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Deficite Spending Deficite spending Deficite spending Deficite spending Deficite spending Deficite spending Deficite spending Deficite spending
The French Government was spending so much money. Louis XIV left the French Government deeply in debt. The 7 Years War and The American Revolution made France's Debt even larger. By 1789 half of the governments income from taxes went to pay intrest on the huge debt. Because of this, food prices in the late 1780's went sky high and peasents could not afford it. Many peasents went hungry. -
Louis XVI calls the estates-general
The estates-general is the legislative body consisting of representatives of the three estates. This is the first time in 175 years that a french king has called the estates-general fearing that nobels would use it to recover the feudal powers they had lost under absolute rule.The nobels hoped that they could bring the absolute monarch under control of the nobles and guarantee their own privleges. -
Storming of the Bastille
More than 800 Persians assembled outside the Bastille. The Bastile was a grim mideval fortress used as a prison for political and other prisoners. The Persians believed that there were guns and gunpowder there. The commander of the Bastille refused to open the gates and opend fire on the Persians. The mob finally broke through the gates and killed the commander and five guards. The also released all of the prisoners. They did not find any weapons stored in the Bastille. -
National Assembly
Their was a very importand meeting. At this meeting feudalism was abolished. The nobels did not lose anything that they had not already lost. An idea of a declaration came up and was started. This declaration gave men the rights of liberty, equality and faternity. It says that all men were born and created equal and shall remain free and equal. Many women complained about not being equal with men. -
Threats from Abroad.
On october 5 1789, Thousand of women marched in pouring down rain from Paris to Versallies. These women stormed the King and queens house killing many guards. They took the king, queen and the royal family. The women took them to Paris and they became prisoners. The king and queen dress up as peasants and try to get across the the border but get stoped and taken back as prisoners. -
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cival war
People were beheaded by the Guillotine for so many reasons. If their was any suspicion they were sentanced to death. sometimes neighbors would report someone and they would die. People were misidentified sometimes and it would cost them their life. bread prices also went up. if someone would complain they would be killed. if they called people byu royal names (Fancy names) they would be killed. Neihbors turned againt neihbors. Over 300,000 were arrested and 17,000 were executed. -
Monarchy is Abolished
Battle disasters quickly enflamed revolutionaries who thought that the king was in a league with the enimies. A crowd of Parisians stormed the royal palace of the Tuileries and slaughtered the kings guards. The royal family just barely escaped to the legislative assembly before the mob arrived. Citizens attacked prisons that held nobels and priests accused of political offences. 1200 prisoners were killed. This was called the september massacre. -
Nationalism Spreads
Revolution and war gavevthe french people a strong sense of national identity. The government rallied sons and daughters of the revolution to defend the nation itself. Nationalism is a strong feeling of pride and devotion to one's country. The french attended civic festivals that celebrated the nation and the revolution. by 1793 france was a nation of arms. From the port of Marseilles, troops marched singing. This song was "LA Marseillaise, which would later become frances National Anthem. -
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Robespierre and the "Reign of Terror"
Robespierre was one of the chief architects of the "Reign of Terror" Spectatores greeted death sentances by saying "Hail the republic" and "Death to the traitors". About 300,000 people were arrested durring the reign of terror. Over 17,000 were executed. Many of these victems were falsely accused by neihbors or got their identity mistaken. Some prisoners were kept in small dark prisons were death spread quickly. The guillotine was the "Engine of Terror". It was a fast faling blade for beheading. -
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The revolution enters its third stage
The convention produced another constitution. This constitution was the third since 1789. This set up a 5 man directory and a 2 house legeslature elected by male citizens of property. This directory was weak but dictorial. Prussia and Spain made peace but the war with austria and great britain continued. This directory was not popular. The citizens through riots. As chaos continued, polititians turned to Napolean Bonaparte, who was a popular military hero.