What Was The French Revolution?

This revolution, which played a crucial part in the changes of the 18th century, began in 1789 and lasted for about 10 years. Two significant events that took place in the first year were: the storming of the Bastille, an infamous prison; and the removal of the king and queen from the palace at Versailles. The act of freeing political prisoners from the Bastille, along with the activity that caused the Louis XVI family to move from the palace started the nation on the road toward relative freedom for the masses and a more democratic form of government.

The king was tried and executed in 1793. The French Revolution is famous for its bywords “Liberty” “Equality” and “Fraternity.” But the promise of freedom and release from the tyranny of the king led to what was often called the Reign of Terror, with massive amounts of bloodshed. The rebels had little time to consider individual cases and proceeded with executions at a furious pace.

Poverty and starvation during the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were also key factors leading to the rebellion. Military campaigns depleted the country’s treasury, leaving little money for improving the conditions of the middle and lower classes. Most of the blame for the revolution is placed on the “conspicuous consumption” by the wealthy elite and the nobles who spent much of their time at court.

The period of the late 1700s was also a time when ideas were spreading among the previously uneducated masses. People were exposed to books and ideas that gave the era the name, “the Enlightenment.” In addition, France was known to have backed the revolution in the United States that occurred over a period of time from 1773 to the late 1780s. This made things even more difficult for the unemployed and the poor.

A key player in the changes and decisions during and after the French Revolution was the Estates-General. There were actually three separate sections: clergy, nobility and the remainder of the population. It took several hundred years, but eventually no decision was made without the consensus of all three. This was as major step in a nation that was traditionally run by the clergy and by wealthy nobles.

Even this was not sufficient to make the needed changes. The necessity for more input from the general population led to the National Assembly in 1789. Louis XVI made an effort to keep the third estate (the masses) from having a say in running the country. This tension also contributed to the French Revolution, one of the most famous social and political upheavals in human history.

When the rebels turned their attention to the Bastille, with its large supply of weapons and other items, the stage was set for a violent and life-changing rebellion. Prisoners long held in the Bastille were free to join the uprising. Citizens were armed and ready to fight hand-to-hand against the nobility and their soldiers. The intrigue, murder and political machinations continued for another decade, but the French Revolution that began in 1789 had changed the nation, and Europe, forever.

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