This document is well summarised and well referenced, it gives you all the information about the1988 french revolution and all you would like to know about the french revolution in Europe.
THE 1789 FRENCH REVOLUTION
● The French Revolution was an event in modern European history.
● It began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s in the times of Napoleon Bonaparte.
● During Napoleons times , the French citizens razed and redesigned their country’s
political landscape, uprooting centuries-old institutions such as absolute monarchy
and the feudal system.
● The upheaval was caused by widespread discontent with the French monarchy and
the poor economic policies of King Louis XVI,
● Louis XVI met his death by guillotine, as did his wife Marie Antoinette.
● Although it failed to achieve all of its goals and at times degenerated into a chaotic
bloodbath, the French Revolution played a critical role in shaping modern nations by
showing the world the power inherent in the will of the people.
COURSE OF THE 1789 FRENCH REVOLUTION
It all started with the American Revolution, As the 18th century drew to a close, France
costly involved in the american costly american revolution. In this revolution in america,
there was extravagant spending by King Louis XVI and his predecessor, had left the country
on the brink of bankruptcy.
This led to two decades of poor harvests, drought, cattle disease and rising bread prices
had kindled unrest among peasants and the urban poor. Many expressed their desperation
and resentment toward a regime that imposed heavy taxes—yet failed to provide any relief
—by rioting, looting and striking.
In the fall of 1786, Louis XVI’s controller general, Charles Alexandre de Calonne, proposed a
financial reform package that included a universal land tax from which the privileged
classes would no longer be exempt.
To garner support for these measures and forestall a growing aristocratic revolt, the king
summoned the Estates-General – an assembly representing France’s clergy, nobility and
middle class – for the first time since 1614.
, The meeting was scheduled for May 5, 1789; in the meantime, delegates of the three
estates from each locality would compile lists of grievances (cahiers de doléances) to
present to the king.
THE ESTATES-GENERAL MEETING
On the May 5 meeting, the Third Estate began to mobilize support for equal representation
and the abolishment of the noble veto—in other words, they wanted voting by head and not
by status.
While all of the orders shared a common desire for fiscal and judicial reform as well as a
more representative form of government, the nobles in particular were loath to give up the
privileges they enjoyed under the traditional system.
TENNIS COURT OATH
By the time the Estates-General convened at Versailles, the highly public debate over its
voting process had erupted into hostility between the three orders, eclipsing the original
purpose of the meeting and the authority of the man who had convened it.
On June 17, with talks over procedure stalled, the Third Estate met alone and formally
adopted the title of National Assembly; three days later, they met in a nearby indoor tennis
court and took the so-called Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disperse until constitutional
reform had been achieved.
Within a week, most of the clerical deputies and 47 liberal nobles had joined them, and on
June 27 Louis XVI grudgingly absorbed all three orders into the new assembly.
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