3.2 The French Revolution

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• Leerjaar 2

Chapter 3

3.1 The Enlightenment

At the end of this lesson...

• Using examples, you can explain how enlightened thinkers had new ideas about good government.
• You can describe how the French Revolution started and what the causes were.

Today

- What do you know already (+- 10 min)

- Explanation (+- 25 min)

- Test has been planned

Explain why the 3rd estate was treated unfairly.

Montesquieu

- Inventor of the Trias Politica (separation of powers).

Trias Politica

• Legislative power (wetegevende macht).
• Executive power (uitvoerende macht). 
• Independent judiciary power (rechterlijke macht). 

Trias Politica

(seperation of powers)

Why?

If the three powers are divided and check each other, the chance that people start to abuse their power is small.

Legislative Power

the power to make and change laws. 

Parliament has this power.

Independent judiciary power

The power to punish those who do not uphold the law. This lies in the hands of independent judges.

Executive power

the power to enforce laws.  

The government has this power.

France goes bankrupt

May 1789

• Parties, palaces, governing and wars cost a lot of money, but the money is gone.
• King Louis XVI wants more money. Therefore he brings (for the first time in 175 years) the Estates General together. The meeting of the 3 orders.

• The 3rd order hoped that the king would finally listen to them. They wanted lower taxes and/or the abolishment of the privileges. 
• Sadly: very little happens. This is partially because voting is done by order. The clergy and nobility always help the king.

• The leaders of the 3rd order are angry and disappointed....they leave....
  

De 3e stand hoopt dat de koning nu eindelijk eens naar hen zou luisteren: verlaging van de belasting of afschaffing van de privilieges. 

Helaas: er gebeurt erg weinig. Dit komt ook omdat er per stand wordt gestemd. En de koning heeft altijd de adel en de geestelijkheid mee.

De leiders van de 3e stand zijn boos en teleurgesteld, en lopen weg...

Meeting at the tennis court

June 1789

 

• The 3rd order starts their own assembly: The National Assembly.
• Some members of the 1st and 2nd order join up.
• They decide that the assembly will only break up, if there is a constitution.

Eed op de kaatsbaan

1789

De 3e stand begint zijn eigen vergadering: de Nationale Vergadering.

Een deel van de 1e en 2e stand sluit zich hierbij aan.

Op een kaatsbaan spreken ze af pas uit elkaar te gaan als 

er een nieuwe grondwet is.

How do you reach commoners?

• Not everyone was able to read (3rd order).
• But cartoons? Everyone understood those!

• These cartoons were usually made by the bourgeoisie.
  

The Clergy

The 1st order.

Nobility

The 2nd order.

The 3rd order

All of the people who do not belong to the 1st or 2nd order.

Storming of the Bastille

14th of July 1789

• The king sends an army to Paris to break up several groups of people.
• French citizens storm the Bastille, a prison and a place where gunpowder was stored (they already had weapons).
• The French Revolution has begun...and reaches other places in the country.