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Deficit spending by the government and Economic Reform
For years the French government had been spending more money than it took in. King Louis XIV had left France in debt, and the Seven Years' War and American Revolution had put even more strain on the treasury. The government kept borrowing money but they remained in debt. Costs had risen and the Third Estate was the only Estate paying taxes. Economic reform was needed, and it was suggested that the first two estates pay taxes. The clergy and nobility would not have that though, and fought it. -
Louis XVI Calls the Estates-General
France was on the verge of bankrupcy and Louis XVI decided to call the Estates-General. He had all estates prepare notebooks listing their grievances. Many of them called for reforms like fairer taxes, freedom of the press, and regular meetings of the Estates-General. However, each estate only got one vote so the first two estates always outvoted the Third Estate. After weeks of being deadlocked over voting, the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly. -
Parisians storm the Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress used as a prison. More than 800 Parisians gathered outside the fortress demanding weapons and gunpowder that they thought were in there. The commander refused and fired on the crowd.Finally the mob broke through the defenses, killing the commander and five guards, and released prisoners that were being held there. -
National Assembly Acts
As the first step toward writing a constitutoin, the National Assembly issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.This declaration was modeled after the American Declaration of Independence, and said that all men were born and remain free and equal in rights. This gave them natural rights to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. However, these rights did not apply to women. -
Threats from abroad
After Louis XVI failed escape the king of Prussia and the emperor of Austria issued the Declaration of Pilnitz. Using this document the two monarchs threatened to intervene and protect the French monarchy. This document was mostly a bluff, but revolutionaries in France prepared for war. -
Civil War
Economic problems had fed renewed turmoil, and working-class men called sans-culottes, had pushed the revolution into more radical action. They demanded a republic ruled by elected representatives instead of a monarchy. They had support from radicals called the Jacobins in the Legislative Assembly. However, there were moderate reformers and political officials that opposed the radicals, and wanted no more reforms. -
Monarchy is Abolished
A convention met and voted to abolish the monarchy and establish a republic. The king was thought to be a traitor to France, by helping out the other countries that they were out war with. He was put on trial and found guilty. King Louis XVI was beheaded in January 1793, and Marie Antoinette was also executed. Their son had also died from abuse and neglect. -
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Robespierre and the Reign of Terror
Robespierre was a politician that quickly rose to the leadership of the Committee of Public Safety. He believed that France could achieve a "republic of virtue" only through the use of terror. He claimed that liberty could not be secured unless criminals lose their heads. He was one of the main architects of the Reign of Terror. The engine of the Terror was the guillotine, and it was used in the execution of seventeen thousand. http://academic.mu.edu/meissnerd/robespierre2.jpg -
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Third Stage of the Revolution
Moderates produced the third constitution, which set up a five-man Directory and a two-house legislature elected by male citizens of property. The middle class and bourgeoisie were the dominant forces in the revolution during this stage. Peace was made with Prussia and Spain, but war with Austria and Great Britain continued. The Directory became threatened by the revival of royalist feeling, and turned to Napoleon Bonaparte for help. -
Spread of Nationalism
The Revolution had given the French people a strong sense of national identity. In earlier times peoples loyalty was toward the monarchs. But now instead of taking pride in the authorities, they took pride in the country itself. The French people attended civic festivals that celebrated the nation and it's revolution.
