Causes of the French Revolution

Financial Crisis: France was heavily indebted from the Seven Years' War and American Revolution, leading to a severe financial crisis.
Social Inequality: The Estates-General system, which divided society into three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners), perpetuated social inequality and resentment.
Enlightenment Ideas: The spread of Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, inspired the French people to demand change.
Food Shortages: A series of crop failures and food shortages in the late 18th century exacerbated the financial crisis and social unrest.

** Estates-General (May 1789)**: The Estates-General, which had not been convened since 1614, was called to address the financial crisis. The Third Estate, representing the common people, demanded greater representation and reform.
Tennis Court Oath (June 1789): The Third Estate, led by Jean-Sylvain Bailly, took an oath to continue their work on a new constitution, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789): The Parisian mob, seeking arms and ammunition, stormed the symbol of absolute monarchy, the Bastille prison, marking the beginning of the violent phase of the Revolution.
Great Fear (July-August 1789): A wave of panic and violence spread throughout the countryside, leading to the abolition of feudalism and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Reign of Terror (1793-1794): Radical Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, executed thousands of perceived enemies of the Revolution, leading to a period of intense violence and repression.
Rise of Napoleon (1799): Napoleon Bonaparte, a successful military general, seized power in a coup, marking the end of the Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic Empire.

King Louis XVI: The French monarch whose indecisiveness and unwillingness to reform led to the escalation of the Revolution.
Queen Marie Antoinette: The Austrian-born queen who became a symbol of the monarchy's excesses and was eventually executed by guillotine.
Maximilien Robespierre: The radical Jacobin leader who dominated the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte: The military general who seized power and became Emperor of France, marking the end of the Revolution.

End of Absolute Monarchy: The French Revolution marked the end of absolute monarchy and the rise of democracy in France.
Spread of Enlightenment Ideas: The Revolution helped spread Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, throughout Europe and beyond.
Reorganization of Europe: The Revolution led to the reorganization of Europe, with the rise of Napoleon and the redrawing of national borders.
Inspiration for Future Revolutions: The French Revolution served as a model and inspiration for future revolutions and social movements around the world.

France was heavily indebted from the Seven Years' War and American Revolution, leading to a severe financial crisis.
The Estates-General system, which divided society into three estates (clergy, nobility, and commoners), perpetuated social inequality and resentment.
The spread of Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, inspired the French people to demand change.
A series of crop failures and food shortages in the late 18th century exacerbated the financial crisis and social unrest.

The Estates-General, which had not been convened since 1614, was called in May 1789 to address the financial crisis.
The Third Estate, representing the common people, demanded greater representation and reform, and took an oath to continue their work on a new constitution in June 1789.
The Parisian mob, seeking arms and ammunition, stormed the symbol of absolute monarchy, the Bastille prison, on July 14, 1789, marking the beginning of the violent phase of the Revolution.
A wave of panic and violence spread throughout the countryside in July-August 1789, leading to the abolition of feudalism and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Radical Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, executed thousands of perceived enemies of the Revolution during the Reign of Terror from 1793-1794.
Napoleon Bonaparte, a successful military general, seized power in a coup in 1799, marking the end of the Revolution and the beginning of the Napoleonic Empire.

King Louis XVI was the French monarch whose indecisiveness and unwillingness to reform led to the escalation of the Revolution.
Queen Marie Antoinette, the Austrian-born queen, became a symbol of the monarchy's excesses and was eventually executed by guillotine.
Maximilien Robespierre was the radical Jacobin leader who dominated the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte was the military general who seized power and became Emperor of France, marking the end of the Revolution.

The French Revolution marked the end of absolute monarchy and the rise of democracy in France.
The Revolution helped spread Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, throughout Europe and beyond.
The Revolution led to the reorganization of Europe, with the rise of Napoleon and the redrawing of national borders.
The French Revolution served as a model and inspiration for future revolutions and social movements around the world.

14 Questions