Origins and Key Events of the French Revolution
The bourgeois revolution enabled the bourgeoisie to gain political power and a social status which had only been available to the nobility under the Ancien Régime.
The French Revolution (1789–1804)
The French Revolution was a period of violent political and social change, which saw the abolition of the absolute monarchy and the end of the estates system of the Ancien Régime. It is considered to be the first European bourgeois revolution.
Causes of the French Revolution
The Influence of the Enlightenment
French intellectuals and the bourgeoisie supported Enlightenment ideas and wanted to put them into practice.
The Economic Crisis
The French monarchy was heavily in debt. This was because of the “court’s excessive spending” and also because of France’s participation in military conflicts such as the American War of Independence. Poor harvests after 1770 led to an increase in prices; as a result of high bread prices, peasants and the urban poor often suffered from hunger.
The Social Crisis
- The clergy and the nobility were able to maintain their income.
- The Third Estate suffered from rising taxes, since they were the only estate that paid them.
The Political Crisis
To improve royal finances, Louis XVI’s ministers suggested that the privileged estates should pay taxes. The nobility and clergy demanded that the king call the Estates-General. This was the only body that could approve new taxes. Louis XVI governed as an absolute monarch. He did not want to go to the Estates-General because he wanted all the power.
Events of the French Revolution
The National Assembly
At a meeting of the Estates-General, the Third Estate proposed a new voting system in which each representative would have an individual vote. When the king refused, the members of the Third Estate declared themselves the true representatives of the nation. They formed a National Assembly and demanded a constitution.
The Constituent Assembly
The king finally agreed to the demands. A new Constituent Assembly was elected to write a constitution. On 14 July 1789, they attacked the Bastille. They implemented legal reforms; the declarations stated that all are equal and free.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens
- Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.
- Liberty consists of the freedom to do anything which doesn’t harm others.
- All men are innocent until proven guilty.
- No man may be disturbed for his opinion, not even for his religious beliefs.
The Legislative Assembly
New elections were held and a new assembly was elected, divided into two groups:
- Girondins: Upper bourgeoisie. Moderate. Proposed to maintain a constitutional king and limited suffrage.
- Jacobins: Radical. Proposed to expand the suffrage and to abolish the monarchy.
Louis XVI was afraid of change, so he looked for help in Austria. In response, the assembly abolished the monarchy in September 1792, and the French Republic was born.
The Convention
After the election, a new assembly was born. Louis XVI was accused of treason and then executed in January 1793. Later, European countries formed a coalition and declared war on France. To prevent the revolution from failing, under the leadership of Robespierre, the Jacobins took control of the government and imposed a dictatorship known as the Terror, during which about 42,000 people were executed.