French Revolution: Causes, Events, and Aftermath

Posted on Feb 20, 2026 in History

Situation in France Before the Revolution

Ancient Regime:

  • Society: Estate-based, with 3 estates. The 1st and 2nd estates were privileged, while the 3rd estate was non-privileged.
  • Economy: Based on agriculture, using old methods and systems. Privileged estates owned most of the land.
  • Politics: Absolutism; the monarch held all political power.

New Ideas Like the Enlightenment:

  • Society: Promoted natural rights such as equality and liberty, and freedom of thought and expression.
  • Economy: Advocated for the use of scientific and technological advances, with less government control.
  • Politics: Called for the division of power (legislative, executive, judicial).

Causes of the Revolution

Political Causes:

  • Independence of the USA: Louis XVI sent troops and money to help the Americans fight against France’s traditional enemy, the British.
  • Absolutist Monarchy: France was an absolutist monarchy where the monarch’s power was unlimited except by divine law.
  • The Enlightenment: Revolutionary ideas promoted necessary power division and reduction of social differences.
  • Ancien Régime: The 3rd Estate lacked any real political power, making it impossible to change the situation of the poorest citizens.

Economical Causes:

  • Independence of the USA: Louis XVI aided the American Revolution against Britain, incurring huge costs for France.
  • Financial Difficulties: The French government consistently spent more money than it received from taxes, all paid by the 3rd Estate.
  • Expense of the Nobility: 25% of France’s annual budget was spent on Versailles and the royal family.
  • Tax Increases: New and higher taxes were needed to cover all expenses.

Social Causes:

  • Ancient Regime: Population increase led to increased poverty due to the estate-based society.
  • Unfair Taxation System: The 1st and 2nd Estates, being privileged, paid no taxes, while the 3rd Estate, the poorest, paid all taxes and held no rights.
  • Desire for Change: A push away from the estate-based society toward a new class-based society.

Ideological Causes:

  • The Enlightenment: New ideas aimed to create a state of equality through a complete overthrow of existing powers (advocating for power division or *liberté, égalité, fraternité*).
  • Independence of the USA: The American Revolution inspired the French people by showing that a group could overthrow their king and establish a democracy.
  • Ancien Régime Challenged: The authority of the King and the Catholic Church was questioned; a new society based on reason rather than tradition was promoted.

Evolution of the Revolution

  • The Estates General: Led to a demand for a change to an individual voting system.
  • The National Assembly: Marked by the Storming of the Bastille and the Constitution of 1791.
  • Constitutional Monarchy: A republic was established after the royal family attempted to flee.
  • Republic: Initially moderate with the Girondins, it became known as the Reign of Terror under the Jacobins.
  • The Directory: Abolished after Napoleon’s coup d’état in 1799.

Main Events

Before the Revolution:

May 1789: The Estates General and The National Assembly

King Louis XVI sought to change the taxation system so all estates would contribute financially. When he asked to change the voting system from ‘one estate, one vote’ to ‘one person, one vote,’ the 1st and 2nd Estates refused to lose their privileges. Consequently, the 3rd Estate declared itself the National Assembly, representing “the People” rather than the Estates.

June 1789: Closure of the Salle des États and Tennis Court Oath

Louis XVI ordered the closure of the Salle des États where the National Assembly met. They relocated to a tennis court and swore not to separate until they had given France a constitution based on ideas of freedom and equality.

Beginning of the Revolution:

July 14th, 1789: The Storm of the Bastille

The Bastille prison, a symbol of royal authority, was stormed by French citizens. This day is considered the real start of the revolution, leading the King of France to make concessions to the revolutionaries.

August 1789: End of the French Ancien Régime

Representatives of the National Assembly abolished Feudalism (the unfair tax system) and wrote The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, marking the end of the Ancien Régime and the estate-based society.

After the Revolution:

1791: Constitutional Monarchy

The National Constituent Assembly wrote the first Constitution, which Louis XVI was forced to sign, establishing the Constitutional Monarchy.

1792: First French Republic by Moderate Republicans (Girondins)

January 21st, 1793: Execution of Louis XVI

King Louis XVI was executed on January 21st, accused by Robespierre of opposing the Revolution. Queen Maria Antoinette was executed later that year in October.

1793: The Jacobin Convention and The Reign of Terror

A period of dictatorship under Maximilien Robespierre, where the Republic became more radical, resulting in approximately 40,000 deaths. Anyone considered an opponent of the government was executed.

1795: The Directory

The National Convention was replaced by a moderate republican government following a coup d’état. They brought a period of relative peace with a more moderate constitution.

Consequences

Political Consequences:

  • French Republic: France transitioned from an absolutist monarchy to a Republic for the first time in history.
  • Power Division: Established to better control the government, countering the absolute power of the King.
  • End of the Ancien Régime: Political privileges of the 1st and 2nd Estates disappeared to promote greater equality.
  • Napoleon Bonaparte: Seized power after a coup d’état following military victories and incessant political disappointments.

Economical Consequences:

  • End of the Ancien Régime: Creation of a class-based society where the bourgeoisie gained significant power.
  • Expropriation of Land and Properties: Land belonging to the nobility and clergy was seized, ending their economic privileges and promoting secularism.
  • New Commerce and Trading Laws: Aimed at better distribution of wealth.

Social Consequences:

  • Triumph of Enlightenment Ideas: Concepts such as liberty, equality, and reason-based thinking prevailed.
  • First Human Rights Declaration: A proclamation of human rights for the first time in history, though notably limited to men, highlighting subsequent women’s discrimination.
  • End of the Ancient Regime: The estate-based society vanished, leading to the same rights and obligations for different social classes.

Ideological Consequences:

  • The Enlightenment: New ideas promoted the overthrow of old powers to establish equality (power division or *liberté, égalité, fraternité*).
  • Secularization of France: The authority of the King was suppressed, and the Catholic Church lost influence in a new society based on reason over tradition.