French Revolution

Nota:

• French intellectuals + bourgeoisie supported the enlightenment ideas and began applying them

Nota:

• The 1st estate and the 2nd estate had  less people but 2 votes while the 3rd estate only had 1 vote and were a lot more people

Nota:

• The French state got was bankrupt since the participated in serveral military conflicts, if that wasn´t enough, the royal family spent a lot of money in parties and luxury goods.   So, to improve the economy, the ministers suggested to increase taxes even to the high class.

1. The majority of the population was discontented
   1. Nobility + Clergy

      Nota:

      • Wanted to protect their priviligies and didn't want to pay taxes
   2. Bourgeoisie

      Nota:

      • Bourgeoisie wanted to abolish absolute monarchy because couldn't participate in the government.
   3. Lower middle Class

      Nota:

      • Had economic difficulties because of wars, increased taxes and more competition from British Products
   4. Peasantry

      Nota:

      • Had economic problems because of wars, taxes and poor harvests. In addition to that they had to pay more rent to the nobility and clergy

Nota:

• In the meeting of the Estates General, the 3rd estate wanted to introduce a new voting system so that each representative had an individual vote.    But the King refused, and therefore, the 3rd Estate declared themselves the true representatives of the nation, after that the formed a national assembly and demanded a constitution

Nota:

• The King agreed with the 3rd estate and a new consituent assembly as created to write a constitution.  

1. The Capture of the Bastille

   Nota:

   • Was one of the most known riots and protest the which took place in 14 July 1789
2. Legal Reforms
   1. Abolition of feudal rights
   2. Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

      Nota:

      • All men are born free and equal in their rights and their liberty consists of he freedom to do anything which doesn't harm the others.
3. Constitution

   Nota:

   • In 1791 the Constituent Assembly adpoted a constitution which established a constitutional monarchy, popular sovereignity, separation of powers and limited male suffrage

1. Girondins

   Nota:

   • Believed in the revolution but represented the bourgeoisie, the political ideas become more moderate after time.     They elaborated several economic policies which helped the middle class and wanted to maintain limited suffrage
2. Jacobins

   Nota:

   • Believed in revolution, but their political ideas became more radical. The wante to abolish monarchy and put the king on trial, expand the suffrage and control the increases in prices.     They gained support from Parisian labourers/ sans-culottes
3. Louis XVI Opposition to the reforms

   Nota:

   • He opposed to the reforms and asked Austria for help. In response, the assembly imprisoned him, abolished monarchy and declared France a Republic.

Nota:

• Louis XVI was executed for treason and some European countries created a coalition which declared a war to France to stop the spreading of the Revolution

1. Robespierre
   1. Terror

      Nota:

      • A dictatorship impsed by Robespierre and the Jacobins to coordinate the European War, while also dealing with the counter-reformation.   About to 42000 people were executed as a result of this dictatorship

1. Directory

   Nota:

   • France moderate middle class gained the control of the country. To stop all the violence going on, they established the directory, which was a more conservative government composed of 5 members.
   1. Consulate

      Nota:

      • In 1799, while France was still in war with other European continents, the radical revolutionaries wanted to gain back the control of France. So General Napoleon Bonaparte, organised a military group and established a new way of government called Consulate.    It was a group composed of 3 leaders/consuls, which had Napoleon as the head of state and 1st Consul