The French Revolution began in 1789 and overthrew the French monarchy and feudal system. It established a constitutional monarchy that gradually gave way to a republic as King Louis XVI was executed in 1793. The Revolution was influenced by Enlightenment ideas on equality, representation and inalienable rights and led to the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. However, the Revolution also saw the rise of Robespierre and the Reign of Terror as he established a dictatorship before being overthrown. Napoleon later crowned himself Emperor in 1804 but was eventually defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

1. THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Mrittika
Chakraborty Roll
no 7

2. 1774
1789
1791
1792-
1793
1804-
1815

3. 1774
• Louis XVI(Bourbon family of kings) becomes the
king of France.
He was 20 years old and was married to
Marie Antoinette of Austria.
• He faced an empty treasury. The reasons-
Long years of war(helped the 13 American
colonies to gain independence from Britain)
Court at the palace of Versailles.
• Discontent within the Old Regime.
To meet the expenses additional taxes were
levied which angered the people(3 rd estate).

4. The 3 estates
3 rd Estate—
Big businessmen
Merchants
Peasants
Artisans
Workers…etc
Clergy, 1st –Church people Nobility,2nd –
Royal family

5. Clergy
• They were the church people.
• Levied taxes on the third estate.
Nobility
• They were the royal family.
• Enjoyed enough prestige.
Peasants, workers, teachers, middle class
• They had to bear all the taxes.(state
tax, taille, tithe)
• Had a very bad condition.

6. 1789
• Assembly of Estates General.
The three estates were there. 300
members from the 1st and 2nd each and
600 members from the 3 rd estate.
• Storming of the Bastille
To fight against the troops the people
had broke in at the fortress prison in search
of arms and ammunitions.
• Peasant revolts
The angry people revolted against the
increasing prices of food and taxes. The
growing middle class also helped them.

7. Philosophers who played an unique
role …
• John Locke
‘Two treatises of Government’
he criticized the doctrine of the divine and
absolute right of the monarch.
• Jean Jacques Rousseau
‘Social Contract’
he proposed a form of government based on a
social contract between people and their representatives.
• Montesquieu
‘The spirit of the laws’
he proposed a division of power within the government
between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.

8. 1791
• A constitution is framed
to limit the powers of the king and to
guarantee basic rights to all human
beings.
• National Assembly is formed
On 5th May 1789, the Estates General
was held. There, each estate had 1 vote.
So, the third estate, angered by this law,
demanded 1 person 1 vote. When, the
king rejected, they decided to form a
national assembly.

9. THE DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN
AND CITIZEN

10. 1792-1793
• France becomes a republic and the king is
beheaded
After France became a constitutional monarchy,
the king entered into secret negotiations with the
king of Prussia. The people therefore declared war
against them and finally Louis XI was guillotined.
• The reign of terror
After the king, Robespierre ruled France. People
suffered a lot under his rule.
• Directory
After Robespierre was guillotined, a group of 5
members ruled France. But, constant fights with
the legislative led to the rise of Napoleon.

11. 1804
• Napoleon becomes the emperor
After the directory rule, a
military dictator, Napoleon
Bonaparte came into power. He
annexes a large part of Europe.
• Napoleon defeated at Waterloo
He gets defeated at a battle
against 4 European countries.
1815

12. Women’s role in the revolution.
• Most women did not have access to education or job
training. They worked as sellers or as domestic servants
etc. Their wages were lower than those of men.
• From the start women were active in the events of
revolution. They hoped that they would be provided
equality and basic rights as men. But women were not.
• In order to voice their interests ,women started their
own political clubs. About sixty women`s clubs came
up. The Society of Revolutionary and Republican
Women was the most famous of them. Their main
demands were political right to vote, to be elected to
the Assembly and to hold political office.

13. Abolition of Slavery
• Shortage of labor was met by a
triangular slave trade- Europe, Africa,
America
• It began in the 17th century.
• The African negroes(slaves) were
exploited.
• The convention in 1794 legislated to
free all slaves.
• 10 years later Napoleon reintroduced
slavery.
• Slavery was finally abolished in 1848

14. Thank you!