-
France's Financial Troubles
With all the money being invested in war, and not to mention all the kings luxuries, France was in an economic spiral to the bottom. Prices for food such as bread soared, making it harder for peasants to get food to feed their families. France was holding on to an "ancien régime" which means "Old Order". This means that France was divided into three estates, which are now known as classes. The First Estate was made up of people from the church. -
France's Financial Troubles 3
Necker was a financial expert. His suggestion was that the first two Estates pay taxes. The King wasn't a fan of this idea, so he fired Necker. The King wanted to summon the Estates-General, that hasn't been summoned in 175 years. He wanted to summon the Estates-General before he actually started making charges. -
France's Financial Troubles 2
The Second Estate was made up of the Nobility. The King, Queen, other Royalty, and the Highest Ranked generals fall in to this category. The Third Estate is made up of the rest of the population of France. Even Lawyers and Doctors are in this estate. The Third Estate had to pay all the taxes. This puts France in even more debt. So, the King puts Jacque Necker in charge of finances. -
The Estates-General 2
Then, the Third Estate's representatives declare themselves the National Assembly. Days after it was established, the meeting Hall of the Assembly was locked. They were afraid that the king was going to dismiss them, they moved to a nearby Tennis Court. From then on, they took the "Tennis Court Oath". This states that they will meet until each problem was resolved. -
Louis XVI Calls the Estates-General
Louis XVI calls the Estates-General. The Estates-General is made up of representatives from each estate. The third estate however, had a lot less representatives, even though the represent almost the whole French population. The third estate was told to write a journal, explaining all of the complaints with the other estates. Even though the estates never actually acted on these things, It was almost always a two-to-one vote in the 1st two estates favor. -
Storming The Bastille
To the French, the Bastille was a representation was a symbol of the abuses of the Monarchy during the time. Well, on July 14, the spotlight was on the National Assembly, which was meeting in Versailles. Rumors were being spread that the Parisians were going to occupy the Bastille. That very day, 800 Parisians were storming the Bastille. The Commanders demanded to keep the gates closed, and the guards were shooting into the crowd. Many were killed that day. -
The March on Versailles
Also known as the October March, the March on Versailles is one of the first events in the French Revolution. The march began because the women that worked at the marketplace were disgusted by the price of bread. They ransacked the armory for weapons, along with a few cannons from a hotel, and set out to the Palace of Versailles. The women found a gate unguarded and filed in. -
The March on Versailles 2
As they were searching for the Queen's Bedchamber, two guards tried to stop them. One of the guards they killed, beheaded, and stuck his head on a pike. Like numerous other guards, the other guard was beaten. As time went on, the violence subsided. Lafayette fled from Paris, and was now returning. The guards would stick loaves of bread on their bayonets and some of the women were riding right beside them. As the crowd sang "Good Papa", the violent intentions were not forgotten. -
The March on Versailles 3
Gunshots were shot over the King's carriage in a celebratory matter. A sense of victory was felt. And everybody understood that the King was now fully serving the people. -
Civil War (Radicals Take Over)
Soon, radicals had the upper hand on the Monarchs. All the radicals wanted was a republic, a system where -
Threats from Abroad
Since King Louis' escaped failed, hostiles were irritated by this fact. The Emperor of Austria, Marie Antoinette's brother, created the Declaration of Pilnitz. This document was basically a war threat. Although the document might have been JUST a threat, the French took it very seriously and prepared for war. -
An Abolished Monarchy
With the citizens of France becoming more and more radical, battles were starting to effect France. Not only did they have to worry about this Civil War, they had to worry about other wars with other countries. Along with the help of the citizens, Radicals took over the Assembly. They called for the election of a new legislative body. They also made suffrage, the right to vote. Then the citizens took a vote and therefore, ended the Monarchy. -
The Reign of Terror
The Committee of Public Safety rounded up a few people that were suspected of crimes and sent to death. Only 15 percent of those people that were sent to the guillotine were nobility and clergy. This time in Paris had everyone on edge hoping that they weren't on the list. -
The Revolution's Third Stage
And with the threats from Austria and Great Britian, the French needed a military leader. So, they called on Napoleon Bonaparte to lead them. The French were very confident in Bonaparte because of his background in winning wars. They didn't know at this time that Bonaparte's plan was to become the leader of France. -
The Revolution's Third Stage
The Revolution was starting to evolve in the way the people wanted it to. A new constitution set up a Directory made up of five men. They also had a two-house legislature elected by male citizens who owned property. This system was still weak, so they faced increasing discontent with the citizens. The war with Austria and Great Britian was still raging, so that was also a problem. -
The Spread of Nationalism
1799 was an important year for France. Throughout this whole revolution, they had got rid of the Monarchy and made sure the church was in state control. Things like this led to the spread of Nationalism, pride for one's country. They built state schools instead of religious schools. They also abolished slavery.