The French Revolution and Napoleon
1789-1815
Main Themes
• Economics
– Inequalities between rich and poor in France
• Revolution
– Ideas of Liberty, Equality, and Democracy lead to
Revolution
• Power and Authority
– Napoleon’s ambitions to create a new French
Empire
The French Revolution Begins
Chapter 24.1
Big Idea
• Economic and social inequalities in the Old
Regime helped cause the French Revolution.
Historical Context: France in the
1700’s
Positives
• One of the most advanced
countries in Europe
• Prosperous foreign trade
• Center of the
Enlightenment
Negatives
• Great unrest in France
• Bad harvests
• High taxes
• Political unrest
The Ancien Regime
• People of France
divided into 3 large
social classes
• Called estates
The Privileged Estates
1st Estate
• Made up of clergy of the
Roman Catholic Church
• Disliked Enlightenment
ideas
• Owned 10% of land
• Paid 2% in taxes to gov’t
2nd Estate
• Made up of rich nobles
• Held highest offices in
government
• Disagreed about
Enlightenment ideas
• Owned 20% of land
• Paid almost no taxes
3rd Estate
• Included middle class,
urban lower class, and
peasant farmers
• No power in
government
• Embraced
Enlightenment ideas
• Resented 1st and 2nd
Estates
The 3rd Estate: Peasants
• 80% of total population
• Paid about 50% of
incomes to taxes and
other payments
• Eager for change
The Forces of Change
• Enlightenment Ideas
• Economic Troubles
• A Weak Leader
Enlightenment Ideas
• Members of third Estate
embraced
Enlightenment
– Equality
– Liberty
– Democracy
• Rousseau and Voltaire
were praised
Economic Troubles:
• Heavy taxes hurt
businesses
• Cost of living was rising
• Widespread crop
failures produced food
shortages
• Extravagant spending
produced even more
DEBT!
Weak Leaders
• Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinette
• Weak rulers
• Not concerned with
details of governing
• Extravagant spending
and indifference
The Estates-General
• Representatives from
ALL 3 estates met to
discuss newly proposed
tax on Second Estate
• 1st and 2nd Estates could
always vote against 3rd
Estate
• May 5, 1789
The National Assembly
• Made up of Third Estate
representatives
• Led by EmmanuelJoseph Sieyes
• Demanded and end to
absolute monarchy
• Wanted a
representative
government
Tennis Court Oath
• Locked out of meeting
room, Third Estate reps
met on indoor tennis
court
• Demanded a new
constitution
• Were joined by
sympathetic nobles and
clergy
Storming the Bastille
• A Parisian mob stormed
the Paris prison
• Killed commander and
guards
• Symbolic Gesture
• July 14 still celebrated
as Bastille Day
A Great Fear Sweeps France
• Wild panic gripped the
countryside
• Peasants began attacking
noble households
• French women
participated in bread riots
and attacked Versailles
• Demanded Louis and
Marie Antoinette return
to Paris
Revolution Brings Reform and
Terror
Chapter 23.2
Big Idea
• The revolutionary government of France made
reforms but also used terror and violence to
retain power.
Historical Context
• After the storming of the Bastille, fear was felt
by peasants, clergy, and nobles alike.
• The Old Regime had a large target on its back.
The National Assembly Reforms France
• August 4, 1789
• National Assembly
swept away privileges
of First and Second
Estates
• France was now “equal”
• The Old Regime was
essentially dead
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
and Citizen (1789)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Promoted….
Liberty
Property
Security
Justice
Freedom of speech
Freedom of religion
• Formed basis for slogan
– Liberty, Equality,
Fraternity
• Did this apply to
everyone?
• Example of Olympe de
Gouges
A State-Controlled
• Church lands
confiscated by the
government
• Priests were now state
officials
• Money used to pay off
massive debts
• Catholic Church lost
both land and influence
Divisions Develop
• A new constitution set
up a limited monarchy
• Legislative Assembly
– Could make laws
– Declare war
• Faction: a small,
organized, dissenting
group within a larger
one, esp. in politics.
