Living the French Revolution and the Age of Napoleon

Overview

Examine a crucial turning point for humanity—the French Revolution and its aftermath—in which common people threw off the shackles of oppression and seized freedom.

The 25 years between the onset of the French Revolution in 1789 and the Bourbon Restoration after Napoleon in 1814 is an astonishing period in world history that marked a permanent shift for European politics, religion, and society. These 48 exciting lectures are your opportunity to learn the full story of this captivating period, and to get a broad and comprehensive survey of one of the most important eras in modern history.

Professor Desan’s lectures introduce you to all sides of the story. How did the French attempt to create a democratic republic? How did such an optimistic movement, such an idealistic new government, morph into the Terror? Was an authoritarian regime an inevitable response to the Revolution? You’ll study these questions through the eyes of the people as they struggled to advance their cause and come to terms with each new development.

For instance, you’ll learn about the brutality of life under the Old Regime; examine the political parties that jockeyed for control of France; meet women such as Olympe de Gouges, who demanded divorce and equal inheritance laws; and consider debates such as those between Edmund Burke, who defended the aristocracy, and Thomas Paine, who advocated the rights of man.

You’ll feel the swell of the crowds again and again as they chant and protest. You’ll react to the cauldron of crisis and fear in the months leading up to the Terror. And you’ll come away with a new viewpoint—not just on this era, but on our own.

Video Lectures

Part 1: The Origins of Revolution

1. Introduction and the Old Regime Monarchy (33 min)
   Take a first look at the complexities of overthrowing a monarchy and constructing a democracy. This first lecture introduces you to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and lays the groundwork for the gripping drama of the French Revolution.
2. Privilege-Old Regime Society (30 min)
   Look at the hierarchical society of France in the 1780s, divided into three estates—those who prayed (the clergy), those who fought (the nobles), and those who worked and paid taxes (the peasants).
3. The Enlightenment (32 min)
   Enter 18th-century salons and cafés to join the debates over modernity and politics. While writers such as Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau argued over natural rights, the Old Regime cracked down on dissidents.
4. France, Global Commerce, and Colonization (31 min)
   See how global trade, the mercantilist system, and the slave trade disrupted traditional notions of societal hierarchy.
5. American Revolution and the Economic Crisis (30 min)
   Explore the economic problems of France in the 1780s, including war debts, free trade disruptions, and poor harvests.

Part 2: The Revolution Unfolds

6. The Political Awakening of 1789 (32 min)
   When the Estates-General met in 1789, the Third Estate challenged the status quo and created a revolutionary new Assembly.
7. July 14th—Storming the Bastille (30 min)
   Unpack the story of one of the most famous days in French history, as hungry crowds gathered in Paris and stormed the Bastille.
8. Peasant Revolt and the Abolition of Feudalism (32 min)
   Amid the “Great Fear of 1789,” peasants revolted against their lords, and the National Assembly dismantled the feudal system.
9. The Declaration of the Rights of Man (33 min)
   Study the origins and significance of this shocking declaration, from its Enlightenment influences to its implications for liberty.
10. Paris Commands Its King (29 min)
    March to Versailles with thousands of women and National Guardsmen to protest the price of bread and demand political changes.