The French Revolution Class 9 History Chapter 1 Notes

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The French Revolution Class 9 History Chapter 1 Notes

Introduction

• On July 14, 1789, Paris was in a state of alarm due to rumors that the king would order troops to open fire on citizens.
• A group of 7,000 men and women formed a peoples’ militia and searched government buildings for arms.
• They stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison representing despotic power, to find ammunition.
• The commander of the Bastille was killed, and seven prisoners were released.
• The demolition of the Bastille symbolized opposition to royal power.
• Riots spread in Paris and the countryside, with many protesting against the high price of bread.
• Historians later viewed these events as the beginning of a chain leading to the execution of the king, though it wasn’t anticipated at the time.

French Society During the Late Eighteenth Century

• Louis XVI ascended the throne of France in 1774, facing financial challenges due to an empty treasury and debts from wars and maintaining an extravagant court at Versailles.
• France supported the American colonies in their fight for independence from Britain, which further increased France’s debt.
• The French government had to borrow money at high interest rates to meet its expenses, leading to a significant portion of the budget being spent on interest payments alone.
• Taxes were primarily levied on the third estate, the common people, while the nobility and clergy enjoyed exemptions.
• French society was divided into three estates, with only the third estate paying taxes, reflecting a feudal system dating back to the Middle Ages.
• The term “Old Regime” is used to describe French society and institutions before 1789.
• Peasants comprised about 90% of the population but owned only a small portion of the land they cultivated.
• Approximately 60% of the land was owned by nobles, the Church, and wealthier members of the third estate.
• The clergy and nobility, belonging to the first two estates, enjoyed privileges by birth, including exemption from paying taxes to the state.
• Nobles had feudal privileges, such as extracting feudal dues from peasants and obliging them to provide various services.
• The Church collected taxes called tithes from peasants, and all members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state.
• Taxes on the third estate included a direct tax (taille) and various indirect taxes on everyday items like salt or tobacco.
• The financial burden of funding state activities through taxes fell solely on the third estate, exacerbating social and economic inequality.
• Livre: The unit of currency in France, discontinued in 1794.
• Clergy: A group of individuals with special roles in the church, such as priests and bishops.
• Tithe: A tax imposed by the church, amounting to one-tenth of agricultural produce.
• Taille: A direct tax paid to the state, distinct from tithes collected by the church.

The Struggle to Survive

• France’s population grew from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789, increasing the demand for food grains.
• However, grain production couldn’t match the demand, causing the price of bread, the staple food, to rise rapidly.
• Most workers were employed in workshops where their wages were fixed by the owners, but these wages didn’t keep up with rising prices.
• Consequently, the gap between the poor and the rich widened as the cost of living outstripped wages.
• Natural disasters like drought or hail further exacerbated the situation by reducing harvests, leading to subsistence crises.
• Subsistence crises were frequent occurrences in France during the Old Regime, worsening the struggle for survival among the population.
• Subsistence crisis: An extreme situation in which the fundamental means of livelihood are expose to risk, often resulting from factors such as food scarcity, economic instability, or natural disasters.

A Growing Middle Class Envisages an End to Privileges

• Peasants and workers historically revolted against rising taxes and food shortages.
• However, they lacked the resources and organized plans to enact significant changes in the social and economic structure.
• The responsibility for effecting substantial change fell upon prosperous groups within the third estate who had access to education and innovative thinking.
• The 18th century saw the rise of the middle class, whose wealth was derived from expanding overseas trade and the manufacturing of goods like textiles.
• This class included merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, and administrative officials, all educated and advocating for a society where privilege wasn’t determined by birth but by merit.
• Philosophers like John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Montesquieu championed ideas of freedom, equal laws, and opportunities for all.
• Locke challenged the divine right of monarchs in his “Two Treatises of Government,” while Rousseau proposed a government based on a social contract between people and their representatives.
• Montesquieu proposed a government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial powers, a model later adopted in the USA after independence from Britain.
• The American Constitution, guaranteeing individual rights, served as a significant example for political thinkers in France.
• Philosophers’ ideas were extensively debated in salons and coffeehouses and disseminated through books and newspapers.
• Reading aloud in groups allowed those who couldn’t read or write to access these ideas.
• Louis XVI’s proposal to impose additional taxes to fund state expenses sparked anger and protests against the privileged system.

