French Revolution

• Causes:

  • bankrupt due to wars
  • food shortages
  • the enlightenment
  • unfair tax system
  • influence of American revolution
• Consists of 3 estates:

  1. clergy
  2. nobility
  3. everyone else
• Clergy and nobility didn’t pay tax
• Members of 3rd estate weren’t happy and formed the National Assembly for change
• The National Assembly took the tennis court owt swearing they wouldn’t go home until they had achieved change
• Bastille:

  • on 14th of July 1789 a mob of sans culottes stormed the bastille prison in Paris
  • it was a symbol that the kings power had been captured by the people
  • the French Revolution had begun
• National Assembly laws:

  1. banned the feudal system
  2. passed a law= the declaration of rights of man and of the citizen ,this law grants freedoms such as freedom of religion
• On 21st of September 1792 the monarchy was abolished and France became a republic
• On 21st of January king Louis was executed by guillotine
• Slogan: “ liberty, equality, fraternity”

  • liberty for people from the rule of kings
  • equality of treatment
  • fraternity eg) brotherhood between people
• Consequences:

  • feudal system ended
  • many rulers were afraid it would spread to their country
  • wolfe tone hoped to spread it to Ireland
• Reign of terror:

  • maximilian Robespierre was the president of the committee of public safety and ruled France
  • passed the law of suspect, anyone accused of opposing the revolution was guillotined
  • 18,500 died