CLASS IX HISTORY

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

(REVISION)
FRANCE BEFORE 1789 – OLD REGIME
FRENCH REVOLUTION – JULY 14, 1789
LOUIS XVI BECOMES KING – 1774
MAJOR IDEAS OF REVOLUTION – LIBERTY, FRATERNITY AND
EQUALITY
 How did the French revolution
start?
THE BASTILLE, FORTRESS-PRISON, WAS
DEMOLISHED BY A GROUP OF SEVERAL
HUNDRED PEOPLE

THE BASTILLE STOOD FOR THE DESPOTIC

POWER OF THE KING

THIS LED TO MORE RIOTING AND FINALLY,

EXECUTION OF THE KING OF FRANCE
 SOCIAL

CAUSES OF
THE FRENCH ECONOMIC
REVOLUTION

POLITICAL
 SOCIAL CAUSES OF FRENCH REVOLUTION

First Estate The Old

The Clergy
(People involved in Regime
matters of Church)
Second Estate
The Nobility
(People with high ranks in State
administration)
Third Estate
1. Big Businessmen, Merchants, Court Officials,
Lawyers
2. Peasants and Artisans
3. Small Peasants, Landless Labourers, Servants
 SOCIAL CAUSES OF FRENCH REVOLUTION
1. Taxes
Paid by – Third estate
Tithe – Paid by Peasants to the Church
Taille – Direct tax to State
Indirect taxes on articles of everyday consumption like
salt or tobacco
2. Population
90% - Peasants
10% - Clergy and Nobility
3. Land
60% owned by Nobility and Clergy
40% owned by Third estate
4. Privileges of Clergy and Nobility
No tax to be paid to State
Nobles could extract feudal dues from peasants
 ECONOMIC CAUSES OF FRENCH REVOLUTION

SUBSISTENCE CRISIS

1715 –
1789 – Production Price of Wages did Gap Draught Struggle to
Rise in
Rise in of grains bread, not rise between and hail survive –
demand
population did not staple diet, with the poor and reduced frequent in
for food
from 23 meet the rose rise in rich harvest at Old
grains
million to demand rapidly food prices widened times Regime
28 million
 POLITICAL CAUSES OF FRENCH REVOLUTION
Before Louis XVI - long years
of war drained the financial
resources of France. King Louis
XVI acquired empty treasury
upon his accession
Cost of maintaining
extravagant court at
palace of Versailles
Under Louis XVI - France
helped 13 American colonies to
gain independence from
Britain, a common enemy. This
war added a debt of a billion
livres to an already existing debt
of more than 2 billion livres
Rise in taxes to meet regular
expenses such as cost of
maintaining an army, the court,
running government offices or
universities
 GROWING MIDDLE CLASS

THE THIRD ESTATE INCLUDED EDUCATED PROFESSIONALS SUCH AS

LAWYERS AND ADMINISTRARTIVE OFFICIALS AND THE MIDDLE CLASS

MIDDLE CLASS – SOCIAL GROUP WHO EARNED THEIR WEALTH EITHER

BY TRADING OVERSEAS OR EXPORTING MANUFACTURED GOODS SUCH
AS SILK TEXTILES

MEANS AND PROGRAMMES LACKED BY PEASANTS AND WORKERS TO

BRING CHANGE IN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ORDER WERE PROVIDED BY
EDUCATED THIRD ESTATE

BELIEF OF EDUCATED THIRD ESTATE - NO GROUP IN SOCIETY SHOULD

BE PRIVILEGED BY BIRTH. A PERSON’S SOCIAL POSITION MUST DEPENT
ON HIS MERIT. THESE IDEAS WERE PUT FORWARD BY PHILOSOPHERS
 MAJOR PHILOSOPHERS

1. JOHN LOCKE
BOOK - TWO TREATISES OF GOVERNMENT
IDEA - REFUTES THE DOCTRINE OF DIVINE AND
ABSOLUTE RIGHT OF MONARCH

2. JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

BOOK – SOCIAL CONTRACT
IDEA – FORM OF GOVERNMENT BASED ON A
SOIAL CONTRACT BETWEEN PEOPLE AND
THEIR REPRESENTATIVES

3. MONTESQUIEU
BOOK – THE SPIRIT OF THE LAWS
IDEA – DIVISION OF POWER WITHIN
GOVERNMENT BETWEEN LEGISLATIVE,
EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL
 OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION
TO INCREASE TAXES KING LOUIS XVI HAD TO CALL
MEETING OF THE ESTATES GENERAL

