Chapter 11 — History & Culture
What was the French Revolution about?
A bankrupt monarchy plus tax-exempt nobility plus starving peasants plus Enlightenment ideas. 1789 saw the storming of the Bastille; 1793 the king was executed; 1799 Napoleon took power. Liberty, equality, fraternity — plus a lot of blood.
Follow-up questions
What was the guillotine?
Originally proposed as a humane execution method. Became the symbol of the Reign of Terror in 1793–94, killing tens of thousands including its own architects.
Did it succeed?
It ended feudalism and inspired revolutions worldwide, but France cycled through empires and republics for another century.
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