HISTORY (IX)-LESSON-1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (LESSON NOTES)

                                                HISTORY (IX)-LESSON-1

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

(LESSON NOTES)

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v INRODUCTION:

Ø The French Revolution which occurred in 1789, not only end of monarchy in France but established a new system of governance. The basic fundamental of democracies like freedom, equality, The Declaration of the Rights, etc. also emerged from that revolution.

Ø French revolution is not a single incident, but it has a long process which start even before 1789 and exists for many years.

Ø In this lesson we will try to know the different aspects of revolution step by step.

v THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Ø As you know that the French revolution started on July 14, 1789.

Ø On this day the city of Paris was in a state of alarm. Rumours spread that the King would open fire upon the citizens.

Ø People also started gathering started breaking a number of government buildings in search of arms by people’s militia.

Ø The commander of the Bastille was killed in the armed fight and the prisoners were released.

Ø People hated the Bastille as it stood for the despotic power of the king. People protested against the high price of bread. A new chain of events began which led to the execution of the King in France.

v CAUSE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Ø Political cause

§  France was ruled by Louis XVI of Bourbon family from 1774 who was not a good ruler.

§  Although the treasury was empty a lot of money was spent on his marriage with Austrian princess Marie Antoinette. She also misused the money.

§  France was also involved in American war of Independence against Britain which increase the debt around 2 billion Livres.

Ø Social cause

§  French society was divided into three estate on the based of feudal system during old regime (before 1789).

§  These three estates were: -

·      First Estate: -It comprise with all person who were attached with church. They were called as Clergy.

·      Second Estate: - It include all persons who were associated with ruling class. They were called as Nobility.

·      Third Estate: - It comprise the Big businessmen, merchants, court

officials, lawyers, peasants, artisans and servants etc. They comprise the 90% of France population but occupy very less resources.

§  In these three estates, first two estates have some privileges like exemption from paying taxes to the state. The nobles also enjoyed feudal privileges which they extracted form peasants.

Ø Economic cause

§  As we know that the treasury of Barboun empire was empty even than they spent lot of money on war.

§  It increases debt nearly 2 billion Livres (Currency of France) and Lenders, began to charge 10 per cent interest on loans.

§  To cop up this financial loss the king decided to increase the taxes but tax to be paid only by third state.

§  The tax which was collected by the church was known as tithes (1/10 of production). The state collected direct tax which was called as taille and many indirect taxes.

Ø Subsistence crisis

§  It is an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered. This also the cause of French revolution.

§  The population of France increased rapidly but the food production was in limit. So the food prices increased very fast.

§  The wages of laborer’s was fixed in most of the workshop, so they faced many problems to complete their basic need.

§  Drought, hail, food riots etc. led to subsistence crises.

Ø Role of growing middle class:-

§  The peasants and workers participated in revolt but they lack behind due to lack of resources.

§  So, they growing middle class played an important role in the revolution. It included merchants, traders, lawyers, business persons, administrators, clerks, etc., who become wealthy due to trades.

§  They were educated class and believed that no group in society should be privileged by birth. Person’s social position must depend on his merit.

§  These ideas played very important role in the revolution.

Ø Role of philosophers: -

§  This was also the time when many philosophers wrote the books on equality and new ideas, which sparks the revolution.

§  John Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right in his book “Two Treatises of Government”.

§  Jean Jacques Rousseau proposed a new form of government which was based on a social contract between people and their representatives.

§  Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary in his book “The Spirit of the Laws”.

§  The ideas of these philosophers were highly debated and make the way for the French revolution.

Ø Immediate cause: -

§  Finally on 14 July people attacked on the Bastille fort, as it was rumours that king may give order to fire upon people.

§  So, the French revolution started.

 

v THE OUTBREAK OF THE REVOLUTION

Ø System of government in old regime

§  The old regime refers as the time period up to 1789 in France.

§  In old regime the highest institution to take decision was the Estate General, where all three Estates sent their representatives. But it was called only by the king.

§  The voting in the Estates General were conducted according

to the principle that each estate had one vote.

