Shubham Pathak

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 FRENCH
REVOLUTION
“The inequality that existed in the
French Society in the Old Regime
became the cause of French
Revolution”. Justify the statement by
giving three suitable examples.
FRENCH SOCIETY DURING
THE LATE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY
❖ 1774- Louis King XVI (Bourbon family)
ascended the throne of France.

❖ At the age of 20 he married Austrian Princess

Marie Antoinette.
 FRANCE’S CONDITION
Drained financial resources of France as it helped 13
American colonies gain their independence from the
common enemy, Britain.

The war added debt of more than 2 billion livres.

Lenders began to charge 10% interest on loans, which

forced French government to spend majority share of the
budget on interests payments.
State was forced to increase taxes to meet its regular
expenses.
 18th Century French Society- A
Society of Estates
1st Estate 2nd Estate 3rd Estate
The Clergy:
The Nobility Everyone Else
People who
worked in the
Church(Priest)
The society of estates was part of the feudal
system that dated back to the middle ages.

90% of the population - Peasants. About 60% of

land owned by nobles, the Church & other
richer members of the third estate

Clergy & nobility, enjoyed certain privileges

by birth. Exempted from paying taxes.

Church too extracted its share of taxes called

tithes from the peasants.

All members of the 3rd estate had to pay

taxes to the state including- taille.
Livre- Unit of currency in France,
discontinued in 1794.

Tithe- A tax levied by the church,

comprising one-tenth of the
agricultural produce.

Taille- Tax to be paid directly to the

state.
 THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
❖ France’s population increased from about 23 million
in 1715 to 28 million in 1789.

❖ Resulting in a rapid increase in demand for foodgrains.

❖ Production did not match the increasing demand. This

led to an increase in bread prices.

❖ Laborers' wages were fixed, but it did not keep pace

with the rising prices.
❖ Gap between the poor and the rich widened.

❖ Situation got worse whenever drought or hail

reduced the harvest.

❖ This led to a subsistence crisis.

Subsistence
Crisis

An extreme
situation where the
basic means of
livelihood are
endangered.
 How does ‘Subsistence
Crisis’ happened?

A. Bad harvest lead to

scarcity of grains

B. Hiked up bread prices

C. Lead to weaker bodies,

diseases, death & food riots

D. All of the Above

 THE GROWING MIDDLE CLASS

1
18th Century
emergence of
middle class

5 2
Ideas given by Earned wealth
philosophers like John through overseas
Locke, Rousseau & trade & manufacturing
Montesquieu. goods

4 3
Ideas of society based Educated & believed that
on freedom & equal laws no class in society
and opportunities for all should be privileged by
became popular. birth.
 Ideas of Philosophers

John Locke- Two Treatises of Government

Rejected doctrine of the divine & absolute
Right of the monarch.

Rousseau- Carried the idea forward,

proposing a form of government based
on a Social Contract between people &
their representatives

Montesquieu- The Spirit of the Laws

Proposed a division of power within the
government between the legislative, the
executive and the judiciary.
 Spread of Ideas
● Ideas of these philosophers were discussed
intensively & spread among people through
books and newspapers.

● News of imposition of further taxes by Louis

XVI generated anger and protest against the
system of privileges.
 Who rejected the doctrine
of divine & absolute right of
monarch?

A. John Locke

B. Rousseau

C. Montesquieu

D. None of the Above

 State the events that led to the
formation of the National Assembly?
THE OUTBREAK OF THE
REVOLUTION
 France Old Regime

Monarch-
No power
to impose
taxes.

Had to
call a
meeting
of Estates
General.
The Estates
General was a
Estates
political body to
General would
which the 3
then pass the
estates sent their
proposal of
representatives.
taxes.
 5 May, 1789:
Louis XVI called
an assembly of
the Estates
First & Second
General
Estates sent 300
Proposal rejected representatives
by the King. each & 600
Members of the representative
third estate from Third
walked out of the estates.
assembly in
protest

The third estate

was represented
They demanded that by its more
voting now be prosperous and
conducted where each educated
member would have members.
one vote.
20 June: Representatives of Third Estates
assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in
the grounds of Versailles.

