the french revolution

1. The existing monarchy had ruined the french society. they implemented bad tax policies. france was on the brink of bankruptcy. they called this the ancien regime. job and business opportunities were limited. becoming a lawyer was a hard but the only way for a common man to possibly lead a good life.
2. There were three sections of society - called the estates. clergy. nobility. peasants.
3. Louis xvi realised that people were going against him and he was not getting any help from nobility or the paris parlement. he called a meeting of the estates general.
4. The Estates General of 1789 (French: États Généraux de 1789) was a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate). everybody demanded the drafting of a constitution which would limit the powers of a king and create a system of national representation with the right to authorise taxes and make laws. this event can be traced back to be the start of the revolution.
5. Jacques necker, who was a protestant banker from genevea and a chief minister to louis XVI had suggested that the third estate should get more representation for voting so that it would not be outvoted by the other two estates.
6. Comte de mirabeu was a member of the nobility who also played a critical role in the french revolution. he was rebellious in nature.
7. Frustrated by the lack of progress and feeling marginalized, the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly on June 17, 1789. they invited members of the other estates to join them in creating a constitution for France, signaling a direct challenge to royal authority.
8. On June 20, 1789, members of the National Assembly, finding themselves locked out of their usual meeting place, gathered at a nearby tennis court and pledged not to disband until they had drafted a new constitution for France. This symbolic act demonstrated their commitment to reform and resistance against the monarchy.
9. In July 1789, amid escalating tensions and the convening of the Estates-General, Necker was dismissed from his position by King Louis XVI. Necker's dismissal was seen as a betrayal by the people who viewed him as their champion against the royal court's extravagance and fiscal mismanagement.
10. Necker's dismissal sparked outrage among the people of Paris and across France. News of his dismissal led to widespread protests and demonstrations, with crowds chanting "Vive Necker!" and demanding his reinstatement. The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, just days after Necker's dismissal, was a direct response to perceived royal oppression and symbolized the beginning of the French Revolution.
11. The Bastille was a fortress and prison in Paris, known as a symbol of royal tyranny and oppression. It was used by the monarchy to detain political prisoners, and its presence in the heart of Paris served as a constant reminder of royal authority.
12. Rumors circulated in Paris that King Louis XVI was planning to use military force against the National Assembly and the people of Paris. Fearing an attack, the citizens of Paris began arming themselves and organizing for defense.
13. On the morning of July 14, a large crowd gathered outside the Bastille, demanding the release of weapons and ammunition stored in the fortress. The governor of the Bastille, Bernard-René de Launay, initially refused to surrender.
14. As tensions escalated, the crowd became more agitated and eventually breached the defenses of the Bastille. The fortress was attacked from all sides, with the insurgents using makeshift weapons such as pickaxes and crowbars to break down the walls.
15. After several hours of fierce fighting, the defenders of the Bastille surrendered. The insurgents overwhelmed the fortress, freeing the prisoners and seizing control of the weapons and ammunition stored inside. The fall of the Bastille was a symbolic victory for the people of Paris and a turning point in the French Revolution.
16. The storming of the Bastille sparked further uprisings and insurrection across France, as news of the event spread. It marked the beginning of a period of intense revolutionary activity and signaled the collapse of royal authority in Paris.
17. National Assembly began to lay down all the rules. King’s powers were decreased. Money was a big issue tho. Expenditure was more than twice the revenue. They tried to raise money via loans. Did not work out so well. Decided to sell parts of the church since church was making a serious amount of money, just in profits. Tax was an issue. Most people disliked taxes hence tax filings were low in count. They tried to issue bonds for the church. The financial situation was not handled in a reliable way by the revolutionaries. Possibly the start of of problems of the french during the initial stages of democracy.
18. The National Assembly was trying to impose hard rules on the Church and everyone else. People who didn’t seem to follow the french revolution in the way the National Assembly expected had a tough time going ahead. Couple this with the decreasing financial health, this became a big problem in the coming years.
19. The king tried to flee, could not, came back. Made it look like he was abducted. National Assembly was losing their stronghold. Bad policies were the problem.
20. War was declared. Robespierre was against it for a long time but seemed to agree upon later. The words have “left” and “right” for political inclinations have their origins in this revolution.
21. The War of the First Coalition was a conflict that occurred between 1792 and 1797, during the early stages of the French Revolution. It involved France fighting against a coalition of European monarchies that were concerned about the spread of revolutionary ideals. In April 1792, France declared war on Austria and invaded the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). In response to the French invasion of the Austrian Netherlands, Prussia, allied with Austria, invaded France in August 1792. Despite initial setbacks, the French army achieved several victories, most notably at the Battle of Valmy in September 1792, which halted the Prussian advance. The conflict expanded as other European powers joined the coalition against France. Spain, Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, and several Italian states joined the war against France. Within France, the revolutionary government faced internal opposition, notably in the Vendée region, where counter-revolutionary forces rebelled against the government.
22. On 21 January the revolutionary government executed Louis XVI after a trial.[26] This united all European governments, including Spain, Naples & Sicily, and the Netherlands against the Revolution.
23. Despite facing a coalition of powerful European monarchies, the French army achieved significant successes, particularly under the leadership of generals like Napoleon Bonaparte.
24. The war ended with the Treaty of Campo Formio, signed between France and Austria in October 1797. The treaty led to territorial gains for France and marked the first time a major European power recognized the revolutionary government.
25. Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and its aftermath. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769, on the island of Corsica, which was then a French territory. He received a military education in mainland France and graduated from the military academy in Paris. Napoleon initially supported the ideals of the French Revolution, including liberty, equality, and meritocracy. He rose through the ranks of the French military rapidly due to his intelligence, military skill, and ambition. In 1793, he helped suppress counter-revolutionary uprisings in Paris, earning him recognition and promotion. One of Napoleon's earliest successes came during the Italian Campaigns (1796-1797), where he commanded French forces against the Austrian Empire and its allies. Napoleon's victories in Italy, including at the Battle of Lodi and the Battle of Rivoli, established his reputation as a brilliant military commander. In 1798, Napoleon led a military expedition to Egypt with the aim of disrupting British trade routes to India and spreading French revolutionary ideals. Although the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, Napoleon's propaganda portrayed it as a triumph. In 1799, Napoleon staged a coup d'état, overthrowing the weak French government known as the Directory. He established the Consulate and became First Consul, effectively making him the ruler of France. As First Consul, Napoleon centralized power in France, stabilizing the country after years of revolution and war. He implemented numerous reforms, including the Napoleonic Code, which standardized laws and promoted equality before the law. In 1804, Napoleon declared himself Emperor of the French, effectively ending the French Revolution and establishing the First French Empire.
26. The Insurrectional Commune was established following the insurrection of August 10, 1792, which culminated in the storming of the Tuileries Palace and the overthrow of King Louis XVI. Parisian revolutionaries, supported by National Guard units, stormed the Tuileries Palace, where King Louis XVI was residing. The palace was overrun, and the king was forced to seek refuge in the Legislative Assembly. Following the insurrection, the Paris Commune was reorganized, and its leadership became more radical. The new Insurrectional Commune was dominated by Jacobin and Cordeliers members, including Georges Danton and Jean-Paul Marat.
27. In September 1792, the National Convention was elected, replacing the Legislative Assembly. The National Convention was more moderate than the Insurrectional Commune and sought to establish a more stable government. Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins, who had supported the Insurrectional Commune, gradually gained control of the National Convention. They marginalized the more radical elements associated with the Insurrectional Commune and established the Committee of Public Safety, which became the de facto government of France.
28. The trial of King Louis XVI during the French Revolution was a pivotal event that symbolized the end of the monarchy and the victory of republican forces. Held before the National Convention, Louis XVI was charged with conspiring against the liberty of the nation and plotting against the security of the state. Despite a legal defense, the outcome was predetermined, and he was found guilty. On January 21, 1793, Louis XVI was executed by guillotine, marking a significant turning point in the revolution and intensifying the conflict between France and other European monarchies. The Girondins' influence began to decline in 1793 as the revolution became more radical and the Jacobins gained power. The Jacobins were initially a moderate republican faction, but they became increasingly radical as the revolution progressed. They advocated for the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a democratic republic.
29. The Reign of Terror, a period of intense violence and political repression, occurred during the most radical phase of the French Revolution, from September 1793 to July 1794. It was characterized by mass executions of perceived enemies of the revolution, political purges, and widespread fear and paranoia. The Terror was driven by a combination of factors, including the fear of counter-revolutionary forces, economic instability, and the radicalization of revolutionary ideology. The September Massacres of 1792, during which thousands of suspected counter-revolutionaries were killed in Parisian prisons, marked the beginning of this violent phase. The establishment of the Committee of Public Safety in April 1793 gave extraordinary powers to radical revolutionaries, particularly figures like Maximilien Robespierre. The Committee of Public Safety oversaw the prosecution of suspected counter-revolutionaries, and the Law of 22 Prairial, passed in June 1794, streamlined the trial process and led to an increase in executions. Thousands of people, including King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, and many former revolutionaries who fell out of favor, were executed during the Reign of Terror. The violence and repression of the Terror led to widespread fear and paranoia, and it remains one of the darkest and most controversial periods of the French Revolution. The Reign of Terror came to an end with the downfall of Robespierre and his allies during the Thermidorian Reaction, which led to a period of political instability and the eventual rise of more moderate political forces in France.
30. The fall of Maximilien Robespierre on July 27-28, 1794 (9-10 Thermidor Year II), marked the end of the Reign of Terror and the radical phase of the French Revolution. Robespierre, a prominent Jacobin leader and member of the Committee of Public Safety, was a key architect of the Terror, during which thousands of perceived enemies of the revolution were executed. Growing opposition to Robespierre's dictatorial rule, economic instability, and internal divisions within the National Convention led to his downfall. Robespierre and his allies were declared outlaws and arrested, and on July 28, 1794, they were executed by guillotine. This event, known as the Thermidorian Reaction, led to a period of political transition and the eventual rise of more moderate political forces in France.
31. The aftermath of the French Revolution saw the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, who seized power in 1799 and established the Consulate, effectively making himself the ruler of France. The revolution also led to nearly two decades of warfare in Europe, known as the Napoleonic Wars, which reshaped the continent's political landscape. Revolutionary ideas spread across Europe, leading to the abolition of feudalism and monarchy in France and the establishment of the Napoleonic Code. The revolution's principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity inspired nationalist movements and contributed to the end of the Ancien Régime. The Congress of Vienna, held after Napoleon's defeat, sought to restore stability to Europe, but the French Revolution's impact was profound and long-lasting, shaping political, social, and economic developments for decades to come.