September 16

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The French Revolution

Background [3 critical factors that lead to a full blown revolution; without all three it is more of a

riot]

opolitical

French used to be one of the greatest powers in Europe if not the most powerful

state

dominated all aspects of life

engaged for a century and a half in warfare and continually losing undermines its

power  losing war one after another, a domestic challenge grew to the

absolutist monarchy confounded by Fr undergoing serious financial crisis brought

on by being engaged in war for so long

treasury itself was chaotic – no bookkeeping which meant that the monarchy

didn’t have a clue how much money came in and went out

if were successful no one would criticize however once they kept losing people

grew opposed

France decided to support Amer revolution and while they did win the war, it cost

Fr so dearly it brought Fr to the brink of bankruptcy

1788 summer: state declared bankruptcy as it couldn’t pay interest on loans, had

to suspend all state activities

financial crisis leads to social crisis

osocial

French social structure was broken into three estates (clergy  nobility 

commoners)

Louis XVI had to call the Estates General which hadn’t been called in 165 years

because of the crisis

EG wanted to meet along traditional lines – separated into three parts/estates

•previously, all three would vote separately

www.notesolution.com

•3rd estate wanted a social change where all three had veto power and

legislation would be implemented only when there was a consensus

1st and 2nd estate opposed this loss of power

3rd estate decided to take matters into its own hands

•decided to form a National Assembly and declare themselves the

representatives of the French state and people

Louis couldn’t handle the crisis – Marie Antoinette convinced him to make some

of the worst decisions

oeconomic

The Estates General (May 5, 1 7 8 9)

o1st Estate

o2nd Estate

o3rd Estate

The Natio n al Ass embly, Ten nis Co urt Oath (Jun e 2 0, 1 78 9)

oagre e d to transform p olitic al life in Franc e [majority of them were lawyers]

oeventually the kin g h ad to agre e –could n’t c all in the army

Bastille (July 1 4 , 1 7 8 9 )

obre a d crisis – p o orest of Parisian p o p ulatio n, d aily fo o d was v ery much bre a d

oof 2 0 0 priso n ers, all were ordinary criminals

ostormed the Bastille, a p riso n

oo n c e this h ap p ened the revolution was full blown

oKing im m ediately g ave in

granted co n stit ution al mo n archy

oMA was h ell b ent to regain h er p ower

odisap p ointed that fellow p owers did n’t h elp – wrote let t ers to h er brother in Austria

o17 91 – co n vinc e d h u sban d to fle e Franc e u n d erco v er as Russian nobles at nig h t

oap prehen d ed close to the German b order an d bro u g h t b a c k to Paris in shame

www.notesolution.com

HIS241H1 Lecture : Sept 16

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