Revolution Background

• Enlightenment Ideals brought on new ways of thinking

• Influence from American Revolution

• Economic and Social turmoil:

  • Monarchy in debt from American Revolution

  • Classist society: favoring the First Estate

  • Increase in taxes - bad harvests

The Three Estates

The Monarchy - Rule by king/queen

Issues Arise

• Enlightenment Ideals bring more resentment toward monarchy in France

• Rise in food prices due to shortages

• French monarchy poorly deals with societal issues

• King of France at age 5

• French grew to hate him as time went on

• Had 10 children with former king of Poland's daughter, Marie Leszczynska

• Open relationship with Madame de Pompadour

• Could not secure land holdings after the Austrian Succession and after the Seven Years War

• Distrust and hatred of Louis XV

• Died 1774 having his last mistress by his side

• Succeeded by grandson Louis XVI

Louis XV: King of France 1715 to 1774 AD

• King at 20

• Not equipped to deal with debt and social issues from Louis XV

• Arranged marriage with Marie Antoinette

​​Louis XVI

​​Marie Antoinette

• Born in Austria

• Archduchess of Austrian Empire

• 15 years old married Louis XVI

• Built by Louis XIV

• House 60,000 people by time of Revolution

• Included:

  • Palace

  • Gardens

  • Hunting Ground

  • Marie Antoinette's estate

​The Palace of Versailles

• Oppressive Monarchy

• Two Bad harvests

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Leading Causes of French Revolution

• Social Inequality

• Excessive Court Spending

• Growing unemployment

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• 1783: Louis XVI appoints Charles de Calonne as controller general of finance

• 1786: Calonne sought loans from European banks but was turned down.

• 1787: Charles de Calonne called a meeting called the Assembly of Notables

  • Propose new taxes

Louis XVI Response to Debt

• ​Louis XVI called for a meeting of the Estates General

• which had not met since 1614.

• The goal was to bring France together

• A new land tax to bring in revenue

  • 1st Estate: 300 votes

  • 2nd Estate: 300 Votes

  • 3rd Estate: 600 Votes

Meeting of the Estates General

• Parliament of Paris said that each estate would get one collective vote.

• Third Estate would be overruled by First and Second Estate

• Bourgeoisie angered because they felt disrespected especially because many members had more money than the nobility but did not have the same title

• In Versailles, the Third Estate commoners and lower clergy on the Jeu de Paume.

• Stay there until there was a new French Constitution

• Louis legalized National Assembly, but surrounded Versailles with troops

The Tennis Court Oath - 1789

• A prison that symbolized years of oppression against common people of France

• Eliminate that symbol of oppression by destroying the Bastille

• Contained armory

Storming of the Bastille

New Constitution

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789) guaranteed due process in judicial matters and established sovereignty among the French people.

• It made ALL Frenchmen equal.

• Third Estate did not have problems with this but the monarch and the Second Estate did not like it

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen would remain the founding principles moving forward.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

• Growing food shortages

• Women stepped in by taking up arms and storming the Palace of Versailles

• Over 20,000 people outside the palace by the next morning

• Demanded King and Queen Move to Paris

March on Versailles - 1789

• They killed the guards and searched for the Queen

• Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their children forcefully lived in Paris, Tuileries Palace, until their trial

• He was then forced to approve the August Decrees and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

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March on Versailles Cont

• Set up a Legislative Assembly

• Kept the king in power

• Took control of the church

• Drafted the Constitution of 1791

The New Order

Headed to Austria

• June 1791 - Louis XVI and family tried escaping the palace in Paris

• Planned to unite with Austrian army to regain control of France

• Placed under house arrest after being recognized

• French people did not trust Louis XVI