THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
1715: Death of Louis XIV
ENLIGHTENMENT: Middle Class and Nobility rising up
Louis XVI: Serious financial problems existed from the military bureaucracy
1789: Louis XVI allows Estates General to convene at Versailles
3rd Estate breaks away and becomes the National Assembly
June 20, 1789: Oath of the Tennis Court- agree not to disband until a new constitution was
written (*Real start of the revolution)
Louis XVI changes his mind and calls 18,000 troops to disband the NAPeople were afraid
that the king’s troops would eat everything
July 13, 1789: Storming of the Bastille- Mob will get the king to call off the troops, save the NA
Rise of the Great Fear: Group of vagabonds seized the countrysideAgainst feudal landlords
Duke of Aiguillon- Equal taxation, abolition of feudal dues
Augues 27, 1789: Declaration on the Rights of ManGuaranteed rep gvt, individual freedom
October 5, 1789: “Women’s March”- 7,000 women march to Versailles with intent to harm Marie
AntoinetteForces the royal family to move to Paris
Royal Family Attempts to Flee to AustriaBrought back and held in Tuileries
Declaration of Pillnitz Issued by Austria and Prussia: Said they would help revolutionary France
without causing war (*Monarchs there were afraid they could be next)
Constitution of 1791: Constitutional Monarchy
Legislative Assembly: Republican (Jacobins)No king or hereditary rule whatsoever
April 1792: France declared war on Francis II of Austria, Prussia joins Austria
Parisian mob attacks king’s palaceKing arrested
September Massacres: Angry crowds kill everyone in sight; after August attacks on palace
September 10, 1792: National Convention proclaims France a republicConstitution of 1791
falls, monarchy falls, creation of Universal Male Suffrage (Mountain v Girondists)
1st French Republic established
Mountain joins with the Sans-CulottesKill members of the Girondists
1793: Louis sentenced to death by a slim margin; killed with Guillotine
Committee of Public Safety: Robespierre and the Sans-Culottes- Planned economy, produced
goods for war
Reign of Terror: Political weapon directly against all who might oppose revolutionary movement
40,000 men and women killed
Expansion of the Army: 800,000 troops- mandatory drafts, enough guns and materials
October 1793: Robespierre killed
Thermidorian Reaction: Still very unstable, not conservative enough; abolished price controls
1794-1799: Directory- 5 directors of the National Convention (from the middle class)Corrupt
1795: Rise of peasant armies to protect against the rioting massesNationalism
November 9, 1799: Coup d’etatNapoleon Bonaparte ousted directors and named 1st Consul of
the republic (“Son of the Revolution”)
Concordat of 1801: Napoleon and Pope Pius VII- Caths practice freely but Napoleon chose
positions and had influence over the French church
Treaty of Luneville (1801): Austria lost Italian possessions and German territory to France
Treaty of Amiens (1802): With GB- France controlled Holland and Netherlands
Civil Code of 1804: Equality of all male citizens, security of wealth and private property
Amnesty to 100,000 old nobility in exchange for a sworn oath of loyalty
1805: Battle of Trafalgar- Lost to Lord NelsonFrance will be unable to invade England
3rd Coalition against France: Austria, Russia, Sweden, Britain
Late 1805: Battle of Austerlitz- Prussia joins 3rd Coalition; France beats Austrians/Russians
Establishment of the Confederation of the Rhine; Napoleon made “Protector”
1
Treaties of Tilsit: Russia accepts reorganization of Europe and vowed to enforce blockade of
English goods (“Continental System”)
1808: Revolt in Spain; growing resistance to NapoleonPut down, but he wants to teach a
lesson to Russia (wasn’t following Continental system)
1812: Invasion of RussiaUnsuccessful due to the “Scorched Earth Policy”
4th Coalition formed: Austria, Prussia, GB, RussiaUsed Treaty of Chaumont
April 4, 1814: Napoleon abdicates and goes to the island of Elba
Bourbon Restoration: Louis XVIII- used Constitutional Charter, constitutional monarchy
1815: “Hundred Days”- Napoleon built a second army and tried to get power back
Battle of Waterloo: Napoleon captured by the British and sent to St. Helena
Aftermath of Napoleon and Peace Settlement:
Bourbon Restoration: France got back land from 1792 (didn’t want to invoke revenge spirit)
Congress of Vienna: Klemens von Metternich (Austria), Robert Castlereagh (PM of England),
Charles Talleyrand (France)Hope to create a balance of power
Beginning of the European “Congress System”Meet periodically to maintain peace
September 1815: Holy Alliance of Austria, Prussia, RussiaAgree to stamp out liberalism
1820: Revolts in Spain and Two Sicilies put down by Holy Alliance
1821: Restoration of Ferdinand I to the throne, French restored Spanish throne
