• Introduction
• Learn
• Try It
• Task

Introduction

Look at the title of this lesson, “The Revolution Devours its Children” and think about what it could mean. This famous quote is attributed to 18th French journalist, Jacques Mallet du Pan  (1749-1800), and it first appeared in an essay he wrote in 1793.

So, what does it mean? The previous lesson outlined the causes of discontent in France that led to King Louis XVI’s calling of the Estates General in May, 1789, but in four short years, King Louis, his wife Maria Antoinette, and thousands of other Frenchmen had become victims of the violence that came to define the French Revolution.

Quite possibly, could it mean that those who actually were responsible for the king’s death would themselves become victims of the very revolution they made?

Lesson Objectives Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to: Describe the impact of the French Revolution on Europe, including political evolution, social evolution, and diffusion of nationalism and liberalism. The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: World History: 1500 to the Present Objective(s): . This lesson incorporates the following Literacy Standard(s):