Chapter 6 - New ideas - 3

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

Today's planning

6.4 + 6.5

An empty treasury

Expensive wars led to immense debt for France.

King Louis XVI summoned the States-General (Staten-Generaal)

to find a way to pay off the debt via taxing the first and second estate. 

-> Estate system privileges 

An empty treasury

1789: States-General comes together in Versailles.
Disagreement about the way of voting

The third estate declares themselves the National Assembly (Nationale Vergadering), they now represent the French people

Eed op de kaatsbaan

Tennis court oath (eed op de kaatsbaan)

>> to write a constitution 

Louis XVI sents his army and riots break out in Paris

14th of July 1789: Storming of the Bastille

Revolution

The National Assembly abolished all privileges of the 1st and 2nd estate. 

In september 1791 the constitution (grondwet) was completed

France became a constitutional monarchy (constitutionele monarchie)

>> What does this mean?

Elections

Only rich citizens could vote > First parliament was very moderate (gematigd). They wanted to uphold the monarchy.

After the universal male suffrage (algemeen kiesrecht) the radicals (radicalen) had the majority (meerderheid) in Parliament

Radicals and Terror

92The radical parliament sentenced Louis XVI to death  in 1792 > Guillotine    France is now a Republic.

Not everyone thinks the king deserved to die. This group is called the Girondins. (Girondijnen)

Opposint them are the radicals called the Jacobin. (Jacobijnen)

 They want a completely new France, without anything to remind them of the ancien régime (the old France).

Robespierre

The radical leader Robespierre began an

reign of terror (Terreurbewind) 

> Result: many people died or feared for their lives

The radicals fanatically searched for enemies of the revolution

- Special courts for traitors: Tribunals (tribunaal, rechtbank)

   >> Guillotine: 70 people a day in Paris alone

 July of 1794: Robespierres life ends by the guillotine.

Facial reconstruction of Robespierres face

Who takes over in France?

First the Girondins. But there is simply too much chaos. 

One of the new rulers asks Napoleon to help him during a coup d'etat. ( a hostile takeover of power)

His reign gives the country peace and stability. This makes him popular.

He is crowned emperor of France. (keizer)

Napoleonic Wars

'French wars', take place between 1792 and 1815.

Thanks to drafting (compulsory enlistment) that the army is able to win the wars and is able to expand their territory to the Dutch Republic.

In 1810 Napoleons empire is at its greatest. It consists of all of Western and Central Europe, except for England. 

Napoleon then decides to attack Russia. This is a mistake, he loses!

After Napoleon 

At the Congres van Wenen in 1815 the leaders of the European countries discuss what is to happen to Europe after Napoleon.