The French Revolution shook the world from 1789 to 1799 and completely transformed modern European societies. By ricochet, it transformed the whole world.  It was a real political tsunami, with immediate and long term consequences. With the following Napoleonic wars, it shaped the Nineteenth century in a way that nobody could foresee only a generation before.

There are many misconceptions about the French Revolution, like the idea that a mob captured the king and guillotined him right away. It's not at all what happened. It's a lot more complicated than that. Hopefully you will find this episode palatable and a good entry into the fascinating events of the Révolution.

For those who want to know more, I highly recommend that you listen to "Grey History: The French Revolution & Napoleon" by William Clark.

Timecodes:

Introduction
06:53 - The Origins of the Révolution
17:25  - Adieu, Old Regime!
26:48  - Working with Louis XVI
36:15  - The French Republic
41:37  - The Terreur
48:16  - The Directoire
53:58  - The Consulat
57:57  - Conclusion

Music: Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, arranged and performed by Jérôme Arfouche.

Art: Prise de la Bastille by Jean-Pierre Houël, 1789

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