1819: Carlsbad Decrees- Censorship program to pare down on revolutionary ideas
Revolutions of 1848:
1815: First successful liberal revolutions in Greeks from the Ottoman Turks
Great Britain:
1815: Corn Laws- Landed classes manipulating grain trade to raise pricesEnriches the English
noble classes; modified to prohibit importing of foreign grain unless home price was too high
1819: Six Acts- Heavily taxes press, eliminated mass meetings; Designed to prevent uprising
Battle of Peterloo: Mass protests broken by armed cavalry
Reform Bill of 1832: Moving the box lid- gradual reforms with no violent revolution; Elimination of
“rotten boroughs”, 12% of people can vote, Whigs increase in #s in Parliament
1838: People’s Budget proposed with Chartist Movement (UMS)- Not passed
1839: Corn Laws Repealed
1845: Failure of the Irish potato crop, mass famines occur
1847: Ten Hours Act- Limited workday for women and young people to 10 yourds
1867: Benjamin Disraelo (Conservative Party)- extends vote to all middle-class males, wanted to
broaden conservative support
1884: 3rd Reform Bill- UMS, wanted more votesHouse of Commons getting more democratic,
afraid of more socialist reforms being passed if working classes gain power
1906-1914: Social welfare measures passed by David Lloyd George (Liberal Party)National
health insurance, unemployment benefits, pensions- placates lower classes)
Ireland almost brought England into civil warCatholics in Ulster County fighting
Northern Ireland is still part of Britain, south was freed
Austrian Habsburgs: Able to resist because the Revolution of 1848 was weak- small middle
class, ethnic groups were divided in cause
Prussia: Germany was industrializing rapidlyPowerful middle class and a growing radical left;
increasing opposition to the Hohenzollerns
2
France:
1814: Louis XVIII’s Constitutional Charter- Protects economic and social gains by middle class
and peasants, intellectual/artistic freedom, 2 houses of Parliament (100k can vote)
1824: Louis XVIII dies
Charles X: Wanted to bring back the old ways, repudiated constitutional charter, wanted
Absolutism, removed voting rights, censorship of the press
1830: Middle class is stirring and wants powerCharles X flees
Louis Philippe appointed to the throne- “King of the French People”, “Bourgeois King”, 200,000
can vote; Bourgeoisie seize gvt (fear of losing $ to working class)
.Proclamation of a Provisional Republic- 10 man executive committee- National workshops, 10
hour workday, right to employment
Louis Blanc and Albert: Republican socialists in the provisional government
New Constitution createdConstituent Assembly- Moderates (500), Monarchists (300), Radicals
(100)France is more conservative than the provisional gvt (Alliance b/w peasants and mc)
Class Clashes after ElectionDifferent goals cause arguments
Workshops dissolved in ParisCreation of a violent uprising
“June Days”: Uprising by the radical left, 10,000 republican army under Louis Cavaignac won
Middle class wants order
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte: Brought in by the Constituent AssemblyAppealing name
President Louis Napoleon BonaparteWill spark revolts in Austria/Prussia- left will fail
December 2, 1851: Coup d’etatLNB dismissed assembly, seized power, crushed protests,
UMS createdBecame Emperor Napoleon III in 1852 (97% vote yes)
Didn’t abolish assembly (made people feel like they were helping), manipulates elections
1870: New Constitution- Parliamentary regime with hereditary emperor (sees MC desire for
power and placates them)
1870: France in bad shape2nd empire collapsed, lost Franco-Prussian War, lost AlsaceLorraine, Outraged French people
1871: Paris Commune Proclaimed: Radical Paris versus Conservative FrancePromotes
disunity; want Paris to govern without the rest of France
1877: France makes the 3rd Republic- UMS, elected legislature with a president
Thieres: 1st President- “this is the government that divides us least”
Leon Gambetta: Established absolute parliamentary supremacy
1879-1886: Jules Ferry gets laws passed for free public educationNew teachers teaching
patriotic republicanism to win loyalty of the young citizens of the republic
Jules Ferry: Mass imperial conquest of Africa and other areas to unify the people
Dreyfus Affair: Jew accused of treason by military (for being Jewish), suggested disunity in
France- conservatives couldn’t get past religion
Unification of Italy:
Before 1850: Italy was never unitedDivided into rival city-states
1815: Reorganized by the Congress of Vienna- some to Austria, Expanded Florence, Papal
States independent
Giuseppe Mazzini: Want a democratic republic on UMS led by Sardinia-Piedmont
1848: King Victor Emmanuel made a liberal constitution in Sardinia
1864: Pope Pius IX issued Syllabus of Errors- Pius IX denounced radicalism, socialism,
separation of church and state, etc.
