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Deficit spending by the government and Economic Reform
France One of the causes of many of the economic troubles in in France was a crisis that was caused by years of deficit spending. This occurs when a government spends more money than it takes in. Louis XIV had left France deeply in debt; the Seven Years' War and the American revolution straining the economy even more. Costs had generally risen through the 1700's and the king's extravagant court soaked up millions. To bridge -
Louis XVI calls the Estates-General
As 1788 came to an end, France was near the verge of bankruptcy. Bread riots were spreading and nobles were going against the monarchy. The confused Louis XVI finally called together the Estates-General to meet at Versailles the next year.The Estates-General occured in May 1789. After a few weeks, delegates of the Third Estate took a daring step and in June 1789, claiming to represent the people of France, they declared themselves the National Assembly. -
The Storming of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, more than 800 Parisians gathered outside the Bastille, a grim medieval fortress used as a prison for political and other prisoners, and demanded weapons and gunpowder that they believed was stored there. The commander refused to open the gate and fired at the crowd. Many people were illed in the battle that followed, and finally the angry mob broke through. They killed the commander and five guards and released the prisoners that were being held there. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
As a first step toward writing a constitution, the Assembly created a declaration on what men could do and not do, based largely off of the American Declaration of Independence. -
Women's March on Versailles
Six thousand angry women marched to Versailles in the pouring rain, because they were angry at the queen Marie Antoinette. The queen lived an extravagant life, and much of the public was unhappy. Although she was compassionate to the poor, many were still angry since her life overshadowed her small acts of kindness. The women refused to leave Versailles until the king returned to Paris. Finally, they agreed, and the women led a procession back to Paris. -
Church is Placed Under State Control
The French Catholic Church was put under state control. The Civil Constitution made it so bishops and priests had to be elected and salaried. -
Threats from Abroad
After Louis XVI's failed attempt at escape, there was a large amount of angry gossip from abroad. In August 1791, the king of Prussia and the emperor of Austria (who was Marie Antoinette's brother) issued the Declaration of Pilnitz. The two monarchs used this document to threaten to intervene to protect the french moarchy. Most of this may have been lies, but many revolutionaries in France took the threat seriously and started to prepare for war. -
The Constitution of 1791 Establishes a New Government
The new constitution set up a limited monarchy instead of an absolute monarchy and lawmakers would be elected by tax-paying male citizens over the age of 25. A new Legislative Assembly had the power to make laws, collect taxes, and decides on issues of war and peace. The new constitution also replaced the old provinces with 83 almost equally sized new departments. -
Radicals Declare War
In Paris and other cities, working-class men and women, sans-culottes, pushed the revolution into more radical action. By 1791, many sans-culottes demanded a republic, or a government ruled by elected representatives instead of a monarch. The sans-culottes found support among radicals in the Legislative Assembly, especially the Jacobins, a revolutionary political club. The radicals soon held the higher hand in the Legislative Assembly. Eager to spread the revolution and destray tyranny (PART 1) -
Radicals declare War
(PART 2) Eager to spread the revolution and destroy tyranny, the Legislative Assembly declared war first on Austria and then on Prussia, Britian, and other states. These large countries expected an easy win against France, since the land was divided by revolution. But rather, the fighting that began in 1792 lasted on and off until 1815. -
Monarchy is abolished
Battle disasters quickly led the revolutionaries to believe that the king was with the enemies. On August 10, 1792, a crowd of Parisians stormed the royal palace and killed the king's guards, and a month later, citizens attacked prisons that held people accused of political offenses. Backed by the Paris crowds, radicals took control of the assembly. Radicals called for the election of the National Convention. They put Louis XVI on trial as a traitor of France, and he was sentenced to death. -
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Robespierre and the Reign of Terror 2
RobespierreA main part of the Terror was the guillotine, it's fast-falling blade extinguished life instantly, It quickly became a symbol of horror. But within a year, the Terror consumed those who had started it. Members of the Convention turned on the Committee of Public Safety, weary of bloodshed and fearing their own lives. On July 27, 1794, Robespierre was arrested, and the next day he was executed. After he and many other radicals were put to death, executions slowed dramatically. -
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Robespierre and the Reign of Terror
RobespierreMaximilien Robespierre, a lawyer and politician, quickly rose to the leadership of the committee of Public Safety. He believed that France could achieve a "republic of virtue" only through the use of terror. "Liberty cannot be secured," Robespierre cried, "unless riminals lose their heads." He was one of the main builders of the Regin of Terror. About 300,000 people were arrested during this time. Seventeen thousand were executed. Many were falsely or mistakenly accused. (PART 1) -
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The 3rd Stage of the Revolution
Napoleon
This was the third constitution since 1789. It created a 5-man directory and a 2-house legislature, elected by make citizens of property. The Directory held power from 1795 to 1799, until chaos threatened, and politicians turned to Napoleon Bonaparte. -
Spread of Nationalism
The revolution and war gave the French people a strong sense of national identity. Nationalism, a strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country, spread throughout France. The French people went to local festivals that celebrated France as a nation and the revolution. By 1793, France was a nation in arms.
