IIGS™ Newsletter - August 1998
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IIGS™ Newsletter - August 1998
14 July, Bastille Day - the day that commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution, a bloody conflict which, to a certain extent, became the blueprint for future revolutions. The effects of the French Revolution would be felt throughout the world. This revolution took the country from an absolute monarchy to statism and back to monarchy through a reign of terror and warfare with nearly every country in Europe.
The medieval feudal system with its three distinct classes or estates (clergy, aristocracy and commoners) still existed in eighteenth century France. The clergy and aristocracy were exempt from paying taxes and provided advisors to the monarch. The aristocracy gave free military aid to the king. The third estate, the ordinary people, were the workers who paid taxes. Not only did they pay taxes to their government, but they were forced to support their local church and lord as well.
The "bourgeoisie," or middle class, emerged from this third class. As rich, intelligent merchants and professional men, they could not fully utilise their talents because the laws reserved senior military and government positions for the nobility. They channelled their anger and frustration into criticism of the government.
France's involvement in four wars during the eighteenth century, including assisting the American colonies in their fight for independence from England, brought the country to the verge of bankruptcy. The "third estate" could not carry the tax burden. Louis XVI desired reform, but was not strong-willed enough to support his ministers in their efforts to correct inconsistencies. On the advice of Marie Antoinette, suggestions that the clergy and aristocracy should make sacrifices to help reduce the debt were refused.
Because of the growing disorder, the king agreed to call the Estates General, an old feudal parliament inactive since 1614, to convene at Versailles. He appointed Jaques Necker as chief minister. France would have her first election in 175 years. In the Estates General's original form, each estate had the same number of members. The body only met after each division decided on its vote and each Estate cast only one vote. However, when the Estates General met in May 1789, the Third Estate, which had twice as many representatives as the other two estates, wanted each deputy, or member, to have a vote.
The Third Estate deputies immediately announced that they were the true representatives of the people. They set themselves up as the National Assembly and invited the aristocracy and clergy to join them. Louis XVI, who did not like this arrangement, called a meeting of special deputies and closed the Assembly Hall on June 20. The deputies, upon arriving at the Hall, decided to use the adjoining tennis court where all the representatives but one swore the famous Tennis Court Oath.
A severe winter and crop failure caused unrest among the people of Paris who resorted increasingly to violence. Louis XVI annulled the National Assembly, and the troops began to mutiny. The king backed down and advised the aristocracy and the clergy to join the Third Estate. However, on July 11, at the instigation of the queen, he dismissed Necker and tried to assert his authority through force of arms. Unable to count on their loyalty, he withdrew the troops from Paris, leaving the garrisons at the Bastille and the Invalides Hospital. "Responsible citizens" of Paris formed a National Guard of 48,000 strong. Ordinary citizens plundered government posts, and on July 13, raided the prison of St. Lazare to secure arms. The Guard also joined them.
On July 14 the mobs took the Invalides and moved on to the Bastille where they killed the guards and beheaded the governor. The French Revolution had begun.
The fall of the Bastille marked the destruction of old France. However, it gave nothing to the new France except a flag and a legend. Out of fear, people refused to pay taxes. With a growing national debt, the government administration collapsed and banks refused to lend France any money. Louis recalled the National Assembly, but he no longer had absolute power and he tried his best to obstruct reform. At this time, the first of the émigrés began fleeing the country. Members of the aristocracy, they fled with their wealth.
Louis XVI refused to acknowledge the Declaration of Rights adopted by the National Assembly and the Paris crowds marched on Versailles, forcing the king to return to Paris with them. The government worked with the king to implement reforms, which included confiscating the estates of the church. After the refusal of many clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the new Civil Constitution, the Pope broke off relations with France. Louis attempted to flee to the Austrian boarder, was arrested, and returned to Paris.
Under the National Assembly, the country plunged deeper into debt. The situation worsened as the the allied armies of Austria, Holland, Prussia and Sardinia advanced on France. In September 1792, the National Convention replaced the National Assembly. The National Convention established the Republic of France. Louis XVI was arrested and brought to trial in December and executed on 21 January 1793.
However, immediately after the king's execution, the Committee of Public Safety and the Revolutionary Tribunal replaced the National Convention. War was declared on Britain and the bloodiest chapter in France's history, the Reign of Terror, commenced in September. All potential enemies of the ruling factions were exterminated - be they male, female, young, old, commoners or aristocracy. During this time many people fled France to find peace in other countries. The Reign of Terror, its final six weeks marked by the execution of over 1,400 people in Paris, ended in July 1794.
In October 1795, the National Convention put executive power into the hands of the newly-created Directory. Instability continued to plague the government, however, and in 1799, the consulate replaced the Directory. In 1804 France returned to a monarchial form of government when Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed himself Emperor. His defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1814 finally brought an end to the French Revolution.
France, at war with every country in Europe except Sweden and Switzerland, annexed large parts of Europe. She defeated the armies of rulers who had underestimated the zeal with which the majority of the French people embraced the principles of revolution and their conviction that all people should share their freedoms. While the defeat of Napoleon meant the return of the lands to their original states, the seeds had been sown. The days of the European monarchies were numbered. Those that did not heed the revolution's warning found that their once loyal subjects would take matters into their own hands. Europe would never be the same again.
http://members.aol.com/agentmess/frenchrev/frscript.html
The French Revolution and the Estates-Generalhttp://www.self-gov.org/freeman/8908pete.htm
A Tale of Two Revolutions