There are five stages in the history of the French Revolution. At the first stage of the revolution the liberal’s, bourgeoisie and the nobility seized the power in the state. They were in favor of a constitutional monarchy. July 14, 1789, the storming of the Bastille as the bulwark of absolutism and tyranny. The first stage was rather democratic as in August 26, 1789, was accepted the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”, and was introduced universal suffrage for men from 21 year. In September 1791, Louis XVI signed the constitution worked out by the Constituent Assembly, after which the country become the constitutional monarchy. The Constituent Assembly was replaced by the Legislative Assembly.
At the second stage, the threat of intervention of Austria and Prussia forced France to declare war against them. Due to the difficult situation on the front, the Legislative Assembly proclaimed: “The country is in danger”. August 10, 1792, there was a popular uprising, which was headed by Paris Commune. The Commune closed many monarchic newspapers, arrested former ministers, abolished property qualifications, this was rather radical than democratic stage of the Revolution. Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution on renunciation of the king from power and the convocation of a new supreme authority – the National Convention. September 21, the First Republic was proclaimed in France (“The French Revolution”).
The third stage of revolution takes countdown until May 31, June 2, 1793, when after the popular uprising the power passed to Jacobin dictatorship, which marked a radical phase of the Revolution. The Jacobins were trying to abolish all remnants of feudalism. The Jacobins were trying to centralize the state power. July 27, 1794, there was a Thermidorian Reaction which led to the overthrow of the dictatorship and the end of the Republic. The National Convention was a new governing body, and a new constitution was adopted. The Constitution abolished universal suffrage and introduced the principle of separation of powers.
The fourth and fifth stages the Convention has been completely eliminated, and the Revolution moved to the democratic stage. Therefore, the Directory, which consisted of five directors, was at the head of the state. In November 1799, as a result, Coup of 18 Brumaire, under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Directory was overthrown. That this is the end of the French Revolution that took place in 1789-1799, respectively. The revolution led to the collapse of the old order, and to the approval of new progressive and democratic society.
Works Cited
The French Revolution: phases and dates. University of South Carolina Beaufort. Web.
Accessed 29 Feb 2015 at
<http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/4c/frrev.h96.htm>
