Crash Course: World History — Season 1, Episode 29: The French Revolution: Crash Course World History #29
Talk, Documentary • 30 min • 2 seasons, 72 episodes
Episode synopsis
John Green examines the French Revolution, and gets into how and why it differed from the American Revolution. Was it the serial authoritarian regimes? The guillotine? The Reign of Terror? All of this and more contributed to the French Revolution not being quite as revolutionary as it could have been. France endured multiple constitutions, the heads of heads of state literally rolled, and then they ended up with a megalomaniacal little emperor by the name of Napoleon. But how did all of this change the world, and how did it lead to other, more successful revolutions around the world? Watch this video and find out. Spoiler alert: Marie Antoinette never said, "Let them eat cake." Sorry.
About Crash Course: World History
Crash Course World History is a video course hosted by John Green that teaches world history from growing the first crops in the First Agricultural Revolution to global textile production in the 2010s. Across the series, it builds skills in identifying and explaining historical developments, analyzing events in broader context, and tracing patterns and connections across time and place—aiming to help viewers become more informed citizens of the world. Season 1 follows the 2012 AP World History curriculum in a 42-episode chronological survey, while Season 2 continues in 30 episodes with a more thematic approach that focuses on systems and encourages viewers to question how “history” is written and what biases shape it.
More episodes from Season 1
- E1The Agricultural Revolution: Crash Course World History #1
- E2Indus Valley Civilization: Crash Course World History #2
- E3Mesopotamia: Crash Course World History #3
- E4Ancient Egypt: Crash Course World History #4
- E5The Persians & Greeks: Crash Course World History #5
- E6Buddha and Ashoka: Crash Course World History #6
- E72,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius: World History #7
- E8Alexander the Great: Crash Course World History #8
- E9The Silk Road and Ancient Trade: Crash Course World History #9
- E10The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?: Crash Course World History #10
- E11Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History #11
- E12Fall of The Roman Empire...in the 15th Century: Crash Course World History #12