ESTATES GENERAL –
• POLITICAL BODY TO WHICH THE THREE ESTATES SENT
THEIR REPRESENTATIVES
• CAN BE CALLED FOR MEETING BY KING ONLY
• LAST MEETING CALLED WAS IN 1614

MAY 5, 1789 – KING LOUIS XVI CALLS ASSEMBLY OF THE

ESTATES GENERAL TO PASS PROPOSALS FOR NEW TAXES

REPRESENTATIVES IN ESTATE GENERAL –

300 FIRST ESTATE
300 SECOND ESTATE
600 THIRD ESTATE (ONLY PROSPEROUS AND EDUCATED
MEMBERS)
 OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION
• VOTING IN THE ESTATE GENERAL – EACH ESTATE
HAD ONE VOTE
• KING LOUIS XVI WAS DETERMINED TO CONTINUE
THIS PRACTICE
• MEMBERS OF THE THIRD ESTATE ARGUED FOR
EACH MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY TO HAVE ONE
VOTE
• WHEN REJECTED BY KING LOUIS XVI, THE
MEMBERS OF THE THIRD ESTATE WALKED OUT OF
THE ASSEMBLY IN PROTEST

JUNE 20, 1789 –

• REPRESENTATIVES OF THIRD ESTATE ASSEMBLED
IN THE HALL OF INDOOR TENNIS COURT IN
VERSAILLES AND DECLARED THEMSELVES AS
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
• THEY DEMANDED CONSTITUTION FOR FRANCE
AND LIMITS ON POWER OF THE KING.
• THEY WERE LED BY MIRABEAU AND ABBE SIEYES
 OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION
WHILE THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WAS BUSY DRAFTING THE
CONSTITUTION, THE REST OF FRANCE WAS IN TURMOIL -
• SEVERE WINTER LED TO BAD HARVEST
• PRICES OF BREAD ROSE
• BAKERS EXPLOITED THE SITUATION AND HOARDED SUPPLIES

➢ AFTER SPENDING HOURS IN LONG QUEUES, CROWD OF

ANGRY WOMEN STORMED INTO SHOPS
➢ KING ORDERED TROOPS TO MOVE INTO PARIS
➢ AGITATED CROWD STORMED AND DESTROYED BASTILLE
➢ IN THE COUNTRYSIDE RUMOUR SPREAD THAT THE LORDS OF
THE MANOR WERE ON THEIR WAY TO DESTROY THE RIPE
CROPS THROUGH HIRED BRIGANDS
➢ OUT OF FEAR, PEASANTS SIEZED HOES AND PITCHFORKS
AND ATTACKED CHATEAUX
➢ THEY LOOTED HOARDED GRAINS AND DESTROYED RECORDS
OF MANORIAL DUTIES
➢ LARGE NUMBER OF NOBLES FLED FROM THEIR HOMES
 FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

FACED WITH POWER OF HIS REVOLTING SUBJECTS, KING LOUIS

XVI GRANTED RECOGNITION TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND
ACCEPTED THE PRINCIPLE THAT HIS POWERS WOULD BE
CHECKED BY A CONSTITUTION

AUGUST 4, 1789 –
• NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ABOLOSHED FEUDAL SYSTEM
• PRIVIEGES OF CLERGY WERE ABOLISHED
• TITHES WERE ABOLISHED
• LAND OWNED BY CHURCH WERE CONFISCATED

1791 – NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLETED DRAFT OF

CONSTITUTION
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF CONSTITUTION – LIMIT THE POWERS OF THE
MONARCH. POWER NOW SEPARATED AND ASSIGNED TO
DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS OF LEGISLATURE, EXECUTIVE AND
JUDICIARY
 FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY
CONSTITUTION OF 1791 GAVE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THE POWER TO MAKE
LAWS

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WAS ELECTED BY A GROUP OF ELECTORS

