The French Revolution began in 1789 and overthrew the French monarchy and feudal system. On July 14, 1789, the people of Paris stormed the Bastille prison, freeing the prisoners and beginning the revolution. The revolution established France as a constitutional monarchy but divisions and unrest continued that led to the rise of Robespierre and the Reign of Terror in 1793-94 where thousands were executed. The revolution transformed France from an absolute monarchy to a republic with the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.

2. WHAT IS FRENCH REVOLUTION?
 Nowadays we have thoughts of liberty,
freedom and equality around us. And like
everything has its own history same way
even these ideas have their own history.
 French revolution is the part of that history.
 The French revolution is the end of the
monarchy system in France. The declaration
of the Rights of Man during the revolution,
announced the coming of new time.

3. INTRODUCTION
 The Paris city in France, on the morning of
14th July, 1789, was in a great danger. The
king has commanded his army to move into
the city and the citizens were frightened.
Rumours were spread that at the king’s
order, his army would start firing upon the
citizens. So, 7000 men and women formed
people’s militia in the front of the town hall.
They stormed on Bastille.

4. BASTILLE STORM
 People’s militia attacked
the fortified building
prison, the Bastille, where
they hoped to get a
secret stored bullets and
shells. They killed the
commander of the
Bastille and prisoners
were released and
Bastille was destructed
completely and its stone
fragments were sold in
the market.

5. 1. FRENCH
SOCIETY
DURING LATE
18TH CENTURY

6. FRANCE KING AND QUEEN AND ITS CONDITIONS
Louis XVI became the king
of France in 1774 and he
married to princess Marie
Antoinette. He got an empty
treasury.
Long years of wars had
drained financial resources,
cost of maintaining the
extravagant court and for
regular expenses he had
very little capital.
The debt was more than 2
billion livres and interest was
10%. So he was forced to
increase the taxes.

7. THE SOCIETY OF ESTATES
In 18th century, France was divided into 3
estates.
Peasants made 90% of population but 60%
of land was owned by nobles, the Church
and other rich members of the 3rd estate.
Members of first 2 estates enjoyed certain
privileges from birth like exemption from
paying taxes. Nobles also took feudal dues
by peasants.
The church also extracted tax called tithes
from the peasants and they should also pay
direct taxes to the government called taille
and many indirect taxes on things like salt
and tobacco.
Peasant were obliged to render services to
the lord, to work in his houses, to serve in
army or to participate in building roads.
In short, the burden of financing activities
with economic exploitation was handled by
peasants.

8. THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE
The population of france  23
million in 1715 and 28 million in
1789.
With the increase inthe
population there was a sudden
increase in the demand of
foodgrains. The production of
grains was increased but it was
not enough. Price of the bread
rose and so majority people
suffered.
Workers were employed as
labourers and their wages were
fixed which couldn’t keep pace
with the rising prices. So the
bridge gap between poor and
rich widened.

9. HOW A SUBSISTENCE CRISIS HAPPENS?
Bad
harvest
Scarcity of
grains
Rising
food
prices
The poorest can
no longer buy
bread
Food
riots
Weaker
bodies
Diseases
epidemic
s
Increased
no. of
deaths

10. A GROWING MIDDLE CLASS ENVISAGES AN
END TO PRIVILEGES
In 18th century, a new class of society
emerged ‘middle class’ that either had
overseas trade or used to manufacture
textiles.
With these people were lawyers and
administrative officials that believed that
no group of society should be given
privileges by birth.
Philosophers and people opposing with
other with the same factor-
John Locke- Two Treaties of Government
sought to refute the doctrine in divine.
Jean Jacques Rousseau- proposed a form
of government based on social contract of
people and their representatives.
Montesquieu- The Spirit of Laws and
proposed a government with 3 divisions of
legislative, executive and judiciary.

11. 2.THE
OUTBREAK OF
THE
REVOLUTION

12. ESTATES GENERAL
Louis XVI wanted to increase taxes but it can’t be done by
his will alone. It needs a meeting with the representatives
of the 3 estates in estates general. Last time it was held in
1614.
On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called a meeting of the estates
general. From first 2 estates 300 representatives each
were present. From 3rd estate 600 members were present
with 40,000 letters of the grievances of 3rd estate people.
Voting system was that each estate would give one vote
so 3 votes and the decision. But the 3rd estate demanded
to the king for another voting system that the voting be
conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each
member would have 1 vote. The king denied and the
whole 3rd estate assembly walked out in protest.

13. NATIONAL ASSEMBLYOn 20 June they declared themselves as
National Assembly and had a oath not to
disperse till they draft a constitution that
would limit the monarch’s power. They
were led by Mirabeau (noble) and Abbe
Sieyes (clergy).
When the assembly was preparing the
constitution, the people were very angry
but quiet and they became violent near
the bread selling bakeries and the army
busted into the city. The agitated crowd
stormed the Bastille.
Rumours were spread in country-side that
manors had hired brigands who were
destroying ripe crops. The feared and
angry people looted hoarded grain and
burnt down documents containing
records of manorial dues.
Atlast the king accepted to draft the
constitutions and the extra privileges were
abolished and the church land was

15. FRANCE BECOMES A CONSTITUTIONAL
MONARCHY
The national assembly completed
the draft of the constitution in 1791.
It divided the government into 3
divisions- legislative, executive and
judiciary.
The active citizens elects electors
and these electors elect national
assembly that controls king as well
as ministers. Only men above 25
years age can vote.
To qualify as an elector and then as
the member of the assembly, a
man had to belong to the highest
bracket of taxpayers.

16. DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE MAN AND
CITIZENS
Declaration of the rights of the man and the citizens-
rights like right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of
opinion, equality before law, were established as ‘natural
and inalienable’ rights.

17. READING POLITICAL
SYMBOLS
The
broken
chain
The
bundle of
rods and
fasces

18. The eye
within the
triangle
radiating
light
Sceptre

19. The
snake
biting its
tail to
form a
ring
Red
Phrygia
n Cap

20. Blue –
white -
red
The
winged
woman