HISTORY

CHAPTER-1
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
 Continued…..
Revolution:

A Revolution is a sharp
Change made to
Something. The word
comes from the latin
word ‘revolutio’ means
a turned around.
 Storming of Bastille
1. Bastille was the central jail of france,
located in the capital city of France.
2. It was hated by people of France as it was
the symbol of despotic rule of king.
3. It was attacked by people’s militia
including craftsmen, peasants,women etc
on 14th July 1789.
4. They hoped to find hoarded ammunition.
5. In armed fight prisoners in Bastille were
released.
 Continued…
6. The fortress was demolished and its stone
fragments were sold in the markets to all those
who wished to keep a souvenir of its destruction.

7. The days after 14th July saw more riots in Paris

and the countryside.

8. People were protesting against the high price of

bread.

9. Historians saw all this time as the beginning of

a chain of events that led to the execution of the
king in France.

10. These events continued for couple of years

and granted Equality , Liberty and justice to all.
 Louis XVI ; The king of France at the time of Revolution
1. Louis XVI ascended the throne of France in
year 1774.

2. He belonged to bourbon Family and was a

despotic king unlike his ancestors.

3. He was married to an Austrian Princess Marie

Antoinette at the age of 20 years.

4. He lived in an immense palace of Versailles

and was enjoying pleasure of life with his wife.
Marie
5. He was executed by convention government Antoinette Louis
in year 1793 on the charges of treason. XVI
 French Society during the Late Eighteenth Century
Political Condition: 1. Louis XVI a weak
ruler of his time.

2. Believed in Absolute Monarchism and ruled

as a representative of God.

3. Lack of effective parliament.

4. Interference of Marie Antoinette in

administration.

5. Common people did not have any say in

government
 Social Structure of France in 18th Century
The Society of Estates: During
old regime the french society was divided
into three estates; First, second and third.

First Estate: Clergy or the church officials

were at the top and were exempted from
paying any tax. Even the church was
collecting taxes from the peasants i.e.
‘Tithe’.

3. Second Estate was composed up of

Nobility. They did not have to pay any tax
and were enjoying privileges by birth.
 Continued…..
They were extracting feudal dues from the
peasants. Peasants were obliged to render
services to the lord--to work in his house
and fields--to serve in the army to building
roads.

Third Estate: This estate was comprised

up of big business men, court officials
peasants , artisans ,lawyers and landless
labourers etc. Peasants made up of 90% of
the population but most of them did not
have land to cultivate.
 Continued….
All the members of the third estate had to
pay taxes to the state ( government). These
included direct tax called ‘taille’. and
number of indirect taxes which were levied
on commodities like salt and tobacco etc.

Tithe -- A tax levied Taille : A land

by the church, tax to be paid
comprising 1/10 of directly to the
agricultural produce. state.
 Economic Condition of France
1. Long years of war drained the financial resources
of France.
2. When Louis XVI came on the throne the royal
treasury was empty.
3. Louis XVI helped the thirteen colonies of America
to get independence from Britain which burdened
France with billion livres debt.
4. Lenders began to charge 10% interest on loans
given to government.
5. Government had to meet its regular expenses of
army and court due to this king was forced to
increase taxes.
6. Unlimited expenses of Queen Marie Antoinette.
 The Struggle to Survive / Environmental Causes
1. The population of France rose from 23
million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789.
2. This led to a rapid increase in
foodgrains.
3. Production of grains could not increased
as demanded so the prices of bread rose
high.
4. Workers and labourers wages were fixed
which made them incapable in buying
their food and to feed their family.
5. This widened gap between the poor and
the rich.
 Continued….
6.The survival became worse when hail
and drought reduced harvest and created
shortage of foodgrains.

7. This led to subsistence crisis that

occurred frequently in France.

Subsistence Crisis:
An Extreme situation where
the basic means of livelihood
are endangered .
Intellectual Revolution and The Role of Middle Class
1. The 18th century witnessed the emergence
of new social group termed as middle class.
2. The new social group was comprised up of
lawyers, administrative officials,
educationist and merchants.
3. These people were educated and believed
that no group in society should be
privileged by birth, Rather, a person’s social
position must be depend on his merit.
4. They were envasasing a society based on
freedom and equal laws.
 Continued...
5. During 18th century, the ideas of
philosophers like; John Locke, Jean Jacques
Rousseau and Montesquieu became popular
among masses through newspapers and
books.

6. These ideas were discussed in public

places and frequently read aloud in groups for
illiterates.

