History’s Great Defeats – The French Revolution: The Fall of the Monarchy

The Old Regime ruled France for centuries. Comprised of a monarchy, aristocracy, and high-ranking church officials, this tiny elite alone set the rules for Europe’s most sophisticated nation. Corrupted by power and wealth, it also bestowed upon itself power, wealth, and privileges denied to the vast majority of France’s 25 million people. But by the late 18th century, big trouble brewed for the Old Regime. Motivated by national bankruptcy, food shortages, widespread discontent, and an intellectual crusade known as the Enlightenment, the French people brought down the Old Regime. They also unleashed one of history’s most violent revolutions–one that shook the world.