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How the French Revolution Begins
There wasn't one event or condition that led to the French Revolution, but, rather, a number of factors came together to cause a perfect storm leading to the revolt of the people against the king.- The taxes were very pricey
- Starvation (which was an effect from the taxes)
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The National Assembly
The National Assembly played a major role in the French Revolution. It represented the common people of France (also called the Third Estate) and demanded that the king make economic reforms to insure that the people had food to eat. It took over control of the government and ruled France in some way for around 10 years. Over the course of the French Revolution, the powers and the name of the revolutionary assembly changed. -
What The Three Estates Do
The First Estate was made up of the clergy. These were people who worked for the church including priests, monks, bishops, and nuns. This was the smallest estate in terms of population.
The Second Estate was the French nobility. These people held most of the high offices in the land, got special privileges, and didn't have to pay most of the taxes.
The rest of the population (around 98% of the people) were members of the Third Estate. These people were the peasants, craftspeople, and laborers. -
Tennis Court Oath
On 20 June 1789, the members of the French Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing "not to separate and to reassemble wherever circumstances require, until the constitution of the kingdom is established". It was a pivotal event in the French Revolution. -
The French Revolution
The French Revolution lasted 10 years from 1789 - 1799.This began on July 14, 1789 when the french civilization stormed a prison called the Bastille. The revolution came to an end 1799 when a general named Napoleon overthrew the revolutionary government and established the French Consulate, with Napoleon as leader. -
Fall of the Bastille
On July 14, 1789, an angry crowd marched on the Bastille, a medieval fortress in east Paris that was mostly housing political prisoners. To many people in France, it was considered as a symbol of the much hated Louis’ regime. Angry, unemployed and hungry Parisians saw it as a place to vent their frustrations. The commander of the Bastille, Marquis de Launay and his troops resisted for a few hours before they surrendered to the mob. -
Women's March on Versailles
The Women's March on Versailles was an important event at the start of the French Revolution. It gave the revolutionaries confidence in the power of the people over the king.On the morning of October 5, 1789, a large group of women in a Paris marketplace began to revolt. They wanted to buy bread for their families. They began to march through Paris demanding bread at a fair price. As they marched, more people joined the group and soon there were thousands of marchers. This lasted over 3 years. -
The Rein of Terror
The Reign of Terror was a dark and violent period of time during the French Revolution. Radicals took control of the revolutionary government. They arrested and executed anyone who they suspected might not be loyal to the revolution. -
The Directory
The Directory was the name of the government that ruled France during the final stage of the French Revolution. The government was based off a new constitution called the "Constitution of Year III." The Directory ruled France for 4 years from November 2, 1795 - November 10, 1799. It came into power after the, Reign of Terror, when the country was ruled by the Committee of Public Safety.
