1.2.1 France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy

Description

Quick Overview

The section discusses the establishment of constitutional monarchy in France following the revolution that began in 1789, focusing on the roles of the National Assembly and significant societal upheavals.

Standard

The emergence of a constitutional monarchy in France marked a significant shift from absolute rule. The National Assembly crafted a new constitution in 1791, delineating powers among the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches. Crucial to this transition were the events leading to the storming of the Bastille and the growing discontent among various social classes, especially the Third Estate, which culminated in demands for greater political representation and rights.

Detailed

France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy

In 1791, with the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in France, the political landscape dramatically transformed. The National Assembly aimed to limit the king's powers, redistributing authority among various institutions: the legislature, executive, and judiciary. At the core of this change was the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, an event that symbolized the uprising against royal tyranny and the call for a people's government.

Key Events Leading to Constitutional Change

  • The financial crisis faced by King Louis XVI and the subsequent call for the Estates General in May 1789 is crucial to understanding this revolutionary period. This assembly included representatives from three estates: the clergy (first estate), nobility (second estate), and commoners (third estate), which included the burgeoning middle class and peasants.
  • Tensions escalated when the Third Estate, representing commoners, demanded voting reform to allow each individual to have a vote rather than class-based voting, leading them to break away and form the National Assembly.

Political Structure post-Constitution

  • The Constitution of 1791 established the National Assembly as the main legislative body, indirectly elected through a system where active citizens—those over 25 who paid a certain amount in taxes—had the right to vote. This left passive citizens, including most women and non-property owners, without voting rights, highlighting contradictions in the principles of democracy being established.

Historical Significance

  • The constitutional model adopted in France inspired various democratic movements worldwide, promoting the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. It represents a significant step in the fight against absolute monarchy and shaped political discourse in Europe and beyond in the ensuing decades.

Key Concepts

  • Constitutional Monarchy: A government system where the monarch's powers are limited by laws.

  • National Assembly: The legislative body formed by representatives of the common people.

  • Social Inequality: The deep disparities in class that led to revolts and demands for change.

  • Bastille: The stronghold representing royal authority that was stormed as a revolutionary act.

Memory Aids

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • Liberty and Rights, shining bright, / In France they took a bold fight.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Once there was a fortress called the Bastille, where kings ruled with a heavy seal. People united against their fear, to claim their rights and hold them dear.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • Use 'FRIGHT' to remember: Freedom, Rights, Individual, Government, Human, Taxation.

🎯 Super Acronyms

Remember 'CLEVER'

  • Constitution
  • Limited monarch
  • Equality
  • Voting rights
  • Equal laws
  • Rights.

Examples

  • The storming of the Bastille represents the uprising against absolute monarchy.

  • The National Assembly creating a new Constitution symbolizes the start of modern democracy in France.

Glossary of Terms

  • Term: Constitutional Monarchy

    Definition:

    A form of government in which a monarch's powers are limited by a constitution.

  • Term: National Assembly

    Definition:

    The revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate.

  • Term: Third Estate

    Definition:

    The social class in France that included commoners, who bore the tax burden.

  • Term: Bastille

    Definition:

    A fortress in Paris that was stormed in 1789, marking the start of the French Revolution.

  • Term: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

    Definition:

    A fundamental document that outlined the rights of individuals in France.