The French Revolution And Napoleon Bonaparte

The French Revolution

And Napoleon Bonaparte

The Old Regime (Ancien Regime)

• The Old Regime – socio-political system which existed in most of Europe during the 18th century
• Countries were ruled by absolutism – the monarch had absolute control over the government
• Classes of people – privileged and unprivileged – Unprivileged people – paid taxes and treated badly – Privileged people – did not pay taxes and treated well

Coat of arms of The Old Regime

Society under the Old Regime

• In France, people were divided into three estates

– First Estate

• High-ranking members of the Church

• Privileged class

– Second Estate

• Nobility

• Privileged class

– Third Estate

• Everyone else – from peasants in the countryside to wealthy bourgeoisie merchants in the cities

• Unprivileged class

The Three Estates

Government under the Old Regime: The Divine Right of Kings

• Monarch ruled by divine right

– God put the world in motion

– God put some people in positions of power

– Power is given by God

– No one can question God

– No one can question someone put in power by God

– Questioning the monarchy was blasphemy because it meant questioning God

What the King Did

Appointed the Intendants, the “petty tyrants” who governed France’s 30 districts

Appointed the people who would collect his taxes and carry out his laws

Controlled justice by appointing judges

Controlled the military

Could imprison anyone at any time for any reason (blank warrants of arrest were called lettres de cachet)

Levied all taxes and decided how to spend the money

Made all laws

Made decisions regarding war and peace

Economic Conditions under the Old Regime

• France’s economy was based primarily on agriculture

• Peasant farmers of France bore the burden of taxation

• Poor harvests meant that peasants had trouble paying their regular taxes – Certainly could not afford to have their taxes raised

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