7. The news that the king planned to impose

new taxes generated anger and protest against
the system of privileges.
 Philosopher’s Theories and Popular books
Name of the Name of the Book Theme of the Book
Philosophers
John Locke Two Treatises of Refuted the doctrine of the
Government divine and Absolute Right

Jean Social Contract Proposed a form of government

Jacques based on a social contract
between people and their
Rousseau
representatives.

The Spirit of the Proposed division of Power

Montesquiue Laws between legislature, Executive
and Judiciary.
An Extravagant court at the palace of Versailles
Estates General was a legislative body in
France during Old Regime, representing the
three estates i.e. The Clergy , The Nobility
and The common men.
 Convocation of Estates General
❖ On 5th May 1789, Louis XVI called an
Assembly of the Estates General to
pass proposals for new taxes.
❖ The First and the Second Estates sent
300 representatives respectively and
were got seat in rows facing each
other on two sides.
❖ The 600 representatives of the third
Estate had to stand at the back. It was
represented by prosperous and
Educated members and peasants,
Women and craft persons were
denied in this meeting.
❖ They could send their demands which
were listed in 40,000 letters through
their representatives.
 Issue of Democratic Principle of Voting System
➔ Previously voting in the assembly
was done on the basis of One
Estate,One Vote.
➔ Louis XVI, wanted same practice this
time.
➔ But the representatives of Third
Estate demanded voting based on
democratic principles i.e. one
member, one vote,one value.
➔ King rejected their proposal and the
member of the third estate left the
assembly in protest.
 Tennis Court Oath
➔ Representatives of the Third Estate
declared themselves as spokesmen of the
French Nation.
➔ On 20th June, 1789 they assembled in
tennis court of Versailles.
➔ Declared themselves a National Assembly
and swore not to disperse till they would
draft a constitution for France.
➔ Assembly was led by Mirabeau and Abbe
Sieyes.
➔ Mirabeau delivered a powerful speech to
the crowds and Abbe Sieyes wrote a
pamphlet , called ‘What is the Third Estate?
Continued….

I am
Mira
bea
u...

I am Abbe Sieyes……
I wrote; What is the Third
Estate?
 The Spread of the Great Fear
➔ A severe winter in year 1789, led to bad Women’s march on the
harvest and price hiking of bread. street of versailles
➔ Bakers exploited the situation and hoarded
supplies.
➔ Crowds of angry women stormed into the
shops.
➔ The King ordered troops to move into Paris.
➔ On 14th July, agitated crowd attacked and
demolished Bastille.
➔ A rumour spread in villages that bands of
brigands were destroying the ripen crops.
➔ Peasants in many districts attacked
Chateaux.
 Continued….
➔ They looted hoarded grains and burnt
documents containing records of
manorial dues.
➔ Nobles fled from their homes and got
shelter in neighbouring countries.

Chateaux:
A state
Manor :
A Large
residence country
belonging to house with
a king or lands.
nobleman.
 Recognition to National Assembly
➔ Realising the power of the revolting subject, King ➔
granted recognition to the National Assembly.
➔ He himself accepted the that now he would act like
a Constitutional Monarch.
➔ On 4th August 1789, Assembly passed a decree
which abolished the feudal system of obligations
and taxes.
➔ Clergies privileges were taken away from them and
the land owned by them was confiscated.
➔ Tithes were abolished.
➔ Finally Assembly acquired assets worth approx. 2
billion livres.
 The Constitution Drafted by the National Assembly
➔ Draft of the constitution was completed in
1791.
➔ Main objective was to limit the Powers of the
Monarch.
➔ France became a constitutional monarch
country.
➔ Powers of the government were divided into
three institutions; Legislature,Executive and
Judiciary.
➔ Power to make laws for the country was
assigned to the National Assembly.
➔ Citizens were classified as Active citizens and
Passive citizens.
 continued...
➔ The men above 25 years of age and
taxpayers equal to 3 days of labour wage
were entitled for voting. (Active Citizens)
➔ Women and all non taxpayers were denied
to right to vote. (Passive Citizens)
➔ Under Declaration of Rights of Man and
Citizen rights such as Right to life, Right to
Freedom of speech and opinion and Right
to equality before law were granted and
established as ‘Natural or Inalienable’
Rights.
Continued….
Symbolic Meaning and Explanation of Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
 UNIT--3 r c hy
o n a
es M c
o l i sh u b l i
e A b R e p
r a n c e s A
F e co m
n d B
a
 War Against Kings and Aristocrats all over Europe
➔ Louis XVI was entered into secret
negotiations with the king of
Prussia.
➔ The troops of different countries
were in action in france since the
summer of 1789.
➔ The National Assembly voted in
April 1792 to declare war against
Prussia and Austria.
➔ Thousands of volunteers joined
army as they saw this war against
King and Aristocrats.
 Continued…….
➔ Among volunteers the patriotic
song ‘ Marseillaise’ was common.
➔ They sung this first time when they
started their march to Paris.
➔ It is now their National Anthem and
was composed by the the poet,
Roget de L'Isle.
 Formation of Jacobin Club
➔ Large section of population wanted to
continue revolution as constitution of
1791 was not completely based on
democratic principles.
➔ During this time Political clubs became
rallying point to discuss government
policies.
➔ The most popular was the Jacobin Club
which got its name from former convent
of St. Jacob in Paris.
➔ The members belong to non-
prosperous section of society.
 Coninued….
➔ Their leader was Maximilien
Robespierre.
➔ They wore long striped trousers unlike
dock workers to proclaim the end of
the power of the nobles who wore
Knee breeches .
➔ Jacobins were known as
Sans-Culottes, meaning those without
Knee breeches. They also wear a Red
phrygian cap, symbolises ‘Liberty’.
Sans-culottes; wearing Striped Nobels; Wearing Knee Breeches
Trousers
 An Insurrection by Jacobins in 1792
➔ Jacobins planned an insurrection
of Parisians who were angered by
the short supply and high prices of
food.
➔ On August 10th they stormed the
Palace of the Tuileries, Killed the
guards of the king and made him
hostage.
➔ The National assembly voted to
imprison the royal family.
 Formation of Convention Government
➔ After the Prison to King and Royal
family Elections were conducted .
➔ In this elections All men of 21 years
and above were given Right to vote.
➔ The New elected assembly was
Known as Convention government.
➔ They passed a decree on 21st
September 1792 and declared France
a republic and abolished Monarchy.
➔ In a trial, Louis XVI was sentenced to
death on the charge of Treason.
 Continued... Execution of Louis XVI
➔ On 21st January 1793 he was executed
at the place ‘de la Concorde’.
➔ The queen was also sentenced to
death shortly after.

