CHY4U West & the World

Legacy: The West & The World Chapter 5 Revolution to Restoration

Political Organization: Monarchy-Republic
- Sept.21, 1792, Leg Assemb. Dissolved, Convention convened: abolished monarchy… beginning of French Republic. Set up in semi circle around president (radicals on left, conservatives on right – birth of political Spectrum). 1793: Louis XVI beheaded. France threatened by internal disagreements, external wars. Girondin opposition condemned to death, erasing opposition to Jacobin rulers.
Revolutionary names & symbols- streets renamed, church names secularized, metric system introduced, many changes
Reign of Terror- leaders in Paris vs. enemies of Revolution. Up to 40000 people died.
Women: some argued that women should be included in new liberty. Yet, revolution put power in hands of middle aged men, no place for women.
Robespierre finally executed July 27, 1794

Revolutionary Wars
- 1792, onward a series of wars that ended with Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.
September Massacres (1792) Jacobins came to power… killed at least 1200, murders were followed by “trials”, known as “mob courts”… judges were the killers.

The Year of Liberty in France
- The Estates-General disagreed… the 3^rd Estate could constantly be outvoted by 1&2. They protested, Louis XVI had the meeting hall locked… On June 20 1789 they swore the Tennis Court Oath (their meeting was held in a tennis court) that stated they were National Assembly of France. Pitted national will against the monarchy.
Storming the Bastille: July 14, 1789… a crowd stormed the Paris state prison (Bastille was a symbol of state oppression)… power was in the streets now.
- in the country, feudalism abolished… equality desired
- people moved the capital from Versailles to France when people protested price of bread: legend says that Marie Antoinette uttered: “no bread, let them eat cake”.
- 1789-1791: Assembly established order & constitution
Mirabeau- represented liberal constitutional monarchy
Robespierre- leader of radical Jacobins: “Republic of Virtue”

On the Eve of the Revolution
- by 1788… Louis XVI almost bankrupt due to support for Am Rev… legislative body of gov. divided into Estates: clergy, nobility, commons & press. Monarchy had to call Estates-General for money due to dire eco situation, the E-G asked for constitutional reforms in return for >taxes. Would be the end of the absolute monarchy.
- 1789 reforms were leading to uncertainty

Social History: Science, Family, Education, Pop Culture
- manners and taste developed, mixed company… salons
- new tech (utensils, the plow, etc) changed life everywhere
- role of women not changed… read Rousseau quote p176
- family life quite primitive. Babies to keep family line, not treated well… gap between child/parent… abuse common
- education becoming more common, but weak…
- pop culture: upper class: salons, music, poetry. Lower classes, blood sports, torturing animals…

Intellectuals & Salons
- among educated… resentment toward absolutist gov’t. American Revolution spurred other uprisings.
- Salons: gave men & women freedom to express ideas. Philosophes shared ideas. Ideas were most important, not status, wealth etc… seen as an important step to creating a middle class.

Before the Revolution
- Prior to the 18^th C, few spoke of social or political equality. Enlightenment ideals set forth by the philosophy of Voltaire, Rousseau, etc… radically altered people’s perceptions of society.
- Rural communities poor and separated from Parisians. Read Hansel & Gretel to get an idea about their plight
- Poverty, Joblessness, high taxes weighed heavily on the growing population. Peasants had to pay taxes to royalty, the seigneur, the priest.. left little for families. New agricultural techniques= less workers, pop displacement.
- Urban communities: feudalism in rural areas… cities were divided between wealthy and very poor.
- France was troubled in the late 1700s: looming nat’l bankruptcy due to support of Am Revolution, poor crops, discontent in cities & countryside… resentment toward Louis XVI.

Two Revolutionary Artists: David & Beethoven
- Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825): he rejected rococo, for more classical styles. Art should teach a lesson, have moral message. Became official painter of Emperor Napoleon.
- Ludwig von Beethoven (1770-1827): was caught up in Revolution, popular in Vienna. In his twenties he started losing his hearing, and eventually became deaf… he fought to overcome his affliction through music.
- Beethoven had worshipped Napoleon and republican ideals, but lost respect when he became Emperor.

Social History: Living the Revolution
- Fashion became significant in revolutionary age. Aristocratic dress shunned, equality must be expressed through fashion, had to wear tri-color badge. Clothing reflected revolutionary spirit.
- Revolution saw increased importance to family life (influenced by words of Rousseau).
- Marriage became secularized, divorce could also be agreed upon by mutual consent.
- Religion was restructured, clergy were elected like other officials…. But maintained importance.

The End of Napoleon: A Search for Order
- Napoleon had been very successful, but end came with weakening of troops in battles against Russia. On April 11 1814 he abdicated, exiled to Elba in the Mediterranean.
- He tried to reform Elba, but in 1815 he snuck back to France and rallied support.
- Congress of Vienna ended Napoleon’s rule. In France, attempts had been made at Restoration of the old order, with Louis XVI’s brother put on throne.
- Napoleon’s final defeat at Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
- Napoleon exiled again, this time on island of St.Helena where he died in 1821. Napoleon has been seen in positive light due to enduring reforms, particularly in education, legal and administrative reforms.
- The Congress of Vienna established international working of Europe, preventing conflict basically until 1914 (WWI).

Redefining the State: Napoleonic Government
- Napoleon took power in France in 1799, coup d’etat. He had returned from Egypt with many ancient treasures including the Rosetta Stone (allowed scholars to decipher hieroglyphics).
- centralized gov’t. Napoleon dominant figure.
Concordat: July 1801 agreed with Pope that Roman Catholicism religion of majority in Fr.
- organized school system, lycee (secondary schools).
-May 1804: becomes Emperor
The Code Napoleon: 1804- reorganized civil law code, legal reforms, laws of the general not local populations. foundation of many legal systems (including Quebec).
Napoleonic Wars: by 1810 map (p.197) of Europe had changed forever. Had many military successes, but idea of continental system failed, just as other attempts of united European hegemony.

The Age of Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
- superhuman in his military and governmental achievements… brought order after revolutionary decade. Born a Corsican, spoke Italian. Educated in France, military… successful, some say brilliant early in career. At 26, became Commander in Chief of French Army (1796). In late 1790s Napoleon led fight against Italy, Austria (many welcomed “French Revolutionaries”… many did not.

After Thermidor: Robespierre’s death on 9 Thermidor (revolutionary calendar) ended most radical phase of gov’t
- relaxing of revolutionary fervour, café’s & churches reopened. 1794-95 harsh winter, food and economy declined… with demise of the Jacobin radicals, came the Directory (more conservative)