The Legacy of French

RevolutionMade By-Yukrant

An Idea That Changed

The World!

What is French Revolution?• Movement that shook France between

1787 & 1799.• Climaxed in 1789.• Marked the end of old/ancient regime.

Causes• Broad acceptance of reformists writings of the

‘philosphes’ (eg- John Locke; Rousseau).• Expanding middle class that was excluded from

political power.• Fiscal crisis worsened by participation in the

American Revolution.• Crop failures(1788) which led to subsistence crisis.• Loss of peasant support for feudal system.• Taxes increased by government

Estate Division

Only the Third Estate paid the taxes.

Outbreak• In order to increase the taxes the

Louis XVI, King of France called a meeting of the Estates General.

• They created estates according to the occupation of the people.

• They created a system in which the third estate had to pay all the taxes and got only 1 vote, which was less compared to the 2nd & 1st estate

• The third estate did not like this and just moved out of the hall.

Tennis Court Oath(July 20, 1789)

• Oath taken by deputies of the Third Estate in the French Revolution.

• They took the oath believing that their newly formed National Assembly was to be disbanded.

• The deputies met at a nearby tennis court when they were locked out of their usual meeting hall at Versailles.

• They vowed not to separate till a written constitution wasn’t formed in France.

The Great Fear• On the morning of 14 July

1789, Paris was in state of alarm.

• The king ordered troops to move in the city.

• Rumors spread that the king would open fire on the people.

• Some 7000 people met in front of town hall and decided to form a people’s militia.

• They broke into a no. of govt. buildings in search of arms.

Storming of the Bastille• Due to the rumors of ‘The Great

Fear’ the people wanted to find hoarded ammunition.• A group of hundreds of people

marched towards the east part of the city and stormed the fortress prison, the Bastille, where they hoped to find hoarded ammo.

• In the fight the commander of the Bastille died and the prisoners(only 7)were freed.

• The fortress was demolished and it’s fragments were sold in the market for those who wished to keep a souvenir of the destruction.

The First Republic• Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen.• Proclaimed liberty, equality and fraternity.• Revolutionary wars begin in

1791.• National Convention abolishes

monarchy and establishes first republic- 1792

• King Louis XVI executed in 1793.

Reign of Terror(1793-1794)

• Montagnards seize power.• Radical economic and social

policies adopted relentlessly. • Massacre of Nobles, Clergy &

all those seen as ‘enemies of republic’ by Maximillian Robespierre.

• People turn against Robespierre and was executed in1794.

Directory Rules France• Directory of 5 executive members chosen by

elected legislative council rules France in 1794.

• Directory clashes with legislature council leads to political instability.

• Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804.

Timeline1774- Louis XVI becomes king of France1789- Convocation of estate general.

Third estate forms National Assembly.Storming of Bastille.

1791- Declaration of Rights of Man &Citizen.1792- France becomes a Republic1793- LouisXVI executed1793-94- Reign of Terror1794- Directory rules France1804- Napoleon becomes ruler of France(dictatorship)

Legacy• Ideas of liberty and democratic

rights.• Led to an end of Monarchy,

Feudalism & Colonization. • Society based on privileges

gave way to a new system of governance.

• Idea that all individuals need rights and could claim them.

• Equality became a part of the new language of politics.

• These idea spread all over the world and were rethought and reinterpreted in many ways.

• Leaders from many countries and their struggle to freedom were influenced by these ideas.

• French philosophers like Rousseau & John Locke focused on Economic Inequality.

• In Art, post French Revolution more realistic depiction of lower class life became acceptable.

• Religion was the main target of French Revolution. Many groups sought to make the government secular.

Thank you!!