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The French Revolution

King Louis XVI was king during this time and had married the very young Marie Antoinette who gained the public perception that she did not care about anything except for her appearance and position. She continued to use up the treasury to pay for her over-spending even though the country was in financial despair. King Louis XVI did not care about ruling his country at all and was very easily influenced so that anyone who wanted to get a point across to Louis would be able to change his mind in a matter of minutes. He was more interested in hunting than matters of state.

In the year 1789 the French people revolted against the monarchy and upper classes, using violence and murder to overthrow those in power. Many saw the French revolution as inspirational, a model of how the ordinary, disadvantaged people could gain power.

The changes for improvement were based on the Enlightenment ideas of democracy, citizenship and patent rights. 

Neighbouring countries were afraid that France's revolution would soon spread as an example beyond French land and start rebellions in other countries. Other countries issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, which demanded that the French people return Louis XVI to the throne. Many French leaders thought the declaration was aggressive so they declared war on Austria and Prussia.

Ironically, Robespierre had presented a speech to Louis and Marie when he was a child about how much he appreciated their work for the country, but when Robespierre grew up, his speech turned out to be the end of King Louis, and perhaps later also the end of the Revolutionary ideal. Robespierre grew very suspicious about counter-revolutionary powers, so he started the Reign of Terror during 1793-1794. More than 15,000 people were beheaded at the guillotine.

When the French army successfully defeated foreign attackers and the economy finally become secure, Robespierre had no more excuses for his zealous actions, and he was arrested in July 1794 and executed.

During that time, French armies led by the young general Napoleon Bonaparte were very successful in development in almost every direction. Napoleon eventually became the leader of France and with him as ruler, the Bloody Revolution ended, and France went into a fifteen-year period of military rule.