French Revolution Notes

What is the French Revolution?

The French Revolution started in 1789, and dethroned the then-existing political
institutions, removed the French Monarchy, and cemented a just, responsible
government. The siege of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 led to the France revolution. It
ended with Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power.

French Society during the late 18th Century

Right after the war in 1774, with Louis XVI ascending the throne, these were the main
traits shaping up French Society during the 18th century.

• Upholding traditional and hierarchical values, French society was divided into
three estates. The first and the highest form of estates consisted of Clergymen,
the second was the Nobles, and the third consisted of common people including
peasants.
• Almost 60% of French land was owned by a small group of clergymen and
nobles. On the other hand, the peasants who were 90% of the entire French
population hardly owned any causing a very distinct difference in the living
standards of these three societies.
• Although the clergymen and nobles sowed 60% of French land, they were
exempted from paying taxes by the king. Only one-third of the entire French
population which comprised the peasant class was required to pay taxes.
• Other than paying land tax to the King, the peasant community also had to pay
feudal dues to the higher classes which added an extra burden to their financial
situation, and many ended up selling their lands to the feudal class.
• The church, which was the highest institution after the King, also levied religious
taxes called ‘tithe’ on the French population. Other than that, the third estate was
also charged with direct taxes called ‘taille’ and indirect taxes on tobacco, salt,
and other such essential commodities.
What Were the Causes of the French Revolution?
. Enlisted are the major reasons for the start of the revolution.

Social Causes
French society was divided into 3 states:

• The first estate consisted of the clergy class. These people were exempted from
paying any taxes.
• The second estate consisted of the nobilities. On top of being exempted from
taxes, they also enjoyed favorable feudal laws and privileges. One of those
privileges was feudal dues extracted from the peasants.
• The third estate consisted of the majority of the population. It comprised big
businessmen, merchants, lawyers, peasants, servants, and laborers. The third
estate was oppressed with Taille taxes levied on essential daily items like salt
and tobacco.

Economic Cause
• An overbearing population rise in France was one of the major causes of the
French Revolution. The population grew from 23 million to 28 million in 1789.
The increment in daily essentials was not met, breaking society.
• The labor class was employed on fixed wages, which remained the same through
the inflation of prices. On top of it, the third estate had to meet three different
taxes and feudal dues.
• All of this led to a subsistence crisis (people couldn’t meet the necessities of
living).

Political Causes
Other than a failing political administration that focused on levying numerous taxes,
these were the main political causes behind the French Revolution:

• 1774 saw the appointment of Louis XVI as the monarch king of France, also
known as the puppet king. He faced an empty treasury, drained through years of
wars. He was manipulated by the queen- Marie Antoniette.
• He was helping his overseas allies gain victory over Britain, their common enemy.
But this drained their resources in an unprecedented manner.
• The heightened money demand to keep up necessities from the government
caused a significant increment in taxes.
The Role of Middle Class
The French Revolution was in major parts due to the rise of another social stratum, the
middle class. The 18th century saw the rise of educated men who had the means to
bring about large-scale changes and get their voices heard. The middle class consisted
of overseas tradesmen, manufacturers, and large-scale business owners. They actively
worked on spreading freedom philosophy and ideas against oppression. In the French
Revolution notes, many political figures have been mentioned. Some of them have been
listed below:

• Charles Montesquieu – A nobleman by birth, he was outspoken against

oppressive policies. He was a lawyer and fought for the division of power inside
the government, against the absolute power of the government.
• Jean Jacques Rousseau – He is also known as the architect of the French
Revolution. He proposed a social contract between people and their
representatives, and if the government is found in violation of this contract, they
had the right to take action against them.
• John Locke – A political thinker that refuted the divine doctrine and worked to
empower the people.

The Outbreak of the French Revolution

Now that you have understood the primary reasons for the revolt, let us now, through
the concise French Revolution notes go through the events that unfolded.

The Struggle to Survive (1780-90)

Right after the war, these were the proceedings that led to outrage in the French
population.

• There was a sudden increase in the French population which led to rapid demand
for food consumption. This started to cause food scarcity in society.
• The production number of essential grains was comparatively less than the
growing population required. Due to this, there were sudden hikes in food prices
and the peasant class could hardly afford it.
• Natural calamities such as drought or hail were also major factors that affected
an already submerging food production level of France.
 • As laborers and peasants were getting paid very low wages during that time, the
standard of living gap between the rich and the poor widened.

