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The Age of Enlightenment
Intellectuals wanted to improve society using critical thinking and logic. They thought that if something couldn't be reasoned, it should be rejected. This appealed to them because they were unhappy as most lived in poverty. This conflicted with the king being appointed by God because they didn't have any proof. These revolutionary ideas were an underlying cause of the revolution as French citizens were exposed to a new way of thinking and they saw the possibility for an ideal society. -
Louis XVI
Louis XVI inherited the French throne in 1774. During his reign, France had major economic problems and much of the population suffered from poverty. His citizens were angered by his lavish lifestyle and this caused them to revolt in a revolution. "Louis' typical breakfast consisted of four veal cutlets, one whole baked chicken, six eggs, a slice of ham, and one and half bottles of champagne." Arrested with 33 charges against him, Louis was later executed by the guillotine on January 21, 1793. -
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was from Austria and was never fully accepted by the people of France as gossip was spread about her. She was beautiful and spent a large amount of money on fancy jewelry and clothing. " It was impossible to see anything but the Queen... she is a statue of beauty, when standing or sitting: grace itself when she moves." Like King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette was arrested and the people of France showed her no mercy as she was executed by the guillotine on October 16, 1793. -
Maximilien Robespierre
Maximillien Robespierre was originally a lawyer who advocated for poor people and wrote papers protesting the upper class. He represented the third estate during the estates general meeting. He was a radical who led the Jacobins and the Committee of Public Safety where he became the most powerful man of France. He created the Reign of Terror and killed thousands of people. The citizens thought he was the problem with France's government and they executed him using the guillotine. -
Louis XVI becomes King of France
Louis XVI becoming King of France was an underlying cause of the Revolution. Louis wasn't fit to be a ruler as he didn't have any interests in politics and spent money and resources excessively. He led his country into a huge deficit and lived in the Palace of Versailles where he wasn't fully aware of the problems of his people such as poverty and food shortage. People grew extremely frustrated with his inability to be a good leader, and overtime this lead to the French Revolution. -
Tennis Court Oath
Frustrated by the government not recognizing their needs, the people of the third estate declared that they would form a new government, the National Assembly. The King responded to this by locking them out from the meeting. This resulted in them taking the Tennis Court Oath where they pledged to meet until a new government was formed. This was a cause of the revolution because this was their first act against the King. -
The Estates General
The Estates General was intended to fix the financial crisis at the time. France's economy was severely struggling due to the overspending of the monarchs and the cost of the wars. Consequently, this lead to holding the Estates General meeting that last occurred 175 years before. -
The Great Fear
After the Fall of Bastille, the Great Fear occurred. This was a consequence of the people's fear that the king's soldiers would end the revolution. Subsequently, they formed mobs who stormed the chateaux of the aristocrats, burned buildings and killed hundreds of people. -
The Third Estate
The very poor third estate made up a vast majority of the French population. The third estate were the only people who had to pay taxes yet they barely had enough money for themselves. This created a big problem along with the lack of government representation. As such, it lead to them rebelling against the government. -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution killed many people by execution and resulted in changes in society. A significant change was the abolishment of the monarchy and class system that allowed French citizens to participate in politics for the first time. Prices were controlled and taxes were based on income. These changes were reversed as France was later ruled by Napoleon; however, the ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity continued to unite France.
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The Fall of the Bastille
Mob attacks and riots were a result of the unhappiness of the citizens because Louis hadn't addressed the problems such as starvation and poverty. With the intent to restore peace, he sent mercenary troops that frightened people causing them to arm themselves. A mob attacked the Bastille releasing prisoners and killing the prison's governor. This was an underlying cause because it showed the people of France that when united they have power over the monarchs. -
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was intended to provide equality to citizens with rights such as freedom of speech, thought, religion, security, and property. However, these rights were only extended to active citizens who were property owning men over the age of 25. This excluded women, non- catholics, slaves, and people who didn't have property. Although this declaration lacked impact, it resulted in a change in government because of the discontentment of the citizens. -
The March on Versailles
Hundreds of angry, starving people marched to the King's palace in Versailles because they wanted him in Paris to see the desperate food shortage. At the palace a group of women spoke to the king and later a mob stormed the palace. This was a consequence of the King not addressing the food crisis. It was a result of his lack of awareness of the magnitude of the problems in his country. -
Jacobins
Jacobins started out as moderates and they had a branch called the Girondists . The Jacobins, also known as the mountains became radicals whose beliefs resulted in violent acts. They created the Reign of Terror where they arrested and executed citizens accused of treason; however; the Girondists were more conservative and were moderates. There was a lot of conflict between the two and the Jacobins killed many Girondists. -
End of the French Monarchy
The overthrow of the French monarch was a consequence of King Louis XVI being an inept ruler who upset his people because of his inability to recognize their needs. They were so angry with him that they had him arrested and they thought he should be tried for his crimes. This lead to the abolishment of the monarchy. -
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror led by Maximilien Robespierre was an immediate cause that lead to the death of many innocent people. Robespierre thought that the only way to stop the spread of evil was to guillotine anyone who didn't fully support the revolution. The Committee of Public Safety carried out these laws which lead to the death of 17 000- 30 000 people. -
The Directory Established
The Directory was established after the execution of Robespierre and reversed many of the advances that they strongly desired during the Revolution. The Directory was a result of the National Convention trying to bring back some structure to France after the chaos of Robespierre's rule.
