A Narrative History of the French Revolution - Contents

Robert Wilde
Updated on March 17, 2017

Interested in the French Revolution? Read our 101 but want more? Then try this, a
narrative history of the French Revolution designed to give you a firm grounding
in the subject: it's all the 'what's' and 'when's'. It's also a perfect platform for readers
who want to go on and study the much debated 'whys'. The French Revolution is
the threshold between an early, proto modern Europe and the modern age, ushering
in a change so huge and all-encompassing that the continent was remade by the
forces (and often the armies) unleashed. It was truly a pleasure to write this
narrative, as the complex characters (how did Robespierre go from wanting the
death penalty banned to the architect of rule by terror and mass execution), and the
tragic events (including a declaration designed to save a monarchy which actually
crippled it) unfold into a fascinating whole.

History of the French Revolution

 Pre-Revolutionary France
 France's history of piecemeal territorial expansion produced a jigsaw of
different laws, rights and boundaries which some felt were ripe for reform.
Society was also divided - by tradition - into three 'estates': the clergy, the
nobility and everyone else.
 The Crisis of the 1780s and the Causes of the French Revolution
 While historians still debate the precise long term causes of the revolution,
all are in agreement that a financial crisis in the 1780s provided the short
term trigger for revolution.
 The Estates General and the Revolution of 1789
 The French Revolution began when the 'third estate' deputies of the Estates
General declared themselves a National Assembly and verbally seized
sovereignty from the King while the citizens of Paris rebelled against royal
control and stormed the Bastille in search of arms.
 Recreating France 1789 – 91
 Having seized control of France, the deputies of the National Assembly
began reforming the nation, scrapping rights and privileges and drawing up a
new constitution.
 The Republican Revolution 1792
 In 1792 a second revolution took place, as Jacobins and sans culottes forced
the Assembly to replace itself with a National Convention which abolished
the monarchy, declared France a republic and in 1793 executed the king.
 Purges and Revolt 1793
 In 1793 tensions in the revolution finally exploded, especially in rural areas
where conscription and laws against priests caused open and armed rebellion
against the domination of the revolution by Parisians.
 The Terror 1793 – 94
 Faced with crises on all fronts, the Committee of Public Safety embarked on
a bloody policy of terror, executing their enemies – real and imagined – with
no real trials in an attempt to save the revolution. Over 16,000 were executed
and over 10,000 died in prison.
 Thermidor 1794 - 95
 In 1794 Robespierre and the other 'terrorists' were overthrown, leading to a
backlash against his supporters and the laws they had en-acted. A new
constitution was drawn up.
 The Directory, the Consulate and the End of Revolution 1795 - 1802
 From 1795 to 1802 coups and military power played an increasing role in
the rule of France, until an ambitious and highly successful young General
called Napoleon Bonaparte seized power and had himself elected Consul for
Life in 1802. He would later declare himself Emperor, and a debate about
whether he ended the French Revolution would outlast him (and continue to
this day). He certainly mastered the forces the revolution unleashed and tied
together opposed forces. But France would search for stability for several
decades yet.