French Revolution
The storm of the Bastille prison - July 14, 1789

The French Revolution took place 1789 – 1799. It is also called The Revolution of 1789.

Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood was one of the mottos of the French Revolution. Such honorable goals, however, could not prevent the gruesome Reign of Terror.

What caused the French Revolution?

The French Revolution was the result of many economical and social problems. People were done with the monarchy and wanted a change. Ironically, the monarchy returned to power in 1814 with Louis XVIII.

Before the French Revolution, France looked like this on a map:

France before the Revolution
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WHAT STARTED THE FRENCH REVOLUTION?
A mob stormed the Bastille prison in Paris and demanded from the guards to hand over the arms and ammunition that were stored there. The guards refused, the mob wouldn't take a no for an answer and captured the prison, thus proving that power resided with the people. The days of the ancien régime were over.

WHAT ENDED THE FRENCH REVOLUTION?
By a coup, Napoleon became First Consul of France and proclaimed the end of the Revolution.

THE REVOLUTION BUILDS
After supporting the Colonists in the American Revolution, France faced serious national debts. Representatives of clergy, nobility, and the common people met at Versailles to discuss their options.

Conflict of interests made negotiations impossible. The deputies of the Commons finally declared they were prepared to proceed alone. The king was not pleased and locked them out of their meeting hall.

This prompted the Commons to occupy Louis’s indoor tennis court, taking an oath not to leave until a written constitution had been accepted.

And here's a map of Paris during the Revolution:

MAP OF PARIS DURING THE REVOLUTION
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THE GREAT FEAR OF JULY 1789
Rumors of a conspiracy by the king and the aristocracy prompted peasants to pillage and burn the houses of nobles and to destroy feudal records.

This became known as the Great Fear of July 1789. The Great Fear led to the abolishment of the feudal regime and the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.

One of the new laws of this Declaration seized lands from the Roman Catholic Church in order to pay the national debt. Additionally, the church was subjected to severe reorganization.

Pope Pius VI condemned the Declaration and Louis XVI refused to authorize these changes. The king tried to flee the country, was caught and forced to return.
 

CENTRAL EUROPE 1789
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FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY WARS
The monarchies of neighboring nations were alarmed by the French Revolution.

In France, war was desired by royalists and revolutionist alike because they believed it would rally the nation to their respective causes. France declared war against Austria in 1792 and the French Revolutionary Wars began.

Originally, France experienced reverses, and these made the population susceptible to the ideas of extremists. The revolution turned radical.

The French Republic was proclaimed. The king was tried for treason and executed. Countless arrests of royalist and supposed sympathizers followed.

The killing of more than a thousand political prisoners within six days became known as the September Massacres and indicated what was still to come.

THE REIGN OF TERROR
Extreme revolutionary actions triggered counterrevolutionary unrest. This in turn was met with even more brutality.

Under the Reign of Terror, between September 1793 and July 1794, a huge number of suspects were arrested, sentenced to death, and executed. Among them was former Queen Marie Antoinette.

Many died in prison or were killed without trial. Meanwhile, the revolutionary government launched a mass military recruitment and became victorious at war.

The Reign of Terror, now spearheaded by Robespierre, kept gaining momentum. Soon Robespierre himself was guillotined. Resistance broke out in form of the White Terror led by the royalists.

The Directory, notorious for its corruption, became the new revolutionary government. This government maintained power for the remaining four years of the Revolution.
 

1769 - 1789 France

MAJOR EVENTS DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
1789 Fall of the Bastille
1792 War declaration against Austria
1792 Proclamation of Republic
1793 Execution of Louis XVI
1794 Execution of Robespierre
1795 Inauguration of the Directory
1799 Napoleon takes power

French Revolution Timeline

1789 France

1789 Paris

1789 Revolutionary Paris

1789 Versailles

1790 France