ELECTORS WERE ELECTED BY ACTIVE CITIZENS

ACTIVE CITIZENS – MEN ABOVE THE AGE OF 25 YEARS, WHO PAID TAXES
EQUAL TO AT LEAST THREE DAYS OF A LABOURER’S WAGE
REMAINING POPULATION WERE PASSIVE CITIZENS

THE CONSTITUTION BEGAN WITH A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN

AND CITIZEN. IT ESTABLISHED NATURAL AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS SUCH AS:
• RIGHT TO LIFE
• FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• FREEDOM OF OPINION
• EQUALITY BEFORE LAW

NATURAL AND INALIENABLE RIGHT WERE TO BE PROTECTED BY THE STATE.

EACH HUMAN WAS ENTITLES TO THESE RIGHT BY BIRTH.
 FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND BECOMES A REPUBLIC
KING LOUIS XVI ENTERED INTO SECRET
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KING OF PRUSSIA

WORRIED ABOUT THE SITUATION IN FRACE,

NEIGHBOURING KINGS PLANNED TO SEND TROOPS
TO BRING A STOP TO EVENTS TAKING PLACE SINCE
1789

BEFORE THIS COULD HAPPEN, THE NATIONAL

ASSEMBLY DECLARED WAR AGAINST PRUSSIA AND
AUSTRIA

THIS WAR WAS SEEN AS A WAR OF PEOPLE AGAINST

KINGS AND ARISTROCRATS ALL OVER EUROPE
PATRIOTIC SONG, MARSEILLAISE, COMPOSED BY
POET ROGET de L’Isle, IS NOW THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM OF FRANCE
 FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND BECOMES A REPUBLIC

REVOLUTIONARY WARS BROUGHT LOSSES AND

ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES TO PEOPLE.

WOMEN WERE LEFT WITH THE TASK OF EARNING A

LIVING AND CARING FOR THEIR FAMILIES

CONSTITUTION OF 1791 GAVE POLITICAL RIGHTS

ONLY TO THE RICHER SECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY.
THIS IS WHY LARGE SECTIONS OF THE POPULATION
SUPPORTED THE REVOLUTION

POLITICAL CLUBS – GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WISHED

TO DISCUSS GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND PLAN
THEIR OWN FORM OF ACTION. MOST SUCCESSFUL
OF THESE WAS THE JACOBIAN CLUB
 FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND BECOMES A REPUBLIC

JACOBIAN CLUB –
• ACQUIRED ITS NAME FROM THE FORMER
CONVENT OF SAINT JACOB
• MEMBERS BELONGED TO LESS PROSPEROUS
SECTIONS OF SOCIETY. THEY INCLUDED SMALL
SHOPKEEPERS, ARTISANS, SERVANTS AND DAILY
WAGE WORKERS
• THEIR LEADER WAS MAXIMILIAN RABESPIERRE
• MANY OF THEM DECIDED TO WEAR LONG
STRIPED TROUSERS TO SET THEMSELVES APART
FROM THE FASHIONABLE SECTIONS OF THE
SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY THE NOBLES, WHO WORE
KNEE BREECHES. THEY CAME TO BE KNOWN AS
SANS-CULOTTES. IN ADDITION A RED CAP TO
SYMBOLISE LIBERTY
 FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND BECOMES A REPUBLIC
1792 –

➢ JACOBIANS PLAN REVOLT WITH PEOPLE OF FRANCE BECAUSE OF SHORT

SUPPLIES AND HIGH PRICES OF FOOD
➢ ON AUGUST 10 THEY STORMED THE PALACE OF TUILERIES, MASSACRED THE
KING’S GUARDS AND HELD THE KING HIMSELF HOSTAGE FOR SEVERAL
HOURS
➢ LATER THE ASSEMBLY IMPRISONED THE ROYAL FAMILY
➢ ELECTIONS WERE HELD
➢ ALL MEN ABOVE THE AGE OF 21 HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE, REGARDLESS OF
WEALTH
➢ NEWLY ELECTED ASSEMBLY IS CALLED THE CONVENTION
➢ SEPTEMBER 21, 1792 – THE CONVENTION ABOLISHES THE MONARCHY AND
DECLARES FRANCE A REPUBLIC
➢ LOUIS XVI CHARGED WITH TREASON AND SENTENCED TO DEATH BY COURT
➢ JANUARY 21, 1793 – LOUIS XVI IS PUBLICLY EXECUTED AT Place de la Concorde
➢ SHORTLY AFTERWARDS QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE IS MET WITH THE SAME
FATE
 REIGN OF TERROR
1793 – 1794 IS REFERRED AS THE REIGN OF TERROR

