French Revolution - Causes, Events, and Effects

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The French Revolution is one of the most famous events in history. It occurred from 1789 to 1799, during which a string of events altered the French political and social structure. During this revolution, a democratic system replaced the French monarchy, while liberalism and secularism eradicated the importance of religion in the affairs of the state and society.

Causes of the French Revolution

·         Due to participation in the Seven Years’ War (1754-63) and the American Revolutionary War (1775-84), the economy of France suffered miserably. Therefore, France imposed unpopular taxes on people while the deregulation of grain increased the price of bread. Due to bad harvest, the bread became scarce for the public, and the regime failed to control this situation.

·         Philosophers like Voltaire and Rousseau made Paris the center of the Enlightenment Movement in the second half of the 18th Century. The emphasis of this movement was on reason and the rejection of religious dogmas. This philosophy influenced the people on a larger scale, especially the middle class, who were skeptical of Catholic doctrines.

·         The newly established United States of America adopted the constitution with separation of power in a govt. Many French thinkers advocated this form of government in place of absolute monarchy to solve problems. 

Events During the French Revolution
  1. Due to the financial crisis, King Louis XVI summoned the Estates-General in May 1789 to find a solution to the problem. Estates-General was the representation of the First State (the clergy), Second State (the nobility), and Third State (ordinary people). It was the first meeting of the Estate-General after 1614. Due to differences, the Third State established the National Assembly on 13th June 1789. Most of the clergy and 47 members of the nobility also joined them. Consequently, the National Constituent Assembly replaced the National Assembly on 9th July 1789. In August 1789, NCA abolished feudalism in France (which deprived nobility and clergy of tax collection) and passed legislation on the Rights of Man and Citizen, giving equal rights to all the citizens of France.
  2. The first major step that initiated the revolution was the Storming of the Bastille on 14th July 1789. The commoners’ militia, the National Guards, was behind the Storming of the Bastille. This raid displayed the support and strength of the National Assembly against the monarchy. The prison Bastille at the center of Paris represented royal authority. After capturing the Bastille, the insurgents killed the Governor of the Bastille along with a few other soldiers. Previously,  the Guards of the prison had killed nearly 100 attackers before the capture of the prison.
    Storming of the Bastille

  3. On 5th October 1789, thousands of women from Paris marched towards the Versailles (royal palace) with a few canons and small weapons. They demanded to take the king and royal family with them to Paris so that they could view the miserable condition of the shortage of bread. These women forced the king, royal family, and the French Assembly to return to Paris. The women were agitated and supported by revolutionaries. This event is known as the Women’s March on Versailles.
  4. In 1789 and 1790, the National Assembly passed several laws to reduce the power of the Church. Under these laws, the Clergy lost their authority to collect tithe (10% tax) from peasants while the land of the Church became state property. The new assembly sold a part of this land to the highest bidder to decrease the financial crisis. The regime dissolved all religious orders in February 1790, and the clergy became employees of the state after the Civil Constitution of the Clergy on 12th July 1790. However, over 75% of clergy rejected this oath and remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church of Rome. This refusal led to harsh punishment of these clergy.  
  5. When the situation became horrible for Louis XVI, he and the royal family decided to flee to the area near Austria, where the faithful commander General Bouille assured the royal family of his complete support. The royal family escaped from Tuileries Palace on the night of 20th June 1791 while wearing the clothes of their servants but could not reach their destination. On 21st June, a postmaster at Varennes recognized the king, and the royal family had to return to Paris while they were 50 km away from their final destination, the Fort of Montmedy. This unsuccessful escape attempt by the royal family is known as Flight to Verennes, which increased hatred against the king and royal family.
  6. On 10th August 1792, National Guards and other revolution-supporting militias invaded the Tuileries Palace. Around 1,000 Swiss Guards and other loyalists were there to defend the king, heavily outnumbered by over 20,000 attackers. Swiss Guards (known for their loyalty and discipline) defended the palace till the surrender by King Louis XVI. Most Swiss Guards died during the process, and the king practically became a prisoner.
  7. Between 2nd and 7th September 1792, National Guards executed around 1500 prisoners from all the prisons across Paris. This step was due to fear that these prisoners could join the invading forces of foreign nations and loyalists of the monarchy. Several prisoners from other cities also face the same fate. Many priests were among the victims.  
  8. The French Constitution of 1791 replaced the absolute monarchy with a constitutional monarchy. However, this constitution could not last long, and France became a republic on 21st September 1792, after abolishing the monarchy. 
  9. Different monarchs of Europe were worried about the situation in France. Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II was the brother of French Queen Marie Antoinette. He and the Prussian King consulted with French nobles and issued a declaration to protect Louis XVI and the royal family in August 1791. In retaliation, France declared war against Austria in April 1792. After initial defeats, the French military achieved victories after the Battle of Valmy in September 1792. These victories gave so much strength and courage to the French regime that they executed French emperor Louis XVI on 21st January 1793.
  10. Britain, Spain, Portugal, and several other European countries joined the anti-France alliance in 1793 after the execution of Louis XVI. It initiated the War of the First Coalition. The war ended in 1797 with a victory for France. An emerging General, Napoleon Bonaparte, became a hero for playing a role in many French victories.
  11. Vendee is the western part of France where people (mostly peasants) were religious. They openly revolted against the stance of revolution about the Roman Catholic Church. The War in the Vendee broke out in March 1793 after the passing of conscription laws by the Republican regime in February 1792. The uprising received assistance from royalist supporters and Great Britain. After initial defeats, Republicans were able to uproot the rebellion. The main part of the war ended in December 1793 with the decisive Battle of Savenay. 
  12. The Committee of Public Safety was formed in April 1793 to protect revolutionary France against internal rebellion and foreign threats. The members of the committee had enormous powers. In July 1793, a radical member of the Jacobin Club, Maximilien Robespierre, became head of the committee and started summarily executing everyone he considered the enemies of the revolution. These executions also included moderate members of the revolutionaries (Girondins). Due to these atrocities, the period from September 1793 to July 1794 during the French Revolution is called the Reign of Terror.
    Guillotine was symbol of Reign of Terror
     
