Revolutionary IdeasBellringer: You’re a peasant in Europe working
away as you always have been. News comes one day that the long war
in the Americas is over, and that the English colonies have won
their independence! You, however, still live under a king.
How likely are you to want to follow in the footsteps of the
Americans and rebel against your king? How would you do it?
Revolutionary Ideas
1
About the same time that we are hammering out our present US
Constitution (1789) the French commoners are fed up with their
King, Louis XVI (16th)
French Kings were absolute monarchs – they ruled completely, with
no help from a parliament and no check on their total power.
The French Revolution
3
July 14, 1789 – French Revolutionaries storm the Bastille
The Bastille is an ancient prison in Paris, considered a symbol of
the evil of the kings.
Only 7 prisoners were
jailed in the Bastille.
5
Louis XVI had to give some power to a democratic body to please the
masses, but worked to try to keep any really radical changes from
happening.
In 1792 the French revolutionaries become disgusted, declare a
republic, and cut off Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s heads.
The New Monarchy
A “more humane” method of execution?
First put into use in France, 1791-1792 – became infamous during
the French Revolution
Only legal execution method in France until death penalty was
outlawed, in 1981!
Guillotine
7
Robespierre led a group of Frenchmen known as the Jacobites (think
of them as a political party, like the Democrats or
Republicans.
Robespierre rules (by committee) after the death of the King, until
1794.
1,295 Authorized executions under his rule (2 years)
Historians guess 20 – 40,000 people died
Robespierre is finally arrested.
(face up).
8
As Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are arrested, the other Kings of
Europe rise up to fight for them.
Austria, Italy, Prussia declare war on democratic France to put the
King back on the throne.
Louis XVI is executed to prevent these foreign Kings from putting
him back into power.
A new kind of war erupts.
Rise of Nationalism
Wars with Europe
9
1795 – The French have executed Robespierre and create a new
constitution, ruled by a congress-like body called “The
Directory”.
Not much better than Robespierre – very paranoid.
The government is broke, and can only make ends meet with plunder
from wars. The power of the army grows, along with its most famous
general, Napoleon Bonaparte.
November 9, 1799 Napoleon stages a coup d'état, and takes over the
French government himself.
1795 – 1799 – The Directory
Immensely popular at home, invincible on the field.
Conquers continental
11
Desperate for cash, Napoleon sells Louisiana to the USA for about
15 million dollars.
Land for Sale – Louisiana Purchase
12
Wherever Napoleon conquers, he removes the kings in power. These
kings are replaced by governments appointed by Napoleon (but often
still less oppressive than the kings were).
After Napoleon is defeated, the returning Kings have trouble ruling
their population, who maybe didn’t want them back anyways.
After 1799 no King in Europe sits on their throne comfortably. The
people are always pushing for democracy and change.
Social Consequence of Napoleon’s conquests
13
Read the following primary source document – A British newspaper
column commenting on the execution of Louis XVI in France. http://
www.english.ucsb.edu/faculty/ayliu/research/around-1800/FR/times-1-25-1793.html
What do you think of the British reaction to the execution?
Does this newspaper show bias?
If so, how?