The Outbreak of the Revolution

• Louis XVI increased taxes due to financial pressures.
• In the Old Regime in France, the monarch couldn’t impose taxes independently.
• The Estates General was the political body responsible for passing proposals for new taxes.
• Representatives from the three estates attended the Estates General.
• The monarch had the authority to call for a meeting of the Estates General.
• The last meeting of the Estates General was in 1614.
• Louis XVI convened the Estates General on May 5, 1789, to address new tax proposals.
• The assembly took place in a grand hall in Versailles.
• The first and second estates each sent 300 representatives, seated facing each other.
• The third estate, comprising 600 members, stood at the back.
• The third estate representatives were wealthier and more educated.
• Peasants, artisans, and women were excluded from the assembly.
• Their grievances and demands were expressed through around 40,000 letters brought by the representatives.
• In previous Estates General meetings, each estate had one vote.
• Louis XVI intended to maintain this practice.
• The third estate demanded voting by the entire assembly, with each member having one vote, aligning with democratic principles advocated by philosophers like Rousseau.
• When the king refused this demand, third estate members left the assembly in protest.
• The third estate representatives considered themselves representatives of the entire French nation.
• On June 20, they gathered in an indoor tennis court at Versailles.
• They declared themselves the National Assembly.
• They pledged to stay together until they created a constitution limiting the monarch’s powers.
• Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès led the National Assembly.
• Mirabeau, despite being born into nobility, advocated for abolishing feudal privilege.
• He engaged in journalism and delivered compelling speeches to crowds at Versailles.
• The National Assembly was focused on drafting a constitution at Versailles.
• France experienced unrest due to a harsh winter and poor harvest, leading to rising bread prices and shortages.
• Angry women protested by storming bakeries due to long queues and possible hoarding by bakers.
• Meanwhile, the king dispatched troops to Paris.
• On July 14, an agitated crowd attacked and demolished the Bastille.
• Rumors circulated in the countryside that landlords had hired brigands to destroy crops.
• Peasants, gripped by fear, armed themselves with hoes and pitchforks and attacked manor houses.
• They looted stored grain and destroyed documents with records of dues.
• Many nobles fled their homes, with some seeking refuge in neighboring countries.
• Louis XVI acknowledged the National Assembly and agreed to be constrained by a constitution.
• On August 4, 1789, the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system, including obligations and taxes.
• The clergy also relinquished their privileges, including the abolition of tithes and confiscation of Church-owned lands.
• The government gained assets valued at least 2 billion livres as a result of these actions.

France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy

• The National Assembly finalized the constitution draft in 1791.
• The primary goal was to restrict the monarch’s powers.
• Powers were decentralized and distributed among various institutions: the legislature, executive, and judiciary.
• This transformation established France as a constitutional monarchy.
• The Constitution of 1791 granted lawmaking authority to the indirectly elected National Assembly.
• Citizens voted for electors, who then selected Assembly members.
• Not all citizens had voting rights; only men over 25 who paid taxes equivalent to at least 3 days of a laborer’s wage were considered active citizens.
• Other men and all women were categorized as passive citizens, lacking voting rights.
• To become an elector and Assembly member, a man had to be among the highest taxpayers.
• The Constitution included a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
• Fundamental rights like the right to life, freedom of speech, opinion, and equality before the law were declared as “natural and inalienable.”
• These rights were considered inherent to every human from birth and could not be deprived.
• The state was obligated to safeguard these natural rights for each citizen.

Political symbols

1. The broken chain: Chains were used to fetter slaves. A broken chain stands for the act of becoming free
2. The bundle of rods or fasces: One rod can be easily broken, but not an entire bundle. Strength lies in unity.
3. The eye within a triangle radiating light: The all seeing eye stands for knowledge. The rays of the sun will drive away the clouds of ignorance.
4. Sceptre: Symbol of royal power.
5. Snake biting its tail to form a ring: Symbol of Eternity. A ring has neither beginning nor end.
6. Red Phrygian cap: Cap worn by a slave upon becoming free.
7. Blue-white-red: The national colours of France.
8. The winged woman: Personification of the law.
9. The Law Tablet: The law is the same for all, and all are equal before it.

