This is a historical topic I've been wanting to study and write about for some time now. The French Revolution was probably one of the most significant events in human history, on par with Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, the Crusades, the discovery of America, World War I or World War II.
It's a topic I've only had a general understanding of, yet that's about to change. I suppose now is the time to dive into this intriguing topic as I am still very fascinated with French culture and history. It's a very detailed study which I intend to break into 3 parts; first the Revolution itself, then the Revolutionary Wars, and finally the Napoleonic wars. (My Study on Spanish culture will just have to wait.)
The first thing that comes to mind when I think French Revolution is the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, arguably one of the greatest generals in history. However it was the impoverished people who started the revolution against the monarchy. They were later joined by the nobles and intellects. It was royalty such as Marie Antoinette who fueled the frustration with her ignorant comments such as "Let them eat cake". By 1789 the people had enough and by storming the Bastille they had begun the French Revolution. The 25 years to follow would be a turning point in European history and perhaps one of the most interesting periods in history.
Causes of the Revolution
Just like every other major historical event, the French Revolution was a storm in the making for many years before it actually happened. Some of it's root causes emerged from the Age of Enlightenment, where French people began to question the authority of the monarchy and the Catholic Church. It was radical writers such as Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau who encouraged the people to use reason and free thinking. This idea quickly began to spread throughout France and all was needed was a series of sparks to ignite the fumes.
These sparks of public rage began to appear after the American Revolutionary War in 1783. In an effort to pay off the debts accrued from the war, King Louis XVI raised taxes and allowed deregulation on the bread market. This ultimately lead to poverty and hunger throughout the streets. As the lower classes began to riot, the upper classes also had grown frustrated with the monarchy and began to organize committees of their own. On June 13th, 1789 the French people organized a National Assembly which was to become the new commune of the revolution.
Storming of the Bastille
On July 11th, King Louis XVI fired his financial minister, Jaques Necker, who was somewhat sympathetic to the people. This became the final spark to the uprising, which started at the Bastille fortress in Paris, It was an armory of weapons, a political prison, and a symbol of the monarchy which made it the ideal place for the people to strike first. A crowd of around 1000 Parisian insurgents gathered around the fortress making demands to the guards.
The tension quickly escalated and the insurgents began to fire upon the prison with guns and cannons. After several hours of fighting the commander of the fortress surrendered and was killed. 98 of the insurgents had been killed however they had succeeded in capturing the fortress. As a response the king appointed the famed American Revolutionary general, the Marquis de Lafayette, as his new commander of the national guard.
The National Assembly
Following the capture of the Bastille, the country of France found itself in a state of paranoia known as the Great Fear. The monarchy laid low while the people began to arm themselves and form militias. This led to a period of chaos and insurrection in which the people began attacking posts held by nobles and the monarchy. By the 5th of August. the National Assembly abolished feudalism and with the help of Thomas Jefferson they published the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. This was their initial set of principles which would eventually lead to a constitution in the years to come.
On October 5th nearly 7000 women marched from Paris to the royal province of Versailles to make their demands heard. Their outcries were mostly for bread and the widespread poverty. Hesitant at first King Louis XVI was eventually convinced by Lafayette to relocate his court to Paris. Meanwhile the people's National Assembly grew more powerful and began to direct their resentment towards the church. The Roman Catholic church was considered a tool of the monarchy and was eventually revoked of it's privileges. The clergy members were to answer to the French state now rather than to their pope. This growing anti-Catholic fervor within the revolution would eventually make way for it's radical replacement known as the Cult of Reason.
For the next year to follow the National Assembly broke into factions of political groups. They were lead by aristocrats and lawyers such as the Honore Count of Mirabeau, Antonie Barnave, and the most radical of them all Maximillien Robespierre and his Jacobin Club. During this time the assembly continued to pass new laws which restricted the privileges of the clergy, nobility, and the monarchy while granting new rights for the lower classes, blacks, and Jews. By January of 1791 Mirabeau was elected president of the national assembly.
By this point King Louis XVI could only watch as the national assembly took control of his kingdom. Fearing for his safety he fled with his wife to the Austrian border of Varennes however was discovered and captured. This only furthered the public's cry for a republic instead of a constitutional monarchy since the king had fled. However the national assembly recognized that the king still had foreign support and the allegiance of the national guard led by the Marquis de Lafayette. In September of 1791 the king and the assembly reached an agreement and signed a new constitution in which France would serve as a constitutional monarchy.
