Summary of the Documentary: The French Revolution

 

King Louis XIV- Monarchy

Louis XVI- Marie Antoinette from Austria

Louis XIV had lost the seven year war in North America draining France’s finances. The population was increasing and needed more resources. Finally the King dies. Louis the XVI

The new age of enlightenment inspired by science and literature. Undermined monarchy. Was also inspired by the American war of independence. Louis wants revenge for grandfathers death. investment in the war strained the resources. Marie was also a spendthrift with unnecessary ceremonies, gambling, staged plays, and strange hairdos. Still, they have not produced an heir to the throne. This makes her unpopular. Art portrayed her as promiscuous.

Bad harvests and deregulation raises cost of flour hence bread. A charge is leveled against the loyals. Maximilien accusses the loyals of spending too much leaving little for the peo ple. Louis attempts to an economic reform by introducing taxes. This only burdens the poor while nobility don’t pay. The weather makes it worse in 1788 with harsh cold. Flour was the essence of life. Bread was the measure of existence. The cost of flour skyrockets. Hunger turns to rage culminating in riots. Louis hires a finance minister, Jacques Necker, popular with the people.

Traditional estates representatives called in 175 years. Clergy, nobility, third estate (97%). May 4 1789, maximilien as a deputy stands before representatives estates general to speak for the third estate. Lawyer. Robespierre demands 2 estates pay taxes. Deputies start being silenced. They open the national assembly. July guards sent to overthrow rebellion. Bastille prison. Firing of finance minister inspires more revolt. Killing of bastille governor and mounting of his head on a pole. Is it a revolt, no it is a revolution.

The national assembly pens a charter called the declaration of the rights of men. Classes abolished and all men considered as equal. They demand constitutional mornachy, equality and justice. Oct 2 1789. Shortage of bread. The women from marketplaces took their complaints to the king. Also called The women’s march on Versailles, October march. Louis agrees to sign the declaration of the rights of man. The crowd demands that they move to Paris. May 1791.  France is now a constitutional mornachy. Louis power decreases. He decides to make a run and look for allies to fight the revolution to the border of Austria. He is arrested and taken back to Paris. The king was viewed as a traitor. Power shifts to the revolutionaries. Robespierre demands an end to slavery and end to death penalty. Guillotine comes up with a new device for instant death. Fearing attacks by members of extended family, assembly declares war on Austria. Prussia joins Austria. Aug 1792 crowds attack king and queen. French republic is born. Justice minister motivates people to go to frontier war. Prisoners are attacked , September massacre leaves over 1600 dead. Robespierre stands to guide the revolution. Decides that France will put its king on trial. Many wanted to king. He is found guilty of betrayal and sentenced to death. Jean-Paul Marat keeps calling for people to be killed. He believes that chopping of heads will make things alright. July 1793, (sharot code (sic)) comes to kill marat. Gives him a pretense list and stabs him on the chest. He is silenced. She is executed. Marat was considered a legend. Marie Antoinette is jailed. She was tried later. On oct 15. Accused of high treason and even incest with her son. She is sentenced to the guillotine. Regarded as the last queen of France. Sept 1793. France is being torn apart. Enemies such as Britain took an apportunity to attack France. The reign of terror began. Marshal Law is declared and constitution suspended. Any suspected betrayal is sent to the guillotine. 12 man cousel is formed to consolidate power. Robespierre emerges as the fierce voice and as a proponent of  power.

Dechristianization is proposed. The church is seen as powerful. The Christian callender is replaced. Months are renabled and broken to 3 weeks. 10 day week removed Sunday. 100,000 are killed. Napoleon Bonaparte. The terror achieved its goal. 1794. Robespierre associates terror with virtue. Food is better. Dentonise. Robespierre launches the  great terror. Wants to replace the Christian God. He is arrested. The deputies declare him an outlaw. His attempted  suicide fails. He becomes a victim of the guillotine. The terror dies with Robespierre. Five years passed before power consolidated at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte. Some say the revolution continued to the nineteenth century. How much violence is justified. The revolution has inspired many nations to rise for liberties from Russia to latin America .

 

Maximilien Robespierre