The French revolution 1789

By
R N Mohapatra
Delhi Public School
Ghaziabad
 Check your vocabulary
• Monarchy
• Autocracy
• Constitutional monarchy
• Representative govt
• Parliamentary democracy
• Dictatorship
• Citizens
• Subjects
• Political rights
 14 july,1789: Paris in a state of
alert
• French king orders troops to move into city
• Rumor spread of a possible firing
• Formation of militia of 7000 People
• Searched for weapons in governed building
 Storming of Bastille prison
• Crowd marched and stormed bastille prison
• In the armed fight, commander was killed
• All 7 prisoners were released
• This began the greatest revolutions of
history; the French revolution
• This event marked the beginning of French
revolution
Condition of French society in 18th c
• POLITICAL CONDITION
• In 1774,Louis XVI of bourbon family ruled
France
• He ascended the throne at 20,
• Married to Austrian princess Marie
Antoinette
• Entered throne with an empty treasury
 Economic: Empty treasury?
• Long years of war drained financial resources
• Helping 13 American colonies to fight against
british
• It cost I billion livres
• High cost of maintaining administrative
machinery, army, court and universities
• Interests paid on loans taken by previous kings
 SOCIAL CONDITION
•French society divided into 3 estates: first ,
second and third estates
•Third estate consisted of businessmen,
merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants,
artisans, landless laborers, servants, common
mass of people.
•Only third estate paid the taxes
 Condition of peasants
•90 % of population were peasants
•Only a small number owned land they
cultivated
•60 % of land owned by church, nobles,
and rich members of third estate
The privileged two estates
• first two estates enjoyed certain privileges
•First and second estates exempted from
paying taxes
• Enjoyed many feudal privileges, feudal dues,
extracted from peasants
•Peasants work in feudal homes and fields
•Had to serve as army and participated in
building of roads
 Taxes paid by third estates
•Apart from feudal dues and services, many
taxes paid by thirds estates
•Tithes; one tenth of the agricultural produce
paid to the church
• Taille: an direct tax on tobacco, salt and other
items of daily use
Struggle to survive; subsistence crisis
• Population rose from 23 m in 1715 to 28 m in
1789
• Led to increase in demand for food grains
• Land limited, production couldn’t keep pace with
demand
• Wages of workers couldn’t keep pace with rise in
prices
 Subsistence crisis
•Wages of workers couldn’t keep pace with the
rise in prices
•Occasional hailstorm and drought worsen
condition leading to subsistence crisis
•An extreme situation where basic livelihood of
people endangered
• Q. why was the French treasury empty when Louise XVI came to throne? Explain
• Q. Draw a diagram to represent the different social classes in the French society before the outbreak of French revolution?
 Emergence of a new middle class
• In 18th c , emerged a new middle class
•This class prosperous and educated
•Earned wealth through overseas trade,
manufacturing
•Apart from Merchants & manufacturers , there
were lawyers and profession in the third estate
• this educated middle class believed that no
social group be privileged on basis of birth
•Social position be decided on basis of merit
•They believe a society based on freedom,
equality before law and opportunity for all
• such people include the philosophers
Q. Discuss the role played by the middle class in the outbreak of the French revolution of 1789
Role of philosophers
• Such as john Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire
• Locke in his book Two Treaties of Government rejected
absolute power of king, divine right theory of king.
• Rosseau in his social contract, wrote govt. a contract
b/w people and their representatives
• Montesquieu in his spirit of law proposed that
• Power shouldn’t be concentrated in one hand
•power of government be divided among three
organs as legislature, executive and judiciary
•The ideas of philosophers discussed among
people in coffee shops, saloons and street
corners through newspapers
•that highlighted about king’s proposal for
imposing more taxes created anger for protest
Q. The role of French philosophers in the outbreak of the French
revolution of 1789………………PT- 1 SYLLABUS ENDS HERE
Outbreak of the revolution
•king’s proposal for imposing fresh taxes
sparked protest among third estate
•How was taxes imposed in the past? You know?