Declared themselves a National Assembly.

Swore to draft a Constitution for France

that would limit the powers of the
monarch.
They were led by Mirabeau (a noble) &
AbbÈ SieyËs (a priest).

Mirabeau bought our a journal & delivered

powerful speeches to the crowds assembled at
Versailles.

AbbÈ SieyËs, wrote an influential

pamphlet called ‘What is the Third
Estate’?
Condition of Rest of the France
❖ A severe winter had meant a bad
harvest;

❖ Hike in bread price, often bakers

exploited the situation and hoarded
supplies.

❖ After spending hours in long queues at

the bakery, crowds of angry women
stormed into the shops.

❖ At the same time,

the king ordered
troops to move
into Paris.
❖ 14 July - Agitated crowd stormed and destroyed
the Bastille.

❖ In the countryside rumours spread that lord of

the manor hired bands of brigands who were on
their way to destroy the ripe crops.

❖ Castles & state buildings attacked by Peasants.

❖ Looted grain & destroyed documents containing

records of manorial dues.
❖ Louis XVI finally recognized National Assembly.

❖ On 4 August 1789 decree passed abolishing the

feudal system of obligations and taxes.

❖ Members of the clergy too were forced to give

up their privileges.

❖ Tithes were abolished & lands owned by the

Church were confiscated.
 Where did representatives
of Third Estate assembled
on 20 June?

A. Open playground

B. Hall of an indoor Tennis

Court

C. Museum

D. Church
 FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
❖ 1791- Draft of Constitution completed by National
Assembly.

❖ Objective- Limit the powers of the monarch.

❖ Separation of power.
 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

To make laws. POWER

ELECTED Indirectly by active citizens.

A man had to belong to the ELIGIBILITY

highest bracket of taxpayers.
 TWO TYPES OF CITIZENS

Active Citizens
Men above 25 years of
age who paid taxes
equal to at least 3 days
of a labourer’s wage
Passive
Citizens
Remaining
men & all
women
The Constitution began with a Declaration of
the Rights of Man and Citizen

❏ Right to life

❏ Freedom of Speech

❏ Freedom of Opinion

❏ Equality before law

These rights were established as ‘natural &

inalienable rights’- they belonged to each
human being by birth and could not be
taken away.
 According to the 1791
Constitution, the National
Assembly was to be:

A. Directly Elected

B. Indirectly Elected

C. Appointed by the King

D. A Hereditary Body
What was the role of Jacobins during
the French Revolution?
 FRANCE ABOLISHES
MONARCHY & BECOMES A
REPUBLIC
❖ Louis XVI entered into a secret
negotiations with the King of Prussia.

❖ Before King could do anything the

National Assembly voted in April 1792 to
declare war against Prussia and Austria.
 People Reaction to the War

Thousands of volunteers thronged from the

provinces to join the army.

Saw this war as a war of the people against kings

and aristocracies all over Europe.

Patriotic songs were sung, among which

Marseillaise composed by Roget de LíIsle was
sung for the first time by volunteers from
Marseilles.
The Marseillaise is now the
national anthem of France

The revolutionary wars brought

losses and economic difficulties
to the people.
 POLITICAL CLUBS

The Constitution of 1791- Gave political

rights only to the richer sections of
society

Political clubs estd. for those who wished

to discuss government policies & plan
their own forms of action.

Most successful club:

Jacobins.

Women who had been active throughout

too formed their own clubs.
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 Special Class
Timetable
8:00 PM CBSE Class X-
th
17 Sep - Development
Thur

8:00 PM CBSE Class IX-

18th Sep - French Revolution
Fri

7:00 PM 10 Most Important

20th Sep -
Class X CBSE SST
Sun Topics

7:00 PM 10 Most Important

20th Sep -
Class X CBSE SST
Sun Topics