France Abolishes Monarchy and Becomes a Republic

• Tension persisted in France following Louis XVI’s signing of the Constitution.
• Louis XVI engaged in clandestine negotiations with the King of Prussia.
• Neighboring rulers were alarmed by events in France and planned to deploy troops to suppress them.
• Before foreign intervention, the National Assembly voted in April 1792 to declare war on Prussia and Austria.
• Thousands of volunteers from the provinces joined the army, viewing the conflict as a struggle of the people against monarchies across Europe.
• The Marseillaise, composed by Roget de L’Isle, became a patriotic anthem sung by volunteers marching into Paris from Marseille, eventually becoming France’s national anthem.
• Revolutionary wars resulted in losses and economic hardships for the populace.
• Men’s absence on the battlefield left women to manage earning a livelihood and caring for their families.
• Many believed the revolution needed to progress further, as the 1791 Constitution granted political rights primarily to the wealthy.
• Political clubs emerged as crucial platforms for discussing government policies and organizing actions.
• The Jacobin Club, named after the former convent of St. Jacob in Paris, was particularly successful.
• Women, active throughout this period, also formed their own clubs.
• The Jacobin Club primarily comprised individuals from less affluent backgrounds, including small shopkeepers, artisans (shoemakers, pastry cooks, etc.), servants, and daily-wage workers.
• Maximilian Robespierre was their leader.
• A faction within the Jacobins adopted long striped trousers, resembling those worn by dockworkers, to distinguish themselves from the nobility who wore knee breeches.
• This attire change symbolized the end of aristocratic dominance.
• These Jacobins became known as the “sans-culottes,” or “those without knee breeches.”
• Sans-culottes men also wore the red liberty cap as a symbol of freedom, but women were not permitted to do so.
• In the summer of 1792, the Jacobins organized an uprising among Parisians upset by food shortages and high prices.
• On August 10, they attacked the Tuileries Palace, killing the king’s guards and holding the king hostage for several hours.
• Subsequently, the Assembly voted to imprison the royal family.
• Elections were conducted, granting all men aged 21 and above the right to vote, regardless of wealth.
• The newly elected assembly was named the Convention.
• On September 21, 1792, it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.
• A republic is a government where people elect their leaders, without hereditary monarchy.
• Louis XVI was convicted of treason and sentenced to death. He was executed publicly at Place de la Concorde on January 21, 1793.
• Shortly after, Queen Marie Antoinette faced the same fate.

The Reign of Terror

• The period from 1793 to 1794 is known as the Reign of Terror.
• Robespierre enforced strict control and punishment policies.
• “Enemies” of the republic, including ex-nobles, clergy, members of rival political factions, and even dissenting members of Robespierre’s own party, were targeted.
• They were arrested, imprisoned, and tried by revolutionary tribunals.
• If found guilty, they were executed by guillotine, a device invented by Dr. Guillotin, consisting of two poles and a blade for beheading.
• Robespierre’s government implemented laws to control wages and prices, including setting maximum limits.
• Rationing was enforced on essential items like meat and bread.
• Peasants were compelled to transport grain to cities and sell it at government-fixed prices.
• The use of expensive white flour was prohibited, and all citizens were required to consume “equality bread,” made of whole wheat.
• Equality was promoted through changes in speech and address, replacing traditional titles like Monsieur and Madame with Citoyen and Citoyenne (Citizen).
• Churches were closed, and their buildings repurposed as barracks or offices.
• Robespierre’s policies became so extreme that even his supporters called for moderation.
• He was eventually convicted by a court in July 1794.
• Robespierre was arrested and executed by guillotine the following day.

A Directory Rules France

• The fall of the Jacobin government led to the ascension of the wealthier middle classes to power.
• A new constitution was enacted, restricting voting rights to property owners and establishing two elected legislative councils.
• These councils appointed a Directory, comprising five members, to serve as the executive, aiming to prevent power concentration as seen under the Jacobins.
• However, conflicts often arose between the Directors and the legislative councils, leading to attempts to dismiss them.
• The political instability of the Directory era facilitated the emergence of a military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.
• Throughout these governmental transitions, the ideals of freedom, equality before the law, and fraternity continued to inspire political movements in France and Europe in the subsequent century.

Did Women have a Revolution?

