The French Revolution — Class 9

History
The Storming of the Bastille – 14 July 1789
In the early morning of 14 July 1789, Paris was in a state of panic. Rumours spread that King
Louis XVI would order his army to open fire on the citizens. In response, thousands of people
gathered and stormed the Bastille, a prison that symbolised the absolute and oppressive
monarchy. The mob killed the commander, freed the seven prisoners, and demolished the
Bastille. This marked the beginning of the French Revolution and became a symbol of the
people's resistance. 14 July is now celebrated every year as France's National Day.

French Society in the Late Eighteenth Century

In 1774, Louis XVI of the Bourbon dynasty became the king of France. He inherited an empty
treasury and massive debt. France had recently helped the American colonies in their
independence war against Britain, further straining finances.
The French society was divided into three estates:
First Estate: The Clergy
Second Estate: The Nobility
Third Estate: Everyone else — peasants, workers, lawyers, merchants, etc.
The First and Second Estates were privileged by birth and exempted from taxes. They made up
about 10% of the population but controlled most land and wealth.
The Third Estate, forming about 98% of the population, bore the entire tax burden.
Taxes included:
Taille (a direct land tax)
Tithes (a tax paid to the Church)
Indirect taxes on goods like salt, tobacco, and food
Land ownership was also unequal: 60% of land was owned by nobles, clergy, and wealthy third
estate members. Most peasants were landless or rented land under feudal conditions.

The Struggle to Survive

Population growth in France led to a higher demand for food grains, but production did not
increase accordingly. This led to rising bread prices, the staple diet of the poor. Workers' wages
were stagnant, leading to hardship and widening the gap between rich and poor. Natural
calamities like drought and hailstorms made the situation worse. The winter of 1788–89 was
especially severe, leading to food shortages.

A Growing Middle Class Envisions an End to Privilege

Despite the suffering of peasants and workers, a new class emerged in the Third Estate — the
middle class, or bourgeoisie. This group included merchants, lawyers, manufacturers, teachers,
and other educated professionals. They became wealthy through overseas trade and industry,
but lacked social and political privileges.
They were influenced by Enlightenment thinkers:
Rousseau: Advocated for a social contract — government by the general will of the people
Montesquieu: Proposed separation of powers among the legislature, executive, and judiciary
Voltaire: Championed freedom of speech and reason
These thinkers questioned divine rights and hereditary privileges, promoting equality, liberty,
and democracy.

The Outbreak of the Revolution – 1789

On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General (a political body with representatives
from all three estates) to discuss new taxes. Voting was by estate (one vote per estate), giving
the privileged two estates a clear advantage. The Third Estate demanded voting by head (one
person, one vote), but was denied.
In protest, the Third Estate walked out and formed the National Assembly, led by Mirabeau and
Abbé Sieyès. On 20 June 1789, they gathered at the tennis court in Versailles and took the
Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to separate until they had written a new constitution for France.
At the same time, a severe winter caused food shortages. Rumours spread that nobles had hired
brigands to destroy crops. In fear, peasants revolted:
Looted grain hoards
Burned feudal documents
Attacked manors
This wave of panic and violence in the countryside was called the Great Fear (La Grande Peur).
On 4 August 1789, the National Assembly abolished feudal privileges:
Tithes were ended
Church lands were confiscated
Nobility lost hereditary privileges
On 26 August 1789, the National Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and
Citizen, laying out the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

The Women’s March to Versailles – October 1789

On 5 October 1789, about 7,000 Parisian women marched to the Palace of Versailles, angry over
bread shortages and high prices. They demanded that the king return to Paris and ensure food
supply. On 6 October 1789, the royal family was forced to return to Paris under pressure from
the crowd.

Flight to Varennes – 1791

In June 1791, King Louis XVI and his family tried to escape from Paris in disguise to rally support
against the revolution. They were recognised and caught at Varennes, increasing public distrust
toward the monarchy.

