FRENCH REVOLUTON

French Revolution

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Discussion1

Reformation and Constitution2

The Bastille2

Demonstrations and Unrest3

Flight of the King3

The Republic3

The Reign of Terror4

The End of the Terror5

Conclusion5

French Revolution

Introduction

The American Revolution inspired many people around the world in the ideas of democracy and this was certainly true of France, which had sent over many soldiers to fight in the Americas and had helped subsidize the war. In fact, it was the crisis in the royal finances, partly because of the money paid in the American War of Independence that resulted in the series of events that led to the French Revolution. The Revolution of 1789, or the French Revolution, includes the events beginning in 1788 and extending to the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire, Year VIII (November 9, 1799), which changed completely the social, political, legal, and religious structures of France, bringing an end to the ancient régime.

Discussion

Beginning with financial and ideological causes (the ideas of the Enlightenment and of the philosophes); the Revolution of 1789 was precipitated by the calling of the Estates General the previous year. Marked by the Oath of the Tennis Court and the proclaiming of the Constituent Assembly (June 1789) and the taking of the Bastille (July 1789), the Revolution began to reach a critical stage with the flight of Louis XVI to Varennes (June 1791) and soon the declaration of war on other European powers. On September 22, a republic was proclaimed and, shortly after the execution of the king (January 1793), the Terror began, with the government under the control the radical Jacobins. Moderates, such as the Girondins, were proscribed, and only with the overthrow of Maximilien Robespierre and his supporters was a moderate and liberal order restored. The instability of the new Directory government, exacerbated by tension between Left and Right, by financial and social crises, and by the military policy of the period, led the way for the coup d'état that brought Napoleon I to power. The Revolution had brought freedom and political equality, the abolition of feudalism, and the concept of national sovereignty to France (Mason, Rizzo, 1999).

Reformation and Constitution

The new taxation system would be a universal land tax that would replace all other taxes. To get this approved, it was necessary to have it supported by the Assembly of Notables. The assembly was convened in 1787 but refused to accept this, and Calonne was soon replaced by the leader of the assembly, Etienne-Charles Loménie de Brienne. Brienne, however, quickly came to see the merit in Calonne's proposals and put his ideas to the king. The Paris Parliament and the 14 provincial parliaments liked many of the administrative reforms but baulked at the idea of a universal land tax. This left the government with the only option open to itself, the calling of the Estates General, which had last met in 1614, and have that body approve the tax reforms (Mason, Rizzo, 1999).

The Bastille

The military arrived to try to restore the king's authority, but, on July 9, the National Assembly changed itself into the National Constituent Assembly, ...