Editing History of France (section)

== Revolutionary France (1789–1799) ==
{{Main|French Revolution}}
[[File:Journée des Tuiles (Alexandre Debelle), Musée de la Révolution française - Vizille.jpg|thumb|[[Day of the Tiles]] in 1788 at [[Grenoble]] was the first riot. ([[Musée de la Révolution française]]).]]

The French Revolution was a period of political and societal change in [[France]] that began with the [[Estates General of 1789]], and ended with the [[coup of 18 Brumaire]] in November 1799 and the formation of the [[French Consulate]]. Many of its ideas are considered fundamental principles of [[liberal democracy]],{{Sfn|Livesey|2001|p=19}} while its values and institutions remain central to modern French political discourse.{{Sfn|Fehér|1990|pp=117–130}}

[[Causes of the French Revolution|Its causes]] are generally agreed to be a combination of social, political and economic factors, which the ''[[Ancien Régime]]'' proved unable to manage. A financial crisis and widespread social distress led in May 1789 to the [[convocation]] of the [[Estates General of 1789|Estates General]], which was converted into a [[National Assembly (French Revolution)|National Assembly]] in June. The [[Storming of the Bastille]] on 14 July led to a series of radical measures by the Assembly, among them the [[Abolition of feudalism in France|abolition of feudalism]], state control over the [[Catholic Church in France]], and a [[Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen|declaration of rights]].

The next three years were dominated by the struggle for political control, exacerbated by [[economic depression]]. Military defeats following the outbreak of the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] in April 1792 resulted in the [[insurrection of 10 August 1792]]. The [[Proclamation of the abolition of the monarchy|monarchy was abolished]] and replaced by the [[French First Republic]] in September, while [[execution of Louis XVI|Louis XVI was executed]] in January 1793.

After another [[Insurrection of 31 May – 2 June 1793|revolt in June 1793]], the constitution was suspended and effective political power passed from the [[National Convention]] to the [[Committee of Public Safety]]. About 16,000 people were executed in a [[Reign of Terror]], which [[Thermidorian Reaction|ended in July 1794]]. Weakened by external threats and internal opposition, the Republic was replaced in 1795 by the [[French Directory|Directory]]. Four years later in 1799, the [[French Consulate|Consulate]] seized power in a [[Coup of 18 Brumaire|military coup]] led by [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]. This is generally seen as marking the end of the Revolutionary period.