CHAPTER- 1 THE FRENCH REVOLUTION POINTS TO REMEMBER ‘* During 18% century French society was divided into Three Estates. First estate comprised of clergy or priests of churches. Second estate comprised of nobility which includes high rank officials and feudal lords. The third estate comprised of rest 90% of population of France which includes peasants, workers, artisans, lower rank court officials, lawyers, landless labour, servants etc. All the taxes were to be paid by third estate while other two enjoyed various privileges and has full authority to impose taxes. ‘* In 1774 Louis XVI ascended the throne of France, Nv. He belongs to the BOURBON family of kings of France. He was married to Marie Antoinette of Austria. Empty treasury due to prolong war’s debt and extravagant lifestyles of his ancestors along with the cost of support to ‘American war of Independence forced him to increase tax to meet the demand. Subsistence crisis, occurred frequently during old regime, added the discontentment among masses. * Middle class, which included- lawyer, teachers, philosophers etc, were educated and questioned the privilege by birth. They dreamt of a society based on equality and proposed their ideas through speeches, books, pamphlets and journals’. In France of old regime king could impose new taxes only in a political body- Estates General where three estates send their representatives. Voting was done on Estate wise, rather than individual members.‘* On5" May 1789 Louis XVI called together the meeting of Estates General to pass new taxes. NV. This time third estates members demanded person-wise voting in ing. King rejected this demand and third estate members walked out the assembly in protest. place of estate-wise v |. On 20" June 1789 they gathered in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. Bad harvest due to severe cold along with king’s order of troops to move into Paris only fuelled the situation. ‘* On 14" July 1789 the agitated crowd stormed the Fort of Bastille, a symbol of tyranny of old regime, and destroyed it, This triggered the chain of revolt across the country. Faced with power of revolting subjects, Louis XVI accorded recognition to the National assembly and agreed to give up his power. (On 4" August 1789 all the feudal system of obligation and taxes were abolished by a decree. Churches’ properties were confiscated and clergy too had to give up all the privileges. The National Assembly drafted the constitution in 1791 and distributed the power in- legislature, executive and judiciary along with one person one vote principle. ‘* However voting was restricted to ACTIVE CITIZEN only. ‘* Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were given the status of active citizen. ‘* Remaining men and all women were cleaned as panive citizen who did not have any political right. ‘* On 10" August 1792 Jacobins planned an insurrection and imprisoned the royal family. ‘* On 21* September 1792 it declared France a Republic.'* Louis XVI was sentenced to death on charge of Treason’ and was publically executed on 21* January 1793. ‘* The Jacobin leader Robespierre ruled ruthlessly from 1793 to 1794 and his reign was known as “Reign of Terror”. ‘* In July 1794 Robespierre was convicted of excessivism and executed on Guillotine. ‘* The fall of Jacobin allowed the wealthier middle class to seize the power and ruled through an Executive, made up of five members, called DIRECTORY from 26" October 1795. ‘* However the frequent clash of directors with legislative council led to political instability. ‘© This paved the way for the rise of military dictatorship under Napoleon Bonaparte who ended directory in 1799 and became the ‘First Council and later crowned himself as—The Emperor of France in 1804. ‘+ Napoleon was defeated in the battle of Waterloo in 1815. ‘© The legacy of freedom, equality and fraternity that emerged out of French revolution remained the inspiring ideals of the following world. © Slavery was finally abolished in 1848 from all the colonies of France. ‘© Women fought their own way to get right to vote in 1946 in France. Ata Glance Social cause Difference in society, discrimination Economic cause: War debt, empty, Weak administration, Causes of French treasury, bad harvest, birth right, poor saluted taxation policies of Louis xvi J Role of philosophers: Immediate cause: \gnited peoples mind, talked against birth Insistence of Louis XVI on Estate wise right, placed a model of administration voting for increase of Taxes in Estate based on liberty, equality, and fraternity. General in 1789