Bastille The royal prison in Paris. On 14th July 1789 a mob stormed the prison. This seriously weakened the authority of the French king and marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

Danton, Georges (1759–94) A leading Jacobin, who attempted to provide a moderating influence on its more radical members. He was himself arrested and guillotined during the Reign of Terror.

Declaration of the Rights of Man A document drawn up by French revolutionary leader the Marquis de Lafayette in 1789. It stated that all citizens had the same basic rights, including liberty and equality.

Estates General An assembly of the three traditional orders, or Estates, of French society: nobility, clergy and commoners (known as The Third Estate). In 1788, the Estates General was called by the King’s Minister of Finance in an attempt to raise money for the Crown.

French Revolution The rebellion that took place in France between 1789 and 1799. It was largely fuelled by discontent about taxation: noble families did not pay taxes, but peasants were forced to. A bad harvest in 1788 brought many close to starvation. When the king refused to help his people, he was overthrown and executed, and France became a republic.

Guillotine An upright frame with a weighted blade, used to decapitate people (cut off their heads). It was the main method of execution during the French Revolution.

Jacobin A member of the Jacobin Club, a republican political club set up in 1789 and given its name in 1792. It consisted of two main groups: the radical Mountain (or Montagnards) and the moderate Girondins (or Girondists). The Jacobins succeeded in overthrowing the monarchy and creating the First French Republic.

Louis XVI (1754–1793) King of France from 1774 to 1791. His extravagant lifestyle bankrupted the country, and his refusal to listen to his people triggered the Revolution. Louis was arrested in 1792 and tried for high treason. He was executed by the guillotine in January 1793.

Marat, Jean-Paul (1743–93) French scientist, journalist and politician. A member of the Jacobin Club, he was one of the most radical voices of the Revolution. He wrote in support of basic human rights for the poor.

Marie-Antoinette (1755–1793) Wife of the French king Louis XVI. She was intensely disliked by the French people—France's financial crisis was blamed on her lavish spending—and was executed by guillotine in October 1793.

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769–1821) A general who seized power in France in 1799, after the French Revolution. He was declared emperor in 1804. By 1812, Napoleon had built up a large empire and his influence stretched across most of Europe. In 1812 he tried to invade Russia but was forced to retreat. After his defeat at Waterloo in 1815 he was exiled to the Atlantic island of St Helena, where he died six years later.

Napoleonic Wars The series of wars fought between Napoleon’s empire and other European states between 1803 and 1815.

Reign of Terror The years 1793 to 1794 of the French Revolution. During this time, thousands of people suspected of plotting against the Republic were executed.

Republic A form of government in which the head of the country is an elected president, rather than a monarch. France became a republic during the Revolution. People who supported the overthrow of King Louis XVI were known as republicans.

Robespierre, Maximilien (1758–1794) A French revolutionary leader. A Jacobin, he was in charge of the Reign of Terror. In 1794 a group of revolutionaries turned against him and had him executed.

Sans-culottes The common people in late 18th-century France, many of whom became supporters of the Revolution. Culottes were the fashionable silk knee-breeches worn by the nobility and middle classes. Poor labourers, the sans-culottes (“without culottes”) wore pantalons, or trousers, instead.

Tennis Court Oath After deputies of the Third Estate had declared the establishment of a new National Assembly, their meeting hall had been locked shut on the orders of King Louis XVI. The deputies gathered instead in an indoor tennis court and swore not to disband until France was given a new constitution. This became known as The Tennis Court Oath.

Waterloo, Battle of The battle of June 1815 in which Napoleon was defeated by an alliance of the British and Prussians. This defeat finally marked the end of Napoleon’s rule.

Consultant: Philip Parker