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CAUSES
SOCIAL:
-THE BOURGEOISE CLAIMED POLITICAL POWER.
-THE PEASANT COMPLAINED ABOUT THE INCREASE IN TAXES.
-THE NOBILITY AND THE CLERGY DID NOT WANT TO PAY TAXES. POLITICAL:
-ILLUSTRATED IDEAS:
SEPARATION OF POWERS,NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY,EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW.
-WAR OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. ECONOMIC:
-SUBSISTENCE CRISIS
-FINANCIAL CRISIS:
BANKRUPTCY, LUXURIES OF THE COURT, AND THE 7-YEAR WAR. -
GENERAL STATES
THEY MET IN VERSAILLES, WITH THE PURPOSE OF SOLVING THE FINANCIAL PROBLEM. THIS SERVED THE PLAIN STATE TO REQUEST NUMEROUS REFORMS, CHANNELED IN THE SO-CALLED "COMPLAINT BOOKS."
THE PLAIN STATE, WHICH HAD A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS THAT IS EQUAL TO THE OTHER TWO TOGETHER, PROPOSED THAT THE VOTING BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY, THAT IS, EACH DEPUTY A VOTE AND NOT BY STATEMENTS, TO WHICH BOTH THE NOBILITY AND THE CLERGY THEY DENIED. -
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
BY NOT AGREEING WITH THE FORM OF VOTE, THE KING AND THE PRIVILEGED TRIED TO EXPELL THE CLEAR PEOPLE. THIS WAS HOW THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WAS CONSTITUTED THROUGH THE DEPUTIES, WHERE THEY SWORN TO STAY UNITED UNTIL A CONSTITUTION WAS CREATED, SERVING AS A TRANSITION BETWEEN THE STATES GENERAL AND THE NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY. -
THE OATH OF THE BALL GAME
IT WAS A COMMITMENT TO UNION BETWEEN THE DEPUTIES OF THE THIRD ESTATE IN ORDER NOT TO SEPARATE UNTIL PROVIDING FRANCE WITH A CONSTITUTION, FACING THE PRESSURE OF THE KING OF FRANCE, LOUIS XVI. -
CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TAKES THE NAME OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, BECAUSE ITS PURPOSE WAS TO DRAFT A CONSTITUTION, THAT IS, A FUNDAMENTAL LAW THAT WOULD ORGANIZE THE FRENCH MONARCHY IN ANOTHER WAY. THE KING HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO GIVE IN, INVITING THE CLERGY AND NOBILITY TO UNITE TO THE THIRD ESTATE IN THE NEWLY CONSTITUTED ASSEMBLY. -
STORMING THE BASTILLE
ALTHOUGH THE MEDIEVAL FORTRESS KNOWN AS THE BASTILLE ONLY HELD SEVEN PRISONERS, IT WAS A SYMBOL OF ROYAL AUTHORITY.
ITS FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE PARISIAN REVOLUTIONARIES SYMBOLICALLY MARKED THE END OF THE OLD REGIME AND THE STARTING POINT OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. -
DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF THE CITIZEN
APPROVED BY THE FRENCH NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, IT IS ONE OF MANY OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DOCUMENTS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IN TERMS OF DEFINING THE PERSONAL AND THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE UNIVERSAL. INFLUENCED BY THE DOCTRINE OF NATURAL RIGHTS, THE RIGHTS OF MAN ARE UNDERSTOOD AS UNIVERSAL (LIBERTY, EQUALITY AND PROPERTY)
IT WAS NOT UNTIL OLYMPE DE GOUGES, IN 1791, PROCLAIMED THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND THE CITIZEN THAT WOMEN ENTERED THE HISTORY OF HUMAN RIGHTS. -
MARCH ON VERSAILLES
IT STARTED WITH THE WOMEN IN THE PARIS MARKETS PROTESTING AGAINST THE HIGH PRICE AND SCARCITY OF BREAD AND THE LACK OF RIGHTS. THE PROTESTERS JOINED THE REVOLUTIONARIES.
