The French Revolution

08 September 2004 (Lecture #06)

Trouble Brewing in France

· Middle-class and upper-class clamored for more rights

· Most thought little reason for worry – France had become more wealthy an educated and had been around for centuries

Financial Crisis Weakens the Monarch

· France was deep in debt from the military, supporting US independence, etc.

· Lower debt than England, Netherlands but had a poor taxation system

· King Louis is forced to call the Estates General, a meeting of wealthy people to decide how France would fix the crisis

Underlying Causes of the Revolution

· Nobility had been seeking more power from the monarchy and refused to help them

· Middle class also refused: they wanted rights equal with the nobility –do not believe the gov is good for the economy

· After 1780, economic depressions and low harvests further upset the population, including the peasants who began to starve

The Tennis Court Oath

· Cannot decide how to vote (one vote per estate with tradition [nobles would win] or head count [lower class would win])

· Clergy break off and form the National Assembly and invite all to join

o All who come swear an oath (in a tennis court near the meeting place) to keep working until a constitution was made

· Rumors circulate that the King has called for troops – believed to be en route to oppress Parisians

o A riot storms Bastille, occupies it, and parades around with the governor’s head

The End of the Old Order – what people really want is food

· Nobility now in retreat as well as the King

· National Assembly – one night nobles get up and each renounces traditional rights and privileges

o Assembly declares an end to serfdom, special taxes, and restricted posts

· Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen – like US Decl. of Independence; explicitly says the law is the supreme authority

o Gives liberty and freedom to all men; does not delineate specific freedoms – high ideals but without authority

o Louis refused to sign these new decrees and is essentially imprisoned in his castle

The Constitutional Monarchy: Establishing a New Order

· Only tax-paying males could vote and hold office à mostly bourgeoisie

· Passed sweeping reforms

o Judicial system reformed; taken away from the upperclass

o Old tax system replaced by uniform taxes on land and profits

o Debts and new costs paid off with assignats (new paper money backed up with seized church assets)

o Church reorganized under the gov (have to take an oath to gov and get salary from it)

o In just two years, France had stripped the monarch of power and nobles of special rights, given individual liberty, and absorbed the church into the gov

· Outside reformers liked what they saw

· Many countries feared revolutions within their borders

o Nobility and clergy wanted their old powers restored

War and the Breakdown of Order

· Louis convinces Prussia and Austria to declare war on France to put revolutionaries in all countries back

o Their armies crush the inexperienced French (most officers had been exiled or deposed: nobility) and advance on Paris

· External problems: many monarchies contribute to the war against the French rebels (Brit, Dutch, Spain, Portugal, …)

· Internal problems: peasants stirred up by non-oath’ed clergy; major cities rebel; major port invite in the Brits

The Revolution Spreads Outside of France

· Sister republics set up (a result of French success in battle) in Italy, Holland, Switz.

· National Convention abolishes slavery (1794)

Conclusions

· Began as middle class drive more sensible reforms (not trying to topple the government)

· No external memory to unite against so they fought each other

· External invasion threat was real but sent the public into hysteria