The French Revolution Chapter Notes | AP European History - Grade 9 PDF Download

Introduction

Leading up to 1789, France was a cultural powerhouse, yet it faced mounting economic distress, social inequities, and the disruptive influence of Enlightenment ideas. This chapter notes delves into the causes and unfolding of the French Revolution, a transformative event that challenged monarchy, religion, and societal hierarchies. It examines the revolution’s phases, key figures, and lasting impact on Europe’s political landscape.

Setting the Stage: France in Crisis

• In the years before 1789, France was celebrated as a cultural beacon in Europe, renowned for its artistic achievements, affluence, and the grandeur of Versailles. However, beneath this facade of splendor, significant fractures were emerging. 
• A mix of financial ruin, social disparities, and the rise of Enlightenment thought sparked a revolutionary upheaval that would shake the foundations of monarchy, faith, and social order throughout Europe.

Causes of the French Revolution

Enlightenment Thought

• The Enlightenment introduced transformative concepts regarding governance, freedom, and inherent rights. Thinkers such as Locke, Rousseau, and Voltaire urged people to challenge established authority and envision a society grounded in rationality and fairness.
• These philosophies permeated not only the intellectual elite but also the bourgeoisie, the educated middle class, who viewed the outdated Ancien Régime as corrupt and obsolete. Emboldened by the American Revolution’s triumph, many believed that sweeping reform in France was both essential and achievable.

Economic Collapse

• France was mired in debt following its expensive participation in the Seven Years’ War and its financial backing of the American Revolution. The tax burden disproportionately fell on the Third Estate, the vast majority of the population, while the clergy (First Estate) and nobility (Second Estate) enjoyed exemptions and privileges.
• Unsuccessful reform attempts by Louis XVI and his finance ministers, combined with food scarcity due to poor harvests, led to soaring bread prices. Widespread hunger and economic hardship rapidly spread across rural and urban areas.

Social Structure and Political Breakdown

The Three Estates & the Estates-General

France’s societal and political framework was divided into three estates:

• First Estate: The clergy, comprising less than 1% of the population, were largely exempt from taxes and collected tithes from the populace.
• Second Estate: The nobility, about 2% of the population, owned roughly 25% of the land and paid minimal taxes.
• Third Estate: Encompassing peasants, urban workers, merchants, artisans, and the bourgeoisie, this group made up approximately 98% of the population. Despite their economic contributions, they bore nearly the entire tax load.

While the First and Second Estates enjoyed privileged lives, the Third Estate was burdened by taxes and feudal duties, including:

• The taille, a direct land tax paid almost solely by the Third Estate.
• The gabelle, a severe tax on salt, vital for preserving food.
• Feudal dues, requiring peasants to pay rents, perform unpaid labor (corvée), and surrender portions of their crops to local lords.
• Tithes, payments to the Church, often equaling 10% of a peasant’s income.
• Taxes on essential goods like food, wine, and bread, critical to daily life.

The Third Estate’s lack of political influence exacerbated these injustices. At the Estates-General, each estate received one vote, despite the Third Estate’s overwhelming numbers. The First and Second Estates typically aligned, outvoting the Third and preserving their advantages. This power imbalance and inequity fueled revolutionary fervor, as the Third Estate demanded fair representation and reform.

The National Assembly & Tennis Court Oath

• Disillusioned, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly, committing to draft a new constitution. Barred from the Estates-General, they convened the Tennis Court Oath, vowing to establish a new government for France.
• Simultaneously, public outrage culminated in the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, a symbolic assault on despotism.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen

In August 1789, the National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proclaiming that all men are born free and equal, with inherent rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance against oppression. This document became the ideological cornerstone of the Revolution.

Women in the Revolution

• Women played a significant role in the early stages of the revolution. They spearheaded protests, led the march on Versailles to demand bread and reforms, and issued publications advocating for equality. Olympe de Gouges penned the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen (1791) in response to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, asserting that women should have the same rights as men.
• Despite their contributions, revolutionary governments ultimately rejected women’s rights. De Gouges was executed in 1793, and women were prohibited from political clubs and assemblies after 1795, revealing the revolution’s failure to fully realize its egalitarian ideals.

Phases of the Revolution

Phase 1: Moderate Reform (1789–1791)

• Establishment of a constitutional monarchy.
• Elimination of feudal privileges.
• Nationalization of the Catholic Church through the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
• The king retained a ceremonial role but lost significant authority.

While these changes satisfied moderate revolutionaries, radicals felt they were insufficient, particularly after Louis XVI’s attempted escape in 1791 (Flight to Varennes).

Phase 2: Radical Revolution & the Reign of Terror (1792–1794)

• France transitioned to a republic, and King Louis XVI was guillotined in 1793. The Jacobins, under Robespierre’s leadership, seized control, implementing sweeping reforms, including a new calendar and efforts to de-Christianize the state.
• The Committee of Public Safety launched the Reign of Terror, executing tens of thousands of perceived “enemies of the revolution” via guillotine, including nobles, clergy, moderates, and eventually Robespierre himself in 1794.
• Despite its brutality, this phase also achieved:
  • Universal male suffrage.
  • Temporary abolition of slavery in French colonies.
  • Attempts to implement social welfare reforms.

