BY:

AGOL
WHAT IS THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION?
 French Revolution was a period of radical
political and societal change in France.
 The French Revolution began with the
Estates General of 1789 and ended with
the formation of the French Consulate in
November 1799.
 It proceeded in a back and forth process
between revolutionary and reactionary
forces.
HOW FRANCE WAS ORGANISED BEFORE
THE REVOLUTION began ?
 Before the French Revolution. French society was structured on the relics of
feudalism in a system known as the Estates System. The estate to which a person
belonged was very important because it determined that persons rights in society.
 THE RELICS OF FEUDALISM
 The relics of feudalism were obligations that survived from an earlier age and
included the payment of fees for the use of village facilities, such as the flour mill and
community oven.
FRANCE CONDITIONS
BEFORE THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION

 T’HE ESTATES SYSTEM

 The France of the Bourbon dynasty in

the 18th century, called the Ancient
Régime, was structured into three
Estates;
 T’HE first estate

 The First Estate was the clergy. The Catholic

Church in France owned 10% of the land,
collected tithes and had many feudal
privileges (such as tax exemption). However,
the First Estate was not very powerful
because it was divided between the high-
ranking bishops (about 100) and the lower-
ranking parish priests (about 30,000). They
were after the king.
 T’HE second estate

 The Second Estate was the Nobility. The nobles

were exempt from taxes, had the right to bear
arms, and collected rents from the peasants who
worked their lands. They also had judicial power
over their subjects and the privilege to hunt on
royal grounds. The French Nobility consisted of
about 400 families. The Nobility – less than 2% of
the population, but they owned 25% of the best
land in France. They paid very little or no tax to
the king.
 the third estate

 The Third Estate was the commoners. The Third

Estate was by far the largest; it included
everything else not belonging to the clergy or
Nobility, such as peasants, artisans, merchants,
and workers. The majority of the people in France
were commoners. They belong to 80% of the
population and paid most of the taxes yet had very
few political rights. The third estate consisted of
peasants and Bourgeoisie. They were the most in
number in France.