The Estates General

The country of France has gone bankrupt, and the country is screaming for the Estates General, last called in 1614.

Finally the King calls the Estates General in 1789, the governing body of the three estates where each estate has the same number of representatives, to resolve the countries economic issues. But the Third Estate will always lose, 2 to 1, when voting for reforms against the First and Second Estates.

It was suggested by the public that the Third Estate have its number of representatives be doubled, so that it would have as much voting power as the First and Second Estates. But alas, the Parlement of Paris decided each Estate would have only one vote.

Credits

http://www.cyberessays.com/History/107.htm


http://www.answers.com/topic/committee-of-public-safety


http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/REV/FIRST.HTM


http://www.lib.umd.edu/RARE/Exhibits/ThirdEstate/Index.html


http://www.angelfire.com/va/frenchrev/revolution.html


http://www.historywiz.com/frenchrev-mm.htm


http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/index.html


http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-40415/France


http://library.thinkquest.org/C006257/revolution/committee_pub_safety.shtml


http://www.napoleonguide.com/directory.htm

The Directory

The Directory was France's executive power in the years from 1795 to 1799. The Directory consisted of five directors, and each was elected by the Council of Ancients and the Five Hundred. At first it worked out but slowly dissipated. The Directory was disbanded by the Coup of Brumarie and was replace by the Consulate.

Committee of Public Safety

Created in 1793, the Committee of Public Safety was a political body that was in control of France during the Reign of Terror. It was created to protect France from its enemies. Eventually it was controlled by the radicals, including Maximilien Robespierre. Enemies of the Revolution were severely punished in this time. The country was declared in a state of wartime. Robespierre lost support in 1794, after which the Committee lost importance.

Constitution of 1791

The Constitution of 1791 made France a constitutional monarchy. In this government, legislative powers were given to the Legislative Assembly, had the power to declare war and make taxes. The Legislative Assembly was made up of representatives elected by Electors, who were elected by male citizens who paid annual taxes. The monarch was stripped of almost all of his powers, including the army.

This constitution lasted a mere year.

The Fall of the Bastille

The people of France were desperate. Bread, the base of the French diet, had become incredibly expensive due to harvest failures. The people of France were convinced that King Louis would take back his country by force, so they began gathering guns and ammunition. All the artillary was stored at the Bastille.

The Bastille was a fortress used as both a prison and a storehouse. The mob ordered the Govenor of the Bastille to give them the weapons. he refused. The mob surrounding the fortress grew and grew until the Govenor became worried and ordered his solidiers to shoot. They killed almost 100 people. Enraged, the mob storned the fortress and released its inhabitants. The Govenor tried to surrender but his surrender was denied and he was executed. All guards in the Bastille were killed. The artillary was distributed among the crowd.

This was a huge landmark in the revolution. The people had shown that they would fight to get what they wanted.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Anger at the aristocrats of France promted the National Assembly to create the "Declaration of the Rights of Man". The Declaration stated that all people were equal and deserved equal rights. contrary to the past ruling of the French government that protected the rich. The rights of liberty and property were included in this document.

The National Assembly and Tennis Court Oath

When they were refused an equal voice in the government, the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly, claiming that they were the true voice of the people. When they went to their meeting hall the next day, they found it locked. They then held their meeting in an indoor tennis court.

It was in this tennis court that they swore an oath, to stick together through the worst, until France had a new constitution. Just one person refused the oath. This is the infamous Tennis Court Oath.

At first, King Louis called the National Assembly illegitimate and illegal. The National Assembly refused his orders to disperse, and eventually, King Louis was forced to have the other Estates join the National Assembly.

The First, Second, and Third Estates

Imagine that you are a middle class lawyer in 178o. You're fairly well off, and belong to a group in France known as the "Third Estate". This Estate makes up about 95% of France's population, about 25 million people, and has almost no say in government issues.

The social and political system in France prior to the year 1789, was called the Old Regime. This system was based upon three Estates that divided the people of France.

Maybe you need a little more background knowledge on the Estates and France to know what's going on here.

The First Estate is the Church and clergy. This Estate was half and half with half of the members poor and the other half rich.

The Second Estate is the nobility. Their ranks were inherited by family name. The Second and First Estates are exempted from taxation.

The Third Estate is made up of servants, skilled and unskilled workers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, storekeepers, serfs, and laborers. They pay all the taxes and get no privileges.