French Revolution Overview and Chronology

France's influence extended beyond its borders, with French becoming the official language of diplomacy and widely spoken in European courts. French science also dominated the world during the 18th century, and France had the most powerful military force in Europe.

The Clergy, comprising less than 1% of the population, held significant power and wealth. They owned 20% of the land and were exempt from taxes. However, while issues like the Church's large land ownership and taxes were significant, the Church's role may have been exaggerated as a cause of the French Revolution.

The Nobility, comprising 2-4% of the population, held significant power and wealth. They were exempt from taxation and owned roughly 25% of the land. They enjoyed manorial rights, dating back to medieval times, which allowed them to tax peasants for their own profit.

The Third Estate was the most populous and diverse group in French society. It comprised a spectrum of individuals, from wealthy merchants to urban artisans, unskilled workers, and the majority of peasants.

The Third Estate bore the majority of the tax burden. These taxes included the taille (land tax), tithe (church tax), income tax, poll tax, and salt tax.

The Three Estates were a system of social hierarchy that had roots in medieval France. However, they no longer reflected the realities of modern French society, leading to resentment and discontent among the Third Estate.

This was a payment made by the peasants to the nobles in the form of labor. Peasants had to work for nobles several days a year.

The French aristocracy, the second estate, enjoyed the privilege of hunting on peasant land. They owned vast tracts of land that were set aside for game animals, where peasants were not allowed to hunt.

This refers to the system of social and political divisions that existed prior to the French Revolution. It's characterized by its strict hierarchical structure and rigid social inequalities.

These were special orders issued by the French king, allowing the imprisonment of anyone without trial or charges. People could be swiftly arrested and locked up without a chance to defend themselves.

The French middle class during the 18th century. This group was increasingly wealthy, educated, and influential, but lacked the political power and social standing that came with belonging to the nobility.

The French Revolution was partially inspired by the American Revolution's success.

The French middle class resented government interference in their economic activities and promoted laissez-faire economic ideas. The middle class wanted free markets and minimal government regulation.

Philosophers like Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu promoted ideas of natural rights, social contract theory, and separation of powers. These ideas challenged the absolute power of the monarchy and inspired people to demand change.

The French Revolution saw a rise in criticism of the government. People pointed out its inefficiency, corruption, and the privileges enjoyed by the aristocracy. These criticisms fueled discontent and a desire for change.

The French monarchy was unable to declare bankruptcy due to powerful creditors like aristocrats and bourgeois who refused to allow their loans to be repudiated.

The French government lacked a central bank, paper currency, and the ability to create credit, making it difficult to raise funds.

The French government relied on taxes for revenue but was heavily dependent on the poorest classes, who were already burdened by taxes.

The French tax system was inefficient and corrupt, leading to revenue losses and further burdening the lower classes.

Merchants and businessmen criticized the government's mercantilist economic policies, finding them restrictive and hindering business growth.

Between 1730 and 1780, France experienced significant inflation, driving up prices for consumer goods while wages remained stagnant, causing financial hardship for many.

Privileged classes, such as the nobility, refused to pay increased taxes, despite the growing economic difficulties facing the government.

In 1787, Louis XVI summoned an Assembly of Notables hoping to gain their support for new taxes or the removal of their tax exemptions.

The nobility refused tax increases and demanded control over government spending, further escalating tensions with the king.

The Parlements, controlled by the nobility, blocked tax increases and new taxes, forcing the king to consider sharing power with the Second Estate.

King Louis XVI dismisses his finance minister, Necker, raising fears of increased control by the aristocracy and potential famine.

Parisians, fearful of the king's growing power, take up arms and storm the Bastille, a royal prison, seeking weapons and gunpowder.

A wave of fear and violence spreads across the French countryside as peasants revolt against feudal obligations and attack manor houses.

Peasants destroy legal records documenting their feudal dues and reclaim common lands, challenging the traditional power of the aristocracy.

The National Assembly abolishes feudalism, declaring equality of taxation for all social classes, in an attempt to curb further violence and achieve social change.

The end of serfdom, exclusive hunting rights for nobles, and various feudal dues brings major benefits for the peasantry.

The middle class forms a National Guard Militia to protect their property and maintain order, especially as peasants defend their new freedoms.

The Great Fear ends as peasants become a force for order and stability, seeking to consolidate their newfound rights.

The "Great Fear" highlights the deep-seated resentment towards the aristocracy and the desire for change in France.

The revolution is not just about taxes, but also about deep-rooted social and political inequalities, as demonstrated by the peasants' violent push for change.

A major turning point in the French Revolution, this act aimed to secularize religion, creating a national church under the control of the state. It abolished monasteries and convents, confiscated church property, and required all clergymen to take an oath of loyalty to the government. The clergy was to be paid by the state and elected by citizens, regardless of religion.

The French Revolution saw the emergence of a constitutional monarchy, where the king's power was limited by a legislature. This new government was controlled primarily by the middle class, who gained political power through an indirect voting system based on property qualifications.

The National Assembly abolished the old provincial boundaries and divided France into 83 departments. This move aimed to create a more unified and centralized administrative structure across the country by replacing the existing patchwork of provinces with a new, standardized system.

Based on the principles of equality and unification, the French Revolution implemented a new judicial system. This system standardized legal practices across France, creating a uniform system of law courts, replacing the old and often uneven provincial legal frameworks.

The French Revolution's social and political changes were not just about replacing the monarchy but also about establishing a new system of hierarchy within the government. The new government, through the National Assembly, replaced the existing system of social classes (the First, Second, and Third Estates) with an emphasis on equal rights and representation for all citizens.