Treason: Republic:
A country where
Betrayal of
the head of the
one’s country
country is elected
government.
by the people.
 The Reign of Terror
➔ From 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the
Reign of Terror.
➔ Robespierre was the leader of
convention and followed a policy of
severe control and punishment.
➔ All the enemies of Republic were
arrested, tried and then guillotined.

Guillotin:
A device consisting of two
poles and a blade with which
a person is beheaded.
Reforms / Changes / Policy of Robespierre government
➔ Issued laws placing a maximum
ceiling on wages and prices.
➔ Meat and bread were rationed.
➔ Peasants were forced to sell their
grains in cities at fixed prices set by
the government.
➔ Expensive white flour was forbidden.
➔ All the citizens were addressed as
Citoyen and Citoyenne, instead of
Monsieur and Madame.
➔ Churches were converted into
barracks or office.
 A Directory Rules France
➔ In July,1794 he was convicted, arrested
and sent to guillotine.
➔ After the death of Robespierre, Jacobins
government rule came to an end and the
power was transferred in the hands of
wealthier middle class (Bourgeoisie).
➔ Bourgeoisies introduced new constitution
in which they denied the Right to vote to
Non-propertied section of society.
 Continued….
➔ Made two legislative councils,
then appointed a Directory, an
French Directory
executive of five members.
➔ This was because to safeguard
against the concentration of
power in one man executive.
➔ Ruled from 1795 to 1799.
➔ There were clashes between
directory and legislative councils
which promoted political
instability.
 Continued…. French Consulate:
➔ Finally in 1799 power went into the The government of three
hands of ‘French Consulate’ . consuls from 1799 to 1804.
Napoleon as a head of three
➔ Napoleon Bonaparte became the head took power in his hand.
of the consulate government.

Consul:
An official appointed by the
state to live in a foreign city
and protect the interest of
the state’s citizen there.
UNIT- 4

Did women have a Revolution?

