The Storming Of The Bastille

1) On the morning of 4 July 1789, Paris was in a state of alarm (in emergency).

2) Rumours spread that king have sent troops to the city and would order the army to open
fire upon the citizens.

3) About 7000 men and women gathered in the town hall and formed a peoples' militia
(military) which then started breaking down government buildings in search of arms.

4) Some of them, then stormed the fortress prison, the bastile, which was hated by all as
it stood as the despotic power of the king. The commander was killed and all the 7
prisoners were released. The fortress was demolished and its stone fragments were sold
to those who wanted to keep a souvenir of its destruction.

5) People protested against the high price of bread. A new chain of events began, which
led to the execution of the king of france, Louis XVI.

French Society During Late Eighteenth Century

1. French society was divided into three estates. The first two estates were
the clergy and the nobility, who enjoyed certain privileges by birth. The
third estate included big businessmen, merchants, court officials, peasants,
and artisans.
2. Only the members of the third estate had to pay taxes. The burden of
financing activities of the state through taxes was borne by the third
estate alone.
3. The population of France grew, leading to an increase in the demand for
grains.
4. Due to low wages paid to laborers, the gap between the rich and the poor
widened.
5. This estate was educated and believed that no group in society should be
privileged by birth. These ideas were discussed intensively in salons and
coffee houses and spread among people through books and newspapers.
 The Struggle To Survive

1. The population of France grew, leading to an increase in the demand for

grains.
2. The production of grains could not keep pace with the demand, leading to a
rapid increase in food prices.
3. Due to low wages paid to laborers, the gap between the rich and the poor
widened.
4. The widening wealth gap and food shortage led to subsistence crises.
5. The struggle for survival and the subsistence crises led to social unrest.

A Growing Middle Class Envisages an End To

Privileges
1. In the 18th century, a new social group emerged who were known as the
middle class. They had become rich through the expansion of overseas trade.
2. The middle class was educated and believed that no group in society should
be privileged by birth. They demanded an end to privileges.
3. Philosophers like Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu influenced the middle
class. They believed in a society based on freedom, equal law, and
opportunities for all.
4. Rousseau proposed a government based on a social contract between the
people and their representatives.
5. The middle class played a crucial role in the French Revolution. They did not
simply give in to the unjust practices of the privileged classes, but raised
their voice against them.
France Becomes Constitutional Monarchy
1. In 1789, rumors spread that the King would open fire upon the citizens. This
led to an uprising where government buildings were broken down in search of
arms. The Bastille, a symbol of the King’s despotic power, was stormed and
its prisoners were released.
2. The society was divided into three estates. The first two estates, the
clergy and the nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by birth, including
exemption from taxes. The third estate, which bore the tax burden, was
dominated by peasants, a small number of whom owned the land they
cultivated.
3. The increase in population led to a rapid increase in the demand for food
grains. Taxes were increased to meet regular expenses, such as the cost of
maintaining an army, the court, and running government offices or
universities.
4. In 1791, The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution. Its
main object was to limit the powers of the monarch. These powers were now
separated and assigned to different institutions – the legislature, executive,
and judiciary.
5. Following the completion of the constitution, France transitioned from an
absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. This marked a significant
shift in the political landscape of the country.

France abolishes monarchy and becomes a

republic
1. On August 10, 1792, the Jacobins stormed the Palace of the Tuileries and
held the king hostage for several hours.
2. Elections were held, and all men of 21 years and above got the right to vote,
marking a significant step towards democracy.
3. The monarchy was abolished on September 21, 1792, marking the end of
centuries of monarchical rule in France.
4. Following the abolition of the monarchy, France was declared a republic,
signifying a major shift in the country’s political structure.
5. Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason,
symbolizing the definitive end of the monarchy.
 The Reign Of Terror

1. The period from 1793 to 1794 is known as the Reign of Terror. This period
started when Austria, Britain, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Spain were at
war with France.
2. Robespierre, the leader of the Jacobin club, played a significant role during
this period. His Committee of Public Safety repelled foreign invaders and
executed many ‘enemies of the people’ in France itself.
3. In 1793, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed, marking a
significant event during the Reign of Terror.
4. Many people who were seen as ‘enemies’ of the republic, including ex-nobles,
clergy, members of other political parties, and even members of his own
party who disagreed with his methods, were arrested, imprisoned, and then
tried.
5. The Reign of Terror ended in 1794 with the execution of Robespierre.
After his execution, France was governed by a Directory, a committee of
five men.

