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Louis XVI was indecisive, allowed matters to drift, paid little attention to his government advisers, and had little patience for the details of governing. Despite these disabilities, Louis was well intentioned and sincerley wanted to improve the lives of the common people. However, he lacked the ability yo make decisions.
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She often interfered in the government and offered poor advice. Her behavior was horrible. As queen, she spent so much money that she became known as 'Madame Deficit".
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The social and political system of France. Under this system, the people of France were divided into three large social classes.
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First Estate (Clergy)- Less than 1%
Second Estate (Nobles)- 2%
Third Estate (Bourgeoisie, Urban Lower Class & Peasents)- 97% -
An assembly of representatives from all three estates established at Versailes in order to approve new taxes since Louis XVI had almost no money left.
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The clergy and nobles had dominated the Estates-General throughout the Middle Ages and in order to change that, a leading spokesperson, Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyes, made a dramatic speech suggesting that the third estate delegates name themselves the National Assembly and pass laws and reforms in the name of the French People.
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The Third Estate delegates found themselves locked out of their meeting room. They broke down a door to an indoor tennis court, pledging to stay until they had drawn up a new constitution. This pledge became known as the Tennis Court Oath.
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In Paris, rumors flew. These rumors suggested that Paris was going to be under attack and people began to gather weapons in order to defend the city against attack. On July 14th, a mob stormed Bastille, a prison. The mob overwhelmed the guard and seized control of the building, claming the lives of about 100 people. The Fall of Bastille became a great symbolic act of revolution to the French people.
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Slogan of the Revolutionary leaders.
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Noblemen made grand speeches, declaring their love of liberty and equality. Motivated more by fear than by idealism, they joined other members of the National Assembly in sweeping away the feudal privileges of the First and Second Estates. By morning, the Old Regime was dead.
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A statement of revolutionary ideals that stated that 'men are born and remain free and equal of rights.' These rights included 'liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.'The document also guaranteed citizens equal justice, freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
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The assembly took over Church lands and declared that Church officials and priests were to be elected and paid as state officials. Thus, the Catholic Church lost both its lands and political independence.
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Rebellion spread from Paris to the countryside. A wave of sensless panic called the Great Fear rolled through France.
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The royal family tried to escape from France to the Austrian Netherlands. They were apprehended and returned to Paris. This attempt to escape increased the influence of his radical enemies in the government and sealed his fate.
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The National Assembly completed a new constituion. It stripped the king of much of his authority. It also created a new legislative body, known as the Legislative Assembly. This body had the power to create laws and to approve or reject declarations of war.
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Conflicts caused the Legislative Assembly to handle these problems by spliting into three general groups, each of which sat in a different part of the meeting hall.
1) Radicals - sat on the left side of the hall, opposed the idea of a monarchy and wanted sweeping changes.
2) Moderates - sat in the center of the hall and wanted some changes in government, but not as many as the radicals.
3) Conservatives - sat on the right side of the hall. They upheld the idea of a limited monarchy. -
After Austria and Prussia urged the french to restore Louis to his position as an absolute monarch, the Legislative Assembly responded by declaring war.
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The Legislative Assembly set aside the Constitution of 1791. It declared the king deposed, dissolved the assembly, and called for the election of a new legislature. It quickly abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Adult male citizens were granted the right to vote and hold office.
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The former king walked up the steps of the scaffold to be beheaded by a machine called the guillotine.
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To reinforce the french army, Jacobin leaders in the Convention took an extreme step. At their urging, the Convention ordered a draft of 300,000 French citizens between the ages of 18 and 40.