Status of Women in France Women queuing
➔ The women of the third estate had to work up at a bakery
for living.
➔ They were working in many fields like as a
laundresses, fruit sellers and as a domestic
servants.
➔ Most of them were illiterate and had no job
training.
➔ Only the women belonging to noble family or
rich family in third estate were educated.
➔ But their marriages were against their will.
➔ They did not had Right to Vote as well as
no equal wages was given to them.
 Women’s Political Clubs
➔ Women published their newspapers
and formed their political clubs.
➔ About 60 women’s club were active
and the two most popular clubs
were ; The Society of Revolutionary
and Republican Women.
➔ They demanded :
★ Right to Vote.
★ To be elected in Assembly
★ To hold Political Office.
 Reforms introduced by Revolutionary Governments
➔ Creation of state schools and A Female Allegory of Liberty:
Made by a women artist
schooling was made compulsory
for all girls.
➔ They could not be forced to marry
against their will.
➔ Marriage was considered a contract
between two individuals and had to
register under Civil Law.
➔ Divorce was made legal and could
be applied by both.
➔ Granted permission for job training
and self employment.
Repression of Women’s club and political activities
➔ Convention government issued laws for
the closure of women’s clubs and
banned their political activities.
➔ Olympe de Gouges was one such
revolutionary women who was tried and
executed by the convention
government.
➔ Women’s struggle for Equal Political
status was continued till 20th century
and in year 1946 the Right to Vote was
granted to french women.
 Olympe de Gouges; A revolutionary women
➔ From 1748 - 1793
➔ Protested against the 1791 constitution
as women were excluded from the
Declaration of Rights of Men and
citizens.
➔ Wrote the Declaration of Rights of
Women Citizen and addressed to queen
and National Assembly to act upon it.
➔ She also wrote against the convention
government when women’s club and
political activities were forcibly banned.
 UNIT-5 The Abolition of Slavery
➔ The Caribbean colonies were the
suppliers of Tobacco,Indigo, Sugar and
coffee.
➔ But European workers were not agree
to work at distant lands.
➔ To meet the shortage of labour at
plantation sites, A Triangular Slave
Trade was flourishing between Europe,
America and Africa continent.
➔ It began in 17th century and was
operated by two sea ports of
France;Bordeaux and Nantes.
Continued...
➔ Slaves were bought by French merchants from
their chieftains.
➔ Branded , Shackled and packed tightly into
ships for three month voyage across Atlantic
to the Caribbean.
➔ In Caribbean colonies they were sold to
Plantation owners and were exploited to meet
the growing demand in European market.
➔ Bordeaux and Nantes gained economic
prosperity due to this trade market.
➔ National Assembly condemned slavery but did
not take any action to ban it.
➔ In 1794, Convention government legislated to
free all slaves, but Napoleon reintroduced .
UNIT--6 The Revolution and Everyday life
➔ Abolition of Censorship in 1789.
➔ The declaration of Rights of Men and
Citizens proclaimed Freedom of Speech
and Expression to be a natural right.
➔ Newspapers , pamphlets,books and
printed pictures spread the ideas of
Justice, Liberty and Equality and these
ideals were included in new
constitution of France.
➔ Women's Suffrage Movement came into
existence and suffrage granted to
women in 1946.
 Continued….
➔ Abolition of Slavery in 1794.
➔ Reforms in education system and
divorce law were introduced to
improve the lives of women.
➔ France became a Republican and
Democratic country.
➔ Divine Rights of Monarchs and
Privileged by birth were abolished.
➔ For the maintenance of equality
Common Language, National Flag
were recognised.
 Napoleon and His Reforms
➔ In year 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte Crowned
himself as an Emperor of France.
➔ He fought wars with neighboring countries to
extend the boundaries of France.
➔ He introduced Napoleonic Code in 1804 to
Introduce reforms such as:
★ Protection of Private property.
★ Uniform system of weight and measures provided
by decimal system.
★ Improvement in transport and communication
system.
★ Separation of Church and State.
★ Equality before Law and Freedom of Religion and
Occupation was granted.
 Continued…...
➔ Initially, he was seen as the liberator or
the Moderniser by the people.
➔ But soon his armies were viewed as
invading force.
➔ He was defeated at Waterloo, a place in
Belgium, in 1815 by the allied forces of
Britain, Prussia, and Austria.
➔ His ideas and reforms were carried to
other parts of the Europe and the
World.
➔ Many of his reforms are existing in
administration after a long span of
time.
 Legacy of French Revolution to the World
➔ Spread the Idea of Nationalism and inspired the
colonial people to fought for their Democratic
Rights. Eg: Asia & Africa
➔ Helped to discard the Feudal system in other
European countries.Eg: European countries
➔ Promoted Women’s Suffrage movement across
the world.Eg: UK, USA etc.
➔ Guided many countries for the inclusion of ideals
like; Justice, Liberty and Equality. Eg: India
➔ Educated many countries for the implementation
of collective belongingness to strengthen unity
among people. Eg: National Anthem, National
Flag , Constitution.
 Map Work of the Chapter
➔ Map list; Locate and Label the
following in an outline Political
Map of France:
★ Paris; a City where the storming of
Bastille took place.
★ Bordeaux; a sea port from where
the slave trade was flourishing.
★ Nantes; a sea port from where the
slave trade was flourishing.
★ Marseilles; a city where the
National Anthem of France was
composed.