French Revolution
Causes of the Revolution
1. Society was based on inequality
Three estates
Estate
Who were they?
% of the
population
% of land
ownership
% they paid
in taxes
First
Estate
Second
Estate
Third
Estate
2. Aristocratic privileges – Peasants had to ______________________ and fees to use village facilities.
3. Weak leaders – King ______________ and his queen _____________________________, whom the people of France
despised. She was Austrian, unpopular, and spent lots of money.
4. Ideas of the ________________________________. Want to put Enlightenment ideas into effect, see how successful the
__________________________________ were in their revolution.
5. The American Revolution. American colonists were successful.
6. Financial Crisis – France is partially bankrupted from money given to American colonists.
The near __________________________________ is the immediate cause.
____________ of the country is starving – no food, bad winters
France is deeply in debt, ½ of the taxes collected is used to pay off debt.
But - _________________ still spends lots of money
_________________________________________________ still refuse to pay any taxes.
Start of the Revolution
King Louis XVI is forced to call the Estates-General for money.
Each estate gets _____________vote.
What is the problem with this?
Members of the third estate demand that each representative gets ___________________________
The king refuses.
The Third Estate declares itself a __________________________________________ with the right to make laws for France
and to draft a constitution.
The king had them locked out of their meeting hall. So they met at a nearby indoor tennis court instead.
_________________________________ - Swear that they will continue to meet until they create a French Constitution.
Louis XVI sends troops to Paris and Versailles to protect himself.
The National Assembly thinks the king was _____________________________________________.
Storming of the Bastille – July 14 1789.
Mob of Parisians attack the Bastille, an ______________________________ looking for ________________________ to protect
themselves from the King’s troops.
Creates this __________________________ - violence in the countryside. Rumors that people would be attacked. Some
peasants rebelled and burned homes of nobles, and records of feudal dues.
A New Government
National Assembly created the __________________________________________________________________________________
It was inspired by what 3 documents?
Proclaims –
Free and equal rights for _____________
Access to public office based on _____________
No exceptions from _____________________
Free speech and press
1791 the national Assembly finishes the constitution, creating a moderate government called the –
________________________________________________
set up a ________________________ monarchy
still have a king but the Legislative Assembly will make the ___________
Factions Split
_____________________ - opposed the monarchy and wanted extreme changes in the way the government was run.
_____________________ - upheld the idea of a limited monarchy and wanted few changes in government.
_____________________ - Nobles who fled France during the peasant uprisings and hoped to restore the old system.
_____________________ - Workers and small shopkeepers who wanted a greater voice in the French government.
Foreign Reaction to the Revolution
At first other nations were delighted – thought they could ____________________________________
Great Britain hopes for better relations between the 2 nations
Eventually European leaders feared that revolution would ________________________ to their countries
__________________ and __________________ start massing troops at the border & the Legislative Assembly declares war.
Foreign troops are now on French soil.
A Prussian general issues a warning to the people of Paris, that he will destroy their city if any harm comes to
the royal family.
In response the people of Paris attack the ___________________________ but the king and his family make it to safety.
The _____________________________________ are slaughtered and those not killed will be first at the _______________________
Radical Leaders of the Revolution
____________________________________________ - advocates violence in his newspaper. Feels that the way to make France
better is to kill more and more people.
_____________________________________ - great speaker who will lead the gov’t during its bloodiest phase.
The French Republic
1792 _________________________________ splits into factions (dissenting groups) over the fate of the King.
The most prominent faction were the ___________________________________________. Members were called Jacobins and
represented the rights of Frances ___________________________________
King Louis XVI is reduced from a king to a common citizen and prisoner. He is put on trial for treason and
beheaded on January 21, 1793 by the _____________________________
Invented by a doctor, it was adopted because it kills quickly and humanely.
The execution of the king creates enemies both in France and abroad.
Many peasants (horrified by the kings execution), priests (who didn’t want gov’t control), and rival leaders
didn’t like what was going on and were causing problems.
In response to these domestic issues, the _________________________________________________ is created by the National
Convention who gives broad powers to this special committee of 12 – led by _______________________________________
Robespierre’s REIGN OF TERROR
Lasted from the spring of 1793 – 1794
Revolutionary courts set up to prosecute internal enemies of the republic, goal was to __________________________
_____________________________________________________
Robespierre stated that __________________ needed to be used to defend the republic
Most executions take place by _____________________________
In a public place for everyone to view
People would watch and usually throw food
Efficient – could execute more than one person a minute
The Queen, Marie-Antoinette, was beheaded a year after her husband.
