Le Revolution Francais
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Transcript Le Revolution Francais
Chapter 7 Section 1
Considered the Most advanced country of
Europe
Large population, prosperous foreign trade, was the
center of the Enlightenment, highly praised and
imitated culture
Truth
Great unrest caused by bad harvests, high prices,
high taxes, and questions raised by the philosophes
The Old Regime
People were divided into three Estates – Social classes
First Estate- Clergy
Held 10% of the land in France
Education and relief for poor
2% of income goes to the government
Second Estate- Nobles
2% of the population, 20% of the land
Third Estate- Everyone else
Privileged Estates
1st and 2nd
Had access to high offices and had exemptions from paying
taxes
Third Estate
97% of the people
3 groups of the 3rd estate
Bourgeoisie ( middle Class)
Educated and believed in Enlightenment Ideals
Some were as rich as nobles, but the paid high taxes and
lacked privileges
guild privileges- exclusive rights to a trade in an area- given
by King
Felt like their wealth entitled them to a greater degree of
social status and political power
Urban Workers
Poorest, got low wages and many times went hungry
Peasants
More than 80% of France's population
Half their income went to dues for the nobles, tithes to the
church, and taxes to the king’s agents
* Third estate very discontent with the heavy burden and
privileges given to others
3 big problems
1. New ideas about government
The Enlightenment
Inspired by the success of American Revolution
Speeches at the Tuleries
2. Economic Problems
Appeared sound because expansion of production and trade
Taxes made it almost impossible to make business profitable
Price of living up
Crop failures make the price of bread go up- many starving
Heavy debt b/c of aid the American Revolution
3. Indecisive leadership
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Alliance between Austro-Hungarian Empire and France
(Hapsburgs and Bourbons) Old Enemies
Married when she was 15 and he was 16
Queen and king when 18 and 19
Marital problems = no children= rumors
Libelles- “let them eat cake”
Spending Habits
Silliness of Versailles
Hamlet
Petit Trianon
Privacy and Formality
Dress
Louis the Weak Leader
More interest in his hobbies like lock making
Took poor advice from ill informed people
Louis only option is to impose a tax on the 2nd
Estate
Don’t allow him to so he has to call the EstatesGeneral – an assembly made of representatives
from all 3 estates.
1st time it had met in 175 years, met in Versailles in May
of 1789
Old Rules- Each estate meets in separate halls and each
estate had 1 vote= 3rd estate loses
Louis make it 2 votes for the 3rd estate
What they want-each delegate gets a vote- Louis doesn’t
allow it.
3rd Estate stonewalls
Emmanuel Joseph- Sieyes suggest they make a new
legislative body
What is the Third Estate? Everything.
What has it been until now in the political order?
Nothing.
What does it ask? To become something.
June 17, 1789 3rd estate after long night of debate
decides to establish the National Assembly
Proclaims an end to absolute monarchy
1st act of Revolution
Tennis Court Oath
Louis locks them out of their meeting room
3 days later meet on an indoor tennis court
Take oath saying they won’t leave until they have written
a new constitution
1st and 2nd estaters who want reform join them.
Louis stations Swiss mercenaries around Versailles
Rumor has it
Attack the mercenaries- July 12, 1789
Demolish tax wall
Storm a monastery looking for grain
Create a new gov. and National guard
Decide to go to the Bastille Prison for weapons
Louis going to use mercenaries to dismiss the National
Assembly or to kill citizens
Also seen as a symbol of Royal Power
Only 7 people in the prison- most of them loony
Hack of the guard’s head with a pocket knife than parade
around with it on a pike
July 14 Bastille day- like 4th of July
Rebellion spreads to the countryside.
Rumors make people panic
Peasants arm themselves w/ pitchforks and break
into noble’s houses, burn them down, etc.
October 1789 Women riot over bread and march to
Versailles.
Are followed by national guard- have cannons guns, etc.
First want answers from National Assembly
Then turn to the king and queen- break into the palace
and demand that they move to Paris.
King of France to King of the French