•
Major transformation of the
society and a political
system of France, which
lasted from 1789 to 1799.
Phases of the Revolution – Chain of
Events
First Phase
Second Phase
Third Phase
Outcome:
Effects of the
Revolution
Causes of the
Revolution
The Revolution
in Action
The Reign of
Terror
- Short Term
Effects
- Long Term
Effects
1st Phase of the Revolution
Causes of the Revolution
Review – Causes of the French Revolution
1.
Social System
– Estates system = social inequalities
2.
Economic
– Bad Harvests and soaring national debt
3.
New Ideas/ Inspiration
– Enlightenment ideas and American Revolution
4.
Political
– Lack of leadership (Louis XVI (16th) and Marie Antoinette
– *Calling the Estates General causes the 3rd Estate to declare
themselves the National Assembly
1. The King presided over a country which
was divided into “three estates”:
2. Economic factors.
– By 1787 the French government was bankrupt, as the
figures show:
Income
560 million livres
Spending
630 million livres
Total debt
4000 million livres
3. New ideas/ Inspirations
•
Many French businessmen and
professional people began to
question the way the country was
governed.
They were influence by Jean
Jacques Rousseau’s book The Social
Contract.
•
–
•
“Man is born free. No man has any
natural authority over others; force
does not give anyone that right. The
power to make laws belongs to the
people and only to the people”
The American Revolution also
inspired the French
–
The British were thrown out of
America by George Washington’s
armies, which included many
French volunteers.
4. Political Problems
The first stage of the French Revolution 1787-89
• By the 1780’s, many French
people were angry with their
ruler, King Louis XVI, and the
way he ran the country.
– Although the French
government was running out
of money, the king’s nobles
still led a luxurious life and
paid no taxes.
• In August 1788 the
desperate King decided to
call the Estates General (a
gathering of representatives
from all three estates).
2nd Phase of the Revolution
Revolution in Action
The National Assembly
 The National Assembly began on 19 June 1789. Radical nobles
and priests decided that they should draw up a constitution
showing how France was to be governed.

On 20 June the members of this (illegal) Assembly met in the
royal tennis court at Versailles to swear an oath that they would
not leave until the King agreed to the setting up of a national
Assembly.
2. August to September 1789
• On the 4th August 1789 the Assembly passed a law ending all
feudal privileges and unjust taxation.
• There were to be no more church tithes, no feudal dues and
no more private companies keeping part of the taxation.
• Between the 12th -26th August, the Assembly issued the
“Declaration of the Rights of Man”.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
• Activity:
– Read through the 17 Rights listed in The Declaration of the Rights of Man.
– Summarize/ put into your own words the following declarations:
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 17.
– Why do you think the French included these rights in their declaration?
(consider French history to help explain your answer.)
– What enlightenment thinkers are responsible for the ideas in each of these
declarations?
Declaration of Rights
1
2
3
Your Summation/
interpretation
Enlightenment Thinker
responsible for idea in
declaration.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
Declaration of Rights – in
your own words
Why did the French include
this in their Declaration
Enlightenment Thinker responsible
for idea in declaration.
1. All Men are equal and have
rights
Estates system = vast
inequalities in society
Hobbes and Locke: natural
rights
2. gov’t job is to preserve the
natural rights of men
Absolute monarchy in France
protected the king not the
people’s rights
Locke – gov’t should protect
the rights of the people
3. All power belongs to the
people – king or group can’t
make laws or control the
nation (no absolute power)
Absolute monarchs had
complete control – no input
from the people
Montesquieu – people should
have power/ play an active
role in their gov’t
4. All people have the same
rights – b/c everyone has to
follow the same laws
King had been the law of the
land before revolution
Voltaire – all men equal &
defines the natural rights
6. All laws & jobs apply to
everyone – laws created by
the will of the people
Laws and jobs based on social
class before rev.
Rousseau – equality and
argues for a merit based
system
9. Innocent until proven guilty Cruel and unjust legal system
and no torturing
before
Montesquieu – no torture,
fair legal system
10. Freedom of religion expression
Voltaire- freedom of religion
All of France Catholic
The Declaration of the Rights of Man
Declaration of Rights – in
your own words
Why did the French include
this in their Declaration
Enlightenment Thinker responsible
for idea in declaration.
