National Assembly • Members of the 3rd Estate agreed that they should rename themselves the “National Assembly”, request representative government, and declare laws and reforms in the name of the French people this was the first deliberate act of the revolution • Three days later they found themselves locked out of their meeting room, and broke down a door to an indoor tennis court promising to stay until they had drawn up a new constitution  Tennis Court Oath

Storming the Bastille • In Paris, rumors were spreading about who Louis XVI was going to use to put down the rebellion– French forces or foreign troops? • On July 14th, a mob stormed the Bastille looking for weapons and gunpowder • The mob outnumbered the guards at the Bastille and ransacked it  equivalence of 4th of July in America today

Great Fear Sweeps France • Rebellion spread outward from France, and rumors spread that nobles were hiring outlaws to terrorize the peasants  led to the Great Fear • The peasants soon became outlaws themselves by arming themselves with farm tools (pitchforks, shovels, etc.) and breaking into nobles’ manors to destroy legal papers that bound them to pay feudal dues • In October of 1789, thousands of Parisian women rioted over rising bread prices. They stormed the palace at Versailles, killing some of the guards, and demanded that the king and his wife return to Paris  this marked the change of power and the radical reforms about to come to France

Revolution Brings Reform and Terror The Rights of Man • By the end of August, 1789, the National Assembly adopted a statement of revolutionary ideals called “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” • This was very similar to the Declaration of Independence (13 years earlier), but excluded some people (women, lower classes, etc.) A State-Controlled Church • Catholic Church lost its lands and political independence; the National Assembly argued that Church officials were to be elected and paid as state officials, and the National Assembly sold Church lands to help pay off the French debt accumulated under Louis XVI and Mary Antoinette

• The National Assembly’s reforms alarmed peasants (most were devout Catholics) who believed the pope should rule over the church which was independent of the state. Louis Tries to Escape • As the National Assembly restructured the relationship between church and state, Louis realized the danger to his family and to himself • In 1791, the royal family tried to escape into the Austrian Netherlands, but as they reached the border were turned around in humiliation by guards

Divisions Develop • For two years the N.A. argued over a new constitution for France Limited Monarchy • In Sept. 1791 the N.A. finished the new constitution, which created a limited constitutional monarchy • The new constitution stripped the king of his authority, and created a new legislative body- the Legislative Assembly (could create new laws and could approve/reject declarations of war) Factions Split France • Even with a new government, old problems still existed (food shortages and governmental debt) • The question of how to solve these problems led to divisions in the Legislative Assembly (radical, moderate, conservative)

• Factions outside the Legislative Assembly wanted to change the direction of government also • The Emigres (nobles and others who had fled France) hoped to undo the Revolution and restore the Old Regime • In contrast, the sans-culottes (“those without knee breeches”) wanted even greater changes to France

War and Execution • Other European countries watched the reforms happening in France fearfully; Austria and Prussia urged France to restore Louis XVI to the throne and France responds by declaring war in April of 1792 France at War • War began badly for French • On August 10th, around 20,000 men and women invaded the Tuileries, killing royal guards and imprisoning Louis, Mary Antoinette and children • The Legislative Assembly declared the king deposed, dissolved the assembly, and called for the election of a new legislature. The new governing body, National Convention, took office on Sept 21st and declared France a republic • Women were still not given the right to vote

Jacobins Take Control • Most of the people involved in the governmental changes in 1792 belonged to the Jacobin club. • Jean-Paul Marat edited L’Ami du Peuple, called for the death of all the supporters of Louis • Georges Danton, a lawyer, was a Jacobin who fought for the rights of Paris’s poor people • The National Convention not only removed Louis XVI from king, but also sentenced him to execution by guillotine

The Terror Grips France • Foreign armies weren’t the only opposition that the the French republic faced: peasants, priests, and rival leaders Robespierre Assumes Control • He changed the calendar, dividing the year into 12 months of 30 days (no Sundays) • In July 1793, he became leader of the Committee on Public Safety  essentially ruled for the next year as a dictator during the “Reign of Terror” • The sole responsibility of the Committee of Public Safety was to protect the Revolution from its enemies • Georges Danton was executed for being less radical than Robespierre • The terror reached all social classes and socio-economic classes, and about 40,000 total lost their lives

