On July 14, 1789, crowds in Paris stormed the Bastille, an old fortress-prison that stood for the king's power. France had a king with almost unlimited power, nobles and clergy who paid few taxes, and ordinary people who paid most of them while bread grew very expensive. Today the French celebrate July 14 as their national holiday.
Key idea
The revolution also brought fear and war. In 1793 King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were executed, and in the Reign of Terror that followed, thousands of people accused of being enemies of the revolution were put to death. Wars with the kings of Europe went on for years.
A young general named Napoleon Bonaparte won battle after battle. In 1799 he took power, and in 1804 he crowned himself emperor. His law code, the Napoleonic Code, spread ideas such as equality before the law across Europe. But his armies were finally beaten at Waterloo, in today's Belgium, in 1815.
Worked example: Compare
- 1,789 − 1,776 = 13.
Answer: The American Declaration, by 13 years. Some French leaders, like Lafayette, had fought in the American war.
Common mistake
Try it at home
- Talk it over at dinner: what do liberty, equality and fraternity mean in your own family or school? Can you have all three at once?
- Find France, Belgium and Russia on a map. How far did Napoleon's army march to Moscow?