  13. On 24th June 1793, the National Convention accepted the constitution drafted by the Committee of Public Safety. This constitution is known as the French Constitution of 1793. The abolition of slavery, popular sovereignty, and public assistance were significant points of this constitution.
  14. Robespierre was strengthening his position in the Committee of Public Safety. It alarmed several committee members, including several moderate Jacobins, who were worried about their safety. This situation gave rise to a coup within the committee as these members of the committee executed Robespierre and over 150 of his supporters with the help of National Guards and Girondists on 27th July 1794. This event is known as the Thermidorian Reaction (Thermidor was the 11th month in the French Republican Calendar), which ended the Reign of Terror.
  15. On 22nd February 1795, the Convention approved the French Constitution of 1795, which replaced the previous French Constitution of 1793. Under this constitution, the period of a new regime of France, The Directory, started.  
  16. The Directory operated with a combined leadership of five directors. However, it failed to get the support of the public from the beginning. It could not control the economic condition due to food shortage following the 1795 crop failure. Though the Directory denounced the atrocities of the Reign of Terror, the regime used cruel measures against its opponents. Their famous achievements were the military successes against neighboring countries and the crushing of the Vendee rebellion. On 9th November 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the Directory, established The Consulate, and became the First Consul. This event started the Napoleon era. 

Effects of the French Revolution

The effects and impacts of the French Revolution were enormous and long-lasting in France, Europe, and several other parts of the world. The French Revolution affected France and the outer world in the following ways:
·         Before the revolution, France was an absolute monarchy. The Estate-General was there to represent the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners, but it had been practically ineffective since 1614. Its role was also more or less advisory. Clergy also had immense powers as they were allowed to collect tithes (10% of the harvest) from peasants while their land was free from taxation. French Revolution crushed the power of both these pillars of government. A democratic republic replaced the absolute monarchy, while the clergy lost all their influence and land to the revolutionary regime. They became servants of the state, and France became a secular country based on the principles of enlightenment and liberalism.

·         The French Revolution heavily impacted the outside world. In the beginning, monarchs from different parts of Europe participated in the campaign supporting the French monarchy against revolutionary France. These monarchs felt insecurity from this revolution, which could also affect their people. Britain and the Holy Roman Empire played a leading role in this campaign. Later, the French Republic also tried to export the revolution to its captured areas (Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, etc.).

·         Initially, thinkers and philosophers in many parts of Europe favored the French Revolution. However, the large-scale killing of people (including many innocent people on mere suspicion) forced them to change their minds, and no such revolutionary thoughts appeared in other countries of Europe. Instead, many countries voluntarily changed their political system from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy to prevent similar bloodshed in their countries. 

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