CHAPTER-1

FRENCH REVOLUTION
 outline
Morning 14 july, 1789- paris in
state of alarm
Fortress- prison, bastille stormed
Commander of bastille killed
Prisoners released- only 7 were
there
Bastille hated- as stood for
despotic power of king
Fortress demolished
Stone fragments sold in market
 French society during late 18th
century
1774- louis 16 of bourbon family of
kings- ascended throne of france
20 yrs old. Married to austrian princess
marie antoinette
Found empty treasure.
Long years of war drained financial
resources
Also cost of mainatining extravagent
court at palace of versailles
Under louis 16, france helped- 13
american colonies- gain independence
from common enemy- britain
 War added more than
billion livers to debt
that had already risen
to 2 billion livers
Lenders began charging
10% interest
State forced to increase
taxes
 Only 3rd estate paid taxes
Old regime- used to describe
society and institutions of
france before 1789
Clergy- group of persons
invested with special functions
in church
Tithe- tax levied by church ,
compromising 1/10th of
agricultural produce
Taille- tax to be paid directly to
 Struggle to survive
Population rose from abt 23
million in 1715 to 28 million in
1789
Subsistence crisis
rise in prices
Increase in gap b/w rich and poor
Drought or hail further reduced
harvest
 18th century- emergence of various
social groups, termed middle class-
who earned wealth through
expanding overseas trade & from
manufacture of goods such as
woaollen and silk textiles
In addition to merchants and
manufacturers, the third estate
included professions such as
lawyers or administrative officials
All of these educated
Believed no group in society should
be priviledged by birth
 These ideas envisaging a society
based on freedom and equal laws
and opportunities for all,-put
forward by philosophers such as
John Locke and Jean Jacques
Rousseau.
In his Two Treatises of Government,
Locke sought to refute the doctrine
of the divine and absolute right of
monarch
Rousseau carried idea forward,
proposing a form of government
based on a social contract between
 In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu
proposed a division of power within the
government between the legislative, the
executive and the judiciary.
This model of government was put into force
in USA, after 13colonies declared their
independence from Britain
The American constitution and its guarantee
of individual rights -important example for
political thinkers in France.
Ideas of philiosophers discussed in salons,
coffee-houses
Spread among people through books and
newspapers
Frequently read aloud in public for who
could not read, write
 Outbreak of revolution
Louis 16 had to increase tax to
meet expense
Cant impose it acc to his will alone
Had to call meeting of estate
generals, which would pass
proposal for new taxes
Estate general- political body to
which 3 states sent
representatives
Monarch alone could decide when
to call
Last time in 1614
 5 may 1789- louis 16-called assemnbly of estate
general in a resplendent hall in versailles
1st, 2nd estates- 300 representatives each-
seated in rows facing each other on two sides
600 members of 3rd estate stood back.
Represented by prosperous and educated
members
Peasants, artsans, women denied entry to
assembly
In past each estate- one vote
3rd estated demanded one man one vote
one of the democratic principles put forward by
philosophers like Rousseau in his book The
Social Contract.
Louis rejected. 3rd estate walked out of assembly
 On 20 june, representatives of 3rd estate
assembled in hall of indoor tennis court in
grounds of versailles
Declared themselves a national assembly
Swore not to disperse before drafting
constitution for franch to limit powers of
monarch
Led by mirabeau and abbe sieyes
Mirabeau- born in noble family, but convinced
of need to do away with society of feudal
privileges
Brought out a journal
Delivered powerful speeches to crowds
assembled at versailles
 Abbe sieyes- originally priest- wrote influential
pamphlet called what is 3rd estate?
On other hand , rice in price of bread due to
bad harvest due to severe winter
King ordered troops to move into paris
July 14, crowd stormed bastille
Looted hoarded grain, burnt documents
containing manorial dues

