● Majority of France’s population were peasants. These peasants had to pay:
○ land taxes (taille)
○ federal dues to nobles, church tithes and royal taxes to king agents
○ forced labor
○ many were unhappy with shortage in bread and increase in bread prices
● Louis XIV’s massive spending left tons of public debt
● Cost and finances from the Seven Years’ War created mass debt and drained half of the nation's tax revenue
● French nobles did not have to pay taxes and successfully prevented any reforms on tax system
● Louis XV was a weak ruler and did not know how to rule, making ineffective decisions
● Parlement (high court of Paris) eroded royal power
● Bankruptcy of French government 1789
● Refused support of Assembly of Notables for Louis XIV’s tax reform program forced him to call a meeting of Estates General
First estate: The clergy
● Catholic church owned 20% of land
● French clergy not required to pay direct taxes and gave government 2% of income in return
Second estate: nobility
● 2-4% of population
● Owned 25% of land
Third estate: everyone else
● 95% of population
● Peasant farmers, urban workers, middle class shop keepers, wealthy merchants, successful lawyers, etc.
● hated aristocratic privileges
● Members from 1st and 2nd estate assumed each estate receives one vote – this system was advantageous for them
● Third estate strongly disapproved of this and demanded a meeting of all estates
● King refused and third estate created the National Assembly of France where they met near an indoor tennis court and took oath to stay until a constitution was drafted
● *Marked start of French Revolution
● King Louis XVI had Swiss guards handle angry Paris mobs demanding for lower bread prices
● Symbolistic for the act against royal despotism
● All men were born equal and protected with natural rights to liberty, property, security, resistance to oppression
● Also provided freedom of religion, arbitrary arrest, speech and press, petitioning the government, etc
● Access to have rights to inherit property & divorcement
● No right to vote yet
● Mary Wollstonecraft
○ Wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women – woman are not naturally inferior but equal to men
● Created a constitutional monarchy
● Abolished internal tariff and guilds
● Divided France into 83 departments with elected government officials
● Did not abolish private property
● Did not provide women’s right to vote
● Lower class known as sans-culottes created a violent mob and had up to one thousand priests, bourgeoisies, and aristocrats killed
○ Such a movement sparked the creation of democratic government
○ “Second Revolution”
● Abolished monarchy and established republic for France
● Executed Louis XVI (a tyrant and traitor)
● Foreign invaders and domestic rebellion led the National Convention to establish the Committee of Public Safety led by Robespierre for France defence
● Exercised dictatorial power
● Crushed First Coalition
● Two-house legislature and executive body of five men (The Directory)
● Nov. 9, 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte (general) overthrew Directory and came to power
● Had all power and decision making
● Attempt to restore order, stimulate prosperity, defeat 2nd Coalition
● Destroyed democracy
● Ruled with enlightened despot concept
● Guarantees rights as a result of French Revolution – it included equality before law, freedom of religion, abolished privileges, protected property rights
● However, it increased marital power
● Established end of government relationship with church
● Napoleon ended political opposition and censored press (loss of individual liberty)
● Declared himself as emperor on December 2, 1804
● His army soon fell apart, was defeated by the Grand Alliance of Great Britain and Prussia and he became exiled
● Legitimacy led to restoration of old order of Vienna
● Balance of power - weakened France
● Quadruple Alliance of England, Austria, Russia, and Prussia preserved conservative order
● Congress of Vienna led to discontent and revolts by liberals and nationalists in Europe Romanticism
● Influenced religion, art (often dramatic), music, philosophy, freedom of thoughts, and actions
● Rejected reasoning and was drawn to emotions and subjective feelings/expression
● Beauty in nature