Chapter 18: The Revolutionary Era Flashcards
Causes of the Crisis leading up to the French Revolution
Could not command sufficient taxes to finance itself, the royal family had a bad reputation (especially Marie Antoinette, known as Madame Deficit and the Austrian Whore)
Facts about Compte Rendu
- Proposed by Jacques Necker that France would have a surplus of money if France stopped paying yearly pensions of the nobility and ignored the debt from the American Revolution. The dissatisfaction of the aristocracy of this idea caused unrest which ultimately led Necker to be dismissed.
Makeup of the Estates General and reasons for its convening in 1789
Called into session because of a political deadlock between royal interests and that of the aristocracy and the church. Made up of the First Estate (clergy), Second Estate (nobility), and Third Estate (practically everyone else, but representatives who did have little say were usually from the wealthy middle class)
Financial reforms of Charles Calonne
Universal land tax
1st and 2nd Estates attempts to limit the rights of the 3rd Estate
Assembly of Notables proposed voting by representatives. Parlement of Paris proposed to vote by estate. No matter what, there’s always going to be a 2:1 ratio in votes.
Grievances included as part of the cashiers de doleances
Indirect/unfair taxes, government waste, absolutism, wanted regular meetings
Creation of the National Assembly
The 3rd Estate realized their voices were being ignored and sot hey created the National Assembly and invited the enlightened minds of the 1st and 2nd Estate to join if they so pleased.
Facts about the Tennis Court Oath
June 20, 1789. National Assembly changes name to National Constituent Assembly and swears and oath to not stop meeting until a constitution is drafted.
Reasons for riots in winter of 1788 and spring of 1789
High bread prices
Facts and Significance of the Storming of the Bastille
July 14, 1789: Crowd marches to Bastille to get weapons. Troops of the Bastille kill 98 people by shooting randomly into the crowd. The crowd storms in and releases 7 prisoners (not even political prisoners – these people were actually criminals). Showed that the National Constituent Assembly wasn’t alone in wanting reform – inspired similar events in numerous French provinces. Established themselves as an independent political force.
The Great Fear
Attack on the 1st and 2nd Estates in fear that the king would steal their food. This highlights the fact that the lower class was at a tipping point and ready to act.
The Night of August 4th
Feudalism is abolished: Gets rid of social classes and their privileges attached in order for a constitution to take standing
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
August 27, 1789. Promised freedom of religion, viciv equality, popular sovereignty, fair punishment for crimes and a fair tax. Note that women are left out and not granted citizenship.
Jean Paul Marat
Writer of The Friend of the People, filled with radical ideas of anti-government and anti-aristocracy. Published statements such as the royal family stomping on the tricolor and Marie Antoinette’s infamous reply upon hearing that her people didn’t have enough bread, “Then let them eat cake.” Murdered by Charlotte Corday in his bathtub.
The “October Days”
Started October 5, 1789. Fearsome fish ladies from the marketplaces marched to Versailles and took up arms, demanding bread, ratification of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, and eventually Marie’s head due to Marat’s statement, “Let them eat cake.” Wins the bread and ratification and ends up taking the royal family back to Paris.
National Constituent Assembly and its preferred form of Govt
Born from the National Assembly, the name change due to its purpose of creating a constitution. Desired a constitutional monarchy founded on rational/enlightened principles.
Declaration of the Rights of Women
Written by Olympe de Gouges in 1791. Addressed the Queen (Marie Antoinette) hoping that the Queen could give the women of France a voice. Called for equality in married, education for women, right the own property and citizenship. Stated that women’s participation was vital to the success of the revolution and such success could only be guaranteed with citizenship.
Examples of economic reforms during the Reconstruction of France
Deregulation of trade (especially trade); establishment of the metric system; the Chapelier Law that forbade workers’ unions and trade unions which discouraged economic growth by protecting and claiming exclusive trade skills, commodity production and wages
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy
July 1790. Placed French Catholic church under state control, stripped bishoprics from 135 in France to 83 (one for each department), set up clergy elections to be from the people, clergy’s salaries now paid by the government, and required an oath of loyalty. Those who took the oath were known as “jurying” clergy where those who didn’t were known as “refractory.” The constitution was condemned by Pope Pious the VI. This made people choose between the revolution and the church.
Roman Catholic Church’s view of the Revolution
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy angered the church. Pope Pious VI condemned the constitution as well as The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. This marked the beginning of a Roman Catholic offensive stance against the revolution and liberalism as a whole.
èmigrès
Roughly around 16000 people, mostly aristocracy. Fled France during the Revolution, mainly to England, Austria, and the Netherlands. Claimed that the liberal revolution was akin to a disease (hence becoming known as “The French Plague”) and it was the in best interest to keep in it France or else it would the rest of Europe would erupt into chaos.
Facts about the Sans Culottes and their goals and methods
“Without breeches.” Sought immediate relief from food shortages and rising prices through price control. Resented social inequalities. Advocated a community of small property owner participating in a political nation (put community over the individual, like Rousseau). Anti-monarchical and strongly republican.
The September Massacres
Paris commune executed about 1200 people, mostly peasants (counter-revolutionaries and pro-royalists)
Challenges facing the French revolutionary government by 1793
Internal division, as highlighted by the Vendee Revolt
The Declaration of Pilnitz
Leopold II and Frederick William II say that if the royal family is harmed, Prussia and Austria will militarily intervene to restore French absolute monarchy. Taken very seriously by the revolution and would lead the revolution off its traditional path.
Countries at war w/ France by 1793
Austria, Prussia, Holland, Great Britain, Spain, and Sardinia
Levee en masse
Military requisition on the entire population
Ways in which the French Republic attempted to achieve a “Republic of Virtue”
Repression of women, dechristianization and Revolutionary Tribunals (courts which were instituted in Paris by the Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders, and eventually became one of the most powerful engines of the Reign of Terror)
Values important to the Republic of Virtue
Rousseauian. Upheld the public interests over the private good or general will over individual interests
The Committee of Public Safety and its purpose
Carried out the politics of the Terror in the name of “public goo.” 12-member executive body. Devout republicans.
Facts about the Reign of Terror
July 1793 - August 1794
Law of 22 Prairial
June 10, 1794. Permitted the revolutionary tribunal to convict suspects without hearing substantial evidence against them
Women’s rights before and after the Revolution
Had less freedom after 1795 than before 1789. The Thermidorian Reaction repealed a law from 1792 that made divorce more equitable for women. The reaction didn’t extend women’s rights or improve their education. France had seen enough social reform – political authorities and the church sought to reestablish separate spheres for men and women and reinstated gender roles to restore family life to what it was pre-revolution.
Edmund Burke’s view of the French Revolution
Believed the reconstruction of French administration was the product of blind rationalism that ignored the historical realities of political development and the concrete complexities of social relations. Predicted further turmoil as those without political experience tried to govern France, the executions of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, and that the revolution would end in military despotism.
