Causes of the French Revolution

Study Notes

Financial Crisis: France was deeply in debt from wars, especially the American Revolutionary War, and the burden of taxation fell on the common people.
Social Inequality: The nobility and clergy held immense power and wealth, while the common people (Third Estate) were oppressed and frustrated.
Enlightenment Ideas: The writings of Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu inspired the French people to demand liberty, equality, and democracy.
Food Shortages: Crop failures and food shortages in the late 18th century led to widespread discontent and unrest.

Called by King Louis XVI: In 1789, the King summoned the Estates-General, a representative assembly of the three estates, to address the financial crisis.
Third Estate Demands: The Third Estate demanded representation by population, rather than by estate, and a written constitution.
National Assembly Formation: The Third Estate, joined by some members of the other estates, formed the National Assembly, which vowed to create a new constitution.

Adopted in 1789: The National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, a document inspired by the American Declaration of Independence.
Key Principles: The document proclaimed the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, and established the concept of popular sovereignty.
Influential Document: The Declaration has had a profound impact on modern democracy and human rights, inspiring similar documents around the world.

Began in 1793: Following the execution of King Louis XVI, the Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre, took control of the government and launched a period of violence and repression.
Purging Enemies: The Committee sought to purge perceived enemies of the revolution, including nobility, clergy, and ordinary citizens, through mass executions and imprisonment.
End of the Terror: In 1794, Robespierre was overthrown and executed, marking the end of the Reign of Terror, but not before an estimated 16,000 to 40,000 people had been killed.

France was deeply in debt from wars, especially the American Revolutionary War, which led to a financial crisis.
The burden of taxation fell on the common people, causing widespread discontent.
The nobility and clergy held immense power and wealth, while the common people (Third Estate) were oppressed and frustrated, leading to social inequality.
The writings of Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu inspired the French people to demand liberty, equality, and democracy, spreading Enlightenment ideas.
Crop failures and food shortages in the late 18th century led to widespread discontent and unrest among the population.

King Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General, a representative assembly of the three estates, in 1789 to address the financial crisis.
The Third Estate demanded representation by population, rather than by estate, and a written constitution during the Estates-General.
The Third Estate, joined by some members of the other estates, formed the National Assembly, which vowed to create a new constitution.

The National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789, a document inspired by the American Declaration of Independence.
The document proclaimed the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity, and established the concept of popular sovereignty.
The Declaration has had a profound impact on modern democracy and human rights, inspiring similar documents around the world.

The Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre, took control of the government and launched a period of violence and repression in 1793, following the execution of King Louis XVI.
The Committee sought to purge perceived enemies of the revolution, including nobility, clergy, and ordinary citizens, through mass executions and imprisonment during the Reign of Terror.
An estimated 16,000 to 40,000 people were killed during the Reign of Terror, which ended in 1794 with Robespierre's overthrow and execution.