The 1789 French Revolution was a watershed event in modern European history. It began on 5th May 1789 when the Ancien Régime in France was abolished in favour of a constitutional monarchy. Its replacement in September 1792 by the First French Republic led to the execution of Louis XVI in January 1793, and an extended period of political turmoil. It ended on 9th Nov1799 with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte.
See: Edmund Burke.