The French Revolution Notes 2

8/13/2019 The French Revolution Notes 2

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Chapter 1 The French Revolution

The starting of French revolution

The city got alarmed on the morning of 14th July 1789. Some 7000 men and women gathered in front of the town hall and decided to form a

peoples militia. They broke into a number of government buildings in search of arms. A group of people marched towards the eastern part of the city and stormed the

fortress prison, the Bastille.

The commander of the Bastille was killed and the prisoners released. The fortress was demolished and its stone fragments were sold in the market to all

those who wished to keep a souvenir of its destruction.

King Louis

Louis XVI was the ruler of France in 1774. He belonged to the Bourbon dynasty. Marie Antoinettewas married to Louis XVI. She was an Austrian princess.

Reasons for the French treasury empty when Louis XVI ascended the throne

Long years of war drained the financial resources of France. The cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles. Louis XVI helped 13 American colonies to gain independence from Britain. Lenders who gave the credit now began to charge 10 percent interest on loans.

Organization of French society

The French society was divided into 3 estates. The First Estate included the clergy. The Second Estate included the nobility and Third Estate

had members from business community, peasants, artisans and landless laborers.

Peasants made up about 90% of the population. They paid all the taxes. 60% of the land was owned by nobles, the church and other richer members of the third

estates.

The clergy and the nobility enjoyed privileges and were exempted from paying taxes.Taxes

TitheA tax levied by the church comprising onetenth of the agricultural produce. TailleA tax paid directly to the state.

Subsistence crisis

An extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered was subsistencecrisis.


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The situation that led to the subsistence crisis.

French population rose from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. This led to increase in the demand for food grains but production of grains could not

match with the demand.

The prices of various products increased. Example the price of bread increased rapidly. The wages of the workers however did not increase. Things became worse whenever drought or hail reduced the harvest.

The role of philosophers in French Revolution

Rousseau: Carried the idea proposing a form of government based on a social contract betweenpeople and their representatives. He wrote a booked named Social Contract.

John Locke: In his book two treatises of government, he wrote against the doctrine of divine andabsolute right of the monarch.

Montesquieu: In his book The Spirit of Laws he proposed a division of power within thegovernment between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.

The ideas of these philosophers were discussed in saloons and coffee houses. They were spreadthrough books and newspapers.

The incidents of Assembly of Estates General and oath of tenniscourt

Louis XVI decided to call and assembly of the Estates General on 5th May 1789 to pass proposalsfor new taxes.

A luxurious hall in Versailles was prepared to host the delegates. The First and Second Estates sent 300 representatives each who were seated in rows facing each

other on 2 sides while the 600 members of the third estate had to stand at the back. The third estate was represented by its more prosperous and educated members while

peasants, artisans and women were denied entry.

Voting in the estates general in the past was on the principal of each estate one vote. Louis XVI wanted to continue the same practice but members of the third estates demanded

that voting should be conducted by an assembly as a whole where each member would have

one vote.

The king rejected and the members of the third estate walked out of the assembly.Oath of tennis court

On 20th June, the representatives of the third estate assembled in the hall of an indoortennis court in the grounds of Versailles.

They declared themselves as national assembly and decided not to leave the place tillthey had drafted the constitution for France that would limit the powers of the

monarch.

They were led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes


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Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes

Mirabeau: He was born in a noble family but wanted to do away with a society of privileges. Hebrought out a journal and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds

Abbe Sieyes: He was a priest and wrote an influential pamphlet called what is the third estate.Meaning ofWhile the National Assembly at Versailles drafting a Constitution the rest of

France seethed with turmoil

A severe winter resulted in bad harvest, the price of bread rose and bakers exploited thesituations by hoarding supplies. Angry women stormed into the shops.

The king ordered troops to move into Paris on 14th July the agitated crowd stormed anddestroyed the Bastille.

In the countryside there was a rumour that the lords had hired bands of robbers who woulddestroy the ripe crops.

The peasants seized hoes and pitch forks and attacked the residence belonging to king(Chateaux).

They looted hoarded grains and burnt down documents containing records. A large number of nobles flood from their homes and many of them migrated to neighboring

countries.

The reaction of this uprising

Faced with the power of the revolt Louis XVI recognized the National Assembly and accepted theprinciple that his powers would be checked by a constitution.