Phase 3: Thermidorian Reaction & the Directory (1794–1799)

• Following Robespierre’s demise, moderates reclaimed control. They ended the Terror, outlawed radical groups, and restored property rights. However, the Directory (1795–1799) was plagued by corruption and unpopularity.
  • Women’s political participation was further curtailed.
  • Catholicism regained prominence.
  • Both royalists and radicals vied for influence.
• Amid this turmoil, Napoleon Bonaparte, a skilled general, orchestrated a coup in 1799, concluding the revolution and initiating his ascent to Emperor.

The Legacy of the French Revolution

• The Revolution ignited with promises of equality, citizen rights, and governance by the people. It destabilized monarchies across Europe and inspired liberal and nationalist movements for generations.
• However, its outcomes were intricate and contradictory:
  • Slavery, abolished in 1794, was reinstated by Napoleon in 1802.
  • Women, who were early catalysts of the movement, were excluded from the new political order.
  • The monarchy was restored in 1815 after Napoleon’s defeat.
• Nevertheless, the Revolution fundamentally altered European perspectives on sovereignty, citizenship, and authority. It ushered in modern political ideologies—liberalism, radicalism, conservatism—and sparked debates over who constitutes “the people.”

Key Terms

• American Revolution: A colonial rebellion against British rule from 1775 to 1783, establishing the United States, driven by Enlightenment principles and opposition to taxation without representation, inspiring global revolutionary movements.
• Bastille: A Paris fortress symbolizing Bourbon tyranny, stormed on July 14, 1789, marking the onset of the French Revolution and the fight for liberty.
• Bourgeoisie: The middle class, whose economic influence and advocacy for political rights shaped the French Revolution and modern political systems.
• Committee of Public Safety: A 1793-established body during the French Revolution to protect the Republic, overseeing the Reign of Terror’s executions and radical policies.
• Constitution of 1791: France’s first written constitution, creating a constitutional monarchy and limiting royal power, reflecting Enlightenment governance ideals.
• Cult of Reason: A revolutionary movement promoting secular faith based on reason, challenging Christianity and celebrating Enlightenment principles through public rituals.
• Enlightenment Ideas: 17th–18th-century principles advocating reason, individualism, and skepticism, shaping revolutionary movements and modern political frameworks.
• Estates-General: A pre-revolutionary French assembly of the three estates, convened in 1789 to address financial crises, sparking political upheaval.
• French Revolution: A 1789–1799 upheaval transforming French society and government, ending absolute monarchy and inspiring global democratic movements.
• French Republic: The democratic government established post-revolution, embodying popular sovereignty and the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
• Great Terror: The 1793–1794 Reign of Terror, marked by mass executions to protect the revolution, led by Jacobins under Robespierre.
• Jacobin Club: A radical revolutionary group advocating republicanism, driving key actions like the establishment of the French Republic.
• Liberal Reform Phase: A revolutionary period implementing moderate reforms to establish a constitutional government and promote individual rights.
• Louis XVI: King of France from 1774 to 1792, executed during the revolution due to his failure to address financial and social crises.
• Marie Antoinette: France’s last queen, whose lavish lifestyle symbolized monarchical excess, fueling revolutionary discontent.
• March on Versailles (October March): A 1789 women-led protest from Paris to Versailles, driven by food shortages, pressuring the monarchy for reform.
• Maximilien Robespierre: A Jacobin leader during the Reign of Terror, advocating social justice but orchestrating widespread executions, later executed himself.
• National Assembly: A revolutionary body formed by the Third Estate, drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and promoting democratic principles.
• National Guard: A citizen militia formed during the revolution to maintain order and protect the revolutionary government, embodying civic responsibility.
• Olympe de Gouges: A revolutionary activist advocating women’s rights through her 1791 Declaration, executed for challenging gender inequalities.
• Phases of the French Revolution: Distinct periods from 1789–1799, including moderate reforms, the Reign of Terror, and Napoleon’s rise, shaping France’s transformation.
• Reign of Terror Phase: A 1793–1794 period of extreme repression and executions to eliminate revolutionary threats, symbolized by the guillotine.
• September Massacre: A 1792 Paris killing spree targeting prisoners as counter-revolutionaries, fueled by fear of foreign invasion.
• Seven Years’ War: A 1756–1763 global conflict contributing to France’s financial woes, setting the stage for the French Revolution.
• Tennis Court Oath: A 1789 pledge by the Third Estate to draft a constitution, symbolizing defiance against absolute monarchy.
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen: A 1789 document asserting universal rights, shaping modern democratic principles.
• The Declaration of Rights of Women and Citizen: Olympe de Gouges’ 1791 call for gender equality, highlighting revolutionary limitations.
• Thermidorian Reaction: A 1794 shift ending Robespierre’s rule and the Reign of Terror, moving toward moderate governance.
• Thermidorian Directory: The post-1794 government navigating post-Terror instability, marked by corruption and political unrest.
• Thomas Jefferson: U.S. President and Declaration of Independence author, whose ideas influenced the French Revolution’s democratic ideals.
• Three Estates: France’s pre-revolutionary social divisions—clergy, nobility, commoners—fueling revolutionary tensions due to inequalities.
• White Terror: Post-Terror reprisals against revolutionaries, reflecting a conservative backlash in the late 1790s.