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.

Explore the key factors that led to the outbreak of the French Revolution, including financial crisis, social inequality, and Enlightenment ideas.