3.1- The Three Estates

The Ancien Regime was a mess in desperate need of reform.  

<p><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px;">As power passed from Louis XV to Louis XVI, royal ministers attempted to implement reforms, but were thewarted at every turn. </span></p> 

Just as the financial situation was about to explode the monarchy was hit by a public relations nightmare. 

The Invention of France #3 

La Révolution française (1789-1799) est un événement majeur de l'histoire mondiale qui marque la fin de l'Ancien Régime en France et le début de l'ère moderne. Elle se caractérise par une série de bouleversements politiques, sociaux et économiques.<hr><p style='color:grey; font-s ... Show More

<p>This week we had our long time comrade and resident France expert, Matthew, back on the show to talk about the mixed legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte. Was Napoleon a force for progress or the death of the revolution? <br/><br/>The answer is yes. <br/><br/><b>Revolutionary Figures: ... Show More

French Revolution began 150 years of chaos, war, bloodshed, revolution…. Each movement being eaten by the next…France in the 1789 had LOTS of problems: high tax on poor, Rich, oppression etc.  CLEARLY in need of Revolution. America had just gone through their own revolution. But ... Show More

Archbishop Eamon Martin, Primate of All Ireland for the Catholic Church, and the Rev David Bruce, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, tell Tara and Declan about the impact their predecessors had during the War of Independence and in the creation of the new states. 

La Révolution française a fait l’objet de nombreux débats entre historiens, notamment autour du fait de savoir si elle représentait un tout, en y incluant la Terreur, que l’on pouvait célébrer, ou s’il ne fallait en considérer que des bribes. Quoi qu’il en soit, elle constitue un ... Show More

If Gothic cathedrals, troubadours, and the Crusades evoke a certain picture of medieval Europe, you might be surprised that these foundations of a shared French culture continue to shape European society, all beginning with a single dynasty. Reigning from 987 to 1328, the Capetia ... Show More

It’s simple enough to pinpoint the beginnings of the French Revolution in 1789, but far more difficult to mark its end. Following the initial outbreak of revolution, France was plunged into years of political, social and economic instability, as various new governments sought to ... Show More

L'histoire de France est marquée par de grands hommes et parmi eux, les rois ont une place de choix. François I­er est donc devenu la clef de voûte de la France du XVIIe siècle, qui s'engage alors vers le statut de première puissance économique et culturelle au monde.