La Révolution Française
in less than 300 words
Here’s some important stuff everyone should know about the French Revolution:
People
Maximilien Robespierre - the man responsible for over 40,000 deaths
Georges-Jacques Danton - leader of the Girondins
Camille Desmoulins - a famous speaker for Danton
Louis XVI
Marie-Antoinette
Napoléon Bonaparte
le Comte de Mirabeau - famous for saying "Allez dire à votre maître que nous sommes ici par la volunté du Peuple et que nous n’en sortions que par la force des baïonnettes," among other things
Jacques Necker - Louis XVI’s premier minister
le marquis de Lafayette - commander of France’s National Guard
Rouget de Lisle - the soldier who wrote La Marseillaise
Jean-Paul Marat (as well as Charlotte Corday)
Groups
les Girondins - the moderate political side of France, also known as La Droite, led by Danton
les Montagnards - the radical or extreme political side of France, also known as “La Gauche”
Les Etats-Généraux
le Comité de Salut Public - the Committee of Public Safety
Sans-Culotte
Events
Jeu de Paume – the first act of rebellion against the king
la chute de la Bastille et la Fête de la Fédération
la Fuite à Varennes – King Louis tried to leave the country with his wife and kids, but was arrested in Varennes, a town on the border between Germany and France
la Grande Terreur – thank Robespierre for this one
Written things
Cahiers de Doléances
Marseillaise
Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen - the French Declaration of Independence
Now, the next time you see one of the names mentioned above, you will be able to shrewdly point out, “That’s from
The French Revolution!” Just think of how
incredulous people will be! But remember to
always share your knowledge. For more information and to further enrich your mind concerning matters of
French history, I advise taking some sort of
class or perhaps reading some sort of
book on the subject. Enjoy!