The gap between rich and poor in France was vast. The
inequalities of the economy of France were a major cause of the French
Revolution.
Geography Why do you think the royal palace at Versailles became a focal
point for the anger of the poor people of Paris during the Revolution?
Driven by the example of the American Revolution and such
Enlightenment ideas as liberty, equality, and democracy, the French ousted
the government of Louis XVI and established a new political order.
Geography Why do you think some historians cite the “wind from America”
as a cause of the French Revolution?
After seizing power in 1799, Napoleon
conquered a huge empire that included much of Western Europe. His
attempt to conquer Russia, however, led to his downfall.
