History Notes

French Revolution

French Revolution

A pivotal event in France (1789-1799) that transformed the nation's political and social structure.

First Estate

The clergy class in France who owned significant land and enjoyed privileges.

Second Estate

The nobility in France who held high-ranking positions and were mostly exempt from taxes.

Third Estate

The commoners in France, including peasants, urban workers, and the bourgeoisie, bearing heavy taxation.

Social Inequality

A key cause of the French Revolution, characterized by the rigid division into three estates.

Economic Crisis

Burden of massive debt in France due to monarchy's extravagant spending and costly wars.

Enlightenment Ideas

Intellectual concepts promoting freedom, equality, and democracy, challenging absolute monarchy.

Absolute Monarchy

A form of government where the king holds complete power, associated with King Louis XVI's rule.

Storming of the Bastille

The event in 1789 marking the start of the French Revolution, symbolizing royal authority.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

A key document from 1789 asserting fundamental human rights influenced by Enlightenment principles.

Constitutional Monarchy Established

In 1791, the king's power was limited by a constitution, representing a shift towards representative government.

Reign of Terror

A radical phase led by Maximillian Robespierre from 1793 to 1794 where enemies of the revolution were executed.

Napoleon Bonaparte

A military leader who rose to power in a coup d'état in 1799, ending the revolutionary period.

Outcomes of the French Revolution

End of absolute monarchy and feudal privileges, rise of republican ideals, and influence on global democracy.

Secularism

The separation of religion from political and civil affairs, promoted by the French Revolution.

First French Republic

Established after the monarchy was abolished in 1792, marking a new government system in France.