Ap Euro Dbq French Revolution

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The French Revolution was a radical period in France between 1789-1814. The French Revolution has had a big impact on the infrastructure of France, those impactful ideas are even seen today. These ideas of enlightenment brought to society by French revolutionaries influenced the French Revolution down the line. Their were things that caused the Revolution like the financial state of the common people in France, the political system, and the way the Estates General was set up. All of those led to effects like the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen”, the execution of King Louis XVI, and the Rise of Napoleon as well as his Revolution. During the old days of France the french people were divided into 3 estates which were social …show more content…

Lands held by the commoners are taxed very heavily” (Arthur Young). The King and Queen were seen as the “Two-Headed Monster” which is illustrated in document 2. The common people were getting fed up with the reckless spending and weak leadership that the King had shown them. They were at the tip of their anger and when the Third Estate Gad been locked out of their meeting room it pushed them over the edge. They shortly after Stormed the Bastille, the Bastille was a Paris prison that housed most of the country’s gunpowder. The Storming and Fall became a symbolic act of the French …show more content…

The “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen” said that “Men are born free and equal in rights” some of these right were life, liberty, and property. The document also ensured many freedoms and equal justice to the common people of France. This document improved the lives of the common people but it was not enough to satisfy them. So on Jan 21st 1793 the weakest king, Louis XVI was executed. This opened up an opportunity for Maximillian Robespierre to assume power. He set out to get rid of every trace of France’s past. His rule became known as the Reign of Terror, his job was to protect France from its enemies along with his committee they did an efficient job at this but it was extremely brutal and merciless. Eventually Robespierre got out of hand and fearing for their own lives the people of France decided to execute him. This put France in an unknowing period because they did not know how or what to do with them selves. This the stage for one of the most brilliant strategic mind to lead France, Napoleon