Stages of French Revolution

Being one of the largest events in the world history, the French Revolution occurred in various time frames. It brought with itself a wide variety of changes and upheavals in France and the world history. The important stages of French Revolution are as follows:

Stage I- The meeting of the Estates- General

Before meeting of Estates-General on 5th May, members of the Third Estate began mobilising the support of equal voting rights on the basis of head and not on basis of status. The nobles were against the idea for giving up privileges they enjoyed in traditional system. When meeting was held, open hostility broke out between the thee orders and the original purpose of the meeting was not attended.

Third estate met alone and adopted the title of National assembly on 17th June,1789 and took an oath known as Tennis Court Oath. Seeing no other option, Louis XVI had to absorb the three assemblies into the new order.

Stage II- The French Revolution Begins

The National Assembly continued to meet at Versailles and speculations went around for imminent military coup and this led to insurgency, resulted in the seize of Bastille fortress on July 14th of 1789. This marked the beginning of French Revolution.

Stage III- Declaration of Rights of Man

The National Assembly adopted the Right of Man and the Citizen on August 4th of 1789. The charter came to be grounded on democratic principles, on the philosophies as well as political ideas of Enlightement thinkers like Rosseau. The declaration came to be published on 26th August of 1789.

Stage IV- Reign of Terror

The revolution came to take a more radical turn when a group of insurgents had attacked the royal residence in Paris and arrested by Louis XVI on August 10, 1792. Legislative Assembly came to replace the National Convention which proclaimed the establishment of Republic of France and also abolition of Monarchy.

King Louis XVI was condemned to death on 21 January 1793 and executed for treason, marking the most violent as well as turbulent phase of French Revolution, known as Reign of Terror.

Stage V- End of the French Revolution

The National Convention on August 1795, which composed of moderates who had survived Reign of Terror, came to approve the creation of new constitution which made France bicameral legislature. The power would be in the hands of Directory, a five-member group which was appointed by the Parliament. There was resentment against the Directory rule, which was headed by Napolean and was appointed as “first consul” and Napoleanic era began with French domination.

The French Revolution was a major event in French and world history. It turned into a length of profound social and political upheaval that came about in France from 1789 to 1799. It had some distance-achieving effects not only in France but also in Europe and beyond. The revolution was driven by a combination of political, social, and economic factors, and it had profound and far-reaching consequences that shaped the course of European and global history.

The French Revolution profoundly influenced the development of modern political ideologies, including democracy and human rights. Its impact resonated globally, inspiring movements for political and social change in various parts of the world.