The French RevolutionThe Overthrowing of the King

LIBERTY

EQUALITY

FRATERNITY

Causes of the French Revolution

Age of Enlightenment Three estates Absolute Monarch with weak

king Financial Difficulties Supplies and troops to American

revolutionaries

What’s going on in France?Late 1780s

Food shortages Corrupt government Greedy nobles Political oppression

New thoughts….People embraced ideas of

EQUALITY and a

DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

From where?

Enlightenment ideas and

American Revolution

France, 1789Attempt to compromise with the king

FAILED

Violent revolt in Paris –storming of the Bastille

Spread to countryside and entire country (Great Fear)

Storming of the BastilleBastille Day – June 14,1789

3rd estate demanded equality

King was nervous because talks of revolt

King gathered troops at Versailles

Huge mob surrounded Bastille (armory)

Rioters took over prison Start of French Revolution

1789June– Tennis Court Oath

July 14th: Storming of theBastilleAugust: Declaration of the Rights of Man and the CitizenOctober: Women March on Versailles

Civil Constitution of the Clergy

1790

1791

Louis XVI attempts to flee France

Constitution is complete and Legislative Assembly is formed.

September Massacres

France declares war on Austria

National Convention formed and abolished monarchy

1792

1793-1794 Reign of Terror

1793 Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette executed.

COPS created, led by Robespierre

National Convention approves new 1793 constitution and sets up a Republic

Moderates regain control and create the Directory.

1795-1799

Reign of Terror The period from June 1793 to July

1794 in France "the Terror". The upheaval following the

overthrow of the monarchy, fear of invasion by foreign

monarchist powers and fear of counterrevolution from pro-monarchy parties within France led to frenzied paranoia.

Most of the democratic reforms of the revolution were suspended and wholesale executions by guillotine began.

Maximilien Robespierre became one of the most powerful men in the government, and the figure most associated with the Terror.

In July 1794, Robespierre himself was guillotined.

The National Razor The Revolutionary Tribunal

sentenced thousands to the guillotine.

Nobility and commoners, intellectuals, politicians and prostitutes, all were liable to be executed on little or no grounds; suspicion of "crimes against liberty" was enough to earn one an appointment with "Madame Guillotine"

Estimates of the death toll range between 15,000 and 40,000.

Why use the Guillotine? From its first use, there has been debate as to whether the

guillotine always provided as swift a death as Dr Guillotine hoped. With previous methods of execution, there was little concern about the suffering inflicted. But where the guillotine was invented specifically to be "humane", the issue was seriously considered. Furthermore, there is the possibility that the very swiftness of the guillotine only prolonged the victim's suffering. The blade cuts quickly enough that there is relatively little impact on the brain case, and perhaps less likelihood of immediate unconsciousness than with a more violent decapitation, or long-drop hanging.

Execution of Louis XVI21 January 1793

Execution of Marie Antoinette16 October 1793

France splits into Factions New govt in place – 1791 Legislative Assembly Factions:1. Radicals – Jacobins2. Moderates – Girondians3. ConservativesEmigres – nobles that fled to Austria, tried to get help

from AustriaSan-culottes – wanted greatest change,

workers/shopkeepers

The Draft Conscription – men 18-45 drafted to serve in

military By 1794 – 800,000 in army, included women

Robespierre 1793 – Robespierre takes control, radical – chaos

after overthrow of monarchy Led Reign of Terror, leader of Committee of Public

Safety 40,000 killed, mostly peasants – purpose to keep

order—got rid of any “enemies of the Revolution” or any that challenged him

National Convention (name of govt) turned on and R was guillotined

Thermidorian Reaction – killing of R and changing govt back to moderate control

National Convention Creates new plan for govt Creates 2 house legislative chamber with 5

person executive body called Directory Next stage of war – reign of Napoleon