•Under the old regime the king could not
impose any taxes unless the proposal was
passed in a meeting of the Estate General
•The Estate General a political body consisting of
the representatives of the three estates
Meeting of the Estate General
•However, only monarch had power to decide
when to call a meeting
•The last time such a meeting was held in 1614
•On 5 May 1789, louis XVI called for a meeting of
estate general to pass a proposal for new taxes
•First & Second estate sent 300 representatives
each seated in Versailles palace in rows facing
each other
•and the 600 members of the third estate had to
stand at back represented by its prosperous
and educated members only
•Peasants, artisans and women denied entry
•King tabled the proposal for new taxes
•With same procedure followed.
Q. What various factors led to the outbreak of the French Revolution o9f 1789
Third estate opposed to old practice
•king announced to follow old practice
•Based on: One estate, one vote
• third estate opposed to old practice of voting
•Demanded one person one vote
•Propagated by Rousseau in his social contract
•King refused to accept the principle, third estet
walked out
20 June tennis Court assembly
•On 20 June, members of third estate
assembled at tennis court ground of
Versailles
•They declared it as national assembly
• pledged not to disperse till they drafted a
constitution that would limit power of king
•Led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes
20 June tennis Court assembly
•Led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes
•Mirabeau, a noble, wanted to do away
with feudal privileges, wrote powerful
article
•Abbe Sieyes , a priest created a pamphlet
called ‘what is the third estate’?
Drafting the constitution
•National assembly continued to draft constn.
•Meanwhile, France went through a turmoil
•Severe winter spoiled harvest, bread price rose
•Bakers hoarded bread, men women spent
hours in queue for bread, bread disappeared
•angry women broke into bakery shops
•there was chaos in the streets of Paris
 14 July, king moved troops
•This time when king moved troops into Paris
•While in country-side there were rumors
•Rumors spread that lords of manor hired bands
of brigands to destroy ripe crops of farmers
•Caught in frenzy of fears , farmers attacked the
chateaux,(castle) and manors(estate, castle)
•looted hoarded grains, burnt down documents
of records maintaining manorial dues
Questions
Q.1 The French revolution started more because of rumors than facts’ Support the statement ?
Explain 3
Q.2 Who were the two people from the first two estates who supported the national assembly 1
Q3. What was the oath taken by national assembly at the tennis court ground? 1
4. Why did the third estate walk out of meeting of the Estate General? 1
King recognized National Assembly
•Faced with opposition, king recognized
National Assembly
•Accepted principle that his powers would be
checked by a constitution
•On 4 August 1789, assembly passed a decree
•That abolished feudal obligations, feudal taxes
•Members of clergy forced to give up their
privileges
•Tithes were abolished , land of the church
confiscated
•through this govt received 2 billion livres
France become constitutional monarchy

•The National Assembly completed drafting of

constitution in 1791
•Objective was to limit the power of the king
•Provisions of constitution:
•Power of king taken away, distributed among
legislature, executive and judiciary
•Now laws will be made by National Assembly
•Members of National assembly to be elected
indirectly
•Citizens would first elect electors,
•Electors would elect members of Assembly
•Not all citizens had right to vote
•Only men above 25 who paid taxes equal to 3
days of monthly wage could vote
•They were called active citizens
•The remaining men and women were called
passive citizens
•To become an elector, and a member of
assembly, one has to be in highest category of
tax-payers
Constitution & Declaration of rights
•Constitution began with a declaration of rights
of man and citizen
•Such rights as: Right to life, Right to freedom of
speech, Freedom of opinion, Equality before law
•Such rights called natural and inalienable
rights , belong to every human being from birth
and couldn’t be taken away.
•And state has to protect these rights of citizens
Questions
Q1. What are the provisions of the 4th August Decree?
Q2. Describe the provisions of the constitution drafted by national
assembly in 1791?
Q3. Discus the procedure of election to the National Assembly ?
Q4. Bring out the provisions of the declaration of rights of man and
citizen guaranteed by the constitution drafted by national assembly
Chronology:
• 5th May
• 20th June
• 14th July
• 4th August
Situation in France after Republic
•Constitution drafted, France become republic
•King Louis XVI had to sign the constitution
•But entered into secret agreement with king
of Prussia.
