FRANCE BECOMES A REPUBLIC


• Although Louis XVIth accepted constitutional monarchy,
he entered into secret alliance Prussia to suppress
revolutionaries.
• National Assembly declared war against Prussia & Austria.
• Men fought war and women took the charge of earning and
looking after the families.
• Political clubs were formed by lower sections of the
society to fight for equal voting rights.
 Jacobin club
• Members of this club were from poor sections like shopkeepers, shoemakers,
printers etc.

• Maximilian Robespierre was their leader.
• Jacobins designed a new dress for themselves which included long striped
trousers and a red cap.
• They came to be known as sans culottes – those without knee breaches.
 End of monarchy


• In 1792 Jacobins fought against high prices of food and shortage of
supplies.
• They attacked the Palace of Tuileries and held the King as hostage.

• Assembly voted to imprison the Royal Family.

• New elections were held.

• All men above age 21 were given the rights to vote.

• New assembly was called ‘ Convention’.

• Convention declared France a Republic.

• The King & the Queen were executed.

 The reign of terror


• The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the ‘Reign of
Terror’.
• Maximilian Robespierre followed the policy of severe control &
punishment.
• All those who opposed him were arrested, tried & executed.

• He controlled the wages & prices

• Meat & Bread were rationed.

• Peasants were forced to sell their grains

to the government at fixed prices.

• The use of expensive white flour was forbidden.
 Rule of ‘directory’


• Robespierre’s reign caused wide spread resentment.

• He was convicted and put to death in 1794.

• Power passed into the hands of wealthy middle class.

• A new constitution provided for two elected legislative

councils which in turn appointed a ‘Directory’
• Directory - executive council made up of five members.

• Directors often clashed with legislative councils.

• The political instability of Directory led to the rise of

Napoleon Bonaparte.
 Napoleon Bonaparte


• In 1804 Napoleon crowned himself as Emperor of France.
• He started conquering neighbouring countries .
• He saw himself as the moderniser of Europe.

• He introduced laws - protection of private property, uniform weight &

measures.
• He reintroduced slavery.

• His armies came to be seen as invading force.

• He was defeated at Waterloo.
• The idea of liberty & democratic rights –

most important legacy of French Revolution.

 Role of women in the French
revolution

• Women were active participants in the events which brought about changes
in the French society.
• Most women did not have access to education & job training.
• Many women started their own political clubs & newspapers.
• Their main demand was equal political rights as men..
• New laws introduced by revolutionary governments to improve the lives of
women
• Schooling was made compulsory for all girls , could not be forced to
marriage, divorce made legal ,marriage was made into a contract .
• Women could now train for jobs but their fight for voting rights continued.
 The abolition of slavery in France


• The slave trade in Europe began in the 17 th century.
• French merchants sailed from ports of Bordeaux or Nantes to the
African coast to buy slaves from local chiefs.
• The slaves were branded & packed tightly into ships for voyage
across Atlantic to the Caribbean.
• They were sold to the plantation owners.
• The Convention in 1794 legislated to free

all slaves in the French overseas possessions.

• 10 years later Napoleon reintroduced slavery
• Slavery was finally abolished in the French colonies in 1848.
 Recap through…

 The Affair of the Necklace (2001) (Movie)