Fearing for their ____________________, some members of the National Convention turned on Robespierre
demanding his arrest and execution.
Robespierre and his followers are executed by the guillotine.
What ends the Reign of Terror?
The power of the Committee of Public Safety is reduced and churches reopen.
The Directory
With the end of the Reign of Terror, a new constitution is created that establishes _________________________________
as gov’t in 1795
It had a legislative assembly with 2 chambers and 5 directors who acted as the executive committee
Gov’t was weak and corrupt
The Directory is brought to an end by the _________________________________ by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799.
Coup d’etat=
The Rise of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 on the Mediterranean island of _____________________________.
Brilliant military leader.
1799 _________________________________led by General Napoleon brought an end to the ___________________________
1800 a plebiscite - ___________________________________________ - was held to approve a new constitution
The people voted for it overwhelmingly, and Napoleon took power as _______________________________
The French craved the _________________________________________that Napoleon promised and were willing to give up
some freedoms for peace, prosperity, and glory.
The pop comes to crown Napoleon as emperor but Napoleon puts the crown on his own head – he took
authority for himself – “I am the Revolution”
Napoleon’s Rule
Wants to end the hostility from the Revolution
Makes peace with the _____________________________________through a _______________________________(agreement) with
Pope Pius VII
Established a network of public schools called _______________________
Created the _______________________________________ - uniform set of laws. Limited some individual rights, such as
__________________________________________.
Napoleon’s Empire
Wants to rule Europe
1803 sells the _________________________________ to the US to get money to fight his wars and to punish ________________
The _________________________________________________ were a series of wars that were an extension of the ones fought
between France and other nations during the ____________________________________
In the end the only nations free of his control are Great Britain, Sweden, Portugal, and the Ottoman Empire.
Great Britain’s survival
Napoleon tries to invade Britain, but his fleet is defeated by the British led by _____________________________
at the _______________________________________. This battle saves the British from invasion.
The Continental system
Napoleon then institutes the ________________________________________________ - wants to stop British goods from
reaching Europe. It is supposed to make continental Europe more ________________________________________
Britain depends on overseas trade and if the economy of Britain were weakend, then it would destroy their
ability to wage war.
Napoleon also prohibits French or allied ships from trading with Britain.
Sets up a Blockade - __________________________________________________________ to prevent all trade and communication
between Great Britain and other European nations.
The British respond by requiring ships from neutral nations to stop in British ports and not trade with France –
leads to the _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Peninsular War – 1808
War against ______________________________ - they refused to comply with the continental system.
War against _________________________ - Napoleon conquers Spain and places his brother, Joseph, on the throne.
The Spanish revolt, do not want a foreign ruler and Britain send military forces to help them out.
Spanish peasant fighters use _______________________________________ - small groups that ambushed French
troops and then fled into hiding.
Napoleon calls it his _________________________________
Invasion of Russia – 1812
Russia refuses to remain in the continental system, so Napoleon invades with over 600,000 men – needs a quick
win.
Russian troops and peasants retreat hundreds of miles east. They burn their own villages, fields, and
slaughtered livestock as they leave - _______________________________________________________
Napoleon finally reaches Moscow and finds it mostly deserted and in flames
Russian raiders attack Napoleon’s army.
Starvation and freezing temperatures kill thousands and only 10,000 French troops make it out in Jan 1813
Downfall of Napoleon
First defeat and exile
Napoleon’s army is weakened, so ___________________________________________________________________ ally against France.
They defeat Napoleon’s new army and in March 1814 they capture _____________
Napoleon surrenders and gives up his throne.
Gets to keep the title of _________________________________
______________________________ - the brother of the beheaded Louis XVI is made the new king of France.
In April 1814, Napoleon is exiled to the ___________________________________ off the coast of Italy with 400 guards
The _________________________________ – Napoleon’s Return
Napoleon _______________________________ and starts making his way back to Paris in early 1815
Troops sent to capture him but ________________him instead.
Louis XVIII flees
Napoleon arrives in Paris, raises a ___________________ and starts reconquering Europe and his enemies
gather once again.
Battle of Waterloo – June 18 1815
Final Confrontation of Napoleon’s troops against ______________ troops led by the Duke of _______________
Napoleon is decisively _______________________
Napoleon flees to a port, but is soon captured
The second exile
This time Napoleon is exiled to __________________________, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic that is
_________________ miles from the nearest mainland. He dies there 6 years later.