LATER, A MULTITUDE OF THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS LOOTED THE CITY'S ARSENAL OF WEAPONS AND MARCHED TOWARDS VERSAILLES, WHICH MANAGED TO IMPOSE ITS DEMANDS ON LOUIS XVI. THE NEXT DAY, THE PROTESTERS FORCED THE KING, HIS FAMILY AND MEMBERS OF THE ESTATES GENERAL OF FRANCE TO RETURN WITH THEM TO PARIS. -
VARENNES LEAK
THE ROYAL FAMILY HAD A SERIOUS DECLINE IN ITS ROYAL AUTHORITY, TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO ESCAPE ABROAD DISGUISED AS A RUSSIAN ARISTOCRATIC FAMILY. THE EPISODE INCREASED HOSTILITY TOWARDS THE MONARCHY AS AN INSTITUTION, AS WELL AS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF LOUIS XVI AND MARIE ANTOINETTE. -
CONSTITUTION OF 1791
THE FIRST WRITTEN CONSTITUTION IN FRENCH HISTORY, WAS PROMULGATED BY THE NATIONAL CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1789 AND ACCEPTED BY LOUIS XVI IN 1791.1 IT CONTAINED THE REFORM OF THE FRENCH STATE, LEAVING FRANCE CONFIGURED AS A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY. THE CONSTITUTION ESTABLISHES THAT SOVEREIGNTY RESIDES IN THE NATION AND NO LONGER IN THE KING, WHO IS ENTITLED "KING OF THE FRENCH." IT PROCLAIMS FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND OF THE PRESS AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. -
FIRST COALITION AGAINST FRANCE
IT IS THE FIRST COORDINATED EFFORT OF THE EUROPEAN MONARCHIES TO CONTAIN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, SINCE THE EUROPEAN MONARCHS SAW THEIR THRONES IN DANGER.
THE COALITION BEGINS WITH THE INVASION OF FRENCH TERRITORY BY AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA, AND AS AN OFFENSIVE RESPONSE FRANCE DECLARES WAR ON THE HABSBURG MONARCHY OF AUSTRIA. -
ASSAULT ON THE PALACE OF TULLERIAS
IT WAS AN INSURRECTION, WHICH ENDED THE MONARCHY OF LOUIS XVI. THE MAIN EVENT WAS THE ASSAULT ON THE TUILERIES PALACE BY INSURGENTS AND SANS-CULOTTES. THE KING SOUGHT THE PROTECTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, BUT WAS SUSPENDED FROM HIS CONSTITUTIONAL FUNCTIONS AND ARRESTED ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY.
AT THE SAME TIME, ELECTIONS ARE CALLED BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE FOR A NATIONAL CONVENTION THAT WOULD ASSUME ALL THE POWERS OF THE STATE AND WOULD DRAFT A NEW CONSTITUTION. LATER LOUIS XVI WAS TRIED. -
FIRST FRENCH REPUBLIC
THE REPUBLIC LASTED A TOTAL OF TWELVE YEARS, UNTIL THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST FRENCH EMPIRE BY NAPOLEON BONAPARTE IN 1804.
