1、The French Revolution.1.2 The Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France.The French governmental structure,previously an absolute monarchy with privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy,underwent radical change.3 These changes were a
2、ccompanied by violent turmoil which included the trial and execution of the king,vast bloodshed and repression during the Reign of Terror,and warfare involving other major European nations.Execution of Louis XVI.4 Historians all agree that the Revolution was a watershed event that changed Europe irr
3、evocably(不可逆转).The American Revolution(1774).5 Finally,in a time of highly secularized Enlightenment,the idea that King Louis XVI had absolute power due to divine rightthe idea that he had been handpicked by Goddidnt hold nearly as much water as in the past few decades.6 Ultimately,these problems we
4、re the final catalyst for the Revolution.7 In 1789,when the Estates-General,reconvened and it became apparent that the higher-ranking classes refused to forfeit their privileges to save the country,the frustration of the French bourgeoisie reached its boiling point.The Revolution was thus a battle t
5、o achieve equality and remove oppression.The Estates-General,1789.8The Revolution won a number of victories:1.No ruler after the Revolution dared to reverse the property and rights gained during the Revolution,so those who had purchased church land were allowed to keep it.2.The new tax system remain
6、ed devoid of the influence of privilege,so that every man paid his share according to personal wealth.3.The breakdown of church and feudal contracts freed people from tithes and other incurred fees.Peasants Paying Tithes.9 On the whole,the French people had seen the impact they could have over their
7、 government,and that liberating,inspiring spirit was unlikely ever again to be suppressed.10Summary of Events No one factor was directly responsible for the Revolution.Years of feudal oppression and fiscal mismanagement contributed to a French society that was ripe for revolt.Noting a downward econo
8、mic spiral in the late 1700s,Louis XVI brought in a number of financial advisors to review the weakened French treasury.Each advisor reached the same conclusionthat France needed a radical change in the way it taxed the publicand each advisor was,in turn,kicked out.1.Feudalism and Unfair Taxation.11
9、 Finally,the king realized that this taxation problem really did need to be addressed,so he appointed a new controller general of finance,Charles de Calonne,in 1783.Calonne suggested that,among other things,France begin taxing the previously exempt nobility.But the nobility refused.Financial ruin th
10、us seemed imminent.Charles de Calonne(born Jan.20,1734,Douai,France died Oct.29,1802,Paris).122.The Estates-General In desperation,Louis XVI decided in 1789 to convene the Estates-General,an ancient assembly consisting of three different estates that each represented a portion of the French populati
11、on.However,since two of the three estatesthe clergy and the nobilitywere tax-exempt,the attainment of any such solution was unlikely.The meeting of the Estates General May 5,1789.13 Moreover,the outdated rules of order for the Estates-General gave each estate a single vote,despite the fact that the
12、Third Estateconsisting of the general French publicwas many times larger than either of the first two.Feuds quickly broke out over this disparity and would prove to be irreconcilable.Realizing that its numbers gave it an automatic advantage,the Third Estate declared itself the sovereign National Ass
13、embly.Within days of the announcement,many members of the other two estates had switched allegiances over to this revolutionary new assembly.Libert,Egalit,Fraternit:The French Revolution .143.The Bastille and the Great Fear Shortly after the National Assembly formed,its members took the Tennis Court
14、 Oath,swearing that they would not relent in their efforts until a new constitution had been agreed upon.The National Assemblys revolutionary spirit galvanized France,manifesting in a number of different ways.The Tennis Court Oath by Jacques-Louis David.15 In Paris,citizens stormed the citys largest
15、 prison,the Bastille,in pursuit of arms.In the countryside,peasants and farmers revolted against their feudal contracts by attacking the manors and estates of their landlords.Dubbed the“Great Fear,”these rural attacks continued until the early August issuing of the August Decrees,which freed those p
16、easants from their oppressive contracts.Storming the Bastille 14 July 1789.16 Shortly thereafter,the assembly released the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,which established a proper judicial code and the autonomy of the French people.The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citiz
17、en of 1793.174.Rifts in the Assembly Though the National Assembly did succeed in drafting a constitution,the relative peace of the moment was short-lived.A rift slowly grew between the radical and moderate assembly members,while the common laborers and workers began to feel overlooked.When Louis XVI
18、 was caught in a foiled escape plot,the assembly became especially divided.The moderate Girondins took a stance in favor of retaining the constitutional monarchy,while the radical Jacobins wanted the king completely out of the picture.the Jacobinsthe Girondins.18 Outside of France,some neighboring c
19、ountries feared that Frances revolutionary spirit would spread beyond French land.In response,they issued the Declaration of Pillnitz,which insisted that the French return Louis XVI to the throne.French leaders interpreted the declaration as hostile,so the Girondin-led assembly declared war on Austr
20、ia and Prussia.The Declaration of Pillnitz on Aug.27,1791,was a statement issued at the Castle of Pillnitz in Saxony(south of Dresden)by the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and Frederick William II of Prussia.Calling on European powers to intervene if Louis XVI of France was threatened,this d
21、eclaration was intended to serve as a warning to the French revolutionaries not to infringe further on the rights of Louis XVI and to allow his restoration to power.195.The Reign of Terror The first acts of the newly named National Convention were the abolition of the monarchy and the declaration of
22、 France as a republic.In January 1793,the convention tried and executed Louis XVI on the grounds of treason.Despite the creation of the Committee of Public Safety,the war with Austria and Prussia went poorly for France,and foreign forces pressed on into French territory.Enraged citizens overthrew th
23、e Girondin-led National Convention,and the Jacobins,led by Maximilien Robespierre,took control.Robespierre(1758-1794).20 Backed by the newly approved Constitution of 1793,Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety began conscripting French soldiers and implementing laws to stabilize the economy.
24、But Robespierre embarked upon a Reign of Terror in late 17931794,during which he had more than 15,000 people executed at the guillotine.When the French army successfully removed foreign invaders and the economy finally stabilized,however,Robespierre no longer had any justification for his extreme ac
25、tions,and he himself was arrested in July 1794 and executed.A picture of the guillotine used during the Reign of Terror .216.The Thermidorian Reaction and the Directory The era following the ousting of Robespierre was known as the Thermidorian(热月党人)Reaction,and a period of governmental restructuring
26、 began,leading to the new Constitution of 1795 and a significantly more conservative National Convention.To control executive responsibilities and appointments,a group known as the Directory(督政府)was formed.The Directorys abuse of power soon came to rival that of any of the tyrannous revolutionaries
27、France had faced.the Thermidorian Reaction.227.Napoleon Bonaparte(1769-1821)Meanwhile,the Committee of Public Safetys war effort was realizing unimaginable success.French armies,especially those led by young general Napoleon Bonaparte,were making progress in nearly every direction.23 Napoleons force
28、s drove through Italy and reached as far as Egypt before facing a deflating defeat.In the face of this rout,and having received word of political upheavals in France,Napoleon returned to Paris.He arrived in time to lead a coup against the Directory in 1799,eventually stepping up and naming himself“f
29、irst consul”effectively,the leader of France.With Napoleon at the helm,the Revolution ended,and France entered a fifteen-year period of military rule.24留学（英美澳法加新六国）租房留学（英美澳法加新六国）租房 留学公寓在线隶属于同维思创网络科技（北京）有限责任公司。公司总部位于国家级大学科技园-中国人民大学文化科技园。提供免费的海外学生公寓在线预订服务,不收取任何手续费或中介费。留学生直接向海外学生公寓支付费用,无任何中间环节。.25留学（英美
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