Causes of the French Revolution

Causes of the French Revolution

• Financial Crisis: France was deeply in debt from wars and extravagance of the monarchy.
• Social Inequality: The Estates-General system divided society into three groups, with the clergy and nobility holding most power and wealth, while the common people (Third Estate) were heavily taxed and oppressed.
• Enlightenment Ideas: Philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu spread ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy, inspiring the people to demand change.

Key Events of the French Revolution

1. Estates-General of 1789: Representatives of the Three Estates met to address the financial crisis, but disagreements led to the formation of the National Assembly.
2. Tennis Court Oath (June 20, 1789): National Assembly members took an oath to continue their work on a new constitution, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
3. Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789): A mob attacked the symbol of royal authority, freeing prisoners and sparking widespread violence.
4. Great Fear (July-August 1789): Rural uprisings and panic led to the abolition of feudalism and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
5. Reign of Terror (1793-1794): Radical Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, executed thousands of perceived enemies of the Revolution, leading to a period of violence and instability.
6. Rise of Napoleon (1796-1799): Napoleon Bonaparte, a successful military general, seized power and eventually became Emperor of France, marking the end of the Revolution.

Key Figures of the French Revolution

• King Louis XVI: The monarch who was executed in 1793 for his role in the Ancien Régime.
• Queen Marie Antoinette: The symbol of the monarchy and a target of popular hatred, executed in 1793.
• Maximilien Robespierre: A leading Jacobin and architect of the Reign of Terror, executed in 1794.
• Napoleon Bonaparte: The military general who rose to power and eventually became Emperor of France.

Causes of the French Revolution

• France was deeply in debt due to costly wars and extravagant spending of the monarchy.
• The Estates-General system perpetuated social inequality, dividing society into three groups: the clergy, nobility, and the common people (Third Estate), who were heavily taxed and oppressed.
• Enlightenment ideas spread by philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu inspired the people to demand change, promoting liberty, equality, and democracy.

Key Events of the French Revolution

• The Estates-General of 1789 convened to address the financial crisis, but disagreements led to the formation of the National Assembly.
• The Tennis Court Oath on June 20, 1789, marked the beginning of the Revolution, as National Assembly members vowed to continue working on a new constitution.
• The Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, symbolized the destruction of royal authority, freeing prisoners and sparking widespread violence.
• The Great Fear, a period of rural uprisings and panic, occurred from July to August 1789, leading to the abolition of feudalism and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
• The Reign of Terror, from 1793 to 1794, was a period of violence and instability, during which radical Jacobins, led by Maximilien Robespierre, executed thousands of perceived enemies of the Revolution.
• Napoleon Bonaparte's rise to power, from 1796 to 1799, marked the end of the Revolution, as he eventually became Emperor of France.

Key Figures of the French Revolution

• King Louis XVI, the monarch executed in 1793 for his role in the Ancien Régime.
• Queen Marie Antoinette, the symbol of the monarchy and a target of popular hatred, executed in 1793.
• Maximilien Robespierre, the leading Jacobin and architect of the Reign of Terror, executed in 1794.
• Napoleon Bonaparte, the military general who rose to power and eventually became Emperor of France.