End of the Terror • In July of 1794, some members of the National Convention turned on Robespierre and demanded his execution • The Reign of Terror ended on July 28th, 1794 when Robespierre was sent to the guillotine • In 1795, moderate leaders in the National Convention created a third constitution since 1789. • This third government placed power in the hands of the middle class and called for a two-house legislature and a five man executive called The Directory • The Directory is responsible for giving Napoleon Bonaparte command over France’s armies

Napoleon Forges an Empire • Born in 1769 on the Mediterranean, Napoleon attended military school at age 9. • When the Revolution broke out, Napoleon was 16 years old and fought on behalf of the new government Hero of the Hour • October 1795 Napoleon defends the newly formed French republic from royalist rebels. • In 1796, the Directory appoints him to lead French military forces against Sardinia and Austria

Coup d’Etat • By 1799, the Directory had lost political control and having returned from Egypt, the people urged Napoleon to seize political power • Dissolving the Directory, Napoleon created a group of three consuls. He claimed the authority of the first consul, assuming the powers of a dictator in his coup d’Etat • When he took over, France was still at war. Britain, Austria, and Russia all joined forces trying to drive Napoleon out of power • By 1802, the three countries had signed peace agreements with France and Napoleon was able to focus his energies on restoring order in France

Napoleon Rules France • He originally pretends to be the constitutionally chosen leader • In 1800 a plebiscite was held to approve the new constitution all power was given to Napoleon as the first consul Restoring Order at Home • Set up an efficient method of tax collection and established a national banking system • He dismissed corrupt government officials, and established lycees, or government ran schools • Napoleon signed a concordat between the Catholic Church and the French government government recognized the influence of the Church, but rejected Church control in national affairs • Created the Napoleonic Code to eliminate many injustices

Napoleon Crowned as Emperor • December 2nd, 1804 Napoleon crowns himself emperor  symbolic gesture saying that he was more powerful than the Church b/c the Church traditionally crowned emperors

Napoleon Creates an Empire Loss of American Territories • The planters in Saint Domingue demand the same privileges as the French back in the motherland • Eventually enslaved Africans demand their freedoms • Toussaint L’Ouverture leads a group of enslaved Africans on a revolt. Napoleon tries to put down the rebellion, but the protestors are fierce fighters, and the French forces become devastated by disease. • Napoleon instead decides to sell Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 Million. This helped pay off the French debt as well as provided an arch nemesis for Britain

Conquering Europe • After realizing the difficulty in the Americas, Napoleon turned his interests to Europe • Fearful of Napoleon’s ambitions, the British persuade Russia, Austria, and Sweden to join them against France • Napoleon was successful in a series of battles that helped him sweep throughout Europe Battle of Trafalgar • Trafalgar was the only battle in which Napoleon was defeated. • The British naval commander Horatio Nelson was as brilliant on water as Napoleon was on land • Horatio was able to split the French navy into two sections, and conquer each half separately French naval destruction had two effects: ensured supremacy of British navy for next century, and forced Napoleon to give up his plan of invading Britain

The French Empire • By 1812, the only areas on Europe free from Napoleon were Britain, Portugal, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire • In addition to the newly acquired French lands, Napoleon controlled numerous “independent” nations whose rulers were “puppets” to Napoleon • The French Empire was huge, but unstable. • Napoleon was able to maintain the empire at its height from 1807-1812

Napoleon’s Empire Collapses Napoleon’s Mistakes • His love for power brought him to great heights, but it also led him to his doom The Continental System • Under Napoleon’s “Continental System”, he blockaded British ports to punish Britain and to make Europe selfsufficient • In actuality, people (even relatives of Napoleon) smuggled goods in to Europe from Britain which helped their economy stay alive • Britain responded with an alternative blockade, and were able to uphold it with their superior navy (forced entering ships to be searched and taxed)  War of 1812

The Peninsula War • 1808 Napoleon sends an invasion force through Spain to urge Portugal to accept the Continental System • The Spanish rebel against the occupation of the invasion force • Napoleon removed the Spanish king and put his brother Joseph on the throne • Spanish people were angry at this and feared Napoleon would weaken the Catholic Church in Spain as he had done in France • For 6 years, Spanish “guerillas” attacked French armies in Spain and the British even sent troops to support Spain • Other countries were starting to develop a sense of nationalism and at the same time a sense of hatred toward the expansion minded Napoleon

