Causes of the French Revolution

Study Notes

Financial Crisis: France was deeply in debt from wars and excessive spending, leading to high taxes and widespread poverty.
Social Inequality: The Estates-General system divided society into three estates: Clergy, Nobility, and Commoners, with the latter bearing the burden of taxes and having limited representation.
Enlightenment Ideas: The spread of liberal and democratic ideas from the Enlightenment, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, inspired the masses to demand change.

Estates-General (May 1789): Representatives of the three estates gathered to address the financial crisis, but the Commoners demanded greater representation and equal rights.
Tennis Court Oath (June 1789): The National Assembly took an oath to continue their work on a new constitution, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789): A symbol of the absolute monarchy, the prison was stormed, marking the beginning of the end of the Ancien Régime.
Great Fear (July-August 1789): Panic and violence spread throughout the countryside as peasants and townspeople attacked nobles and their estates.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (August 1789): A foundational document of the Revolution, outlining the principles of liberty, equality, and democracy.

National Assembly (1789-1791): The initial phase, marked by the adoption of the Constitution and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.
Legislative Assembly (1791-1792): A more radical phase, characterized by the rise of the Girondins and the declaration of war against Austria.
National Convention (1792-1794): The most radical phase, marked by the execution of King Louis XVI, the Reign of Terror, and the rise of Maximilien Robespierre.
Directory (1795-1799): A period of relative stability, marked by the rise of the Directory and the eventual coup d'état by Napoleon Bonaparte.

King Louis XVI: The monarch who was executed in 1793, marking the end of the monarchy.
Maximilien Robespierre: A leading figure of the Revolution, known for his radical views and role in the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte: A military general who rose to power during the Revolution and eventually seized control, marking the beginning of the Napoleonic Empire.

France's financial crisis was caused by debts from wars and excessive spending, leading to high taxes and widespread poverty.
The Estates-General system created social inequality, dividing society into three estates: Clergy, Nobility, and Commoners, with the latter bearing the burden of taxes and having limited representation.
Enlightenment ideas, such as liberty, equality, and democracy, inspired the masses to demand change.

In May 1789, the Estates-General gathered to address the financial crisis, but the Commoners demanded greater representation and equal rights.
The National Assembly took an oath to continue their work on a new constitution in June 1789, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
The Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, marked the beginning of the end of the Ancien Régime.
The Great Fear, a period of panic and violence, spread throughout the countryside in July-August 1789 as peasants and townspeople attacked nobles and their estates.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was adopted in August 1789, outlining the principles of liberty, equality, and democracy.

The National Assembly (1789-1791) saw the adoption of the Constitution and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.
The Legislative Assembly (1791-1792) was a more radical phase, marked by the rise of the Girondins and the declaration of war against Austria.
The National Convention (1792-1794) was the most radical phase, marked by the execution of King Louis XVI, the Reign of Terror, and the rise of Maximilien Robespierre.
The Directory (1795-1799) marked a period of relative stability, with the rise of the Directory and the eventual coup d'état by Napoleon Bonaparte.

King Louis XVI was executed in 1793, marking the end of the monarchy.
Maximilien Robespierre was a leading figure of the Revolution, known for his radical views and role in the Reign of Terror.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a military general who rose to power during the Revolution and eventually seized control, marking the beginning of the Napoleonic Empire.