French Revolution

The French Revolution refers to the period that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended in November 1799 with the formation of the French Consulate. Many of its ideas are considered fundamental principles of Western liberal democracy.

Between 1700 and 1789, the French population increased from 18 million to 26 million, leading to large numbers unemployed, accompanied by sharp increases in food prices caused by years of bad harvests. Widespread social distress led to the convocation the Estates General in May 1789, the first since 1614. In June, the Estates were converted into a National Assembly, which passed a series of radical measures, among them the abolition of feudalism, state control of the Catholic Church and extending the right to vote.

The next three years were dominated by the struggle for political control, exacerbated by economic recession and social unrest. External powers like Austria, Britain, and Prussia viewed the Revolution as a threat, leading to the outbreak of French Revolutionary Wars in April 1792. Disillusionment with King Louis XVI led to the establishment of the First French Republic on September 22, 1792, followed by his execution in January 1793. In June, an uprising in Paris replaced the Girondins who dominated the National Assembly with the Committee of Public Safety, headed by Maximilien Robespierre.

This sparked the Reign of Terror, an attempt to eradicate "counter-revolutionaries"; by the time it ended in July 1794, over 16,600 has been executed in Paris and the provinces. As well as external enemies, the Republic faced a series of internal Royalist and Jacobin revolts; in order to deal with these, the French Directory took power in November 1795. Despite military success, the war led to economic stagnation and internal divisions and in November 1799 the Directory was replaced by the Consulate.

Many revolutionary symbols such as La Marseillaise and phrases like Liberté, égalité, fraternité reappeared in other revolts, such as the 1917 Russian Revolution. Over the next two centuries, its key principles like equality would inspire campaigns for the abolition of slavery and universal suffrage. Its values and institutions dominate French politics to this day, and many historians regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in recent history.

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