•The rulers of other neighboring kingdoms
worried about the situations in France
•Decided to send troops to put down the revolt
 Action by National Assembly
• Before, this happen, National Assembly declared war
against Prussia and Austria
• Thousands of people thronged to join army
• Took it as war against autocracy, feudalism, aristocracy
• Patriots from Marseilles while marching into Paris , sang
patriotic song Marseillaise, hence the name.
• The song composed by poet Roget De L’isle
Q. Why did the king hatch a conspiracy against the
national assembly?
 Impact of Revolutionary Wars
• Revolutionary wars brought losses, difficulties for people
• While men fighting war, women worked for a living
• Women knew revolutionary wars would carry into future
• as only richer sections of society given political rights
• Hence political clubs set up across country to discuss about
govt policies, prepare plan of actions to fight for equal rights
• Most successful clubs: Jacobins’ club, got its name from
Convent of St. Jacob in Paris
• Women formed associations to put forward their demand
• Q1. What was economic impact of the revolutonary wars on French people
 The Jacobins
• Jacobin club belonged to poorer members of society
• Including shopkeepers, artisans, shoemakers, pastry
cooks, watch makers, printers, servants, daily workers.
• Their leader was Maximillian Robespierre.
• Jacobins were wearing long stripped trousers
• To set themselves apart from fashionable sections of
society specially nobles who wore knee breeches
• It’s a way of protesting against people holding powers and
wearing fashionable knee breeches such as nobles
clergies
 Jacobins: Sans culottes
•These Jacobins known as Sans-Cullotes,
means those without knee breeches
•They also wore red cap, symbolizing
liberty
•But women not allowed to do so
• now Jacobins planned for a insurrection
Q. Who were the Jacobins and why were they called sas sansans
culottes
 10th August: Jacobins insurrection
•On 10 august Jacobins stormed palace of the
Tuileries, massacred kings guards, held king as
hostage for hours
•National assembly voted to imprison royal
family
•Now elections were held,
•Men of 21 and above, regardless of wealth, got
right to vote
 The govt by the Convention
•This newly elected national assembly
called convention
•On 21 sept. 1792, assembly abolished
monarchy, declared France a republic,
•means govt as well as head of state to be
elected by people
•And now no hereditary monarchy
 Louis XVI and Treason
•Meanwhile, louis XVI, sentenced to death
by court on charge of treason
•On 21 Jan 1793 king executed at palace
de le Concorde in public
•Soon after Marie Antoinette executed
 The Reign of Terror
• The period from 1793 to 1794 Robespierre rules
France, and was called reign of terror
• Robespierre followed policy of severe control and
punishment
• All those considered enemies ie ex-nobles and
clergies, members of other political parties
• even his own party members who disagreed to his
ideas, arrested imprisoned and tried by
revolutionary tribunal
 Reign of Terror continues…
•If court found them guilty, guillotined
•Guillotine, a device consisting of two
poles and a blade with which a person is
beheaded
•Named after a Dr. guillotine, who
invented the device
 Reign of Terror continues…
•Robespierre govt. issued laws putting maximum
ceiling on wages and prices
•Meat and bread was rationed
•Peasants were forced to send their grains to cities
and sell it at prices fixed by govt
•The use of expensive bread the white bred was
forbidden
•All citizens were to equality bread, pain d’ egalite
 Reign of Terror continues…
• Equality was also practiced in speech and address
• Example, instead of tradition monsieur (sir) and madame
madam
• All French and women were now onwards called citoyen and
citoyenne
• Churches shut down, their buildings converted into barracks
or offices
• Robespierre became so oppressive that his supports even
started opposing him
• Finally in July 1794, he was convicted by a court and arrested
 Rule by Directory
•After fall of Jacobins wealthy middle class seize
power
•A new constitution introduced that
• denied right to vote to non- propertied people
•Provided two elected legislative councils
•These 2 councils appointed a directory, an
executive body of five members (unlike a single
member executive under Jacobins)
•But five directors often clashed with the
councils which constantly wanted to
dismiss them
•This political uncertainty paved way for
the rise of military dictator Napoleon
Bonaparte
Women and revolutionary France
•Right from beginning women participated in
important social changes that took place in
France
•When revolutionary wars broke out, they
worked for a living
• worked as seamstresses/launderess ,sold
flowers, fruits, vegetables many worked as
domestic servants in rich men’s houses
 Continues..