Legislative Assembly
With the establishment of the new constitution the National Assembly became known as the Legislative Assembly. Under this new government, King Louis XVI still had powers such as being able to veto bills. He put these powers to use by vetoing the assembly's new laws against political immigrants and clergyman. This blockade along with other various reasons pertaining to a poor economy and war with Austria led to further insurrections.
On August 10th, 1792 a group of Jacobin militia stormed the Tuileries Palace, and took the king hostage. Chaos and massacres swept throughout Paris and France killing mostly defiant clergy members. At this point the Marquis de Lafayette fled to Austria and the national army had dissolved to the assembly. On September 20th the assembly gathered to establish a new constitution that abolished the monarchy. The kingdom of France was now to be governed as a republic.
National Convention
The Legislative Assembly transitioned into the National Convention, which oversaw the trial of King Louis XVI. The delegates of the new government consisted of two major political factions; the center-conservatives known as the Girondins and the radical liberals known as the Montagnards (who also sided with the Jacobins). The committee accused King Louis XVI of summoning foreign aid to squash the revolution. They voted in favor of his execution which occurred on January 21st, 1793. The French Republic was now free of the monarchy while the rest of Europe watched with great dismay. This marked the end of the French monarchy yet would lead to a Reign of Terror, War throughout Europe, and the rise of a new dictator.
Key Figures in the Revolution
The first thing that comes to mind when I think French Revolution is the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, arguably one of the greatest generals in history. However it was the impoverished people who started the revolution against the monarchy. They were later joined by the nobles and intellects. It was royalty such as Marie Antoinette who fueled the frustration with her ignorant comments such as "Let them eat cake". By 1789 the people had enough and by storming the Bastille they had begun the French Revolution. The 25 years to follow would be a turning point in European history and perhaps one of the most interesting periods in history.
Causes of the Revolution
Just like every other major historical event, the French Revolution was a storm in the making for many years before it actually happened. Some of it's root causes emerged from the Age of Enlightenment, where French people began to question the authority of the monarchy and the Catholic Church. It was radical writers such as Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau who encouraged the people to use reason and free thinking. This idea quickly began to spread throughout France and all was needed was a series of sparks to ignite the fumes.These sparks of public rage began to appear after the American Revolutionary War in 1783. In an effort to pay off the debts accrued from the war, King Louis XVI raised taxes and allowed deregulation on the bread market. This ultimately lead to poverty and hunger throughout the streets. As the lower classes began to riot, the upper classes also had grown frustrated with the monarchy and began to organize committees of their own. On June 13th, 1789 the French people organized a National Assembly which was to become the new commune of the revolution.
Storming of the Bastille
On July 11th, King Louis XVI fired his financial minister, Jaques Necker, who was somewhat sympathetic to the people. This became the final spark to the uprising, which started at the Bastille fortress in Paris, It was an armory of weapons, a political prison, and a symbol of the monarchy which made it the ideal place for the people to strike first. A crowd of around 1000 Parisian insurgents gathered around the fortress making demands to the guards.The tension quickly escalated and the insurgents began to fire upon the prison with guns and cannons. After several hours of fighting the commander of the fortress surrendered and was killed. 98 of the insurgents had been killed however they had succeeded in capturing the fortress. As a response the king appointed the famed American Revolutionary general, the Marquis de Lafayette, as his new commander of the national guard.
The National Assembly
Following the capture of the Bastille, the country of France found itself in a state of paranoia known as the Great Fear. The monarchy laid low while the people began to arm themselves and form militias. This led to a period of chaos and insurrection in which the people began attacking posts held by nobles and the monarchy. By the 5th of August. the National Assembly abolished feudalism and with the help of Thomas Jefferson they published the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. This was their initial set of principles which would eventually lead to a constitution in the years to come.On October 5th nearly 7000 women marched from Paris to the royal province of Versailles to make their demands heard. Their outcries were mostly for bread and the widespread poverty. Hesitant at first King Louis XVI was eventually convinced by Lafayette to relocate his court to Paris. Meanwhile the people's National Assembly grew more powerful and began to direct their resentment towards the church. The Roman Catholic church was considered a tool of the monarchy and was eventually revoked of it's privileges. The clergy members were to answer to the French state now rather than to their pope. This growing anti-Catholic fervor within the revolution would eventually make way for it's radical replacement known as the Cult of Reason.