TWO GROUPS WERE FORMED:
-GIRONDINOS: COMING FROM THE FRENCH DEPARTMENT OF LA GIRONDE, THEY REPRESENTED THE HIGH BURGUÉS AND HAD COLLABORATED WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY OF LUIS XVI
-JACOBINOS: SUPPORTED BY THE MIDDLE AND LOWER BOURGEOISIE, IDENTIFIED WITH THE REVOLUTIONARY POPULAR CLASSES (SANS-CULOTTES). THEIR LEADERS WERE DANTON, ROBESPIERRE AND MARAT -
EXECUTION OF LUIS XVI
IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. THIS EXECUTION WAS CARRIED OUT IN THE PLAZA DE LA REVOLUCIÓN (CURRENT PLAZA DE LA CONCORDIA), FORMERLY KNOWN AS PLAZA DE LUIS XV. THE NATIONAL CONVENTION HAD SENTENCED THE KING TO DEATH ON JANUARY 17 IN A VOICE VOTE AT THE SUGGESTION OF MARAT, AND IN WHICH THE DEATH PENALTY WAS IMPOSED BY 387 VOTES TO 334 VOTES FOR LIFE IMPRISONMENT OR EXILE. -
CONSTITUTION OF 1793
DRAFTED BY THE NATIONAL CONVENTION, IT INCLUDED PRINCIPLES SUCH AS POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY, DIRECT UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE BETWEEN THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND THE CITIZEN, AND THE MUCH-DISCUSSED RIGHT OF REBELLION, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF ALL OTHER RIGHTS. -
THE HORROR
CHARACTERIZED BY THE VIOLENCE-CENTERED CHANGES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. A PERIOD THAT STOOD OUT FOR THE TAX MEASURES THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL CONVENTION WOULD BE FORCED TO TAKE, IN ORDER TO FACE ALL THE DANGERS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL) THAT THREATENED THE REVOLUTION.
THE FIGURE THAT STAND OUT WAS ROBESPIERRE -
EXECUTION OF ROBESPIERRE
HE WAS ARRESTED AND GUILLOTINED ON JULY 28, 1794 (10 THERMIDOR) ALONG WITH TWENTY-ONE FOLLOWERS. ROBESPIERRE ENDED UP SUCCUMBING TO HIS POLITICAL DOWNFALL CAUSED BY THE INSTABILITY THAT HE HIMSELF HAD GENERATED. -
COUP OF TERMIDOR
PERIOD OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AFTER THE FALL OF ROBESPIERRE. THE CONSTITUTION OF YEAR III ESTABLISHES THE DIRECTORY. THE NAME "THERMIDOR" COMES FROM ONE OF THE SUMMER MONTHS IN THE REPUBLICAN CALENDAR AND REFERS TO THE 9TH OF THERMIDOR OF YEAR II, THE DATE ON WHICH WITH THE FALL OF ROBESPIERRE IT BECAME END TO THE PERIOD OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC UNDER THE RULE OF THE JACOBINS, GIVING WAY TO THE RULE OF THE CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS, CALLED PRECISELY THERMIDORIANS. -
THE DIRECTORY
IT HAS ITS BEGINNINGS AFTER THE EXECUTION OF ROBESPIERRE ON JULY 28, 1794 AND IS CONSOLIDATED WITH THE CONSTITUTION OF 1795.
UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION, THE CONVENTION IS DISSOLVED AND REPLACED BY A NEW POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. LEGISLATIVE POWER RESIDES IN A COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED AND THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS. EXECUTIVE POWER WILL BE VESTED IN A BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMPOSED OF FIVE "DIRECTORS", ELECTED BY FIFTHS EACH YEAR BY THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS. -
THE WHITE TERROR
THE WHITE TERROR NAMES IN FRANCE SEVERAL EPISODES OF REPRESSION AND TERROR CARRIED OUT BY THE MONARCHISTS AGAINST THEIR OPPONENTS. ITS EMBLEMATIC COLOR WAS WHITE, AS THIS WAS THE COLOR OF THE BOURBON MONARCHY. -
CONSTITUTION OF 1795
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE YEAR III IS THE TEXT ESTABLISHED BY THE DIRECTORY DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. IT WAS APPROVED BY REFERENDUM ON THE 5TH OF FRUCTIDOR OF THE YEAR III, AND HAS AS ITS PREAMBLE THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND THE CITIZEN OF 1795. -
BRUMAIRE 18
ON THE 18TH OF BRUMAIRE OF THE YEAR VIII, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, RETURNED FROM THE EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE POLITICAL WEAKNESS OF THE RULING EXECUTIVE DIRECTORATE IN FRANCE, CARRIED OUT A SURPRISING COUP WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE AND THE ARMY (AWARE OF HIS EXPLOITS AND CAPACITIES IN THE DIFFERENT CAMPAIGNS OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY WARS), PUTTING AN END TO THE DIRECTORY.