•Most women didn’t have access to
education or job
•Only daughter of wealthy parent went to
convents , after which they got married
• women, apart from house hold work,
also worked for a living but were paid
less wages than those of men
women’s political clubs
•Women to voice their interest started their
own political clubs and news papers
•About 60 women’s club came during the
revolutionary period
•Most imp. was; The society of revolutionary
and republican women
•Their demand ‘equal rights for women as that
of men’
•Demanded right to vote, right to contest
election to national assembly, and right to
hold political office
•Only then their interest could be
represented in new government
Revolutionary Govt and Women Reforms
•Revolutionary govt. introduced laws to
improve lives of women
•with coming of state schools now
schooling made compulsory for all girls
•Now fathers could no longer force their
daughters to marry against their will
•Marriage made under free contract,
registered under law
•Divorce was made legal, could be applied
for both by men and women
•Now women could train for jobs, could
become artists, run business
 Women during Reign of Terror
•Women struggled for equal rights during
jacobin’s govt. as well
•During reign of terror, Jacobin’s govt order
for the closure of women’s clubs
•And banned political activities
•Many women leaders arrested and
executed
•Women continue to struggle for equal rights
and wages during the next 2 centuries
•It was finally in 1946 women in France got
right vote
Abolition of Slavery
•A great revolutionary reforms introduced under
Jacobins was abolition of slavery
•Before this, European countries have their
colonies in Caribbean- that supplied tobacco,
indigo, sugar and coffee
•In these colonies they had plantations , which
required, cheap labor –that led to the beginning
of triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa
and Americas
 how slave trades continued
• Port cities like Bordeaux and Nantes gained
economic prosperity through flourishing trade
• Throughout 19th century debates continued by
national assembly whether to abolish slave trade
• and extend rights of man to all French people
outside France spe. In colonies
• But didn’t pass any law in the fear of opposition
from French businessmen who earned from slave
trade
•It was govt. of convention that legislated a law
in 1794 to free all slaves in the overseas
possessions
•But ten years later napoleon reintroduced the
slavery
•And slavery was finally abolished in 1848
• What is triangular slave trade? Why was it so important dor the
French colonies in the caribean
 Revolution and everyday
life
•One imp. Law that came into effect immediately
after fall of bastille prison, abolition of
censorship
•Under old regime, all written material and
cultural activities like books newspapers and
plays had to be approved by censors of king
• after new constitution passed, declaration
rights of man and citizens proclaimed freedom
of speech and expression as natural rights
• Now news papers pamphlets, books, pictures
flooded towns, country sides
• These freely discuss events and changes taking
place in france
• Freedom of press also meant publishing opposing
views
• Opposing views spread through plays, songs
• This was one way of expressing idea of liberty
which the philosophers wrote about
 Memories from Napoleonic Era
•In 1804,Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself
emperor of France
•He conquered neighboring kingdoms,
dispossessed their ruling dynasties,
•placed members of his own family as kings
•Introduced many reforms: right to private
property, uniform weight and measure through
decimal system
 Memories from Napoleonic Era
•Many saw him as liberator, and his armies
as harbinger of freedom, then as invader
•finally defeated battle of waterloo in 1815
•Many of his measures carried revolutionary
ideas of liberty to other parts of Europe
•brining a deeper impact even long after
napoleon had left
 Time line
[Link] xvi come to throne 1774
2. 5 may, 1789 Meeting of estate general
3. 14 July 1789-Fall of bastille prison
4.20 June 1789, tennis court oath
5. 4 august 1789, decree Passed
6. Drafting of Consti. 1791
7. 10 August, 1792 Jacobins march
 Time-line
7. 21 Jan 1793 louis XVI guillotined
8. July 1794 Robespierre guillotined
9. Slavery abolished by convention 1794
10.1804 Napoleon emperor
11.1813 battle of lipzic
12.1815 battle waterloo
13.1848, slavery finally abolished
14.1946, women voting right