1789 – 1799

The French Revolution declares rights

Civilizations · Europe · France

France abolished its monarchy in the name of liberty, equality and fraternity, issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man — and descended into terror and war.

Why it matters

The revolution proved that societies could be deliberately redesigned from first principles — and how violently that goes wrong. Modern left and right, citizen armies, metric standards and nationalism all begin in its decade.

Threads

This event sits on Governance.

Related events

Sources

  • Encyclopædia Britannica — French Revolution