1789 French Revolution

The Estates General
1. meeting of all estates called by the king to make critical decisions
2. Voting methods
  1. voting by head - decisions made by the estates general would be made based on the majority of the vote favoured the 3rd estate who had more deputies
  2. Voting by order - each estate would vote separately on issues however if the !st and 2nd estate voted together they were able to outvote the third
3. In the 1st and 2nd estates all adult men voted for their representative however the 3rd estates deputies were chosen through a complicated system of indirect election
  1. the third estate were too poor to be able to afford to represent themselves therefore their deputies were normally rich and educated middle class, they were unable to acurately stand for the needs of the third estate
Failure of Estates General
1. 3rd estate refused to do anything until other estates joined them
2. 17th June 3rd estate voted 490 to 90 that it should be renamed the national assembly
3. 19th June the clergy voted to join the third estate
4. 20th June 3rd estate said they would never back down until a proper constitution was signed - the Tennis Court Oath
5. King had a seance royale
  1. ended the gabelle and corvee taxes
  2. King lost control, 24th June 1789, 1515 clergy joined 3rd estate and the next day 47 nobles joined
6. King introduces 4000 soldiers - military force- into Paris and a further 16,000 joined them in the following days
  1. The King and his advisers decided to dissolve the National Assembly force if necessary
7. Tennis court oath 20th June
Storming of the Bastille 14th July 1789
1. King had lost control in Paris and A commune was set up
2. Lafayette was the apinted leader of the National Guard
3. Assembly prepared to draw up a constitution without being threatened by the law
4. Louis was unable to depend upon his army to dictate his will
5. news of the storming spread through France and intensified activity amongst the peasants
6. revolt led to the imigration of nobles - 20,000 emigrees
7. The 3rd estate needed ammunition and raided the Bastille to get it
  1. negotiators went to De launay to discuss ammunition
    1. the crowd became impatient and stormed the bastille
      1. Guards opened fire and began to disperse crowd
        Lafayette appears with the national guard in order to help the peasantry overthrow the bastille
        De Launay is beheaded and the King no longer has control
The Great Fear 20th July - 4th August
1. Poor harvest in 1788 caused increase in bread prices
2. Food riots were not new, but developments in Paris meant they were highly prevelent
3. cahiers encouraged the poor to believe the King was about to take action
4. Riots were spreading tithe barns attacked stores of grain pillaged
5. Lords property was ransacked in attempts to find terriers
6. The Great Fear affected most of France and frightened the bourgeoisie and liberal noble assembly
7. 20,000 nobles fled, assembly forced to respond through fear - AUGUST DECREES
August Decrees + Declaration of the Rights of Man 26 August
1. The August Decrees brought and end to the feudal system and the changes introduce were beyond what was demanded by cahiers
2. Consequences: Dismantled the Ancien Regime and all had equal opportunities which benefited the bourgeoisie
  1. Reaction: peasants were pleased but it could quickly be reversed due to widespread fear
3. The DRM condemned the actions of the Ancien regime it stated all en are born equal and freedom of worship, expression and taxation in proportion to needs to own property
  1. Consequences: Inspiration to Liberals throughout Europe and signified an end to the Ancien Regime
    1. Reaction: King refused to support the Rights of Man and a historian stated it sounded the death knell of the Ancien Regime while preparing the public for legislations that followed
October Days and the Nationalisation of Church Land - 2nd of Nov
1. King disagreed with decrees so he used a policy of non-cooperation and refused to support the new decrees
  1. Assembly decided the King should have a 'suspensive veto' this gave louis the power to delay laws for up to 4 years excluding financial ones
2. at this stage no one was considering abolishment of the mob=narchy
3. King refused to accept Assembly's decree causing considerable tension
4. Tension heightened and coincided with food shortages that caused women to storm the hotel de ville, 6000/7000 women marched to versatile to demand that the royals return to Paris, 20,000 national guard marched with them
  1. consequences of October Days: King no longer felt in control and was forced to accept decisions, Louis's role became constitutional - he was subject to the law and his people were now citizens, moderate deputies distrusted the crowd but had to follow the popularity of the movement.
5. 2nd of Nov church property was at the disposal of the nation
  1. state helped look after the clergy and the poor
  2. Assignat bonds sold and issued to settle debts and purchase goods
  3. Consequences: 400 million livers raised from sales - improved financial problems
    1. Reactions: refused to officially support the Acts and the King did not share General enthusiasm
WHAT WAS DRIVING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION?
1. SOCIAL REVOLUTION: Upheaval of social classes and the ordering of social class
2. POLITICAL REVOLUTION: Immediate change of who controls the country, shift of power to different groups.
3. ECONOMIC REVOLUTION: change in the resources in society are distributed or managed

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1789 French Revolution

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