For the next year to follow the National Assembly broke into factions of political groups. They were lead by aristocrats and lawyers such as the Honore Count of Mirabeau, Antonie Barnave, and the most radical of them all Maximillien Robespierre and his Jacobin Club. During this time the assembly continued to pass new laws which restricted the privileges of the clergy, nobility, and the monarchy while granting new rights for the lower classes, blacks, and Jews. By January of 1791 Mirabeau was elected president of the national assembly.By this point King Louis XVI could only watch as the national assembly took control of his kingdom. Fearing for his safety he fled with his wife to the Austrian border of Varennes however was discovered and captured. This only furthered the public's cry for a republic instead of a constitutional monarchy since the king had fled. However the national assembly recognized that the king still had foreign support and the allegiance of the national guard led by the Marquis de Lafayette. In September of 1791 the king and the assembly reached an agreement and signed a new constitution in which France would serve as a constitutional monarchy.
Legislative Assembly
With the establishment of the new constitution the National Assembly became known as the Legislative Assembly. Under this new government, King Louis XVI still had powers such as being able to veto bills. He put these powers to use by vetoing the assembly's new laws against political immigrants and clergyman. This blockade along with other various reasons pertaining to a poor economy and war with Austria led to further insurrections.On August 10th, 1792 a group of Jacobin militia stormed the Tuileries Palace, and took the king hostage. Chaos and massacres swept throughout Paris and France killing mostly defiant clergy members. At this point the Marquis de Lafayette fled to Austria and the national army had dissolved to the assembly. On September 20th the assembly gathered to establish a new constitution that abolished the monarchy. The kingdom of France was now to be governed as a republic.
National Convention
The Legislative Assembly transitioned into the National Convention, which oversaw the trial of King Louis XVI. The delegates of the new government consisted of two major political factions; the center-conservatives known as the Girondins and the radical liberals known as the Montagnards (who also sided with the Jacobins). The committee accused King Louis XVI of summoning foreign aid to squash the revolution. They voted in favor of his execution which occurred on January 21st, 1793. The French Republic was now free of the monarchy while the rest of Europe watched with great dismay. This marked the end of the French monarchy yet would lead to a Reign of Terror, War throughout Europe, and the rise of a new dictator.Key Figures in the Revolution
- King Louis XVI- He inherited the throne of France in 1774 and oversaw the American Revolutionary War. He supported the American colonists against the British kingdom, however it came at a financial cost. In an effort to pay for the cost of war he deregulated the break market which only made things worse for the people. By 1789 he was the main enemy of the French Revolution that ultimately lead to his beheading in 1793
- Marie Antoinette- She was the young wife of King Louis of Austrian descent. She was disliked by the general public for her lavish spending and careless attitude towards the peasants. She was eventually captured and executed several months after her husband in 1793.
- Maximilian Robespierre- He was a radical lawyer and perhaps one of the most iconic figures of the French Revolution. He became one of the leading members of the National Assembly and the Jacobin political faction. In 1793 he was appointed along with Georges Danton as a leader of the Committee for Public Safety. He used this power to purge political dissidents thru public executions in what has become known as the Reign of Terror. He was eventually convicted and executed himself for his extreme measures.
- Georges Danton- He was the young passionate voice of the revolution who quickly became one it's leading figures. He was known for his ruthless demands and is often credited with leading the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the republic. He helped Maximilian Robespierre administer the Committee for Public Safety. He was later killed during the Reign of Terror.
- Jean Paul Marat- He was a radical journalist and member of the Jacobin Club. Through his publications of, Friend of the People, he encouraged the peope's sentiment towards Revolution. He was later killed in 1793 by a political opponent.
- Count of Mirabeau- He was a prominent nobleman, member of the Jacobin Club, and an early leader of the Revolution. In 1791 he was elected president of the National Assembly and favored a constitutional monarchy however died shortly after of natural causes.
- Louis Antoine de Saint-Just- He became one of the youngest members of the National Convention as a military and political leader. He had a strong voice in favor of the execution of the king. He administered the early parts of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Reign of Terror. He was considered the Angel of Death and executed along with Robespierre.
- Marquis de Lafayette- He was a decorated military general who served alongside George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Following the Storming of the Bastille, King Louis XVI appointed him as head of the national guard. The Marquis was however unable to maintain control and was forced to flee to Austria. He would later return following the fall of Bonaparte.
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