UNIT 2: THE BOURGEOIS

REVOLUTIONS AND THE

SPANISH WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE.
 INTRODUCTIO
N.

AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
FRENCH REVOLUTION.
BOURGEOIS REVOLUTIONS.

TRIGGER OF A NEW ERA: CONTEMPORARY AGE.

 1.- THE AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE:
THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITES STATES (1775-1783).

CAUSES:
- Ideological: Influence of the Enlightenment in the English colonists, who aspired
to political representation and separation of power.
- Political: Refuse to allow the colonies to take part in Parliament by Great Britain.
- Economic/social:
* Increase of taxes to American colonies by the British mother country.
* Desire of free trade by colonial bourgeoisie.
- TRIGGER: 1773: Boston Tea Party (Clash between colonists and English army).
DEVELOPMENT:
1st stage:
- 1776, July 4th: Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen American
Colonies.
2nd stage:
- Clash between the American Army (led by George Washington) supported
by France and Spain, against the British Army.
- 1783: Treaty of Versailles. Peace: Recognition of the Independence of the
Thirteen American Colonies: The United States of America.
CONSEQUENCES:

- Independence of the USA.

- Constitution of 1787:
· Popular sovereignty.
. Separation of power.
· Federal Republic.
. Rights of citizens (freedom and equal rights).
- Application of the Enlightened principles.
- Influences in later European and Hispano-American revolutions.
2.- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
2.1.- CAUSES OF THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION.
- Influence of the Enlightenment: Freedom and equality before the law.
- Economic crisis:
Excessive Courts spending, wars, bad harvests and increase of prices (bread).

Establishment of a new tax (proportional to incomes for all).

- Social crisis: Priveleged: Try to keep their incomes.
Third estate: Poor, hunger.
- Political crisis: Refuse of privileged to pay taxes.
Claim to call the Estates General.
 THE ESTATES GENERAL.

- Assembly of medieval origin with representatives of three estates (nobility, clergy and commons):
last meeting in 1614.
- Elaboration of requests (Lists of complaints, “The cahiers de doléances”) for estate :
• Privileged: Constitutional monarchy and periodic meeting of the Estates General to support
their privileges.
• Bourgeoisie: Constitutional monarchy (based on the equality of rights and the suppression of
the privileges for nobility and clergy), and the periodic meeting of the General States, but
voting per head and not per estate.
• Peasants: reduction of taxes and suppression of feudal rights.
• Meeting of the General States: 1789, May 5th: Refuse of all the requests by the King (Absolute
monarch).
 2.2.- PHASES OF THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION.
MONARCHY REPUBLIC EMPIRE

ESTATES GENERAL (1789) CONVENTION (1792-1795).

* Girondin Convention (September, 1792). THE EMPIRE
* Jacobin (June, 1793). (1804-1815)
* Thermidorian (July, 1794).

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (1789) DIRECTORY

(1795-
1799)
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY (1789-1791)
CONSULAT
E (1799-
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (1791-1792) 1804)
2.2.1.- The revolt of the privileged and the National Assembly.

Financial French crisis Establishment of a new tax.

Background Refuse of the nobility to lose its privileges.
Summons of the Estates General in 1788 by Louis
XVI.

* Deputies of the Third estate toughened their positions (led by Sieyès) and proclaimed themselves as the
National Assembly (June, 17th) and shut in the Tennis Court.
The Oath of the Tennis Court
(They swore not to go out up to give a constitution for France).

Popular revolts: assault and capture of the Bastille (July, 14th) in 1789.
Urgent measure of urgency: abolition of feudal rights and the tithe (August 4th).
2.2.2.- The Constituent Assembly.
* The fall of the Ancient Regime forced to the elaboration of a constitution that regulated the relations of the state and citizens.
* Constituent Assembly composition: monarchics, jacobins and girondins.
• Previous measures:
+ Declaration of the rights of the man and of the citizen (August 26th, 1789):
Freedom and equality as natural principles of the man.
National sovereignty.
Separation of power.
* Constitution of 1791 New Regime.
Political characteristics:
- Constitutional Monarchy.
-- National sovereignty.
Separation of power: + Executive: King.
+ Legislative: Assembly (one chamber chosen by censitary suffrage: older than 25-year-
old males who pay a quantity equal or higher to three days of work).
+ Judicial: Judges chosen by the state with temporary character.
- Administrative decentralization (83 departments divided in districts and cantons).
- Establishment of pure economic liberalism.
- Nationalization of the goods of the Church, suppression of religious orders and establishment of the civil constitution of
the clergy.
* Dissolution of the Constituent Assembly and summons of first legislative elections (September 30th, 1791).
2.2.3.- The Legislative Assembly.

* Problems: Bad harvest of 1791.

Popular dissatisfaction in the field.
Threat of the duke of Brunswick of destroying Paris if any violent action was
exercised against Luis XVI.

*Popular insurrection (August 10th, 1792).