Directory Rules France

1. After Robespierre’s rule came to an end, a directory was formed to avoid

the concentration of power in one individual.
2. The Directory was a five-member committee formed to govern France. It
was created to bring stability and order to the country after the Reign of
Terror.
3. Despite its formation, the Directory often faced internal conflicts among
its members, leading to chaos and political instability.
4. The Directory rule also faced significant economic challenges, including
inflation and food shortages, which led to widespread dissatisfaction among
the French people.
5. The political vacuum and instability eventually led to the end of the
Directory rule, paving the way for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
 Did Women Have A Revolution
1. On October 5, 1789, women came into the forefront when they marched to
Versailles and brought King Louis XVI back to Paris.
2. The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was formed in 1793.
This society was the most famous among those that voiced their opinions and
grievances against the constitution of 1791.
3. Women demanded equal political rights as men. They were disappointed that
the Constitution of 1791 reduced them to passive citizens. They demanded
the right to vote, to be elected to the Assembly, and to hold political office.
4. Despite the revolution, women did not have the same rights as men to
liberty, property, security, and above all resistance to oppression. In the
formulation of laws, women did not have any representation.
5. The revolution carried out by the women of France triggered the
international suffrage movement. As a result of this movement, in 1946, the
women of France won the right to exercise their franchise and equal wages.

The Abolition Of Slavery

1. In the 18th century, there was little criticism of slavery in France. No laws
were passed against it.
2. One of the most revolutionary reforms of the Jacobin regime was the
abolition of slavery in the French colonies in the Caribbean.
3. It was in 1794 that the convention made all slaves free. However, slavery
was reintroduced by Napoleon 10 years later.
4. The slaves were brought from Africa by the European traders and sold in
Europe and America to work in the sugar, coffee, and indigo plantations.
5. It was finally in 1848 that slavery was abolished in the French colonies
 The Revolution And Everyday life
1. The years following 1789 saw many changes in the lives of men, women, and children
in France. The revolutionary governments passed laws that translated the ideals of
liberty and equality into everyday practice.

2. One significant law that came into effect was the abolition of censorship.
This allowed a free flow of ideas and criticism of the government.
3. Efforts were made to provide education for all. Schools became secular and
were opened to girls, providing an opportunity for their empowerment.
4. The government introduced uniform measures and weights which were
universally applicable, replacing the traditional ones.
5. There were changes in culture as well. The revolutionary ideas were spread
through songs, symbolic images, and festivals organized by the state.

Napoleon Bonaparte/Conclusion
1. The French Revolution led to the overthrow of the absolute monarchy in
France. The country became a republic for a period.

2. The revolution championed ideals of liberty and equality for all citizens. This
was reflected in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.

3. The revolution witnessed a period of violence and political instability.

Different groups vied for power, leading to the rise and fall of various
governments.

4. Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as a powerful leader who brought some

stability to France. Although he eventually became emperor, his rule carried
echoes of the revolution's ideas.

5. The French Revolution's ideals of liberty, equality, and democratic rights

had a long-lasting impact. These ideas inspired movements for freedom and
self-governance around the world.

Important dates
14th July 1789: the king of Paris ordered the troops to move into the city.
1774: Louis XVI of Bourbon family ascended The Throne of France

1614: the monarch for the last time could decide when to call a meeting of
his body.

5th May 1759: Louis XVI called together and assembly of the estates
general to pass proposals for new taxes

28 June 1789: the representatives of the third estate assembled in the Hall
Of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles.

14th July 1789: the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the bastille.

4th August 1789: the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal
system of obligation and Taxes

1791: the national assembly completed the draught of the Constitution in

1791

1792: the national assembly voted to declare war against prussia and Austria

Summer of 1792: the jacobins planned and insurrection of the large number
of parisians who when a angered by the short supplies and high prices of
food.

21st September 1792: the newly elected assembly abolished the monarchy
and declared France as a Republic

21st January 1793: Louis XVI was executed publicly at the place de la
concrode.

Period between 1793 and 94: regarded as the reign of terror.

1791: declaration of the rights of women and citizen was written by olympe
de Gouges

1794: all the slaves were freed in French

1848: slavery was finally abolished in France

1815: the battle of Waterloo.

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