Thus, France was still governed by a king during the most tumultuous events of the movie, even though they take place nearly 40 years after the French Revolution began. By 1795, after the bad harvest of 1794 and the removal of price controls, inflation reached a level of 3500%. [213] However, the demand for their nursing services remained strong, and after 1800 the sisters reappeared and resumed their work in hospitals and on rural estates. "[226] They also note that the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars caused England, Spain, Prussia and the Dutch Republic to centralize their fiscal systems to an unprecedented extent in order to finance the military campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars. [196], The French Revolution had a major impact on Europe and the New World, decisively changing the course of human history. The attempted escape had a profound impact on public opinion; since it was clear Louis had been seeking refuge in Austria, the Assembly now demanded oaths of loyalty to the regime, and began preparing for war, while fear of 'spies and traitors' became pervasive. [103], Growing discontent allowed the clubs to mobilise against the Girondins. Emboldened by this success, in February 1793 France declared war on the Dutch Republic, Spain and Britain, beginning the War of the First Coalition. [256], It marks the end of the early modern period, which started around 1500 and is often seen as marking the "dawn of the modern era". Vichy denied the principle of equality and tried to replace the Revolutionary watchwords "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" with "Work, Family, and Fatherland." The discovery of new gold mines in Brazil had led to a general rise in prices throughout the West from about 1730, indicating a prosperous economic situation. [200] Its influence was great in the hundreds of small German states and elsewhere, where it[clarification needed] was either inspired by the French example or in reaction against it. They sternly reminded women to stay home and tend to their families by leaving public affairs to the men. Washington proclaimed neutrality instead. [254] The central theme of this argument was that the Revolution emerged from the rising bourgeoisie, with support from the sans-culottes, who fought to destroy the aristocracy. It sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power. The kings had so thoroughly centralised the system that most nobles spent their time at Versailles, and thus played only a small direct role in their home districts. It reflects Roman republicanism and liberty, alluding to the Roman ritual of manumission, in which a freed slave receives the bonnet as a symbol of his newfound liberty. [220][221], The Revolution meant an end to arbitrary royal rule and held out the promise of rule by law under a constitutional order, but it did not rule out a monarch. [107] In mid-October, Marie Antoinette was found guilty of a long list of crimes and guillotined; two weeks later, the Girondist leaders arrested in June were also executed, along with Philippe Égalité. The sentence was carried out on 21 January on the Place de la Révolution, now the Place de la Concorde. Led by de Brienne, former archbishop of Toulouse, [a] the Assembly argued that tax increases could only be authorised by the Estates-General. [198] [199] [5] Its impact on French nationalism was profound, while also stimulating nationalist movements throughout Europe. Prior to 1789, there have been a small number of heavily censored newspapers that needed a royal licence to operate, but the Estates-General created an enormous demand for news, and over 130 newspapers appeared by the end of the year. Blue and red are the traditional colours of Paris, and they are used on the city's coat of arms. The king, Louis XVI, had to yield. Executive power was in the hands of five Directors, selected by the Council of Ancients from a list provided by the lower house, with a five-year mandate.