• Women played active roles in the events that transformed French society, hoping to influence the revolutionary government to enact reforms benefiting them.
• Many women of the third estate were employed in various occupations to support themselves, such as seamstresses, laundresses, market vendors, and domestic servants.
• Access to education and job training was limited for most women, with only daughters of nobles or wealthier individuals having opportunities for convent education and arranged marriages.
• Working women also had to fulfill domestic responsibilities, including cooking, fetching water, queuing for bread, and caring for children, alongside their paid work.
• Women typically earned lower wages than men.
• Women formed their own political clubs and newspapers to discuss and advocate for their interests.
• Around sixty women’s clubs emerged in various French cities.
• The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was particularly renowned.
• Their primary demand was equal political rights for women, including the right to vote, stand for election to the Assembly, and hold political office.
• Women were dissatisfied with their status as passive citizens under the 1791 Constitution and sought full political participation to ensure representation of their interests in the new government.
• The early revolutionary government enacted laws aimed at enhancing the welfare of women.
• Compulsory education for girls was introduced alongside the establishment of state schools.
• Laws prohibited fathers from coercing their daughters into marriage against their wishes.
• Marriage was redefined as a voluntary contract registered under civil law.
• Legalization of divorce allowed both women and men to apply for it.
• Women gained access to vocational training, enabling them to pursue careers as artists or entrepreneurs.
• Despite initial progress, women continued to advocate for equal political rights.
• During the Reign of Terror, the government issued laws to shut down women’s clubs and prohibit their political engagement.
• Numerous prominent women were arrested, and some were executed as a result of these measures.
• Women’s movements for voting rights and equal pay persisted globally for over two centuries.
• The struggle for suffrage gained momentum during the late 19th and early 20th centuries through an international suffrage movement.
• The political activities of French women during the revolutionary era served as an inspiring precedent.
• Women in France finally achieved the right to vote in 1946.

The Abolition of Slavery

• The Jacobin regime enacted one of its most revolutionary social reforms by abolishing slavery in French colonies.
• Colonies such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, and San Domingo were vital suppliers of commodities like tobacco, indigo, sugar, and coffee.
• The shortage of European laborers in distant colonies led to the establishment of a triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
• French merchants from ports like Bordeaux and Nantes engaged in the slave trade, purchasing slaves from African chieftains and transporting them across the Atlantic to be sold to plantation owners in the Caribbean.
• The exploitation of slave labor fueled the European demand for sugar, coffee, and indigo, contributing to the economic prosperity of port cities like Bordeaux and Nantes.
• Criticism of slavery in France was minimal throughout the 18th century.
• The National Assembly debated extending the rights of man to all French subjects, including those in colonies, but no laws were passed due to fear of opposition from businessmen reliant on the slave trade.
• The Convention passed legislation in 1794 to free all slaves in French overseas possessions.
• However, this abolition was short-lived, as Napoleon reinstated slavery a decade later.
• Plantation owners interpreted their freedom as including the right to enslave Africans for economic gain.
• Slavery was ultimately abolished in French colonies in 1848.
• Negroes – A term used for the indigenous people of Africa south of the Sahara. It is a derogatory term not in common use any longer

The Revolution and Everyday Life

• Post-1789 France witnessed significant changes in people’s attire, language, and reading materials due to political shifts.
• Revolutionary governments enacted laws aimed at implementing the ideals of liberty and equality in daily life.
• These laws aimed to translate revolutionary ideals into practical aspects of society.
• Following the storming of the Bastille in 1789, a significant law was passed: the abolition of censorship.
• In the Old Regime, all written material and cultural activities required approval from the king’s censors before publication or performance.
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen declared freedom of speech and expression as a natural right.
• This led to a surge in the production of newspapers, pamphlets, books, and printed pictures, which spread rapidly across France, describing and discussing the ongoing events and changes.
• Freedom of the press enabled the expression of opposing viewpoints, with various factions attempting to persuade others through printed media.
• Plays, songs, and festive processions became popular methods for people to engage with concepts like liberty and justice, which were extensively discussed in texts accessible mainly to the educated elite.

Conclusion

• In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor of France and embarked on a campaign to conquer neighboring European countries, establishing kingdoms with his family members as rulers.
• Napoleon aimed to modernize Europe and introduced various laws, including the protection of private property and a standardized system of weights and measures based on the decimal system.
• Initially perceived as a liberator, Napoleon’s armies later became seen as invaders across Europe.
• Napoleon suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, but many of his reforms continued to influence Europe even after his downfall.
• The French Revolution’s legacy includes the spread of ideas of liberty and democratic rights throughout Europe during the 19th century, leading to the abolition of feudal systems.
• Colonized peoples also drew inspiration from the French Revolution, using its ideals to advocate for national sovereignty and independence. Individuals like Tipu Sultan and Rammohan Roy responded to these revolutionary ideas.