ROBESPIERRE FOLLOWED POLICY OF SEVERE CONTROL AND PUNISHMENT

ANYONE SEEN AS ENEMY OF THE REPUBLIC WAS ARRESTED AND PUNISHED. IF DECLARED GUITY
THEN THEY WERE GUILLOTINED.
GUILLOTINE – DEVICE CONSISTING TWO POLES AND A BLADE WTH WHICH A PERSON IS BEHEADED.
IT IS NAMED AFTER DR GUILLOTINE WHO INVENTED IT

UNDER ROBESPIERRE –
• MAXIMUM CEILING ON WAGES AND PRICES SET
• MEAT AND BREAD RATIONED
• PEASANTS FORCED TO TRANSPORT GRAINS TO CITIES FOR SALE AT FIXED PRICES
• USE OF EXPENSIVE WHILE FLOUR FORBIDDEN
• ALL CITIZENS REQUIRED TO EAT EQUALITY BREAD, LOAF MADE OF WHOLEWHEAT
• EQUALITY SOUGHT THROUGH SPEECH AND ADDRESS; SIR AND MADAM REPLACED BY CITOYEN
AND CITOYENNE (CITIZEN)

ROBESPIERRE WAS ARRESTED AND GUILLOTINED IN 1794

 A DIRECTORY RULES FRANCE
AFTER ROBESPIERRE THE WEALTHIER MIDDLE
CLASS SEIZED POWER

A NEW CONSTITUTION WAS INTRODUCED:

IT DENIED VOTE TO NON-PROPERTIED SECTIONS OF
SOCIETY
TWO LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS WERE ELECTED. THESE
COUNCILS APPOINTED A DIRECTORY.
A DIRECTORY IS AN EXECUTIVE MADE UP OF 5
MEMBERS

DIRECTORS OFTEN CLASHED WITH THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCILS, WHO THEN SOUGHT TO DISMISS THEM

POLITICAL INSTABILITY OF THE DIRECTORY PAVED

WAY FOR RISE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, A
MILITARY DICTATOR
 WOMAN AND FRENCH REVOLUTION
WOMEN WERE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EVENTS THAT
BROUGHT ABOUT SO MANY IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE
FRENCH SOCIETY

MOST OF THE WOMEN OF THE THIRD ESTATE HAD TO WORK

FOR A LIVING.

MOST WOMEN DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATION OR JOB

TRAINING. ONLY DAUGHTERS OF WEALTHIER MEMBERS OF
THIRD ESTATE COULD STUDY AT A CONVENT, AFTER WHICH
THEIR FAMILIES ARRANGED MARRIAGE FOR THEM.
WORKING WOMEN HAD TO ALSO CARE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
WAGES OF WOMEN WERE LOWER THAN THOSE OF MEN

IN ORDER TO DISCUSS AND VOICE THEIR INTERESTS WOMEN

STARTED THEIR OWN POLITICAL CLUBS AND NEWSPAPERS.
THE SOCIETY OF REVOLUTIONARY AND REPUBLICAN WOMEN
WAS THE MOST FAMOUS OF THEM
 WOMAN AND FRENCH REVOLUTION
WOMEN WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE CONSTITUTION OF
1791 REDUCED THEM AS PASSIVE CITIZENS. THE EARLY
YEARS OF THE CONSTITUTION INTRODUCED LAWS TO HELP
IMPROVE WOMEN’S LIVES. THESE INCLUDED COMPULSORY
SCHOOLING FOR ALL GIRLS, MARRIAGE WAS MADE A
CONTRACT THAT WAS TO BE ENTERED FREELY AND
REGISTERED UNDER CIVIL LAW, DIVORCE WAS MADE LEGAL
AND COULD BE APPLIED FOR BY BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
WOMEN COULD TRAIN FOR JOBS AND RUN SMALL
BUSINESSES