Assault to the Tuileries Palace (headquarters of the Assembly).
Imprisonment of the king and his family, and formation of a revolutionary government:
the Commune.

* The war turned the revolution into a national reason. The foreign armies were rejected and the
Assembly voted for the suspension of the royal authority and the summons of a new Assembly: the
Convention.
2.2.4.- The National Convention.

- First Convention meeting (September 20th, 1792).

- Composition: + Girondins (right side): Reject a violent revolution, but support the exterior war.
+ Montagnards (jacobins and cordeliers: left side): support to revolutionary
principles (sans-culottes joining) but not exterior war to consolidate the
revolution in France. Leaders: Robespierre, Danton, Marat and Saint Just (terror).

+ “The plain” or “The marsh“ (center): support to

Girondins.
2.2.4.- THE NATIONAL CONVENTION PHASES.

The Girondin Convention (September 20th, 1792-June 2nd, 1793).

The Montagnard Convention (June 2nd, 1793-July 27th, 1794).

The Thermidorian Convention (July 27th, 1794 – October, 1795).

2.2.4.1.-The Girondin Convention (September 20th,in 1792-June 2nd, in 1793).

- Abolition of monarchy and proclamation of the Republic (September 22nd, 1792).

- Creation of a Committee of Public Safety. Execution of Luis XVI (January 21st, 1793).

- War exterior intensification: First Coalition (England, Austria, Prussia, Spain and Sardinia) against
France.

- Clash between Girondins and Montagnards and more economic problems (crisis).

- Sans-culottes assault of the Convention supported by the most radical Montagnards (May 31st,
1793): Arrest of the main Girondin leaders.
2.2.4.2.- The Montagnard Convention (June 2nd, 1793-July 27th, 1794).

- Constitution of year I (1793) (Democratic and not-born):

+ Sovereignty: Assembly chosen by universal masculine suffrage.
Council of Government.
+ State: promote the common good, social reforms and referendum on questions of national importance.

- Provisional Revolutionary Government (during the war). Special regime of war:

+ Centralization and provisional suspension of all the freedoms.
+ Composition: assemblies and committees dependent on the Convention (Committee of Public Safety, Committee of
General Security, Committees of Vigilance, Revolutionary Court,…) and directed by Robespierre.
+ Elaboration of laws by Robespierre: “Epoch of the Terror":
* Suspects' Law (against any counter-revolutionary behaviours).
* Law of General Maximums (State economic interventionism: prices, products and wages).
* Army recruiting Recruited (young people between 18 and 25 years).
* Policy of dechristianization of the state, and substitution of religion for reason.
+ Establishment of a new calendar (October, 1793).
1st of the year 1 of the French Republic on September 22nd, 1792. 12 months of 30 days with five days of revolutionary
holidays.

- Antipathies towards the revolution, the republicanism and the Convention.

- The most radical stopped the support: Robespierre's proscription and death, 9th of thermidor of the year 2 (July 27th, 1794).
2.2.4.3.- The Thermidorian Convention (July 27th, 1794 – October, 1795).

- Robespierre's fall: victory of middle class and liberal principles, closing of Jacobin clubs and administrative
decentralization (Girondins positions).

- Constitution 1795 (year 3, September):

+ Bourgeois republic.
+ Division of power
+ Judge independence.
+ Legislative (two chambers in hands of a Directory of five members):
Council of the Five hundred.
Elders' Council.
+ Universal suffrage (except not taxpayers).

- Internal revolts (opposite sign: sans-culottes and royalists).

- Exterior: War against the First Coalition continued. France invaded Belgium and Holland (Batavian
Republic), expelled the Prussians beyond the Rhine and penetrated in Navarre and Catalonia.
Peace with Prussia and Spain.
2.2.5.- The Directory.

Problems:
- Interior: + Political Jacobin opposition (trying to restore the popular sovereignty by the violence).
+ Royalists (wish of restoring Bourbon monarchy with Luis XVII (military coup of fructidor,
September, 4th, in 1797).

- War against Austria and England continued.

Exterior: Victories in Italy (Napoleon Bonaparte): provisional peace with Austria.
War against England continued (Russia and Turkey joined now): Second Coalition
(Later, Austria again).

- Differences inside the Directory, fear of new revolts and a series of defeats in the war would end in the
brumaire 18th coup d’état (November 9th, 1799).
2.2.6.- The Consulate.

- Executive power: 3 consuls: Napoleon, Sieyès and Ducos.

- End of the liberal republic.

- Increase of power and attributions by Napoleon:

+ Suppression of the constitutional regime and separation of power.
+ Personal and authoritarian government: reform, paralysation of political
revolutionary social reforms based on participation of the
citizens.

- Trying to re-establish the internal and foreign order.

