French Revolution (nonfiction)

Nine emigrants go to the guillotine in 1793.

The French Revolution (French: Révolution française [ʁevɔlysjɔ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛːz]) was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799, and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the French Empire.

Description

The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, experienced violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon that rapidly brought many of its principles to Western Europe and beyond.

Inspired by liberal and radical ideas, the Revolution profoundly altered the course of modern history, triggering the global decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies.

Through the Revolutionary Wars, it unleashed a wave of global conflicts that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history.

The causes of the French Revolution are complex and are still debated among historians. Following the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, the French government was deeply in debt and attempted to restore its financial status through unpopular taxation schemes. Years of bad harvests leading up to the Revolution also inflamed popular resentment of the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and the aristocracy.

Globally, the Revolution accelerated the rise of republics and democracies. It became the focal point for the development of all modern political ideologies, leading to the spread of liberalism, radicalism, nationalism, socialism, feminism, and secularism, among many others.

The Revolution also witnessed the birth of total war (nonfiction) by organizing the resources of France and the lives of its citizens towards the objective of military conquest.

In the News

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  ]Allumette enflammée inverse, symbol of Les Empyrées.

Nonfiction cross-reference

• Enragés (nonfiction)
• Law of Suspects (nonfiction)
• Napoleon (nonfiction)
• Reign of Terror (nonfiction)
• Total war (nonfiction)

Fiction cross-reference

• Database Database
• Empyrées
• National Razor

External links

• French Revolution @ wiki.karljones.com
• French Revolution @ Wikipedia