French Revolution
Causes of the French Revolution
- Enlightenment Ideas:
** Inspired by the American Revolution success 1775-1783 **
- Bankruptcy of government:
- Social Inequality:
The French States
- The first estate was made up of the clergy (religious leaders)
- The second estate was made up of the nobility (rich)
- The third estate was made up of the bourgeoise, wage earners, and the peasantry. Together they made up more than 90% of the population (the common people)
The French Revolution begins:
July 14th 1789
"The Storming of the Bastille"
1. A hungry Paris mob storms the Bastille which was a prison because it was a symbol of the King's government
2. The army of the king refuses to stop them
3. This was considered the beginning of the French Revolution
August 4th 1789
"Declaration of the Right of Man" is written
1. King was forced to sign and agree to uphold it
2. Contains Enlightenment ideas
3. French Revolution Slogan: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
1789 to 1791
"New Constitution"
1. Created by the National Assembly
2. Creates a limited Monarchy in France with much more power for the people
Death to the King
1. King Louis XIV was put on trail on December 1792
2. He was charged with being a traitor to the people of France
3. He was found guilty and sentenced to DEATH!
The Reign of Terror
1. The period after Louis 's execution from 1793 to 1794
2. During this time thousands of "Anti-Revolutionary" people were put to death (About 40,000)
3. Everyone was controlled by the Jacobsen's
"The Storming of the Bastille"
1. A hungry Paris mob storms the Bastille which was a prison because it was a symbol of the King's government
2. The army of the king refuses to stop them
3. This was considered the beginning of the French Revolution
August 4th 1789
"Declaration of the Right of Man" is written
1. King was forced to sign and agree to uphold it
2. Contains Enlightenment ideas
3. French Revolution Slogan: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
1789 to 1791
"New Constitution"
1. Created by the National Assembly
2. Creates a limited Monarchy in France with much more power for the people
Death to the King
1. King Louis XIV was put on trail on December 1792
2. He was charged with being a traitor to the people of France
3. He was found guilty and sentenced to DEATH!
The Reign of Terror
1. The period after Louis 's execution from 1793 to 1794
2. During this time thousands of "Anti-Revolutionary" people were put to death (About 40,000)
3. Everyone was controlled by the Jacobsen's
Napoleon's Rise to Power
- Born in 1769 in Corsica and was the son of a noble
- In 1785, at the age of 16 he became an officer in the French army
- Won great battles for the French and was promoted to Major General by 1795. He was 26.
- On November 11th 1799, he seized control in France and created a new Constitution and named himself the First Consul (he was one of the three governing leaders)
- His popularity and power made it possible for him to crown himself Emperor on December 2nd, 1804
Napoleon's Downfall
Napoleon's empire grows
- By 1810 Napoleon had tremendously expanded French territory through military conquests
- Some countries were now considered Satellite States, which meant they were dependent on France
Napoleon's fall from power
- Growth of nationalism in Satellite States
- Block of trade from Great Britain hurt the economy of many satellite states
- Removing the royals from Spain and replacing them with Napoleon's brother, Joseph which greatly angered the Spanish
The Invasion of Russia
- Attacked Russia in 1812 with 650,000 men
- Won the first battle in the summer of 1812 and became confidence
- Russians began retreating towards Moscow while destroying and burning their towns as they went
- The winter soon came and the French were forced to retreat because of the lack of resources
- Only 38,000 men survived the journey
End of Napoleon
- He was banished to the island of Elba in 1814
- He invaded France again in 1815
- All of Europe united to fight against him
- He was captured at the Battle of Waterloo and died in 1821