1850s: Count Cavour tries to consolidate Sardinia as a liberal state- highways, liberties
Secret alliance with Napoleon III against Austria
1859: Attacked Austria, Napoleon pulled out (saw a threat from Italy)
July 1859: Treaty of Villafranca- France made peace with Austria
Cavour Resigns
1860: Cavour returns to powerGave land to Napoleon and got his support
3
Northern Italy joined the kingdom of Sardinia
1860: Giuseppe Garibaldi emerges as independent force in politics
May 1860: Garibaldi and his “Red Shirts” gain support of peasantry and capture the South
Garibaldi tried to attack Rome, stopped by CavourDidn’t want the French to pour into Italy
Garibaldi and Cavour meetGaribaldi gives control of the South to Cavour
Unification of Germany:
1834: Zollverein creates a tight economic link between the German states
1848: Frankfurt Assembly- Liberal movement to make constitutional monarchy in Germany
1861: William I of Prussia was kingSaw the need to reform the armyRejected by parliament
(more taxes, afraid of power)
1862: Otto von Bismarck chief ministerRuled without Parliament’s consent; went on collecting
taxes, reorganized the army
Brief war with Denmark over Schleswig-HolsteinGets Austria’s help- Tensions with Austria
*Neutralized France (land), Russia (land-Poland) to keep them out of war
1866: Austro-Prussian War- Declared by Austria (can’t look too strong); Bismarck had a better
army and beat lightly (Didn’t crush- would show too much power)
Generous peace terms- Pushes Austria out of the picture
New North German Confederation (led by Prussia)- King & Chancellor; Houses of legislature
“Blood and Iron Speech”: Bismarck says that greatness is dependent on blood and iron, not
discussion and compromisePrussia can only be great if it has military power to prove itself
1866: German unity is very strong, people allowed to participate in their states
1870-1871: Franco-Prussian WarOnly way that S. German states could be united; French
didn’t want a Prussian ruling Spain; Ems Dispatch “edited” by Bismarck sets off the war
(France is the one to declare war- important for results)
Louis Napoleon himself was captured and humiliated, French patriots claimed another
republic, vow to continue fighting
First Treaty of Versailles: Harsh terms for losing France- huge reparations, cede Alsace-Lorraine
Spirit of revenge for French people
Bismarck and Kaiser William/Wilhelm will say that they’re content- “satisfied power” just want
peace, no more territorial ambitions
“Kulturkampf”: “Culture War”- attack on the church (ended 1878)
1873: Catholic Center Party raised tariffs as a result of worldwide financial crashMade farmers
happy, approved by Bismarck
Bismarck tries to stop growth of socialismPassed law to control socialist meetings, censor
writings, outlaw Social Democratic Party (won’t be- too organized)
Attempts to gain the support of the working class: Undercut socialism- creates Revisionism
Laws of 1883, 1884: National sickness and accidental insurance
Law of 1889: Old age pensions and retirement benefits
1890: Emperor William IIForced Bismarck to resignFailure
1912: Socialists become largest party in ReichstagWere becoming less radical
Modernization of Russia:
1850s: Russia is a poor society with little industry, presence of serfdom, agricultural
1853-1856: Crimean War- Dispute with France over Christian shrines in Ottoman Empire- shows
how far back Russia had fallen
1861: Alexander II frees all serfsSaw that the west had success from freedom, thought it would
lead to economic growth
1864: Zemstvo- 3 class system of governmentNobility still held the true power
1881: Alexander II assassinated by small group of terrorists
Alexander III: Stopped political modernization, focused on economic- Russia can modernize
without freeing people (*Use of nationalism)
4
Sergei Witte Hired: Inspired by Friedrich listState owned railroads, foreigners encouraged
1903: Russia forced to accept humiliating deveat in Ruso-Japanese WarShows weakness
within the government- far groups will clamor
1905: Revolution of 1905
Workers peacefully petition at the Winter Palace to the tsarNicholas II had fled- troops opened
fire (Bloody Sunday Massacre- turned workers against the czar)
October- Mass strike by workers
October Manifesto Issued: Cull civil rights, promised elected Duma, Will insist on full veto power
1906: Fundamental Laws issued- Czar retained powers, Duma indirectly elected by UMS, could
debate and pass laws, czar could veto
1914: Russia partially modernized, conservative constitutional monarchy
World War I & The Aftermath:
1862-1871: Bismarck made Germany the most powerful European nation”Satisfied power”
1873: Three Emperors’ League- linked monarchies of Austria-Hungary, Germany, RussiaSo
they can’t ally with France
1890: William II dismissed Bismarck, refused to renew Russian-German Reinsurance Treaty
Commercial Rivalry b/w GB and GermanyMarkets, expansion of German naval fleet
1905: Algeciras ConferenceGermany wanted it, left with nothing; just made rest of Europe
worry about Germany’s intentions