§  Last time it was called in 1614. Now again on 5 may 1789 it was called to increase the taxes.

Ø Estate General meeting in 1789

§  King Louis XVI called a meeting in the hall of Versailles on 5 may 1789 to increases the tax proposal.

§  300 Representatives from the first and second estates were present and the 600 representatives were from third estate. It was represented by its prosperous and educated members.

§  Peasants, artisans and women were denied entry to the assembly. However, their grievances and demands were listed in some 40,000 letters.

§  According to the principle each estate had one vote. But, representatives from the third estate demanded each member would have one vote.

§  The demand was rejected so members of the third estate walked out to protest.

Ø National Assembly: -

§  After protest the representative of third estate declare themselves as National Assembly and assembles in Tennis court on 20 June 1789.

§  They swore not to disperse till a constitution drafted for France that would limit the powers of the monarch.

§  They were led by Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès.

·      Mirabeau was born in a noble family but demanded the end of feudal privilege. He brought out a journal and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds assembled at Versailles.

·      Abbé Sieyès, originally a priest, wrote an influential pamphlet called

‘What is the Third Estate’?

§  While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a

constitution, the rest of France seethed with turmoil.

Ø Revolt in countryside: -

§  While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution, the rest of France seethed with turmoil.

§  Due to the severe winter, bread price rose and people had to spend hours in long queues.

§   Rumours spread that the lords of the manor hired bands of brigands to destroy the ripe crops.

§  At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris. On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.

§  In fear, peasants started looting hoarded grain and burnt down documents containing records of manorial dues. Nobles fled from their homes.

§  Due to the Louis XVI accorded recognition to the National Assembly and accepted the principle that his powers would from now on be checked by a constitution. The Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system of obligations and taxes on 4 August 1789. Tithes were abolished and lands owned by the Church were confiscated.

v FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY

Ø In 1791, The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution which limit the powers of the monarch.

Ø  Now the powers were separated and assigned to different institutions – the legislature, executive and judiciary. France became a constitutional monarchy.

Ø Citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly, but unfortunately, not every citizen had the right to vote.

Ø Men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were entitled to vote. They were called as active citizens.

Ø The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.

Ø The Constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law, were established as ‘natural and inalienable’ rights, that is, they belonged to each human being by birth and could not be taken away.

v FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND BECOMES A REPUBLIC

v REVOLUTIONARY WAR: -

Ø Though king Louis XVI signed the constitution but he entered into secret

negotiations with the King of Prussia. They also made plans to send troops.

Ø But before that in April 1792, the National Assembly voted for a war against Prussia and Austria.

Ø Thousands of volunteers thronged from the provinces to join the army. Marseillaise became the national anthem of France. It was composed by Roget de L’Isle. It got its name because fist time it was sang by the volunteers of Marseilles, who marched toward Paris.

v FORMATION OF CLUBS: -

Ø During the war, women took care of their families.

Ø  Large sections of the population demanded that the revolution had to be carried further, as the Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of society.

Ø So many Political clubs were formed and among them, they discuss government policies and plan their own forms of action.

v JACOBIN CLUB: -

Ø Among the political clubs, Jacobin club became the most successful club. It got its name from the former convent of St. Jacob in Paris. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre.

Ø  The members of the Jacobin club included small shopkeepers, artisans such as shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and daily-wage workers.

Ø To set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of society, Jacobin members started wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by dockworkers. These Jacobins were called the sans-culottes, literally meaning ‘those without knee breeches’.

v REVOLT OF JACOBINS

Ø On August 10 1792, Jacobins stormed the Palace of the Tuileries and held the king hostage for several hours.

Ø Elections were held and all men of 21 years and above got the right to vote.

Ø Newly elected assembly was called as Convention. Monarchy was abolished on 21 September 1792 and France was declared a republic. a republic is a form of government where the people elect the government including the head of the government.

Ø Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason.

v THE REIGN OF TERROR

Ø The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror due to the Robespierre policy of severe control and punishment.

Ø People whom Robespierre saw enemies of the republic were arrested, imprisoned and then tried by a revolutionary tribunal.