Invasion of Russia • While Napoleon was friends with the Russian ruler Alexander I, he refused to stop selling grain to Britain • Napoleon and Alexander both were competing for Polish lands • June 1812 Napoleon and his Grand Army (420,000 troops) invaded Russia • Outnumbered, Alexander pulled his troops back in retreat and began practicing the “scorched-earth” military tactic • On Sept. 7, 1812 the two armies met. The French were successful and moved on to find a burned Moscow, which forced them to turn back toward France • As the snow and the temperature dropped, Napoleon’s forces not only had to battle Russian raiders but also the elements only 10,000 of the Grand Army returned home

Napoleon’s Downfall • Napoleon’s enemies (Britain, Russia, Prussia, Sweden, and even Austria) Napoleon Suffers Defeat • Napoleon quickly raised another army, but they were illprepared in training • In October of 1813, his army faced the allied armies in Leipzig Germany his army was crushed and within two months King Frederick William III and Alexander I were leading Russia and Prussia through the streets of Paris celebrating • In April 1814, Napoleon surrendered and stepped down from the throne • His enemies exiled him to Elba, an island off the coast of Italy where they thought he would no longer pose a threat. They were WRONG

The Hundred Days • Louis XVI’s brother (Louis XVIII) took over after him and was incredibly unpopular among the peasant class • Napoleon returned home in March of 1815 to a warm ovation from the French people • In response, the European nations rallied their armies, and the British commander (Duke of Wellington) prepared for batter near Waterloo in Belgium • On June 18, 1815 Napleon attacked and remained on the offensive until Prussian forces arrived later in the afternoon • This defeat ended Napoleon’s last bid for power, which is called the “Hundred Days” • This time Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena in the South Atlantic where he died after being in exile for 6 years

The Congress of Vienna • In post-Napoleon Europe, the continent was looking to establish long-lasting peace and stability • Different European countries met in Vienna for 8 months  Congress of Vienna, Matternich’s Plan for Europe • Most of the decisions of the meetings were held between representatives of the five superpowers(R, P, A, GB, and F) • Matternich blames the problems in France on experimenting with democracy, and instead insists on his three goals: 1. To prevent future French aggression by surrounding France with strong countries 2. He wanted to restore the balance of power so that one country could not pose a threat to the others 3. He wanted to restore the royal families to their thrones before Napoleon imposed his own likings

Containment of France • The Congress of Vienna took the following steps to make the countries around France stronger: 1. Austrian Netherlands and Dutch Republic united to form Kingdom of the Netherlands 2. Group of 39 German states joined together to form the German Confederation 3. Switzerland recognized as an independent nation 4. Kingdom of Sardinia was strengthened by the addition of Genoa • ***these steps all enabled France’s surrounding countries to gain power and prevent them from overpowering weaker nations

Balance of Power • Although the leaders of other European countries wanted to weaken France, they didn’t want to leave it powerless • France remained a major power but with less domination over other countries Legitimacy • The great powers agreed on the principle of legitimacy notion that original rulers should be placed back on the thrones (France, Spain, Italy) Significance of the Congress of Vienna: • For the first time, the nations of an entire continent had cooperated to control political affairs • The settlements agreed upon didn’t sow seeds of revenge • The first time that an entire continent had swore to come to one another’s aid in case of threats to peace

Political Changes Beyond Vienna • Britain and France had newly enacted constitutional monarchies Conservative Europe • Weary that the ideals of the French Revolution were still lingering around and could promote rebellion, Alexander I (Russia), Francis I (Austria), and Frederick William III (Prussia) signed the “Holy Alliance” pledge to combat forces of the Revolution with Christian principles • A series of alliances (“Concert of Europe”) broke out in Europe promising to have each other’s backs in times of war • Back in France, conservatives enjoyed the monarchy of Louis XVIII. Moderates wanted Louis XVIII to share some of his authority with the legislature. Peasants clung to ideals of liberty, equality, and freedom

Revolution in Latin America • When Napoleon removed the Spanish king from the throne, liberal Creoles seized control of the American colonies • After the Congress of Vienna restored the king to the throne, royalist peninsulares tried to regain control of the colonies • When Creoles tried to maintain and expand their power after the Congress of Vienna, the Spanish king took steps to tighten his control • This angered Mexicans, who revolted and threw off Spanish rule • At the same time, Brazil claimed independence from Portugal

Long Term Legacy • The Congress of Vienna not only diminished the size and power of France, but it also increased the power of Britain and Prussia • When the Congress put nations under foreign control, nationalism exploded throughout Europe. Eventually this sentiment led to revolutions throughout Europe • Spanish colonies took this to their advantage and many claimed independence from Europe • Ideas about the basis of power and government in general had permanently changed