French revolution:
1. Introduction:
Different from American Revolution in the following ways:
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First social revolution; people’s revolt against their own government
About restructuring society & principle of governance vis –a- vis American revolution which was
just for a change in government
Highly revered revolution; change in the structure of Europe
Before discussing the causes of the French revolution, it is important to understand the social
structure of France.
1st estate
• clergy
• churchman
2nd estate
• noble
• royal
family
3rd estate
• poor
peasants
• common
man
Figure 1 social structure of France
2. Causes of French revolution:
A. Social cause:
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All the resources(land and other property) belonged to the 1st and 2nd estate while 80%
population: 3rd estate
Only 3rd estate taxed
Peasants have to serve the 1st and the 2nd estate; no obligation of the 1st and 2nd estate on the
peasants
Detiorating economic condition of the peasant class and growing amount of taxes
B .Financial cause:
Factors leading to the drain of wealth causing financial burden:
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7 year war with Britain: 1756-1763
French help in America revolution
Life style of king and queen at that time
C. Inspiration from American Revolution
D. Social thinkers and philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, John locke criticizing the dominance of
church and the absolute rights of the first estate
E. Arbitrary rule and the absolutism of the French king
3. Middle class:
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Emergence of the middle class including merchants,lawyers,artists etc as a product of industrial
revolution
Middle class led the French revolution also called as bourgeoisie revolution
Middle class emerged from the 3rd estate
4. Course of the revolution:
i. Estates-general: Louis XVI convened the estates general, meeting of 3 estates upon the advice of swiss
banker Jacques necker and the transition to constitutional monarchy from absolute monarchy was put
up. Though the third estate was vastly larger than the clergy and the nobility, each estate had the same
representation-one vote. Inevitably the third estate vote on this transition proposal was overridden by
the first and the second estate.
ii. Tennis court oath: Third estate which was now the national assembly split from the other estates and
convened on a near-by tennis court instead. Took an oath famously called the tennis court oath stating
that they would remain indissoluble until they succeed in creating a new national constitution.
iii. The Bastille: Upon the dismissal of necker (being popular with the people) because of his inability to
successfully convene the estate general, the hostility spiked yet again. July,1789 revolutionaries raided
the Paris town hall in pursuit of arms. Later stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress realizing that it
contained large armory. This was a symbolic victory over the old regime.
iv. Lafayette and the National Guard: National assembly secured the control over the capital. Previous
government council was exiled. Assembly members occupied top government positions in Paris.
Marquis de Lafayette, a noble, assembled a collection of citizens into the French National Guard.
Assembly issued an august decree nullifying many of the feudal obligations that the peasants had to
their landlords in order to anoint the raging rural peasants.
v. Declaration of the rights of the man and the citizen: On august 1789 assembly issued the declaration
of the rights of the men and the citizen; document guaranteeing the due in process in judicial matters
and established sovereignty among the French people. Every person was a French man and equal.
French people embraced it. Not acceptable to king and nobles.
vi. Food crisis and assembly’s tenuous control: Despite the assembly’s gains, the France experienced
the looming and growing food crisis. French women took up arms in Oct, 1789 and marched to
Versailles. The weakness of the assembly being exposed within the France and the great fear and the
women’s march demonstrated perhaps that the assembly did not have as much control as it liked to
think.
vii. Louis XVI Flight: In 1791 Louis XVI and his family attempted to escape to the Austrian border where
they were to meet an Austrian army and arrange an attack on the revolutionaries. Caught before
reaching the border and brought back to Tueleries in Paris.
viii. Declaration of pillnitz: In response to Louis VXI’s capture and forced return to Paris, Prussia and
Austria issued the declaration of pillnitz on Aug, 1791 warning the French against harming the king and
demanding the monarchy be restored.
ix. Constitution of 1791: The national assembly released much anticipated constitution of 1791 which
created constitutional monarchy for France. King Louis XVI and his ministers had to answer to the new
legislature though they could maintain control.
x. Jacobins and girondins:
Middle class
Jacobins
Girondins
i.group of radical liberals
ii.found
louis
contemptible
actions
iii.wanted to forgo constitutional
monarchy
i.moderate members
legislative assembly
of
the
ii.deemed
constitutional
monarchy essential
iv.make france a republic
xi. War against Prussia and Austria and Execution of Louis XVI: After the initial defeats at the hands of
Austria and Prussia, the revolutionarie(Jacobins) could finally get the better off them. They also
proclaimed the abolition of monarchy and the establishment of the republic. Louis XVI condemned to
death for treason and executed on January 21, 1793.
xii. Robespierre and the reign of terror: Robespierre and the Jacobins focused on addressing economic
and political threats within France. They instituted its infamous campaign against internal opposition
known as the reign of terror. Anywhere between 15000-50000 French citizens were guillotined. Finally
Robespierre convicted by court in July 1794, arrested and sent to guillotine.
xiii. Constitution of 1795: The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the wealthier middle classes to
seize power. On august 22, 1795 they ratified the new constitution ushering the period of governmental
restructuring. The new legislature consisted of 2 houses: upper house called the council of ancients (250
members) and the lower house called the council of five hundred (500 members).Also had the executive
body called the directory of the group of 5 officers. Napoleon lead a coup against the directory in 1799
eventually stepping up and naming himself the first council- effectively the leader of the France. With
the napoleon at the helm, France entered the 15 year period of military rule
xiv. Era of napoleon: As first consul, began to consolidate his power. Introduced Napoleonic code doing
away with all the privileges based on birth, established equality before law and secured the right to
property. At 1804, he did away with the consulate and crowned himself emperor in an extravagant
coronation ceremony. With the series of further invasions and expansions he could establish many
treaties like that of treaty of tilsit etc. He was defeated in the battle of waterloo in June 1815, exiled and
died in 1821.
xv. Constitutional monarchy restored by restoring Louis XVIII to the throne.
5. In a nutshell:
Monarchy
under Louis XVI
Constitutional
monarchy
restored under
Louis XVIII
Republic under
jacobins
Constitutional
monarchy
under middle
class
monarchy
under
napolean
Figure 2 Course of governance in France
6. Contribution of the French revolution:
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Popularized people’s rule/concept of popular sovereignty
Inspired constitutional monarchy movement in Europe leading towards formation of modern
Europe. For ex: unification of Italy, Germany etc
Popularized the spirit of liberty, equality and democracy. In terms of equality promoted socioeconomic equality. Special privileges of first and second state taken away. 3rd estate gained
equal rights.
Popularized the idea of republic clubbing it with the spirit of nationalism
Concept of secularism popularized by French revolution.
7. References:
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The French revolution by Georges Lefebvre
The French revolution: A history by Thomas Carlyle
NCERT
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/1848/section2.rhtml
Structure and flow taken from Chronicle study material
Name: K.R.Chandra mouli