- New Civil Code (justice organization),

- Concordat with the Church (Rome): Recognition of the Catholic religion as the majority one by Napoleon and
compromise to clergy maintenance. In exchange. Pope’s recognition of the Republic of France and sale of
ecclesiastic goods amortized by the Revolution.
- Exterior: War (favourable turn).
Peace with Austria and England (Napoleon: great peacemaker).
- Napoleon: Life consul (referendum, 1802).
Hereditary emperor (referendum, 1804).
- Consulate: Empire (Napoleon I, emperor of the Frenchmen).
2.2.7.- THE NAPOLEONIC EMPIRE.

- Napoleon Bonaparte’s victories in Italy against Second Coalition (Great Britain,

Austria, Turkey and Russia): glory and acclaim as a hero.

- Conservatives fear to Jacobins: Brumaire 18th coup d'état (November, 9th) in 1799:
Napoleon finished with the Directory and established the Consulate (3 consuls,
with Napoleon as principal consul).

- Concentration of power in hands of Napoleon: Life consul (1802) and emperor

(1804).
2.2.7.- THE NAPOLEONIC EMPIRE.

Napoleonic Empire characteristics:

- Rely on the army (revolutionary spirit).
- Achievements:

+ Domestic policy: Civil Code (1804): individual freedom, private property and equality of all the citizens.
Educational system reform.
Penal Code reform (less freedoms).

+ Foreign policy: Concordat with the Holy See (1801).

Extension of the Empire through whole Europe: Austria (Austerlitz, 1805), Prussia
(Jena, 1806) and Russia, but not the United Kingdom (continental blockade: access to
the European ports not allowed.
- Failure of the Napoleonic troops: Battle of Leipzig, 1813.
- Coalition entry in France in 1814.
- Napoleon was exiled to the Elba Island (April 11th , 1814)
- Return to re-establishing the Ancient Regime (Empire of Hundred Days): Defeat of Waterloo's battle (1815).
- Napoleon’s death: May 5th, 1821 in the island of Holy Elena.
- Restoration of monarchy in France: Louis XVIII.
2.3.- CONSEQUENCES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION:

- Abolition of the Ancient Regime and victory of political principles of liberalism.

- National sovereignty in all the citizens.
- Constitutions.
- New revolutionary waves in 1820, 1830 and 1848 spread over Europe.
- Victory of the nationalist movements.
- Congress of Vienna.
- Wars in Latin America for independence.
 3.- SPAIN DURING THE REIGN OF CHARLES IV AND THE SPANISH WAR OF
INDEPENDENCE.
3.1.-CHARLES IV (1788-1808):
- Secretaries:
* Floridablanca: Enmity with France.

* Aranda: Neutral.

* Godoy:

+ War of Spain against the Convention (due to the execution of Louis XVI): First Coalition.
Peace of Basel (1795): Family Compacts.
+ Spain joins France in the continental blockade against Great Britain (San Ildefonso's Agreements).
Defeat of Trafalgar (1805).
+ Fontainebleau Treaty (1807): Invasion of Portugal.
+ Aranjuez riot (March, 1808): Opposition to Godoy and the French invasion.
Charles IV abdicates in his son, Ferdinand VII.
+ Abdications of Bayonne: Joseph I, king of Spain.
3.2.- THE SPANISH WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1808-1814):
* Background: - Aranjuez Riot.
- Abdications of Bayonne.
- Uprising of May 2, 1808 (Madrid):
Opposite to the invader.

* Constitution of Provincial Board and Central Board. (Floridablanca).

• PHASES:

- 1st: June - September, 1808: Spanish–British successes (Bailén) opposite to the French army,
who moves back after the line of the Ebre river.
- 2nd: November 1808- January 1809: French successes with Napoleon's Grande Armée.

- 3rd: February 1809-1812: French control (except Cadiz). The guerrilla warfare arises.

- 4th: 1812-1814: Weakening of the French army (because of campaigns in Russia).

Anglo-Luso-Spanish offensive (Victories: Arapiles, Vitoria, San Marcial).
Joseph I left Spain. Treaty of Valençay.
Ferdinand VII returned to Spain, recognised as king for Napoleon.
3.2.1.- THE COURTS OF CADIZ AND THE CONSTITUTION OF 1812.
THE COURTS OF CADIZ.
- Formation of Provincial Boards: Central Board (Floridablanca).
Seville - Cadiz (protected by the British).
- Summoning to Spanish Parliament:
Representatives:
+ Representatives of the
Enlightened nobility and
intellectual liberal ones: End
of the Ancient Regime.
+ Representatives of the
Absolutism. Return of the
king and the previous
government.
- Functions:

+ To write the Constitution

of 1812.
+ Legislative Development.
Liberal revolution:
THE CONSTITUTION OF 1812 (March, 19TH).
Principles:
- National Sovereignty.
- Division of power:
Legislative: unicameral: Spanish Parliament.
Executive: King.
Judicial: Courts of Justice.
- Recognition of individual rights.
- Recognition of the Catholicism as official
religion.
- Censitary suffrage (wide).
- Creation of national militias.
- Territorial reform: Provinces (Civil government
and Deputation).