The French Revolution Causes and Consequences_compressed.pdf

class 9 history ncert chapter 1

1. THE FRENCH
REVOLUTION
Causes and Consequences
By Sarah Khan (IX A)

2. LONG - TERM CAUSES
IMMEDIATE CAUSES
THE REVOULUTION
IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES
LONG - TERM CONSEQUENCES
INTRODUCTION
TABLE OF
CONTENTS

3. 1.INTRODUCTION
An introduction to the French Revolution,
defining its nature and timeframe.
What are we discussing?

4. INTRODUCTION
The French Revolution (1789-
1799) was a period of radical
social and political upheaval in
France that profoundly impacted
French and modern history. It
saw the overthrow of the
monarchy, the establishment of a
republic, and periods of violent
political turmoil.
A NATION IN TURMOIL

5. 2. LONG - TERM
CAUSES
The social, economic, political, and intellectual
factors that gradually undermined the Ancien Régime.
What are we discussing?

6. A SOCIETY DIVIDED
French society was rigidly structured
into three "Estates."
First Estate: Clergy (0.5% of the
population, owned ~10% of land, paid
almost no taxes).
Second Estate: Nobility (1.5% of the
population, owned ~25% of land,
largely exempt from taxes, held key
positions).
Third Estate: Everyone else (98% of
the population, including peasants,
urban workers, and the bourgeoisie)
LONG - TERM CAUSES

7. DEBT AND POVERTY
France's economic troubles worsened
due to the costly American
Revolutionary War.
These conflicts drained resources.
Poor harvests led to food shortages,
while extravagant royal spending
deepened the national debt.
The Third Estate, including peasants
and urban workers, faced poverty, high
food prices, and unemployment, leading
to social unrest.
LONG - TERM CAUSES
THE SPIDER AND THE FLY
BY ANONYMOUS

8. THE POWER OF IDEAS
Enlightenment philosophers like
Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu
championed ideas of liberty, equality,
popular sovereignty, and individual
rights.
These ideas challenged the legitimacy
of absolute monarchy and inherited
privilege, inspiring a desire for
political and social reform among the
educated bourgeoisie.
MONTESQUIEU
LONG - TERM CAUSES

9. 3. IMMEDIATE CAUSES
The critical financial crisis, widespread food
shortages, and the convening of the Estates-General
that directly ignited the Revolution.
What are we discussing?

10. HUNGER FUELS DISCONTENT
The late 1780s saw severe droughts and
exceptionally harsh winters, especially the
brutal winter of 1788-1789, leading to
widespread crop failures.
As bread was the primary dietary staple, these
shortages caused a dramatic and unsustainable
surge in its price, pushing many families to the
brink of starvation.
This pervasive famine and escalating economic
distress intensified popular anger and
desperation, particularly in urban areas where
bread riots became commonplace.
IMMEDIATE CAUSES

11. In 1789, facing a financial crisis, King Louis XVI
convened the Estates-General.
Despite comprising the majority of the population,
the Third Estate was routinely outvoted by the
privileged estates. In response, they broke away to
form the National Assembly, claiming to represent
the true will of the nation.
On June 20, locked out of their meeting hall, they
gathered in a nearby tennis court and took the
historic Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to disband
until a constitution was established. This directly
challenged royal authority and marked the beginning
of the French Revolution.
THE BREAKING POINT
IMMEDIATE CAUSES

12. 4. THE REVOLUTION
The pivotal events of the Revolution, from its start
at the storming of the Bastille to the Reign of
Terror, culminating in Napoleon's rise to power.
What are we discussing?

13. THE REVOLUTION
On July 14, 1789, Parisian
commoners stormed the Bastille
prison, a symbol of royal tyranny.
This act, fueled by widespread
discontent, marked the dramatic
beginning of the French
Revolution. It demonstrated the
people's willingness to fight for
change and effectively shattered
the monarchy's absolute authority.
THE BASTILLE FALLS

14. THE STORMING
OF THE
BASTILLE, 1790
HENRY
SINGLETON

15. THE REVOLUTION
As the Revolution grew more radical,
particularly from 1793 to 1794, France
entered the Reign of Terror. Led by
figures like Maximilien Robespierre,
the revolutionary government executed
thousands suspected of being enemies
of the Revolution, including King
Louis XVI. This period aimed to purge
disagreement but ultimately consumed
its own leaders in a wave of extreme
violence.
THE REIGN OF TERROR

16. MAXIMILIEN
ROBESPIERRE

17. THE REVOLUTION
The decade of the Revolution concluded
with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. A
brilliant military general, Napoleon
seized political power in a coup in
1799. He consolidated many
revolutionary gains while also
establishing an autocratic regime,
effectively bringing the main period
of the French Revolution to a close
and ushering in a new era for France
and Europe.
NAPOLEON'S RISE TO POWER

18. NAPOLEON
CROSSING THE
ALPS, 1801
JACQUES-LOUIS
DAVID

19. 5. CONSEQUENCES
How the Revolution led to the dismantling of the old
order, political upheaval and warfare, and the
lasting spread of nationalism.
What are we discussing?

20. DISMANTLING THE OLD ORDER
Feudalism was abolished, ending
centuries of peasant
subjugation and noble
privileges. The Church's power
was drastically reduced; its
lands were confiscated, and
civil marriage and divorce were
introduced, fundamentally
reshaping French society.
CONSEQUENCES

21. UPHEAVAL AND CONFLICT
The Revolution led to a decade of
extreme political instability,
marked by numerous constitutional
changes and internal strife.
Externally, the Revolutionary
Wars broke out as European
monarchies feared the spread of
revolutionary ideals, leading to
widespread conflict across the
continent.
CONSEQUENCES

22. The Revolution fostered a strong
sense of national identity and
unity among the French people,
replacing loyalty to a king with
loyalty to the nation. This idea of
popular sovereignty and national
pride spread throughout Europe,
inspiring similar movements and
ultimately redrawing the
continent's political map.
BIRTH OF MODERN
NATIONALISM
CONSEQUENCES

23. CONCLUSION
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WAS A MONUMENTAL
TURNING POINT IN HISTORY. IT DISMANTLED
THE OLD ORDER, INSPIRED NEW POLITICAL
IDEOLOGIES, AND RESHAPED THE POLITICAL
LANDSCAPE OF EUROPE AND BEYOND. ITS
LEGACY CONTINUES TO INFLUENCE DEBATES
ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STATE AND CITIZEN.

24. THANK YOU