Causes of the French Revolution

Study Notes

Financial Crisis: France was heavily indebted from the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.
Social Inequality: The Estates-General system divided society into three estates: clergy, nobility, and commoners, with the commoners bearing the tax burden.
Enlightenment Ideas: The spread of liberal ideas from the Enlightenment, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, inspired the masses to demand change.

Estates-General of 1789: Representatives from the three estates met to address France's financial crisis, leading to the formation of the National Assembly.
Tennis Court Oath: National Assembly members took an oath to continue their work on a new constitution, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
Storming of the Bastille: On July 14, 1789, a mob attacked the Bastille, a symbol of the absolute monarchy, marking the start of the Revolution.
Great Fear: Peasants, fearing an aristocratic backlash, attacked and destroyed châteaux, leading to the abolition of feudalism.
Reign of Terror: From 1793 to 1794, Maximilien Robespierre's Committee of Public Safety executed thousands of people, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, for perceived counter-revolutionary activities.

King Louis XVI: The monarch who was executed in 1793 for his perceived role in the crisis.
Queen Marie Antoinette: The queen who was executed in 1793 for her perceived role in the crisis.
Maximilien Robespierre: A leading figure of the Revolution who dominated the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte: A military general who rose to power during the Revolution and eventually became Emperor of France.

Establishment of the First French Republic: The Revolution led to the formation of the first French Republic in 1792.
Abolition of Feudalism: The Revolution ended the feudal system and established the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Napoleonic Era: The Revolution paved the way for Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power and the Napoleonic Wars.
Influence on European History: The French Revolution had a significant impact on European history, inspiring similar movements and shaping modern politics.

France was heavily indebted from the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) and the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), leading to a financial crisis.
The Estates-General system divided society into three estates: clergy, nobility, and commoners, with the commoners bearing the tax burden, causing social inequality.
The spread of liberal ideas from the Enlightenment, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, inspired the masses to demand change.

The Estates-General of 1789 meeting, which aimed to address France's financial crisis, led to the formation of the National Assembly.
The Tennis Court Oath (June 20, 1789) marked the beginning of the Revolution, as National Assembly members vowed to continue their work on a new constitution.
The Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789) marked the start of the Revolution, as a mob attacked the symbol of the absolute monarchy.
The Great Fear (July-August 1789) led to the abolition of feudalism, as peasants, fearing an aristocratic backlash, attacked and destroyed châteaux.
The Reign of Terror (1793-1794) saw Maximilien Robespierre's Committee of Public Safety execute thousands of people for perceived counter-revolutionary activities.

King Louis XVI was executed in 1793 for his perceived role in the crisis.
Queen Marie Antoinette was executed in 1793 for her perceived role in the crisis.
Maximilien Robespierre was a leading figure of the Revolution who dominated the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a military general who rose to power during the Revolution and eventually became Emperor of France.

The Revolution led to the formation of the First French Republic in 1792.
The Revolution ended the feudal system and established the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.
The Revolution paved the way for Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power and the Napoleonic Wars.
The French Revolution had a significant impact on European history, inspiring similar movements and shaping modern politics.