Week 23 Emergence of Industrial Society IDs

Vive le Revolution!

The French Revolution was a time of political and social change lasting from 1789 to 1799. In an attempt to make Enlightenment ideals a reality, France's absolute monarchy was turned on its ear, and France was plunged into chaos.

Causes

Economic troubles of France due to: little taxation, excessive spending of Louis XVI, and wars
Despondent peasantry due to unemployment and scarcity of food
Disillusionment with absolutism
Commoners resentment of the nobles
Failure of Louis XVI to address any of these problems

Events

The Estates and The National Assembly

Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General which consisted of three parts: the clergy, the nobility, and the rest of French society to address France's financial crisis
The First and Second Estates worked together to neutralize the efforts of the Third Estate
The Third Estate revolted and established its own National Assembly in charge of taxation
The people of France started to revolt and in July stormed the Bastille prison and fortress
The August Decrees were an attempt to pacify revolutionists. They abolished feudalism, diminishing the power of the First and Second Estates.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen established due process and sovereignty among the people.
In response to the food shortages hundreds of women marched on Versailles. Asa result the Royal family moved to Paris.
The Constitution of 1791 established a constitutional monarchy with Louis XVI as little more than a figurehead.

Upheaval and The Reign of Terror

In 1792 a New Convention of delegates was elected to oversee the country. They abolished the constitutional monarchy and established the Republic of France.
Louis XVI was tried for treason, convicted, and executed in 1793. His wife, Marie Antoinette met the same fate.
The Committee on Public Safety was established in 1793 to address external conflicts with Austria and Prussia.
The Reign of Terror was unleashed under the administration of Robespierre and the radical Jacobins and 18,000 people were executed.
The Thermidorian Revolt was staged against the Reign of Terror and was crushed, resulting in the deaths of many members of the Committee on Public Safety.
Robespierre was overthrown and an era of conservatism was initiated.

Entrer Napoleon

The Constitution of 1795 restructured the government, establishing a bicameral legislature. It also stipulated that the executive power would be held in the hands of the Directory. The Directory sought to destroy the remaining Jacobins.
The French Army had grown under the Committee on Public Safety and had made significant victories.
Napoleon Bonaparte, a commander of forces in Italy and Egypt, had won fame for himself.
In 1797 a plot was unveiled and squelched to overthrow the Directory which had become corrupt.
Learning that France was under considerable militay threat, Napoleaon abandoned his troops and went to France in 1799.
Sieyes, a member of the legislature, enlisted the help of Napoleon in a coup to topple the Directory and stabilize the government.
On November 9, 1799 Napoleon overthrew the Directory and established himself as military dictator.
Napoleon effectively ended the Revolution, imposing a fifteen year military rule.