Trouble brewing between Russian and AustriaDesire land in the Ottoman Empire
Germany remains friends with both countries even though they are at odds
1908: Austria annexed Bosnia and HerzegovinaAngered Serbia
Members of the “Black Hand” (Serbian radical group) killed Archduke Francis Ferdinand
1912: First Balkan War: Serbia joined Greece and Bulgaria against Ottoman Empire
July 23: Austria gave Serbia an ultimatumLed to the 3rd Balkan war (“Blank Check” from
Germany to Austria)
“Schlieffen Plan”: Invade France through Belgium, then knock out Russia
Belgium resistedFrance got time to prepare
“Trench Warfare” on the Western frontHuge loss of lives, little territorial gains
1915: Italy joined the Triple Entente of GB, France, Russia
1915: “Ministry of Munitions” in England (David Lloyd George)- organized private industry to help
December 1916: David Lloyd George Prime Minister- planned economy and regulated it
1917: Lawrence of Arabia (British) got Arab princes to revolt1919: GB sacked Austrian empire
1917: Sinking of the Lusitania- had American passengers, was secretly carrying ammunition
1917: US declared war on Germany (Blockade after U-Boat warfare)
1917: Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg driven out of Germany, Hindenburg and Ludendorff step in
1917: Auxiliary Service Law- all males 17-60 must work at jobs helping the war effort
1918: Germany accepts armistice and Kaiser Wilhelm abdicatesEnd of Hohenzollern rule
Weimar Republic: Moderate republic (somewhat left) in Germany
Spring 1918: 2nd Battle of the Marne- American aid tipped the scales for Allies
Moderate German Social Democrats accepted the fact that they had lostPrevented the army
from becoming too far left
1919: Treaty of Versailles- Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau “The
Tiger”Alsace-Lorraine returned to France, creation of the Polish state, German army limited
to 100,000, demilitarization of the Rhineland, major reparations for Germany, Alliance GB-USFR
Creation of the League of Nations: international peace organization
US Senate does NOT ratify the treaty, doesn’t join the League of Nations, no Alliance with
France and Great Britain (GB does not sign the alliance either)
1921: Allied reparations commission announced that Germany had to pay $33 billion
1921: Weimar Republic makes first payment of reparations
5
1922: Weimar said that they were unable to make the payment
1923: French PM Raymond Poincare sent armies to the Ruhr DistrictPassive resistenance
August 1923: Gustav Stresemann took leadership in GermanyCalled off resistance but asked
for a re-examination of Germany’s ability to pay
Dawes Plan Passed: Yearly reparations reduced and depended upon level of German prosperity,
large loans from the US that would somehow end up back in the US
1924: Beerhall Putsch- Hitler and drunk friends unsuccessfully try to topple the government
Sent to prison, writes Mein Kampf
1925: Treaties of Locarno- ended outstanding problems- Germany and France agree on their
common border, Germany settles boundary disputes with Poland and Czech, GB and Italy
agree to gang up on any nation that is too aggressive
1926: Germany joins the League of Nations
1928: Kellogg-Briand Pact (US+France): Condemned and renounced war as an instrument of
national policy; agree to settle disputes peacefully
Russian Revolution:
1905: Revolution of 1905 left Czar in full control, Nicholas II wanted to keep full power
1915: “Progressive Bloc” formedWanted new government responsible to Duma
Nicholas went to the front lines to try and rally support for the troops
Tsarina Alexandra took over and invited Grigory Rasputin to try and help the sick heir to the
throne Alexei (hemophiliac)
1916: Rasputin murdered on rumors that he was cheating with the tsarina, that he was ruling
March 8: Riots from WomenSpread throughout the city
1917: Declaration of a Provisional Government and Nicholas Abdicated (March Revolution)
Alexander Kerensky takes head roleTaken down due to lack of control, Soviet, choice to
continue the war (or would lose 1/3 of Russian territory)
Petrograd Soviets increase: Mass meetings of workersGrew in popularity
Army Order No. 1: Stripped officers of authority put it into committees; Total collapse of army
discipline
Germans inject Vladimir Lenin: Think he will cause issues for KerenskyStarts spreading his
ideas of Socialism (Marx wouldn’t have agreed- not an advanced enough nation)
Lenin and Trotsky (Advisor) believe that they can get power from Soviets”land, bread, peace”
Bolshevism gains power and support of the SovietsAgree to topple the Kerensky gvt
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Acknowledged loss, ceded almost all of W. Russia
November 1917: Bolsheviks promised freely elected Constituent Assembly for new constitution
Lenin thought he was popular enoughlost general electionsTakes gvt by force
Russian Civil War: “Reds” (Communists-Bolsheviks) vs “Whites” (everyone else)
Reds won due to superior organization, cities, factories, unity
1921: Reds winBolsheviks take full control of governments
6