The French Revolution

The French Revolution began in 1789 with the storming of the Bastille and ended in 1799 with Napoleon Bonaparte's coup d'état. Driven by Enlightenment ideals, social inequality, and financial crisis, the Revolution abolished the feudal system, established the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, executed King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and went through phases including the Reign of Terror under Robespierre. Its lasting impacts include the spread of nationalism, secularism, democratic ideals, and the metric system. The revolutionary motto "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" remains France's national motto.