A Growing Middle Class Envisages an End to Privileges

Due to the ongoing problems, this is how the middle class started adapting to the
problems in a distraught society.

• With access to education and new ideas, the third estate became aware of their
rights and started participating in revolts against taxes and food scarcity.
• The emergence of new social groups that acted as the pressurizing factors to the
monarchy started to earn a significant amount of wealth through overseas
trading.
• This emerging middle class mostly consisted of lawyers and administrative
officials as social positions started to be categorized through a person’s merit.
• These middle-class societies believed in seditious achievements and not in any
form of privilege by birth.
• With philosophers and political thinkers such as Rosseau and Montesquieu
proposing ideas on social contracts and a new type of government, France
started inclining towards a future that looked less monarchical.

The Outbreak of the Revolution

The beginning of French Revolution started as mentioned below:

• On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI held an assembly to pass proposals for a new form of
taxes which was boycotted by the third estate.
• They found the voting system unfair and swore not to attend any assembly
unless a constitution is drafted limiting the power of the monarchy.
• On the other hand, rumors started spreading amongst the peasant community
that the nobility was hiring bands of brigades to destroy ripe crops in order to
increase the shortage of food production in the market.
• The peasants retaliated by looting stored grains and burning down records of
mortgage payments while the nobilities fled.
• Louis XVI had to accord recognition to the National Assembly to bring an end to
these uprisings
• On 14th August 1789, the National Assembly passed the decree abolishing the
feudal system and unequal tax system.
France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy
After the National Assembly gained recognition and power, the administrative system in
France started to change as follows:

• 1791 was when the national assembly drafted the constitution. It divided the
powers to the judiciary, executive, and legislature, taking away powers from just
one institution.
• An indirect election was used as the method to make laws in the national
assembly.
• Citizens above 25 years of age and tax payees of at least three days of laborer's
wage were termed active citizens allowed to vote.
• Basic rights were ingrained in the constitution. Freedom of speech, freedom of
opinion, equality of law, etc. were some of those rights.

France abolished Monarchy and becomes a Republic

(1792)
Other than France going on a war with Prussia and Austria initiated by the National
Assembly, these were the main proceedings while abolishing the monarchy.

• Louis XVI started secret negotiations with the king of Prussia.

• Neighboring countries wanted to seize the opportunities of the events ongoing
due to the French Revolution. The National assembly declares war on Prussia
and Austria.
• The 1791 constitution gave political rights to the rich section of the public. This
led to a revolt in Paris against the people. Later, the Royal families were
imprisoned, and elections were held.
• The newly elected assembly was termed the Convection. It abolished the
Monarchy in 1792 and made France a republic.

The Reign of Terror

• From 1793 to 1794, Robespierre Convection used strict policies and brutal
punishment to gain effective control.
• All opposers were shut down, imprisoned, or incarcerated.
 • If found guilty, they were mercilessly guillotined in public settings to send a
message.
• Meat and bread were rationed, and peasants suffered losses due to selling at
fixed prices set by the government.

Directory Rules France

• A new constitution abolished voting on non-propertied sections of society.
• It introduced a directory that was elected by two legislative councils.
• The clashing of the directory with the legislative paved the way for the rise of the
Military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
• In 1804, Napoleon seized the reins of France and declared himself Emperor. He
started conquering neighboring nations and established his dominance by
making kingdoms ruling through his family members.
• The feudal system was abolished. Bonaparte saw himself as a modernizer and
introduced private property protection laws and equal weight & measure systems
in decimals.
• Initially hailed as a liberator, his military tactics were soon termed crude,
invading, and violent.
• The battle of Waterloo in 1815 saws his defeat.
Global Impact of the French Revolution
The French Revolution irrevocably altered contemporary history, and many nations drew
inspiration from the philosophies it spawned. The oppressive monarchies were being
challenged by the people everywhere. The French military disseminated the concepts of
liberty and equality all throughout the world over the years. The French were the
dominant force to be reckoned with as they radicalized the 18th-century political and
social systems. The French Revolution put an end to feudalism and paved the way for
future improvements in individual liberties, democratic values, and life equality.

Conclusion
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.
Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The ideas of liberty and
democratic rights were the most important legacy of the French Revolution
Colonized peoples reworked the idea of freedom to create a sovereign
nation-state.