WORLD HISTORY NOTES
The French Revolution
The Enlightenment: period of rational thought in the 1700's during which people believed logic,
science, and natural law ruled everything on earth. Therefore, “divine right”
absolute monarchies seemed illogical.
1. Thomas Hobbes: English philosopher of the 1600's that wrote Leviathan
-state of nature: period of time before government where people had complete freedom,
but life was “nasty, brutish and short.”
-social contract: in order to protect lives and property people made an agreement to exchange
some of their rights to a strong ruler and receive protection in return. As long as
people lived by the rules of the contract they received the protection of society,
if they failed to follow the rules they received no protection
2. John Locke: English philosopher that wrote The 2 nd Treatise on Civil Government
-Locke accepted Hobbes's social contract theory
-natural rights: life, liberty and property
-The sole purpose of government is to protect natural rights
-A government that fails to protect natural rights must be overthrown and a new social
contract must be formed
3. Voltaire: French philosophe that wrote Candide , defended free speech and limited gov't
-fought “divine right” with logical arguing against the RCC
-criticized French absolute monarchy with his books
4. Baron de Montesueiu: French philosophe that wrote Spirit of the Laws
-based his theories on the English government
-Separation of Powers: executive, legislative and judicial
*legislative=make laws
*executive=enforce laws
*judicial=interpret laws
5. Jean Jacques Rousseau: French philosophe that wrote The Social Contract
-direct democracy: argued that people should rule themselves
6. 1 st Stage of the French Revolution: the meeting of the Estates General breaks down into
violence and the 3 rd Estate representatives declare themselves the “National Assembly”
-Louis XVI calls a meeting of the Estates General to propose new taxes
-3 rd Estate propose giving each representative a vote, instead of each Estate
-1 st and 2 nd Estate lock the 3 rd Estate out of the Versailles meeting
-Tennis Court Oath: 3 rd Estate vows not to leave until a new constitution is written
-Louis XVI agrees, but secretly calls 18,000 troops from Paris
-Storming of the Bastille: July 14, 1789 the people of Paris overrun the Bastille prison to
gain arms and ammo to stop Louis soldiers, many soldiers join the revolt
-Great Fear: peasants across France kill nobles and burn manors; nobles become émigrés
-3 rd Estate declares a “National Assembly” government
*feudal privileges ended; RCC land “nationalized;” clergy elected
*Declaration of the Rights of Man: gov't purpose is to protect natural rights
*Constitution of 1791: limited monarchy with a National Assembly legislature
-Louis XVI/Marie Antoinette placed under house arrest after attempting to flee to Austria
7. 2 nd Stage of the French Revolution: National Assembly torn into competing factions, chaos
and violence erupt throughout France, Austria/Prussia attack to French restore monarchs
-National Assembly divides
*Girondists: moderates who believed the revolution had achieved its goals
*Jacobins: radicals who believed revolution could achieve more and spread to other countries with absolute monarchs
-Death of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette: both sides agree the best way to prevent a
restoration of the monarchy is to execute Louis XVI
-Committee of Public Safety: 12 man committee of Jacobins led by Maximilien Robespierre with unlimited power to
solve France's domestic problems (food, violence, chaos) and foreign invasion by Austria and Prussia
-Reign of Terror: Robespierre began executing 20-40,000 people that threatened the Rev. or his power, the reign
ends with the overthrow/execution of Robespierre
-Directory: weak 5 man Girondist committee that replaces Robespierre
-Napoleon Bonaparte: after ten years of chaos, violence, starvation, and war against Austria and Prussia the most powerful,
popular and successful general of the French army seizes power over the Directory, restores order inside France and
defeats ALL of France's enemies
-Napoleon crowns himself Emperor of France in 1804
8. Napoleonic Wars: Napoleon defeats and conquers Prussia, Austria and Spain which protects the French Revolution and
spreads its ideals across Europe, only Russia and England remain to resist Napoleon's attempt to
dominate Europe
-Napoleonic Code: fair system of laws for France and all lands under French control that helped spread the ideas of the
French Revolution across Europe
-Battle of Trafalgar: Napoleon's navy destroyed by Horatio Nelson, destroys any hope of invading and conquering England
-Peninsular War: England uses Portugal as a doorway into Spain to start a long, bloody
guerilla war that depletes much of Napoleon's men, money and supplies
-Continental System: Napoleon forbids all European nations from trading with Englandin an attempt to starve English
people and hurt business so they pressure Parliament to end the war, England responds with the
Orders in Council that forbid all countries from trading with France (leads to War of 1812 with US vs. GB)
-Invasion of Russia: Napoleon forms a Grand Army of 600,000 to punish
Czar Alexander for breaking Cont. System (1812)
*Russians retreat with a “scorched earth policy”
*Moscow burned so Napoleon cannot winter there
*Napoleon forced to retreat during the harsh Russian winter
*40,000 French troops return
-Battle of Nations: Russia, Austria, Prussia ally and force Napoleon to abdicate (1814)
-Elba: Napoleon exiled and made emperor of a small Med. Sea island
-Hundred Days: Napoleon escapes, recaptures control of French army and government
-Battle of Waterloo: Napoleon faces the Duke of Wellington in a winner take all contest for the domination of Europe,
Napoleon lacks the energy and charisma of his early victories due to years of battle and political
intrigue (1815)
-St. Helena: Napoleon placed under house arrest on a barren mid-Atlantic Island and dies