French Revolution Causes

Causes of the French Revolution

• Financial Crisis: France was deeply in debt from the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War. Burden of taxation fell on commoners and nobles refused to pay.
• Social Inequality: The Estates-General system divided society into three estates: clergy, nobility, and commoners. Commoners were frustrated with the privileges of the nobility and clergy.
• Enlightenment Ideas: Philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu spread ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy, influencing the French people.

Major Events of the French Revolution

1. Estates-General of 1789: Representatives of the three estates met to address financial crisis, but the commoners' representatives were dissatisfied with the system.
2. National Assembly: Commoners' representatives formed the National Assembly, taking an oath to continue their work until a new constitution was established.
3. Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789): Parisians stormed the symbol of absolute monarchy, marking the beginning of the Revolution.
4. Adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (August 26, 1789): The National Assembly adopted a document outlining individual rights and liberties.
5. Reign of Terror (1793-1794): Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety executed thousands of people suspected of counter-revolutionary activities.
6. Fall of Robespierre (July 28, 1794): Robespierre was executed, marking the end of the Reign of Terror.
7. Rise of Napoleon (1799): Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in a coup, becoming Emperor of France.

Key Figures of the French Revolution

• King Louis XVI: The monarch who was executed in 1793.
• Queen Marie Antoinette: The queen who was executed in 1793, symbolizing the monarchy.
• Maximilien Robespierre: Leader of the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
• Napoleon Bonaparte: Military general who seized power and became Emperor of France.
• Georges Danton: Early leader of the Revolution, executed in 1794.

Impact of the French Revolution

• End of Absolute Monarchy: The Revolution marked the end of absolute monarchy in France.
• Rise of Republicanism: The Revolution established the first French Republic.
• Spread of Enlightenment Ideas: The Revolution spread Enlightenment ideas throughout Europe and beyond.
• Modern Nation-State: The Revolution established the modern nation-state, with a centralized government and a codified system of laws.

Causes of the French Revolution

• France was deeply in debt from the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War, with a burden of taxation that fell on commoners.
• Nobles refused to pay taxes, exacerbating social inequality.
• The Estates-General system divided society into three estates: clergy, nobility, and commoners, with commoners frustrated with the privileges of the nobility and clergy.
• Enlightenment ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy spread by philosophers like Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu influenced the French people.

Major Events of the French Revolution

• The Estates-General of 1789 met to address the financial crisis, but commoners' representatives were dissatisfied with the system.
• The National Assembly was formed, with commoners' representatives taking an oath to continue their work until a new constitution was established.
• The Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, marked the beginning of the Revolution.
• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was adopted on August 26, 1789, outlining individual rights and liberties.
• The Reign of Terror from 1793-1794 saw Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety execute thousands of people suspected of counter-revolutionary activities.
• Robespierre was executed on July 28, 1794, marking the end of the Reign of Terror.
• Napoleon Bonaparte seized power in a coup in 1799, becoming Emperor of France.

Key Figures of the French Revolution

• King Louis XVI was executed in 1793.
• Queen Marie Antoinette was executed in 1793, symbolizing the end of the monarchy.
• Maximilien Robespierre led the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror.
• Napoleon Bonaparte was a military general who seized power and became Emperor of France.
• Georges Danton was an early leader of the Revolution, executed in 1794.

Impact of the French Revolution

• The Revolution marked the end of absolute monarchy in France.
• The Revolution established the first French Republic.
• The Revolution spread Enlightenment ideas throughout Europe and beyond.
• The Revolution established the modern nation-state, with a centralized government and a codified system of laws.