French Revolution: Reasons and Results

Abstract

The causes of the French Revolution are complex and debated among historians, as the French government was deeply in debt following the end of the Seven Years' Wars and the American War of Independence. To compensate for the difficult financial situation, the government decided to impose tax plans that were unpopular with the people. The situation of drought and famine increased in France, which aroused people's dissatisfaction with the ecclesiastical class, the aristocracy and their privileges. Enlightenment ideas formed the basis of demands for change, as they called for equality and social justice. The first phase of the Revolution began in May 1789, and witnessed important events such as the storming of the Bastille and the issuance of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The old system of feudalism and privileges was abolished in August 1789 after the victory of the French government, and a republican system of government was adopted.

The following period witnessed political conflicts between liberals and supporters of the monarchy. In September 1792, France declared a republic after its victory at the Battle of Valmy. King Louis XVI was executed in January 1793, leading to widespread international condemnation. These events reflect the development of the French Revolution and its great impact on the political and social world of that period. In this research, the focus will be on exploring all political, economic and social aspects of French society before and after the outbreak of the French Revolution