French Revolution Essay

The French Revolution was one of world history’s most influential and dramatic events. It began in 1789 when the people of France rose against their oppressive monarchy and set about creating a new government based on the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. 

The revolution changed not only France but also had a profound effect on other countries around the world. Over 10 years of struggle and conflict ensued before Napoleon Bonaparte took control in 1799. This French revolution essay will help you to understand more about the French revolution.

This date marks the inception of a momentous juncture in history which would ultimately lead to the French Revolution.

Short essay on French revolution

The upper classes, the nobility, and the clergy had 300 members represented at the event, while the Third Estate had a much larger representation with 600 appointed delegates. The pressing issue the delegates were confronted with was how to cast their ballots: should each state have its vote, or should they all be tallied together?

Should the voting system be based on individuals instead of estates, providing the Third Estate the opportunity to gain support from some progressive nobles and clergy members? On the seventeenth of June, the Third Estate proclaimed itself the National Assembly to construct a constitution.

After the passing of three days, the delegates discovered the door to their normal meeting place was closed and had to relocate to an indoor tennis court. With a solemn vow to remain together until a French constitution had been created, they began their work.

After three days, the representatives were surprised to discover that the space they had been accustomed to gathering in was closed off. As a result, they relocated to a nearby indoor tennis court and committed to staying in session until they had formulated a French constitution.

Despite Louis XVI’s command for the First and Second Estate members to join the Third, he still deployed soldiers to the outskirts of Versailles and Paris. During July and August 1789, a series of rural and urban rebellions thwarted the King’s plan to reclaim his control, thus rescuing the National Assembly from his attempt.

The peasantry vented their dissatisfaction with the feudal system by tearing down castles and destroying documents that attested to the compulsory payments they had to make to their landlords. This was their way of expressing their displeasure with the all-encompassing land tenure that greatly influenced their lives.

The Storming of the Bastille on July 14th is the best-known of the city revolts, even though only seven detainees were confined in this medieval stronghold, which acted as a state jail and armory. The people of Paris had not assembled to liberate those incarcerated in the Bastille but instead to acquire the weapons kept inside.

The prison governor’s refusal to yield to the mob’s demands resulted in a fierce conflict resulting in the mob’s seizure of the premises. The assassination of the governor, in which his head was displayed on a spike, served as a potent symbol of the French Revolution; it was a reminder of the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic that cherished the principles of freedom, equality, and fraternity.

Even today, the French commemorate the 14th of July as a national holiday. During the period of rural uprisings, a sense of dread blanketed France as rumors of foreign armies surging in, backed by a conspiracy of the affluent class, known as the Great Fear, began to circulate. On the 21st of September, a new governing body was put in place to create a republic. The monarchy was abolished, and the king and queen were executed in January and October, respectively. With this, the revolution moved into its second and more extreme phase.