1. All Men are equal and have
rights
Estates system = vast
inequalities in society
Hobbes and Locke: natural
rights
2. The goal of all gov’ts should French gov’t before
be to protect the rights of
Revolution is an absolute
their citizens
monarchy
Locke: gov’t should protect
natural rights
3. The People (citizens) have
the power in gov’t – not a
group or an individual (king)
French gov’t before
Revolution is an absolute
monarchy
*Locke: you can trust the
people (they will do what is
best for the gov’t)
4. People should have
freedoms – law limits
freedoms
King limits freedoms before –
can change over time
Freedoms: Voltaire
Check on freedom - Hobbes
6. Follow laws no matter
social class, representative
gov’t
Estates system don’t get same Rousseau – equal, merit
punishments or jobs
based system
9.People are innocent until
proven guilty – no cruel or
unjust punishments
Torture before the revolution
common – trials not common
Fredrick – no cruel or unusual
punishments
10. Freedom of religion/
expression
No freedom of religion –
everyone Catholic, no
Fredrick – some freedom of
expression (not perfect)
Development of
a uniform civil
law code.
The initial Ideals
of the
Revolution
3rd Phase of the Revolution
The Reign of Terror
"Terror is nought but prompt,
severe, inflexible justice; it is
therefore an emanation of
virtue; it is less a particular
principle than a consequence of
the general principle of
democracy applied to the most
pressing needs of the
fatherland."
Maximillien Robespierre
Address, National Convention,
1794
Why was the king
executed by the
revolutionaries on
21st January 1793?
• On 26th December 1792 the members of the
Convention put the King on trial. The King had
lawyers, but he could not call witnesses.
• He was charged with bankrupting France, that
he was disloyal to the new constitution and
that he was plotting against the Revolution.
Would we (with our modern
judicial system), have considered
this a fair trial?
Why or why not?
ACTIVITIES
Read the texts and answer the questions
Effects of the Revolution:
What were the consequences of the French
Short Term Effects of the revolution? Long Term Effects of the
French Revolution:
French Revolution:
1. Declaration of the Rights
of Man adopted
1. Napoleon gains power
End of old social order, monarchy
has been overthrown, Church is
under state control
2. Formation of national
identity (beginning of
nationalism)
3. Social Reforms
implemented
Religious freedom, educational reform,
end of slavery in colonies…
Establishes reforms:
Napoleonic Code
2. French conquests
spread nationalism and
Revolutionary ideas
3. Congress of Vienna
restores stability to
Europe
Balance of Power
Effects of the Revolution:
What were the consequences of the French
Short Term Effects of the revolution? Long Term Effects of the
French Revolution:
French Revolution:
1. End of old social order,
monarchy has been
overthrown, Church is
under state control
2. Formation of national
identity (beginning of
nationalism)
3. Social Reforms
implemented
- Religious freedom,
educational reform, end of
slavery in colonies
1. Napoleon takes power
*Reforms – Napoleonic
Code, Concordat of 1801,
2. Napoleon’s invasion of
Europe
*Spreads French
Revolution ideas and
nationalism throughout
Europe
3. After fall of Napoleon –
Europe wants peace and
a balance of power
• It was decided that there should be five
directors who would see that laws were
carried out.
• However, the Directory had serious problems
to deal with and by 1798 they had reached a
crisis point…
As things got worse for the Directory in France, one of
the Directors began to look round for a general who
could control France.
• Napoleon seized power.
How?
The long-term effects of the French
Revolution
1. Napoleon quickly
advances through the
military ranks
2. In 1802, Napoleon
made himself consul for
life
3. In 1804 Napoleon announced that he was
now Emperor and, in a ceremony attended by
the Pope, crowned himself.
Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon I and Coronation of the Empress Josephine
Napoleon
4. Napoleon reforms France
and wins support across
class line
5. From 1804 to 1812,
Napoleon creates a vast
French Empire
6. 1812, Napoleon invades
Russia (BIG mistake)
Napoleon
7. 1813, European alliance
defeats Napoleon in the Battle of
the Nations at Leipzig 
Napoleon abdicates 1814 (exiled
on Elba)
8. March 1815, Napoleon returns
to France
9. 100 days later, British &
Prussian forces crushed
Napoleon at Battle of Waterloo
10. Napoleon is forced to go into
exile on St. Helena (guarded by
British troops)
Effects of the Revolution
Napoleon preserves many of
the benefits of the Revolution:
• Feudalism was abolished, the
nobles lost their powers, and the
peasants were given access to
land and the right to pay only
their fair share of taxes.
• The Napoleonic Code Napoleon
is still the basis of the French
legal system
• The Code was also introduced to
other parts of Europe
conquered by napoleon, like
Italy, Spain and some parts of
Germany.
• All adult men (not women) got
to the vote.
• Marriage became a civil
ceremony and divorce was
allowed.
What was the impact of the French Revolution
outside France?
• Other liberal
revolutions
– In Spain, for example,
a pro-liberal and
nationalist revolution
took place in 1812.
– Other Europeans
followed the example
of the Spanish
liberals: Portugal,
Germany and Italy.