What Was the French Revolution?
The French Revolution was a political and social upheaval that engulfed France and its neighbors in war and political turmoil for over a decade. The Revolution ended absolute monarchy in France and introduced a system of constitutional, representative government. The Revolution was essentially a struggle for power between the privileged orders (nobles and clergy) and the third estate (everyone else). The unrest began in May 1789, when Louis XVI was forced to summon the estates-general (national assembly) to deal with the country's crushing debt. The third estate demanded power, proclaiming itself the National Assembly. It passed a bill of rights (Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen) and established a constitutional monarchy. But revolt in the cities and countryside, war with Europe, royalist threats, clerical opposition, and weak leadership by Louis XVI polarized the nation. New factions gained power, abolished the monarchy, and sent the royal family (and many others) to the guillotine. A new constitution established relative stability in 1795, but struggles among competing factions made effective government impossible. In 1799 politicians staged a bloodless coup, giving power to an opportunistic young general named Napoleon Bonaparte. "The Revolution is over," said Napoleon; "I am the revolution." |
