The French Revolution
Louis xiv was a great and arrogant monarch who ruled over France during the later part of the lea) century under whose regime, the wasteful luxury of the royal nobility continued on and on. The nobles and priests who were free from taxation were blind to the sufferings of the poor who were taxed more and more. Feudalism still survived in France and the peasants were bitter against some of the nobles who were heartless and could not understand the injustice done to the poor.
The French listened eagerly to the writings of men like Voltaire and Rousseau who spoke of the equal rights of all men The American war of Independence had set them an example and inspired them to throw of their bondage. Louis xiv who was the French monarch at tills time was an inefficient man. This had encouraged the people to revolt. The revolution began with the meeting of the States General in May, 1789.
The Bastille, the state prison in Paris was attacked and destroyed. The king was condemned to death for having betrayed the country and the people to foreign foes who had declared war upon France. The France became a republic at first the republic was controlled by the moderates. Then power passed into the hands of the extremists who formed only a small group. The extremists tried to retain power by striking terror into the hearts of their enemies.
The result was the reign of terror which reached its zenith under Robespierre. Hundreds of people including the queen were killed. A terrible machine guillotine was invented to chop off the heads quickly and without difficulty. The reign of terror did not continue long. It ended in 1794 with the fall of Robespierre.
Government passed into the hands of the Directory. Soon the Directory also became unpopular mainly because it failed to carry on successfully the war against the enemies of the revolutionary France.
Napoleon Bonaparte used this opportunity to over throw the Directory and establish himself as the ruler of France. A body known as the consulate was set up and Napoleon Bonaparte became the first consul.
The French revolution was terrible and violent. It spread the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity. The idea equality led later to the abolition of slavery and the removal of religious restrictions. The revolution created a feeling of patriotism and absolute monarchy unpopular. Thus the French revolution is one of the greatest events in the history of the world.
