🌍 The French Revolution — Easy Study Notes

🇫🇷 France Before the Revolution (Ancien Régime)

👑 Government

    •    France had an absolute monarchy

    •    The king ruled by divine right (people believed God chose him)

🏰 Social Groups: The Three Estates

    1    First Estate – Clergy

    ◦    Church leaders

    ◦    Very rich

    ◦    Paid no taxes

    2    Second Estate – Nobility

    ◦    Aristocrats

    ◦    Owned land and had power

    ◦    Paid no taxes

    3    Third Estate – Everyone Else

    ◦    Bourgeoisie (middle class)

    ◦    Urban workers (poor)

    ◦    Peasants (poor)

    ◦    Paid almost all the taxes

    ◦    Had no real political power

➡ Unfair system = lots of anger

👑 French Kings Before the Revolution

Louis XIV (“The Sun King”)

    •    Ruled 72 years

    •    Spent huge amounts on wars and palaces

    •    Left France deep in debt

Louis XV

    •    Continued spending and wars

    •    Blocked reforms

    •    Famous quote:

“After us, the flood” (basically didn’t care what happened later)

💡 The Enlightenment (New Ideas!)

What Was It?

    •    A time when people started using reason and logic

    •    Questioned kings, church, and unfair systems

Main Ideas

    •    People have natural rights

    •    Governments should protect people

    •    People deserve freedom and happiness

    •    Society can improve

🧠 Important Enlightenment Thinkers

    •    John Locke

    ◦    People have natural rights

    ◦    Government needs consent of the people

    ◦    People can overthrow bad governments

    •    Voltaire

    ◦    Freedom of speech

    ◦    Religious tolerance

    ◦    Criticized the church

    •    Montesquieu

    ◦    Separation of powers

    ◦    Prevents one person from having too much power

    •    Rousseau

    ◦    Society corrupts people

    ◦    Believed in the Social Contract

    ◦    Government should follow the general will

    •    Hobbes

    ◦    Life without government = chaos

    ◦    Strong government is necessary

    •    Beccaria

    ◦    Against torture and cruel punishments

    ◦    Punishment should fit the crime

👩 Women and the Enlightenment

    •    Mary Wollstonecraft

    ◦    Believed women deserve education and equality

    •    Salons

    ◦    Meetings run by women to spread ideas

👑 Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette

Louis XVI

    •    Became king at 19

    •    Shy and indecisive

    •    Inherited huge debt

    •    Helped American Revolution → more debt

Marie Antoinette

    •    Austrian princess

    •    Known for luxury and spending

    •    Blamed for problems (some unfairly)

    •    “Let them eat cake” — probably fake

⚠ Causes of the Revolution

    •    Massive debt

    •    Food shortages and famine

    •    High taxes on the Third Estate

    •    Unfair class system

    •    Weak leadership

    •    Enlightenment ideas

    •    American Revolution success

🏛 Moderate Phase (1789–1791)

Important Events

    •    May 5, 1789 – Estates-General meets

    •    June 17 – Third Estate forms the National Assembly

    •    June 20 – Tennis Court Oath (promise to write a constitution)

    •    July 14 – Storming of the Bastille 🚨

    •    Great Fear – Peasants attack feudal system

    •    August 4 – Feudalism abolished

    •    Declaration of the Rights of Man

    ◦    Liberty, equality, freedom

    •    Women’s March on Versailles

    ◦    Forced royal family to Paris

    •    Constitution of 1791

    ◦    King’s power limited

    ◦    France becomes a constitutional monarchy

🔥 Radical Phase & Reign of Terror (1792–1794)

What Changed?

    •    Other countries feared revolution

    •    France went to war

    •    Radical groups gained power

Jacobins

    •    Very radical

    •    Leaders: Robespierre, Danton, Marat

Major Events

    •    Monarchy abolished

    •    Louis XVI executed (1793)

    •    Committee of Public Safety

    •    Reign of Terror

    ◦    Thousands executed

    ◦    Law of Suspects

    ◦    De-Christianization

    ◦    Marie Antoinette executed

End of Terror

    •    Robespierre arrested and executed (1794)

⚖ After the Terror

Thermidorian Reaction

    •    Less extreme government

The Directory

    •    Weak government

    •    Corrupt and unstable

⭐ Napoleon Bonaparte

    •    Military hero

    •    Took power in 1799

    •    Crowned himself Emperor (1804)

Achievements

    •    Napoleonic Code (fair laws)

    •    Education reform

    •    Bank of France

Downfall

    •    Failed invasion of Russia

    •    Defeated at Waterloo (1815)

🌍 Scramble for Africa — Congo

Before Colonization

    •    Congo had kingdoms, trade, and culture

Colonization

    •    Berlin Conference (1884–85)

    •    King Leopold II claimed Congo as his own

    •    Wanted rubber and ivory

Brutal Treatment

    •    Forced labor

    •    Hands cut off

    •    Villages burned

    •    Millions died

Global Reaction

    •    Missionaries exposed abuse

    •    World outrage

Independence

    •    Belgium took control (1908)

    •    Congo became independent 1960

🌐 Imperialism vs Colonialism

    •    Imperialism

    ◦    Control/influence over other places

    ◦    Not always direct rule

    •    Colonialism

    ◦    Direct control

    ◦    Settlers and exploitation