An Overview of the French Revolution

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The contradictions of the pre-revolutionary Ancien Régime
Before the revolution, France was a class-based society in which the clergy (the First Estate) and the nobility (the Second Estate) enjoyed various privileges, including tax exemption, while commoners (the Third Estate), who made up the vast majority of the population, bore a heavy tax burden. On top of this, royal finances were pushed toward collapse — partly from supporting the American Revolutionary War — fueling growing demands for reform.
The convening of the Estates-General and the formation of the National Assembly
To resolve the fiscal crisis, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General in May 1789 for the first time in 175 years, but Third Estate representatives, dissatisfied with the voting system based on estate rather than headcount, gathered separately and declared themselves the "National Assembly," the true representative body of the nation. Through the Tennis Court Oath, they vowed not to disband until a new constitution had been established.
The storming of the Bastille (1789)
On July 14, 1789, the citizens of Paris stormed and seized the Bastille, a prison that symbolized absolute monarchy. This event is regarded as the symbolic starting point of the French Revolution, and July 14 continues to be celebrated as France's revolutionary anniversary to this day.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
In August 1789, the National Assembly adopted the "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen," which enshrined principles such as liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty, laying the foundation for the concept of modern human rights that would go on to significantly influence the constitutions and human-rights thinking of nations around the world.
The Reign of Terror — Robespierre
As the revolution grew more radical, the Committee of Public Safety, led by Maximilien Robespierre in 1793–1794, carried out a Reign of Terror, executing a large number of people accused of counter-revolutionary activity — Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were also executed by guillotine. Robespierre himself was ousted and executed in the Thermidorian Reaction of 1794, bringing the Reign of Terror to an end.
The rise of Napoleon and the end of the revolution
Amid the chaotic political situation that followed the Reign of Terror, Napoleon Bonaparte, who had gained fame through military success, seized power in a 1799 coup. With his coronation as emperor in 1804, the French Revolution, which had lasted ten years, effectively came to an end, and the Napoleonic era began.

The starting point of liberty, equality, and fraternity

The French Revolution was an event that fundamentally shook French society for roughly a decade starting in 1789, becoming a turning point that toppled the class-based Ancien Régime and spread the modern values of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty widely across Europe.

A connection to another revolution across the Atlantic

The enormous financial burden France took on by supporting the American Revolutionary War was one of the factors behind the outbreak of the French Revolution. See our overview of the American Revolution to explore how the two revolutions influenced one another.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the French Revolution generally considered to have fully ended?

It is generally considered to have effectively concluded in 1799, when Napoleon seized power in a coup.

Why did the Reign of Terror occur?

The Reign of Terror arose as the revolutionary government harshly suppressed opposing forces in an effort to protect the new system amid the threat of both foreign wars and counter-revolutionary forces at home.