Ø If they were declared guilty by the court then they were guillotined. The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded, named after Dr Guillotin.

Ø Laws were issued to place a maximum ceiling on wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed.

Ø Expensive white flour was forbidden to use. Equality was practised through forms of speech and address.

Ø All French men and women were addressed as Citoyen and Citoyenne (Citizen).

Ø Finally, In July 1794, he was convicted by a court arrested and the next day sent to the guillotine.

v A DIRECTORY RULES FRANCE

Ø With the fall of Jacobin government, a new system of Directory rule was established as a safeguard against the concentration of power in a one-man executive as under the Jacobins.

Ø Now the wealthier middle classes to seize power again. According to the new constitution, non-propertied sections of society denied voting.

Ø It provided for two elected legislative councils. The government appointed a Directory, consisting of executives made up of five members.

Ø However, the Directors often clashed with the legislative councils, who then sought to dismiss them. Political instability paved the way for a military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.

v DID WOMEN HAVE A REVOLUTION?

v Condition of women in France: -

Ø Women were active participants from the beginning which brought important changes in the country France.

Ø Women from the third estate had to work for a living, like seamstresses or laundresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the market, or were employed servants etc. They didn’t have access to education or job training.

Ø Only daughters of nobles of the third estate were allowed to study at a convent. Working women also had to care for their families.

Ø Compared to men, their wages were lower.

v Role of women in revolution

Ø Women actively participated in the revolution .They also started their political clubs and newspapers.

Ø The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was one of the most famous women’s clubs.

Ø They demanded equal political rights as men, the right to vote and to hold political office.

Ø But they were disappointed that the Constitution of 1791 reduced them to passive citizens

v Steps taken up by revolutionary Government for women

Ø The revolutionary government introduced laws to improve the lives of women.

Ø Schooling became compulsory, divorce made legal and they could run small businesses.

Ø But during the Reign of Terror, the government closed women’s clubs banning their political activities.

Ø After much struggle, women in France in 1946 won the right to vote.

v THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

v Slavery system

Ø It refers as the selling of human beings like a commodity in the market. It was started in 17^th century.

Ø Slaves were brought from Africa ports of Bordeaux or Nantes through local chieftains, branded and shackled and were packed tightly into ships for the three-month-long voyage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.

Ø Slave labour met the growing demand in European markets for sugar, coffee, and indigo.

Ø Throughout the eighteenth century, there was little criticism of slavery in France.

Ø In 1794, the Convention legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions.

Ø However, after 10 years Napoleon introduced slavery again.

Ø Finally, in 1848, slavery was completely abolished in French colonies.

v THE REVOLUTION AND EVERYDAY LIFE

Ø France during 1789 saw changes in the lives of men, women and children.

Ø Abolition of censorship happened in the summer of 1789.

Ø Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed freedom of speech and expression to be a natural right.

Ø Freedom of press meant opposing views of events could be expressed.

Ø Plays, songs and festive processions attracted large numbers of people.

v MILITARY DICTATORSHIP: -

Ø Though the directory rule established in France but the Directors often clashed with the legislative councils, who then sought to dismiss them.

Ø This Political instability paved the way for a military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Ø Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France, in 1804 and introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.

Ø But soon the Napoleonic armies came to be viewed everywhere as an

Ø invading force. He was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

v CONCLUSION

Ø The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the French Revolution. Colonised peoples reworked on the idea of freedom to create a sovereign nation-state.

Ø Tipu Sultan and Raja Rammohan Roy are two examples of individuals who responded to the ideas coming from revolutionary Franc

FRENCH REVOLUTION
TIME	LEADER	NAME OF GOVERNMENT	INSTITUTION	VOTING POWER
Before 1789	King	Absolute Monarchy (old Regime)	Estate General	Each Estate one vote
1789-1791	Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès	Constitutional Monarchy	National assembly	Active and passive citizens
1792-1793	Maximilian Robespierre	Republic	Convention	All vote above 21 years
1794-1804	-	Directory rule	Two legislative councils	Only rich persons
1804-15	Napoleon Bonaparte	Military dictatorship	Army	Only rich persons