On fourth August 1789, the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system. The clergy were forced to give up their privileges. Tithes were abolished and lands owned by the

church were confiscated.

The drafting of Constitution and its main objectives

The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791. Its main object was to limit the power of the monarch. Instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person the powers were separated

and assigned different institutionsthe legislature, executive and judiciary. This made

France a constitutional monarchy.

The political system under the constitution of 1791

The constitution of 1791 gave the power to make laws to the National Assembly which wasindirectly elected.

Citizens voted for group electors who in turn chose the assembly.


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Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of laborerswage weregiven the right to vote. They were called active citizens. The remaining men and all women were

classed as passive citizens.

To be an elector and then as a member of the Assembly, a man had to belong to the category ofhighest tax payer.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens

The Constitution began with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and citizens which includedRights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law.

These rights were established as natural and inalienable rights which belong to each citizen bybirth and could not be taken away.

Some of the rights were: Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others. No man may be accused, arrested or detained except in cases determined by law. Every citizen may speak right and print freely. (for more points refer page 11source

Ctext book)

The poet of Marseillaise

Marseillaise was one of the patriotic song composed by the poet Roget de LIsle.How did France become a republic?

Louis XVI entered into secret negotiations with the King of Prussia. The National Assembly voted in April 1792 to declare war against Prussia and Austria. Volunteers joined the army and sang patriotic songs. The revolutionary wars brought economic difficulties to the people. The men were fighting and women had to earn a living and look after their families. Political clubs were formed. Women also formed their own clubs. In 1792, the Jacobins stormed the palace of the Tuileries, massacred the kings guards and held

the king as hostage for several hours.

Later the royal family was imprisoned. Elections were held in which all men of 21 years andabove got the right to vote.

The newly elected assembly was called the Convention. On September 1792, it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.

Jacobin club

Political clubs became an important feature in France. The most successful of these clubs wasthe Jacobians.

The members of this club belonged to the less prosperous section of society. They includedsmall shopkeepers, shoe makers, pastry cooks, watch makers, printers as well as servants. Their

leader was Maximilian Robespierre.


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A large group of the Jacobians decided to wear long striped trousers. These Jacobians werecalled as Sans-Culottes meaning those without kneebreeches.

Execution of Louis XVI

Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason. On 21st January 1793 hewas executed publicly at the Place de la Concorde. The queen Marie Antoinette met with the

same fate shortly after.

The Reasons for why period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror (Jacobins

Government)

The period from 1793 to 1794 was called the Reign of Terror. The ruler Maxmillion Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishments. All those who opposed him were arrested, imprisoned and killed. He guillotined the ex-nobles, clergy and the members of political parties. He issued maximum ceiling on wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed. The use of expensive white bread was forbidden and people

were required to eat equality bread degalite

Prices on grains to sell were fixed by the government. French men and women were to be addressed as citoyen and citoyenne (citizen). Churches were closed down turned as offices. Many people in place began to demand moderation in the government and in July 1794

Robespierre was arrested and the next day he was guillotined.

The Directors rule

After the Jacobins club the wealthier middle class people seized power. They formed a new constitution which denied voting right to nonp opertied people. It provided elected legislative councils. A Directory of executives was made up of 5 members. The Directors often clashed with the legislative councils. The political instability led to the rise of military dictatorNapeon Bonaparte.

Guillotine

The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded.It was named after Dr. Guillotin who invented it.

Womensrevolution

Women were active participants during the revolution. Most of the third estates women worked for their earning. They worked as

laundresses, semesters, fruit and flower sellers. They worked both at home and

outside.

Rich class girls did not work. They were educated in the convent and later married off. There were about 60 revolutionary clubs formed during the revolution. The Society of

Revolutionary and Republican Women was the most famous of them.


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Women demanded for their voting right. Finally got it in 1946.Revolutionary government improve the condition of women

Revolutionary government introduced laws to improve the conditions of the government. Schooling was made compulsory for all the girls. Their fathers could not force them to marry against their will. Divorce was made illegal. But this government did not guarantee voting right to women.

The Abolition of Slavery

The slave trade began in the 18th century. The National Assembly held long debates aboutwhether the rights of man should be extended to all French subjects including those in the

colonies.

Convention legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions. However Napoleon reintroduced slavery. Finally slavery was abolished in 1848. Read the topic The revolution and everyday life. (page 22 and 23)

Documents

The French Revolution Notes 2