Louis 16 finally accepted that his powers be

checked by constitution
Night of 4 aug, 1789- assembly passed decree
abolishing feudal system of obligation and
taxes
 Members of clergy forced to give up their
privileges
Tithes abolished
Lands owned by church abolished
Thus, govt acquired assets worth at least 2
billion livers
 1791- national assembly completes drafting
of constitution
Powers separated and assigned to
legislature, executive , judiciary
France now constitutional monarchy
 Men above 25 yrs paying tax equal to at least
3 days of labourers wage- status of active
citizen i.e. entitled to vote
To qulaify as electors and then member of
national assembly- belong to highest bracket
of taxpayers
Constitution began with declaration of rights
of man and citizen
Rights such as right to life, freedom of
speech, freedom of opinion, equlaity before
law- natural and inalienable rights-i.e.
belonged to each human by birth- could not
be taken away
Duty of state to protect natural rights of
citizens
 France abolished monarchy and
become republic
Louis16 entered into secret negotiation with
king of prussia
Neighbouring country rulers also worried.
planned to send troops
Before this cpould happen, in april 1792,
national assembly declared war against
prussia and austria
Volunteers came to join army.saw it war of
people against kings and aristrocracies all
over europe
 Marseillaise composed by poet roget de LIsle-
one of patriotic song
sung for the first time by volunteers from
Marseilles as they marched into Paris and so
got its name
Now national anthem of France
Men fighting work, women earning living and
looking after families
Political clubs- imp rallying point for people to
discuss govt policies and plan actions
Jacobins- most successful of these clubs
Got name from former convent of st jacob in
paris
Women too active. Formed their own club
 Jacobin club
Members mainly from less prosperous
sections of society such as small
shopkeepers, artisans such as
shoemakers, pastry- cooks, watch
makers, printers, servants, daily wage
workerss
Leader maximilian robespierre
Large group among them decided to
wear long stripped trousers similar to
dock workers, unlike knee breaches from
section such as nobles to oppose them
 Jacobins- cam eto be known as sans-culottes-
those without knee breeches
Also wore red cap- symbolised liberty
Women not allowed to do so
1792 summer- planned an insurrection of a
large number of Parisians who were angered
by the short supplies and high prices of food
10 august morning- stormed palace of
tuileries- massacred kings guard- held king
as hostage for several hours
Later, assembly voted to imprison royal
fmaily
Elections held
All men got right to vote
 The newly elected assembly was called the
Convention
21 sept, 1792- abloished monarchy- declared
france a republic
21 jan 1793- louis 16 executed publicly at
place de la concorde
Queen marie antoinette met same fate shortly
 Reign of terror(1793-94)
Robespierre followed policy of severe control
and punshminent
Those seen as enemies of republic by him- ex
nobles, clergy, other political party memebrs,
his party members who did not agree with his
methods- arrested, imprisioned, tried by
revolutionary tribunal
If found guilty by court- guillotined
His govt issued laws placing max ceiling on
wages and prices
Meat and bread rationed
Peasants forced to transport grain to cities and
sell to govt at fixed prices
 Use of more expensive white flour forbidden
Instead of traditional monsieur(sir) and
madame(madam), cityon and citoyenne
(citizen )
Churches shut down and converted into
barracks or offices
Robespierre- convicted by court in july 1794-
arrested next day , sent to guillotine
 Fall of jacobin allowed wealthier middle
classes to seize power
New constituion denied non- propertied
sections the right to vote
Provided for 2 elected legislative councils
These then appointed driectory- executive
made of 5 members
Meant as safeguard of power in one hand
But, directors often clashed with legislative
councils, who sought to dismiss them
This political instability of directory- allowed
rise of military dictator, napoleonn bonaparte
 Did women have
revolution?
Women too active thinking their involvement
would pressurise govt to improve their life
Most of them lacked access to education
Started their own political cubs and
newspapers
Abt 60 womens club in diff french cities
The society of revolutionary and republican
women most famous of them
Disappointed that constituion of 1791-
reduced them to passive citizens
 Initail years, govt did not introduce laws that
helped improve their lives
Together with state schools creation,
schooling made compulsory for all girls
Fathers could no longer force them into
marriage
Divorce made legal
Women could join train for jobs, become
artisans or run small business
dring the Reign of Terror, the new
government issued laws ordering closure of
womens clubs and banning their political
activities
1946 that women in France won the right to
vote
 Abolition of slavery
Most revolutionary social reform of
jacobin regime- abolition of slavery in
french colonies
colonies in the Caribbean - Martinique,
Guadeloupe and San Domingo - imp
suppliers of commodities such as
tobacco, indigo, sugar and coffee
Shortage of labour on plantations due to
relucatnce of suropeans to go and work in
distant and unfamiliar land
 triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa
and the Americas
Began in 17th century
French merchants -sailed from ports of
Bordeaux or Nantes to the African coast,
bought slaves from local chieftains. Branded
and shackled, the slaves packed tightly into
ships for the three-month long voyage across
the Atlantic to the Caribbean
Sold to plantation owners
Made possioble to meet growing demand of
sugar, coffee, indigo in european market
1794- convention legislated to free all sloves
10 yrs later napoleon reintroduced it

 1804- napoleon bonaparte crowned

himself emperor of france
introduced many laws such as the
protection of private property and a
uniform system of weights and measures
provided by the decimal system.
defeated at Waterloo in 1815
Tipu Sultan and Rammohan Roy are two
examples of individuals who responded to
the ideas coming from revolutionary
France.
 Chapter-2,
socialism in europe and russian revolution
Liberals, radicals, conservatives

Liberals- wanted nation that tolerated all

religions
Also opposed uncontrolled power of
dynastic rulers
argued for a representative, elected
parliamentary government, subject to laws
interpreted by a well-trained judiciary that
was independent of rulers and officials
Not democrats
Felt only men with property should vote
 Radicals- wanted a nation with goct based on
majority of countrys populatin
Many supported womens suffragette
movements
Unlike liberals, opposed privileges of great
landowners and welathy factory owners
Disliked conc of property in one hand

Conservatives- opposed to radicals and

liberals
In 18th century, opposwed idea of change
By 19th, accepted some inevitable change but
belived past should be respected, change
thriugh slow process