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Bad harvests in 1787 and 1788 and a slowdown in manufacturing led to food shortages, rising prices for food, and unemployment.
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In response to the growing financial problems, Louis XVI to called the Estates-General, where representatives of all three estates meeting together, to raise new taxes
The Estates-General had not met since 1614 because French kings were so powerful. -
On July 14, 1789, 900 Parisians raided the Bastille, an old fortress, used as a prison and armory.
French troops joined the revolutionaries
Not very Enlightenment like
Beheaded the warden’s head and put it on a stick
Demolished the Bastille brick by brick -
You can do anything you want that doesn't injure and infringe others rights
Inspired by the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and by the American Declaration of Independence and Constitution
Liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression
Reflected Enlightenment ideas
All men were free and equal before the law
Appointment to public office should be based on talent and merit
No group should be exempt from taxation
Freedom of speech and press -
On October 5, thousands of Parisian women marched to Versailles, and forced Louis to accept the new decrees.
The crowd insisted that the king and his family come to Paris to show support for the National Assembly, to prevent the Louis from rousing other countries to oppose reform -
Bishops and priests were to be elected by the people, not appointed by the pope and the Church hierarchy. The state would also pay the salaries of the bishops and priests.
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Created the Legislative Assembly
Only the “active” citizens (men over 25 who paid a certain amount of taxes) could vote.
All others were considered “passive” citizens with equal rights but no vote
Guaranteed rich of speech, religion, equality, property, and resistance against the government
The new body was designed to be conservative
Local governments were put in charge of taxation -
In June 1791, the royal family attempted to flee France in disguise, but were caught.
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The new Legislative Assembly met for the first time in October 1791 and amended the constitution to allow for trying the king if he turned against the nation
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By 1791, the “ancien régime,” or old order, had been destroyed, but the new government did not have universal support
Political radicals and economically disadvantaged people wanted more reform -
n August, Paris radicals declared themselves a commune (a popularly run city council) and organized a mob attack on the royal palace and Legislative Assembly.
They wanted more changes
All the representatives who would decide the nation’s future would be elected through universal male suffrage (disregarding property and tax payment)
Members of the Paris Commune called themselves sans-culottes, meaning “without breeches.” -
The rulers of Austria and Prussia threatened to use force to restore Louis XVI to full power - the Legislative Assembly decided to strike first, declaring war on Austria in the spring of 1792.
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In the spring of 1792, angry citizens demonstrated to protest food shortages and defeats in the war.
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On September, 20, 1792, the National Convention was established
First republic of France
Made new constitution
Everyone can vote
Suspends Constitution and gives power to the Committee of Public Safety -
Founded in 1793 by two women in Paris
Wanted to defend the republic but most men believed that women should not participate in politics or the military -
From 1793 to 1794, the Committee of Public Safety took control of the government to defend France from domestic threats
Rule was known as “Reign of Terror”
As a temporary measure, revolutionary courts were set up to prosecute counterrevolutionaries and traitors
40,000 killed during the Reign of Terror , including Marie Antoinette and Olympe de Gouges
Used guillotines which were really efficient at decapitating people -
In early 1793, the Mountains convinced the Convention to pass a decree condemning Louis XVI to death and on January 21, the king was beheaded on the guillotine.
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Committee thought Robespierre was becoming to powerful and would target them next, so accused him of turning against the Committee
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Deputies in the National Convention who feared Robespierre decided to act, to defend themselves
They gathered enough votes to condemn him, and Robespierre was guillotined on July 28, 1794
With Robespierre’s death, the Jacobins lost power and more moderate middle-class leaders took control, halting the Reign of Terror -
With the Terror over, the National Convention became more conservative
Restricted the power of the Committee of Public Safety
Churches were reopened
A new constitution was created
To keep any one political group from gaining control, the Constitution of 1795 set up two legislative houses. A lower house, the Council of 500, drafted laws. An upper house of 250, the Council of Elders, accepted or rejected proposed laws. -
To stay in power, the Directory began to rely on the military, but in 1799 the successful and popular general Napoleon Bonaparte toppled the Directory in a coup d’état, a sudden overthrow of the government and seized power.
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Battle at Trafalgar Law (1805) where British defeated French and Spanish
Continental System: stop British goods from reaching Europe to weak its economy
Failed, and allied states resented Napoleon
Russia left the Continental System, and Napoleon’s attack at Moscow failed
Caused other European states to attack the crippled French army, and Napoleon was exiled on Elbaph -
1812 - only Russia and England left
Conquer all of Western Europe
Invades Russia when he doesn’t need to and gets wrecked
Reasons for defeat
Nationalism among the conquered