French Revolution

Good overview video

• follows the poattern of a religious revolution
  • anti-religious actions were not the goal, but the consequence
  • missionary impulse, like Christianity
• Form vs Content
  • revolution changed the form to better match the content
  • it didn't actually change the content much

History of the Louis

Louis XIV

• got nobles to go to Versailles, didn't let them go
• opulent & indulgent
• sent his own men out to his nobles' posts
• end result: centralized power in the king

LOUIS XV

LOUIS XVI

Aims

• reform social/political structures
  • out w/ Feudal SystemFeudal System
    Feudal System
    In Middle Ages, social structure was King -> Nobles -> Knights -> Peasant.
    Each class received protection and provided food for the one above it.
    But eventually, the need for protection dwindled, and the lower classes were supporting the upper classes for no reason. When they realized that, things like the [[French Revolution]] started to happen.
    , privilege
  • equality

Consequences

• peace for 100 years (British empire waxes)
• end of feudalism in France & rise of nationalism
• spread of democratic constitutionalism
• led to NapoleonNapoleon
  Napoleon
  Conditions for Rise
  
  after [[French Revolution]], extreme ideological nationalism
  disregard for human life
  centralized power & concentratin of authority (no nobles)
  [[Rousseau, Social Contract|General Will]] identified with authority
  Transformation of populace to desire improvement
  
  
  Precursor to Napoleon: The Directorate (1795-1799)
  
  council of 500 & a council of ancients
  directorate was moderate & controlled mostly by five directors
  many complicated shif...'s rise