Factions Split France
• Many problems still
existed
– Food shortages for
example
• Divisions split into 3
general groups
• Left: Radicals who
wanted sweeping
changes
• Center: Centrists who
wanted some
government changes
• Right: Conservatives
wanted few changes
Outside Factions
• Emigres
– Nobles who fled France
– Wanted the Old Regime
to return
• Sans-culottes
– Peasant workers and
shopkeepers
– Wanted even greater
changes
France at War
• Declared war on Austria
and Prussia in 1792
• Royal family held as
prisoners
• September Massacre
– Citizens killed nobles,
priests, and royal
sympathizers
The National Convention
• Declared France a
Republic
• Adult male citizens
were given the right to
vote
• Excluded women
Jacobins Take Control
• Radical Political
Organization
• Leaders included JeanPaul Marat
– Edited a newspaper
• Georges Danton
– Lawyer known for his
devotion to the poor
A Famous Beheading
• Louis XVI tried for
treason
• Executed by guillotine
on January 21, 1793
Guillotine
The War Continues
• Great Britain, Holland,
and Spain join Austria
and Prussia
• National Convention
ordered a draft
• Army grew to 800,000
men
The Terror Grips France
• Maximilien Robespierre
seized power in France
• Headed Committee of
Public Safety
• Wanted to wipe out
France’s past
• New calendar
• Closed all churches
The Reign of Terror
• Robespierre became a
virtual dictator
• Used his role on
Committee to execute
thousands of supposed
enemies
• Included people of all
political ideologies
Famous Victims of the Guillotine
•
•
•
•
Louis XVI
Marie Antoinette
Georges Danton
Maximilien Robespierre
Effects of the Reign of Terror
• National Convention
drafted a new
government
• Called the Directory
• Made up of moderates
• Restored order
Napoleon Forges an Empire
23.3
Big Idea
• Napoleon Bonaparte, a military genius, seized
power in France and made himself emperor.
Historical Context
• From 1795-1799,
Napoleon rose from
obscurity to become
known as one of the
greatest generals of all
time.
Napoleon Bonaparte
• Born on island of
Corsica
• Joined French army
during Revolution
• Held off royalist army in
1795 with cannons
• Praised as a hero
Napoleon Bonaparte
• Appointed by Directory
to lead the army against
Austria and Sardinia
• Won a series of
victories in Italy
• Ran out of steam in
Egypt
The Directory Loses Control
• Led a coup d’etat
against the unpopular
government
• Army seized power
• Dissolved the Directory
Coup d’etat
• “blow to the state”
• Represents a sudden
seizure of power
• People wanted stability
• Napoleon set himself
up as the first consul
(out of 3) in new system
of government
France at Peace
• Finally able to conclude
peace agreements with
Britain, Austria, and
Russia in 1802.
• First time in ten years
France was not at war.
Napoleon Rules France
• 1800 saw a “vote of the
people” to approve a
new constitution
• Known as a plebiscite
• Napoleon, as first
consul, assumed the
power of a dictator
Restoring Order at Home
• Approved changes that
both strengthened
government and
achieved goals of
Revolution
•
•
•
•
Established effective:
Tax collection system
Banking system
Dismissed corrupt
officials
• Set up lycees to train
government workers
Concordat with Rome
• Signed an agreement
with Pope Pius VII
• Recognized influence of
Church
• But rejected Church
control in government
• Majority of people
favored this
Napoleonic Code
• System of laws
• Promoted order and
authority over
individual rights
• Example: Freedom of
speech limited
Napoleon Crowned as Emperor
Haitian Revolution
• French lost valuable
sugar producing colony
of St. Domingue
• French troops unable to
reverse Haitian
Revolution
• Due to disease and
effective fighting of
former slaves
Louisiana Purchase
• Sold Louisiana Purchase
to the United States in
1803 for 15 million
• Set up French
operations in Europe
Conquering Europe
The Battle of Trafalgar
• Horatio Nelson, a British
commander was able to
defeat French
• Two Effects
• British Navy would reign
supreme for years
• Napoleon had to give
up plans for invading
Britain
The French Empire
• By 1812, Napoleon was the master of Europe
• A huge Empire, but UNSTABLE