The French Revolution

1789
 1789
Introduction
 The French Revolution is one of the greatest political
revolutions in human history .It gave a severe blow to
absolute monarchy in France ,established a republic
,catalyzed violent periods of political turmoil and
finally culminated in a constitutional monarchy under
Napoleon Bonaparte. It evolved the most modern
political ideologies and had far reaching impact on
human race. Globally it accelerated the rise of
republics and democracies .It stands comparable with
Russian Revolution in regards to its inner philosophy
and effects in the political history of mankind..
Causes of the Revolution
 Political Cause
 Social cause
 Economic causes
 Intellectual causes
 External influences
Political Cause
 Monarchical despotism
 Oppressive administration
 Corrupt court
 Voluptuous Palace
 No uniform code of laws
 Unjust Officialdom
Social Cause
 Social Classes- Three Estates
“The nobles fight, clergy pray , the people pay”
 Fault of the nobility
 Fault of the clergy
 Fate of the common people
 Rise of Bourgeoisie
Economic Causes
 Wrong Economic Policy
 Taxation
 Cost of Versailles
 Cost of Foreign Wars
 Empty treasury
 Growing economic distress of the people
 Famine in 1788 and severe winter in 1789 led to food
shortage
Intellectual Causes
 Voltaire
 Montesquieu
 Jean Jaques Rousseau
 Other Thinkers-D’ Alembert,Quesney, Diderot,D’
Holbach
Voltaire
 He exposed the vices of the time through his pen
 Through satire, criticism, and humour he described
the conduct of the King, and of the ministers,
courtiers, nobles and priests
 Was a great critic of the age of enlightenment
Montesquieu
 He wrote his political doctrines regarding better form
of government
 His famous book was” The Spirit of laws” in which he
advocated about the theory of separation of powers
and of its exercise by three branches of government-
the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary.
 It became fundamental principle of democracy
Jean Jacques Rousseau
 His pen directed against the established society,
government, religion, and education
 He was a devotee of nature and once said in agony”
Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains”
 Gave a clarion call of “Liberty, equality and
fraternity” for the regeneration of a rotten society
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 In his book, “The Social Contract” he has said,
“The state is a product of social contract, not
divine will.”
 “Sovereignty lay in the hands of the people, and
General Will was the source of law.”
 Rousseau’s doctrines came like the birth -cry of
modern democracy
External Influences
 American war of Independence(1776-1783)
Course of the Revolution
 Meeting of the Estates General
 National Assembly
 Oath of the Tennis Court
 Fall of Bastille
 March of Women to Versailles Palace
 Declaration of Rights of man and of the Citizen
 Constitution of 1791
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 Fight of the King and Queen
 Foreign intervention
 Rise of French Nationalism
 Execution of King and Queen
 Reign of Terror
 War with Europe
 Constitution of 1795
 Age of Directory (1795-99)
 Rise of Napoleon to power in 1799
 End of French Revolution
Leaders of the Revolution
 Mirabeau
 Robespierre
 Abbe Sieyes
 Danton
Marie Antoinette and Louis-XVI
 Although people
were starving
and the country
was broke, the
royal family
flaunted their
wealth and
uncaring.
Estates General meets
The part of the French
Estates General
representing the third
estate left and declared
themselves the
National Assembly of
France.
Fall of Bastille
Bread riots
 People were hungry;
the country was in
great financial crisis
 This picture is from
an all-women bread
riot.
 Marie Antionette said
“let them eat cake”
 Effects of the French Revolution

 Both the King and

Queen were beheaded
 French monarchy no
more
 In addition to the
Royal family, 17,000
people were executed
with the guillotine.
Execution of King
End of Revolution
 Napoleon
Bonaparte
appointed
himself as ‘First
Consul’ of France
in 1799.
Revolution came to
an end
Significance of French Revolution
 A revolution discarded old monarchy, old society, old
church and old practices
 Abolished Feudalism and liberated the serfs
 Gave a death blow to medieval nobility
 Propagated the ideas of liberty ,equality and
fraternity(the principles of democracy)
 Established a new democratic and social order in
society
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 It gave birth to modern nationalism and democracy
in the World
 As result ,in 19th and 20th centuries , many countries
got inspiration from French Revolution in protesting
against oppressive governments and foreign rule
 It prepared the path for new social and political order
 The French revolution ended no doubt but its
revolutionary philosophy had a far reaching impact on
the later period of human life
THANK YOU..!!!