The French Revolution

Since the beginning of the 18th century, the country's leading

intelligentsia have been criticizing the feudal system and absolute
monarchy. This social ideological movement was called enlightenment.
The French Enlighteners

• Its representatives went down in history under the name "French

Enlighteners of the 18th Century". Prominent representatives of the
Enlighteners were Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot.
Charles Montesquieu

• Montesquieu's ideas were widespread in Europe and

America. Montesquieu considered a constitutional limited
monarchy to be the best form of government. He was the
first to propose the division of power into legislative,
executive and judicial.

• Recall: in which country this idea was implemented first?

Voltaire

• Voltaire called for the limitation of the absolute monarchy, the

weakening of the influence of the church. He was not a supporter of
the revolution. Voltaire believed that the "enlightened monarch"
himself must change the existing outdated order. He demanded the
equality of all before the law, the abolition of all privileges.
• His slogan against the Catholic Church was: “Crush the reptile! But
despite this, Voltaire believed that religion must be preserved for the
black masses. The saying is attributed to him: “If God did not exist, it
would be worth inventing!
• Neither Montesquieu nor Voltaire were supporters of the revolution,
but the ideas spread by them contributed to the strengthening of
revolutionary sentiments.
Encyclopedia

• Jean Jacques Rousseau was born and raised in a family of artisans.

He believed that the people themselves must decide how to govern
the country. Rousseau was the spokesman for the interests,
sentiments of peasants and artisans.
• How did Jean-Jacques Rousseau differ from Montesquieu and
Voltaire?
• Denis Diderot was a writer and philosopher. In 1751, under his
leadership, educators published the "Encyclopedia of Sciences, Arts
and Crafts". Their goal was to explain and systematize scientific
knowledge and advanced ideas of that era. These ideas, which
criticized the feudal order and called for their abolition, were
considered the most advanced ideas of the time.
France on the eve of the revolution.
• At the end of the 18th century, France was defeated by England in the
wars for the colonies. During the seven years' war (1756-1763) she
lost Canada and Bengal.
• Since Louis XVI (1774-1792) who came to power did not have the
ability to rule the state, all state affairs were ruled by his wife, Marie
Antoinette, who was sister of the Austrian emperor.
Taking the Bastille Fortress.
• In July, 1789 the people began an assault on the
Bastille fortress, located in the center of Paris and
which was the mainstay of absolutism. The capture of
the Bastille was the beginning of the French
Revolution.
• The National Assembly, which supported the rebels,
issued a decree abolishing feudal privileges and church
taxes and adopted the "Declaration of the Rights of
Man and Citizen." The declaration was drawn up on
the basis of the United States' Declaration of
Independence.
• The people were considered the only source of power;
citizens were given the rights to freedom of speech,
conscience, press and the right to resist against any
oppression.
• The declaration rejected class privileges and
absolutism. The property was declared inviolable and
sacred.
France becomes Republic. Execution of King

• The king is dethroned. In February 1792 Austria and Prussia formed a coalition * against France. Military operations
began against France. The meeting addressed the people with the appeal "The Motherland is in Danger!" In these
difficult days in the trenches of the French, the anthem, Marseillaise, was born, the author of which was the
engineer captain Rouget de Lille.
• In August 1792, they stormed the royal palace. The Legislative Assembly removed the king from power and arrested
him.
• The monarchy in France was overthrown. France was declared a republic. The Jacobins *, demanded that the king
be brought to justice and punished for his supporters, took a more radical position.
• In January 1793, King Louis XVI was executed. His wife, Marie Antoinette, was executed in the fall.
• How fair was the trial of the king and queen, where the defendants were not provided with protection (advocates)?
________________________________________
• * Coalition - union, unification
• * Jacobins - this is how Robespierre and his supporters were named, as they held their first meetings at the
Monastery of Saint Jacob in Paris.
• Robespierre, Danton and Marat were the activists of this group.
 Jacobin dictatorship and its fall.

•During the Jacobin period (1793-1794), the Convention

adopted a new Constitution.
•The Jacobin government issued a decree on the
complete and irrevocable abolition of feudal taxes and
duties. The peasants became the owners of the land.
•The convention established a military tribunal.
Executions, especially executions of officers who
committed treason against the Motherland, were
carried out by a machine - a guillotine *.
•
• * The guillotine is an instrument for the execution of
the death penalty. The French called it “the national
razor.”
Coup of 9 Thermidor * (July 27).

• The intensification of internal strife among the leaders of the Jacobin

dictatorship weakened it.
• July 27 - Thermidor 9, 1794, the conspirators achieved a decision to
arrest the main persons of the Jacobin government headed by
Robespierre. They were executed the next day.
• The Jacobin revolutionary democratic dictatorship was overthrown.
 Directory.
• In the fall of 1795, the Convention adopted a new Constitution. According to this
Constitution, which retained the republican form of government in France, a
property, age qualification was established for voters *.
• In 1796-1797, under the leadership of the young general Napoleon Bonaparte, a
campaign was made in Italy. Italy was subordinated to France.
• In 1798, N. Bonaparte made a campaign in Egypt.
• In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte set out on a campaign in Syria.
• The dictatorship of the big bourgeoisie. Consulate. During the reign of the Directory,
the internal situation in France was unstable. It was impossible to prevent economic
decline in the country.
• The most worthy candidate for the supporters of the coup was Napoleon Bonaparte.
His services in exile from the country of the interventionists, victorious campaigns in
Italy, Egypt glorified him even more.
Coup of 18 Brumaire *.

• On November 9, 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte, together

with the troops, entered the Legislative Corps and under
his pressure a decision was made to transfer power to
three consuls. The directory was disbanded.
• A military dictatorship of the big bourgeoisie was
established in the country. Power passed into the hands of
three consuls. In reality, the power was in the hands of
Napoleon Bonaparte.
• Brumaire - translated from French means "fog". The name
of the second month of the calendar used at the time