Conflicts & Resolutions · Revolution

French Revolution

1789–1799 · 18th century

The French Revolution was the period of upheaval in France that began with the meeting of the Estates-General in 1789, abolished the monarchy in 1792 and ended with Napoleon Bonaparte's seizure of power in 1799. Its ideas of popular sovereignty, equality and the rights of man spread far beyond France, inspiring settlers at Graaff-Reinet and Swellendam, while the wars it began reshaped Europe and its colonies for a generation.

French Revolution
Image: Unidentified painter · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 8 profiles

United StatesImpactPapal StatesDeclineDuchy of NormandyGovernanceAndorraDeclineKingdom of NaplesDeclineOld Swiss ConfederacyDeclineKingdom of IrelandDeclineKingdom of Great BritainDecline

Mentioned in 8 state histories

Imperial Abbey of MurbachComtat VenaissinColony of GuadeloupeFrench Saint LuciaSaint Barthélemy (Swedish)Anglo-Corsican KingdomSwellendam RepublicGraaff-Reinet Republic

Great speeches

Danton: Audacity, Always Audacity2 September 1792Robespierre on Virtue and Terror5 February 1794

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). French Revolution. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/french-revolution
MLA
“French Revolution.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/french-revolution. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “French Revolution.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/french-revolution.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘French Revolution’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/french-revolution (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