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French constitution created by the National Assembly during the French Revolution. It retained the monarchy, but sovereignty effectively resided in the Legislative Assembly, which was elected by a system of indirect voting.
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It happened spontaneously when the Third Estate- basically the urban and rural middle class- declared their independence with the Oath of the Tennis Court,on June 17, 1789.
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King Louis XVI finally considered the common people when they overran the Bastille in Paris on July 14, 1789.
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The National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and created the Constitution of 1791.
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It finished its work in September of 1791 and forged a new permanent government, the Legislative Assembly. After it finished creating the Legislative Assembly, the National Assembly peacefully disbanded.
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The new constitutional monarchy favored the wealthy middle class or the bourgeoisie who controlled the government as active citizens.
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Poor people, who were a majority of the population felt left out, and most of them were passive citizens with no voting rights. The government faced serious problems.
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The King wanted to return to absolutism. Poor people wanted the government to give them more political and economic power.
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Other European nations like Austria, Prussia, and England, feared the French government because they felt it spread dangerous ideas like liberty and equality.
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Many nobles and priests and peasants felt that the Revolution had gone too far. By September 1792, the Legislative Assembly had lost the support of many Frenchmen and collapsed into the Second French Revolution. France needed to create a government that more people would support.
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The National Assembly, radical phase began in 1792 and lasted until 1794.
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The National Convention of 1792 tried to gain support of the poor by giving into their demands.
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King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette were executed during this radical phase and the Revolution became violent.
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The Paris Commune drove the Girondins out of Paris and France slipped into civil war.
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The government tried to restore order by creating the C.O.P.S. to intimidate citizens during the Reign of Terror.
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During the Thermidorian Reaction, the National Convention turned against Robespierre and the COPs.
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It wrote a revised constitution and revoked many of the freedoms like voting rights that it had earlier given to the people.
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The National Convention voluntarily ended after its members created a new permanent government called the Directory.
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econd phase wanted revolution to be more radical, but eventually it turned into bloodbath. The leadership executed many of its own revolutionary, majority during the Reign of Terror and regardless if they were moderate, radical or conservative
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The most significant representative of this time was M. Robespierre. This phase followed constitution on paper, but in the reality the revolutionary tribunal imposed laws and suspended many basic rights, like the right to appeal.
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The Directory was a democracy that the wealthy controlled. They were the only ones who had voting rights.
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The Directory was intended to be permanent and it used the army to control the people.
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Napoleon Bonaparte became very powerful because the government relied on his fighting skills to enforce their commands.
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His military victories aboard captured the imagination of the French people.
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Oct. 17, 1797: French defeat Austrians in northern Italy and make peace.
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1798 French capture Switzerland, Rome and Naples suffer bad defeat in Egypt
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Spring 1799 2nd Coalition of Austria, Russia, Turkey and Great Britain drive French Army back.
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Nov. 9, 1799 Napoleon's coup d'état abolishes Directory and establishes Consulate.
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Oct. 5, 1795: Napoleon's "Whiff of Grapeshot" save the Directory from a royalist mob.
Sept. 4, 1797: Coup d'état removes royalists from Directory. -
5-man Directory created to share power with National Assembly
Led by the bourgeoisie
Corruption, war, economic problems, and returning nobles seeking power lead to too many problems for govt. -
1805 3rd Coalition (Austria, Britain and Russia) moves against France.
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1805-09: French victories; "republics" set up throughout Europe, Spain resists.
1812: Napoleon suffers major defeat in Russia (40,000 of 611,000 survive) -
1814: Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia defeat France, Napoleon sent to Elba.
Mar. 1815: Napoleon returns to France for "100 days." -
June 18, 1815: British and Prussians defeat Napoleon at Waterloo; Louis 18th restored.
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The French people rebelled against the monarchy and the monarchy was overthrown. The people attempted to establish a democracy which caused the revolution to end with many dictatorships.
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1799, French leaders supported Napoleon's ambition to seize power for himself because people were afraid if they did not give in to Napoleon the royalists would bring back a monarchy.
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The reaction against radicalism was the attempts that were made to limit violence in Revolution.
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Government were less representative of the people, and only allowed the wealth to hold positions in government.
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Armed supporters turned the power from the directory over to Napoleon by a coup d'etat, a forced transfer of power.
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Napoleon promised to bring peace, prosperity and glory to France. The revolution ended with the rise of Napoleon.