France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy – 1791

By 1791, the National Assembly completed the Constitution of 1791, which:
Limited the powers of the monarch
Separated powers among legislature, executive, and judiciary
Only active citizens (men over 25 who paid taxes equal to 3 days of a labourer’s wage) could
vote. This excluded women and the poor, who were called passive citizens.
The Constitution was preceded by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which
declared:
Right to life, liberty, and property
Freedom of speech and opinion
Equality before law
These were called natural and inalienable rights — belonging to every human being by birth.

France Becomes a Republic – 1792

By 1792, France was at war with Austria and Prussia. The economic crisis worsened.
Revolutionaries grew more radical.
The Jacobin Club, led by Robespierre, gained power. Its members included:
Small shopkeepers, workers, artisans
Known as Sans-culottes (those without knee breeches)
On 10 August 1792, they stormed the Palace of Tuileries, captured the royal family, and
suspended the monarchy.
On 21 September 1792, France was declared a republic — no king, no monarchy. A new elected
assembly (Convention) gave all men over 21 the right to vote.
In January 1793, Louis XVI was executed by guillotine for treason. His wife, Marie Antoinette,
was executed later that year.

The Reign of Terror – 1793 to 1794

Under Robespierre, the Jacobin government began the Reign of Terror. Anyone suspected of
opposing the revolution was arrested and tried by the Revolutionary Tribunal. If found guilty,
they were guillotined. Around 17,000 people were officially executed.
Robespierre ruled through the Committee of Public Safety.
Reforms under Robespierre:
Maximum price fixed for bread and wages
Rationing of meat and flour
Expensive white bread banned
All citizens addressed as Citoyen/Citoyenne
Eventually, Robespierre himself was arrested and guillotined on 27 July 1794 (9 Thermidor),
ending the Reign of Terror.

A Directory Rules France – 1795 Onwards

After Robespierre's fall, a new Constitution was formed in 1795:
Voting rights limited to property-owning men
Power shared by two legislative councils
Executive power given to a Directory of five members
The Directory was corrupt and weak. Political instability allowed the rise of a military dictator –
Napoleon Bonaparte. He seized power through a coup in 1799.
Did Women Have a Revolution?
Women actively participated from the beginning. Most Third Estate women worked for a living
and managed homes.
Problems faced:
No access to education or political rights
Low wages
No right to vote or hold office
Women formed political clubs and newspapers:
The most famous: Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women
They demanded:
Equal pay
Right to vote and be elected
Laws improving women's lives
Reforms introduced:
Schooling made compulsory
Divorce legalised
Women could run small businesses
However, during the Reign of Terror, women’s clubs were banned. It wasn’t until 1946 that
French women got the right to vote.

The Abolition of Slavery

France profited from slave labour in the Caribbean colonies (like San Domingo).
Slaves were captured from Africa and sold to plantation owners
Goods like sugar, coffee, indigo were grown using their labour
While the revolution promised liberty and equality, it did not immediately abolish slavery.
Finally:
1794 – Slavery was abolished by the Convention
1804 – Napoleon reinstated it
1848 – Slavery was finally abolished in all French colonies
San Domingo later became Haiti — the first successful slave revolt inspired by the Revolution.

The Revolution and Everyday Life

The Revolution brought major social and cultural changes:
Censorship abolished in 1789
Freedom of speech and press granted
Revolutionary ideas spread via plays, songs, newspapers, and festivals
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen ensured that people could express and debate
their views publicly for the first time.

Conclusion: Napoleon and the Legacy of the Revolution

In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France. He:
Protected private property
Introduced the Napoleonic Code
Established a uniform system of weights and measures using the decimal system
The Napoleonic Code also abolished feudalism and ensured legal equality for men, but did not
grant equal rights to women.
However, Napoleon was eventually defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
The French Revolution left behind a legacy of liberty, equality, and fraternity, which inspired
future revolutions across the world, especially in colonised nations.