UNDER THE REIGN OF TERROR WOMEN’S CLUBS WERE

CLOSED AND THEIR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES WERE BANNED

WOMEN’S MAIN DEMAND WAS FOR SAME POLITICAL RIGHTS

AS MEN. WOMEN WON THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN FRANCE IN
1946
 ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
ONE OF THE MOST REVOLUTIONARY SOCIAL REFORMS OF THE JACOBIAN
REGIME WAS THE ABOLISHION OF SLAVERY IN FRENCH COLONIES

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR ON PLANTATIONS DUE TO RELUCTANCE OF

EUROPEANS TO GO AND WORK IN DISTANT AND UNFAMILIAR LANDS
WAS MET BY A TRIANGULAR SLAVE TRADE BETWEEN EUROPE, AFRICA
AND THE AMERICAS

SLAVE TRADE BEGAN IN 17TH CENTURY AND LED TO ECONOMIC

PROSPERITY OF PORT CITIES LIKE BORDEAUX AND NANTES

THROUGHOUT THE 18TH CENTURY THERE WAS LITTLE CRITICISM OF

SLAVERY IN FRANCE BUT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DID NOT PASS ANY
LAWS BECAUSE OF FEAR OF OPPOSITION FROM BUSINESSMEN

1794 SLAVES WERE FREED IN FRANCE, BUT A DECADE LATER NAPOLEON

REINTRODUCED SLAVERY IN FRANCE

SLAVERY WAS FINALLY ABOLISHED IN FRANCE IN 1848

 FRENCH REVOLUTION AND THE EVERYDAY LIFE
THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENTS TOOK IT UPON
THEMSELVES TO PASS LAWS THAT WOULD TRANSLATE
THE IDEALS OF LIBERTY AND EQUALITY INTO EVERYDAY
PRACTICE.

1789 IMMEDIATELY AFTER STORMING OF BASTILLE –

CENSORSHIP ABOLISHED

SINCE ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE COULD READ AND

WRITE SONGS, PLAYS, FESTIVE PROCESSIONS WERE USED
TO SPREAD, GRASP AND IDENTIFY THE IDEAS OF LIBERTY
AND JUSTICE

INSTANCES OF REVOLUTION ENTERING EVERYDAY LIFE:

PATRIOTIC SONG MARSEILLAISE
MANY JACOBIANS WORE LONG, STRIPED TROUSERS
SIMILAR TO THOSE WORN BY DOCK WORKERS
 FRENCH REVOLUTION AND THE EVERYDAY LIFE

INSTANCES OF REVOLUTION ENTERING EVERYDAY

LIFE:
• PATRIOTIC SONG MARSEILLAISE
• MANY JACOBIANS WORE LONG, STRIPED
TROUSERS SIMILAR TO THOSE WORN BY DOCK
WORKERS. THIS SET THEM APART FROM
FASHIONABLE SECTIONS OF SOCIETY, WHO WORE
KNEE BREECHES. BECAUSE OF THIS THEY WERE
CALLED ‘SANS – CULOTTES’
• THEY ALSO WORE RED CAP THAT SYMBOLISED
LIBERTY
• ALL CITIZENS WERE MADE TO EAT EQUALITY
BREAD UNDER THE REIGN OF TERROR
• FORMS OF SPEECH AND ADDRESS WERE
CHANGED FROM SIR AND MADAM TO CITOYEN
AND CITOYENNE
FRENCH REVOLUTION AND POLITICAL SYMBOLS
FRENCH REVOLUTION POLITICAL SYMBOLS
FRENCH REVOLUTION POLITICAL SYMBOLS
FRENCH REVOLUTION POLITICAL SYMBOLS
 LEGACY OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

THE IDEAS OF LIBERTY AND DEMOCRATIC

RIGHTS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT LEGACY OF
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

THESE IDEAS SPREAD TO THE REST OF EUROPE

DURING THE 19TH CENTURY, WHERE FEUDAL
SYSTEMS WERE ABOLISHED

LATER, THESE IDEAS WERE ADOPTED BY INDIAN

REVOLUTIONARIES SUCH AS TIPU SULTAN AND
RAMMOHAN ROY