French Revolution Key Figures, Events, and Ideologies

Louis XVI

King of France (r. 1774-1792); his indecisiveness and poor financial management deepened France's debt crisis. Executed during the Revolution for treason. Symbol of monarchy's downfall and the shift to republicanism.

Marie Antoinette

Queen of France, wife of Louis XVI. Target of public anger over royal extravagance ("Let them eat cake" myth). Her execution symbolized revolutionary justice against the old regime.

Jacques Necker

Finance minister under Louis XVI. Popular for advocating financial transparency and calling for the Estates-General. His dismissal in 1789 helped spark the Storming of the Bastille.

Emmanuel-Joseph (Abbé) Sieyès

Author of "What is the Third Estate?" (1789), arguing that the Third Estate represented the nation's will. Key ideological figure for popular sovereignty and early constitutional change.

Marquis de Lafayette

Hero of the American Revolution and leader of the National Guard. Drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Represented moderate reform.

Jean-Paul Marat

Radical journalist and author of L'Ami du peuple. Advocated violence against perceived enemies of the Revolution. His assassination by Charlotte Corday made him a revolutionary martyr.

Georges Danton

Early leader of the Revolution and founder of the Cordeliers Club. Known for fiery oratory and role in the overthrow of the monarchy. Executed during the Reign of Terror for perceived moderation.

Maximilien Robespierre

Leader of the Jacobins and the Committee of Public Safety. Advocate for the Reign of Terror as a means to preserve virtue. His fall in 1794 ended the Terror.

Charlotte Corday

Girondin sympathizer who assassinated Jean-Paul Marat in 1793, believing it would stop radical violence. Became symbolic of conscience and moral resistance.

Jacques-Pierre Brissot

Leader of the Girondins. Supported war with Austria to spread revolutionary ideals. Purged from the Convention and executed during the Terror.

Jacques Hébert

Radical journalist and editor of Le Père Duchesne. Promoted atheism and sans-culotte activism. Executed in 1794 as Robespierre turned against radical extremists.

Cahiers de Doléances (1789)

Lists of grievances prepared by each estate before the Estates-General. Revealed widespread demand for reform and equality.

Tennis Court Oath (1789)

Pledge by Third Estate deputies not to disband until a constitution was written. Marked the birth of the National Assembly and start of active revolution.

August Decrees (1789)

National Assembly acts abolishing feudal privileges and noble rights. Major step toward legal equality.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)

Core revolutionary text asserting liberty, equality, and fraternity as universal rights. Inspired by Enlightenment ideals and the American Revolution.

Constitution of 1791

Established a constitutional monarchy with separation of powers. Limited the king's authority but maintained monarchy until 1792.

Declaration of Pillnitz (1791)

Statement by Austria and Prussia supporting Louis XVI and warning France against harming the royal family. Fueled revolutionary paranoia and calls for war.

Brunswick Manifesto (1792)

Prussian threat to destroy Paris if the royal family was harmed. Backfired—provoked radical anger and strengthened republicanism.

Marat's L'Ami du peuple

Influential radical newspaper calling for popular violence and vigilance against counterrevolutionaries. Shaped revolutionary public opinion.

Hébertist pamphlets/newspapers (Le Père Duchesne)

Popular, crude publications appealing to the sans-culottes. Encouraged radicalism, dechristianization, and hostility toward elites.

Address to the French People (1793)

Jacobin proclamation promoting unity and revolutionary vigilance. Reflected shift toward radical republicanism and centralized power.

Financial Crisis and Poor Harvests (1789)

Massive debt from wars and bad harvests led to food shortages and unrest, triggering the Revolution's outbreak.

Estates-General Convened at Versailles (May 1789)

Louis XVI called the Estates-General for the first time since 1614. Debate over voting procedures divided the estates and spurred creation of the National Assembly.

Tennis Court Oath (June 1789)

Third Estate vowed to draft a constitution, signaling defiance of royal authority and the beginning of popular sovereignty.

Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789)

Parisians attacked the Bastille fortress for arms and to oppose royal troops. Symbolized the Revolution's power and the fall of despotism.

The Great Fear (July-August 1789)

Widespread peasant revolts fueled by rumors of aristocratic plots. Led to the abolition of feudal privileges.

Abolition of Feudal Privileges — August Decrees (August 4, 1789)

Nobility renounced feudal rights. Legally dismantled the Old Regime's social hierarchy.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (August 26, 1789)

Proclaimed equality before the law and natural rights. Became the Revolution's moral and political foundation.

Women's March on Versailles (October 5-6, 1789)

Parisian women marched to demand bread and forced the royal family back to Paris. Demonstrated popular power and gendered participation in revolution.

Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)

Brought the Catholic Church under state control. Deeply divided France between revolutionaries and religious loyalists.

Flight of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to Varennes (June 1791)

Failed attempt to flee France. Destroyed trust in the monarchy and pushed the Revolution toward republicanism.

Champ de Mars Massacre (July 1791)

National Guard fired on protesters demanding the king's abdication. Marked the split between moderates and radicals.

Constitution of 1791 Adopted (September 1791)

Formally ended absolute monarchy. However, instability and distrust led to its quick collapse.

Declaration of Pillnitz (August 1791)

Foreign monarchs' threat increased revolutionary nationalism and led to war preparations.

France Declares War on Austria (April 1792)

Girondins pushed for war to unify the nation and spread revolution; initially disastrous for France.

Storming of the Tuileries Palace (August 10, 1792)

Insurrection that overthrew the monarchy. King imprisoned; Republic soon declared.

September Massacres (September 2-6, 1792)

Paris mobs executed prisoners suspected of counterrevolution. Reflected panic and radicalization.

Purge of Girondins from the National Convention (June 1793)

Jacobins expelled moderates, consolidating power and beginning the Reign of Terror.

Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat (July 13, 1793)

Charlotte Corday killed Marat to end violence. Instead, his death intensified revolutionary fervor